_To my Master, Sir John Paston, Knyght, be thys delyverd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1473 / MARCH 26]
As I was wryghtyng this bylle, Mastresse Jane Harsset comandyd me
streyghtly that I shold recomand hyr to yow in hyr best wyse, and she
sendyth yow word she wold be as fayne to here fro yow as an other poore
body.
Syr, it is so that my cosyn John Blenerhasset[178-1] is enformyd that
for verry serteyn he is chosyn to be on of the colectours of the taske
in Norffolk, wher in verry trowthe he hathe not a foot of lond with in
the shyer; wherfor I beseche yow that, as hastyly as ye may aftyr the
syght of thys bylle, that it may please yow to take the labore to comon
with Sir Rychard Harrecorte, and to let hym have knowlage that thys
gentyllman hathe nowght with in the shyer, and that ye tweyne may fynd
the meane to get hym owght of that thanklesse offyce, for I promyse yow
it encomberthe hym evyll, and my mastresse hys wyffe, and alle us hys
frendys here; and if so be that ye and Sir R. Harcorte may not fynd the
meane betwyx yow, that then it may please yow to meve my Lord
Chamberleyn with thys mater, and so Master Harsset prayithe yow, and
Mastresse Jane, hys wyff also, for she lyekyth no thyng by the ofyce.
It is thowght her amonge us that Heydons be the causers that he was set
in. I prey yow enqwer of Sir R. Harcort who was the cause, and that it
may be wyst in the next byll that ye send me; for if they wer the
causers, it lythe in my cosyn Harsettes power to qwytte theym.
We have no tydynges to send, but that our Frenshemen[178-2] whyche kepte
our costs her ar home into France, for lake of vytayll, we saye.
Hogan[178-3] is put in the Gyld Halle in Norwyche, and shalbe browght up
to London for reportyng of hys old talys. He varythe not. No more, but I
prey God send yow the Holy Gost amonge yow in the Parlement Howse, and
rather the Devyll, we sey, then ye shold grante eny more taskys.
Wretyn the day next aftyr our Lady Day, the Anuncyacyon, Anno xiij. E.
iiij^{ti}.
* * *
Yong Heydon laborythe alle that he can to mary on of hys doughtyr to
yonge John Barney[179-1] by the mean of W. Calthorpp.