_To Sir John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: 1472 / NOV. or DEC.]
Syme recomandyth hym to your good mastyrshep, and preyeth yow that ye
wyll not forget, though he be a boye, to let hym were the same lyvere
that your men do; and if it pleased yow to lete hys gowne clothe be sent
hym home, that it myght be mad ayenst your comeing in to thys contre, he
wold be as prowd as eny man ye have. Sir, as hertly as I can, I thank
yow for the hatt, whyche is comyng, as I undyrstand by your wrytyng,
sent by John, the Abottys man of Seynt Benet.
My modyr sendys you Godes blyssyng and hyrs, and preyes yow to get a new
lycence of my Lord of Norwyche that she may have the sacrement in hyr
chapell. I gat a lycence of hym for a yere, and it is nyghe woryn ought.
Ye may get it for the Byshoppys lyve, and ye wylle.
As for the lettyrs that Slyfeld shold get newe of the Kyng, whyche ye
shold bryng to my Lord of Norffolk, it is myn avyse that ye shall come
home your sylff as hasty ly as ye maye, so that ye may be at the
crystenyng of the chyld that my Lady is with; it shall cause yow gret
thank, and a gret fordell [_advantage_] in your mater. And as for the
lettres, leve a man of yowr to awayte on Slyfeld to bryng theym after
yow; of whyche lettres I avyse yow to have one dyrect fro the Kyng to
yow, comandyng yow to be the messenger and brynger of the other lettres
to my Lord, my Lady, and ther consayll, for your owne mater; and thys me
thynkyth shall do well, for then shall the man shewe to my Lordes
consayll the lettre dyrect to yow that ye have awtoryte to be your owne
solycytour, and also it shall be thought that the Kyng tendryth yow and
your mater, when he wryghtyth to your sylf for it.
My Lady wayteth hyr tyme with in viij. dayes at the ferthest.
[Footnote 169-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter
is shown by the reference to the situation of the Duchess of
Norfolk. Compare Letter 817. There is an old, and nearly
contemporary, endorsement, ‘Anno xv^o, mens. Novemb.,’ but this is
clearly erroneous.]
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