_To my ryght worchepfull brodyr, Sir John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: 1472 / JULY 8]
Ryght worchepfull sir, I recomand me to you, sertyfying yow that I have
spokyn wyth Mastyr John Smyth[145-2] for Sir T. Lyndys, and he hathe
shewyd me your byll whyche ye axe to be content of. Your byll a lone
drawyth iiij. mark and ode monye, for ye have set in your byll for wax a
lone xx_s._, whyche to Mastyr John S. imagynacyon, and to all other
ofycers of the coort, shold not drawe past xx_d._ at hys berying. The
bylls that be put into the coorte of Syr Thomas Lynys dettes drawe
xxx_li._ xviij_s._ vj_d._, and all the money that can be mad of hys
house and goodes in this contrey drawyth but v_li._ Mastyr J. Smyth wold
ye shold send hym into the coort an inventory of syche goodys as Syr T.
had at London when he dyeid, and that inventory onys had, ye shall have
as comyth to your part and more also. Ye must send the serteynte whedyr
the wax be xx_s._ or xx_d._; and as for the Freers, Master John wyll not
alowe theym a peny, for he seyth wher the dettes may not be payeid, set
the beqwestes at nowght. He is agreid to pay the potycarye aftyr that he
have the inventory fro yow. Rysyng I trowe hathe be with yow.
Item, as for John Maryot, I have sent to hym for the xl_s._ but I have
non answer.
Item, I have spok with Barker, and he hathe no money, nor non can get
tyll harvest, when he may dystreyn the cropp upon the grownd; he seyth
there is not owyng past v. mark, and on Saturday next comyng he shall
send me a vewe of hys acompte whyche I shall send you as sone as I have
it. As for Fastolffes v. mark, J. Wyndham hathe be spokyn to by me half
a doseyn tymys to send to hym for it, and he seyth he hathe doon so.
Item, Sir John Styll hathe told Jwde when ye shall have the chalys; ax
Jwde of your crwets allso.
Item, the prowd, pevyshe, and evyll disposyd prest to us all, Sir James,
seyth that ye comandyd hym to delyver the book of vij. Sagys to my
brodyr Water, and he hathe it.
Item, I send you the serteynte her with of as myche as can be enqweryd
for myn oncyll W. cleym in Caster; thase artyclys that fayle, the
tenaunts of Caster shall enqwer theym, and send theym to me hastyly;
they have promysyd, and they com, ye shall have theym sent yow by the
next messenger that comyth to London.
Item, my modyr sendyth you woord that she hathe neyther Master Robard
Popyes oblygacyon nor the Byshopys.[146-1]
Item, my modyr wold ye shold in all haste gete hyr aqwetance of the
Byshop[146-2] of Wynchester for Sir John Fastolffes goodes; she preyid
you to make it swyr by the avyse of your consayll, and she wyll pay for
the costes.
Item, she preyith you to spek to the seyd Byshop for to get Master
Clement Felmyngham the viij. mark be yer dwryng hys lyffe that Sir J.
Fastolff be set hym; she preyid you to get hym an asygnement for it to
som maner in Norfolk or in Lothynglond.
Item, she wold ye shold get yow an other house to ley in your stuff
syche as cam fro Caster. She thynkyth on of the Freerys is a fayir
house; she purposeyth to go in to the contre, and ther to sojorn onys
ayen.[146-3] Many qwarellys ar pyekyd to get my brodyr E. and me ought
of hyr howse; we go not to bed unchedyn lyghtly, all that we do is ille
doon, and all that Sir Jamys and Pekok dothe is well doon; Sir Jamys and
I be tweyn. We fyll owght be for my modyr, with ‘Thow prowd prest’ and
‘Thow prowd sqwyer,’ my modyr takyng hys part, so I have almost beshet
the bote, as for my modyrs house; yet somer shal be don or I get me ony
mastyr. My modyr proposeith hastyly to take estate in all hyr londys,
and upon that estate to make hyr wyll of the seyd londys, parte to geve
to my yonger brethyrn for term of ther lyvys, and aftyr to remayn to
yow, pert to my syster Annys maryage,[147-1] tyll on C_li._ be payid,
part for to make hyr ile at Mawtby, parte for a prest to syng for hyr
and my fadyr, and ther ancestrys. And in thys aungyr betwen Sir Jamys
and me, she hathe promyseid me that my parte shall be nowght; what your
shal be, I can not sey. God sped the plowghe; i feythe ye must purvey
for my brodyr E. to go over with you, or he is on don; he wyll bryng xx.
noblys in hys purse. My modyr wyll nowthyr geve nor lend non of you
bothe a peny forward. Purvey a meane to have Caster ayen or ye goo ovyr;
my Lord and Lady (whyche for serteyn is gret with chyld), be wery ther
of, and all the housold also. If ye wyll eny othyr thyn to be don in
thys contre, send me woord, and I shall do as well as I can with Godes
grace, Who preserve yow.
Wretyn the viij. day of Julle. I pray yow recomand me to my Lord of
Aran,[147-2] Sir John Par, Sir George Browne, Osbern Berney, R. Hyd,
Jhoxson my cosyn, hys wyfe Kate, W. Wood, and all. I pray brenne thys
by[ll] for losyng.
Your,