_A Johan Paston, Esquyer, soit done._
[Sidenote: 1472 / NOV. 4]
Worshypfull and weell belovyd brother, I recomand me to yow, letyng yow
weet that I sente yow a letter and a rynge with a dyamond, in whyche
letter ye myght well conceyve what I wold ye scholde do with the same
rynge, with menye other tydyngs and thyngs whyche I prayed yowe to have
doon for me, whyche letter Botoner[156-1] had the beryng off. It is so
nowe that I undrestond that he is owther deed or ellys harde eskapyd,
wheroff I am ryght hevye, and am not serteyn whethyr the seyd lettyr and
rynge come to yowr handys or nott. I wolde nott that letter wer seyn
with some folkys; wherffor I praye yow take good heede hoghe that letter
comythe to yowr handys, hooll or brokyn, and in especiall I praye yow
gete it, iff ye have it nott.
Also I praye yow feele my Lady off Norfolks dysposicion to me wards, and
whethyr she toke any dysplesur at my langage, or mokkyd, or dysdeyned my
words whyche I hadd to hyr at Yarmothe, be twyen the place wher I ffyrst
mett with hyr and hyr lodgyng, ffor my Lady Brandon and Syr
William[156-2] also axhyd me what words I had had to hyr at that tyme.
They seyd that my Lady seyde I gaff hyr ther off,[156-3] and that I
sholde have seyde that my Lady was worthye to have a Lords soon in hyr
belye, ffor she cowde cheryshe itt, and dele warlye with it; in trowthe
owther the same or words moche lyke I had to hyr, whyche wordys I ment
as I seyde. They seye to that I seyde she toke hyr ease. Also I scholde
have seyde that my Ladye was off satur [_stature_] goode, and had sydes
longe and large, so that I was in goode hope she sholde ber a fayr
chylde; he was nott lacyd nor bracyd ine to hys peyn, but that she left
hym rome to pleye hym in. And they seye that I seyde my Lady was large
and grete, and that itt sholde have rome inow to goo owt att; and thus
whyther my Lady mokk me, or theye, I woote nott. I mente weell by my
trowthe to hyr, and to that she is with, as any he that owythe heer best
wyll in Ingelond.
Iff ye can by any meed weete whethyr my Ladye take it to dysplesur or
nowt, or whether she thynke I mokkyd hyr, or iff she wyght it but
lewdnesse off my selffe, I pray yow sende me worde; ffor I weet nott
whethyr I maye trust thys Lady Brandon or nott.
Item, as ffor tydyngs nowe, heer be but ffewe, saff that, as I
undrestande, imbassators off Bretayne shall come to London to morawe,
and men seye that the Lorde Ryverse[157-1] and Scayls, shall hastelye
come home; and men seye that ther is many off the sowders that went to
hym into Bretayne been dede off the fflyxe, and other ipedemye
[_epidemics_], and that the remenant sholde come hom with the Lorde
Skalys. And som seye that thees imbassators come ffor moor men. And thys
daye rennyth a tale that the Duke of Bretayne[157-2] sholde be ded.
I beleeff it not.
I sent yow worde off an hawke; I herde nott from yow syns; I do and
shall doo that is possible in suche a neede.
Also I canne nott undrestand that my Lord off Norffolk shall come heer
thys tyme; wherffor I am in a greet agonye howe is best ffor me to sue
to hym ffor rehavyng off my place; that goode Lorde weet full lytell how
moche harme he doothe me, and how lytell goode or worshyp it dothe hym.
I praye yow sende me yowr advyce. No moor to yow at thys tyme, but God
have yow in Hys kepyng.
Wretyn at London the iiij. daye off Novembre, anno E. iiij^ti xij^{o}.
I feer me that idelnesse ledyth yowr reyne; I praye yow rather remembre
Sir Hughe Levernoys tyll yowr hauke come.