_To John Paston, Esquier._
[Sidenote: 1473 / APRIL 12]
Best belovyd brother, I recomend me on to yow, letyng yow weet that I
receyvyd on Wednysday last past yow angery lettre towchyng the troble
that Sandre Kok is in, wherein I have largely comonyd with John Russe,
and advysed hym to take a curteys weye with Sandre, for yowre sake and
myn. He seythe he wold not dysplease yow by hys wyll, and that he
purposythe to entrete yow and wolde deserve it to yowe. He undrestod
that ye had large langage to the jurye that passyd again Saundre. I lete
hym weete that ye weer wrothe, and that he shall nowther please yowe ner
me, but iff he dele curteyslye with Saundre. I tolde hym as for the
condempnacion uppon the accion off trespasse I thoght it nowther good
ner worshypfull. Also I have wretyn to the person of Maultby to dele
curteyslye with Saundre, iff he woll please yow or me.
Item, I sende yow herwythe the _supercedyas_ for Saundre; so that iff ye
fynde any meane for the condempnacions that than ye maye ease therwith
the suerte off pease. John Russe, as I suppose, is att home thys daye.
Item, as for tydynges heer, the Kynge rydeth fresselye thys daye to
Northamton warde, there to be thys Esterne, and after Esterne he
purposythe to be moche at Leysettre, and in Leysettre shyre. Every man
seythe that we shall have a doo or Maye passe. Hogan the prophet is in
the Tower; he wolde fayne speke with the Kyng, but the Kynge seythe he
shall not avaunt that evyr he spake with hym.
Item, as for me, I most nedys to Caleyse warde to morowe. I shall be
heer ageyn, if I maye, thys next terme. John Myryell, Thyrston, and W.
Woode be goon from me, I shrewe them.
My modre dothe me moor harme than good; I wende she wolde have doon for
me. Playter wroot to me that she wolde have leyde owt for me C_li._, and
receyvyd it ageyn in v. yer of the maner of Sporle, wherto I trustyd,
whyche if she had performyd, I had nott ben in no juperte of the maner
of Sporle. Neverthelesse I shall do whatt I kan yitt. I preye yow calle
uppon hyr for the same, remembre hyr of that promyse.
Item, I preye yow remembre hyr for my fadrys tombe at Bromholme. She
dothe ryght nott [_naught_]; I am afferde of hyr that she shall nott doo
weell. Bedyngfelde shall mary Sir John Skottes doghtre, as I suppose.
Item, Janore Lovedaye shall be weddyd to one Denyse, a ffuattyd (?)
gentylman, with Sir G. Brown, nowther to weell ner to ylle.
Item, as for me, iff I had hadd vj. dayes leyser more than I hadd, and
other also, I wolde have hopyd to have ben delyveryd of Mestresse Anne
Hault. Hyr frendes, the Quyen and Attclif agreyd to comon and conclude
with me, if I can fynde the meanes to dyscharge hyr concyence, whyche I
trust to God to doo.
i. Item, I praye yow that ye take a leyser thys Estern halydayes to ryde
to Sporle and sende for John Osberne, and I wolde ye sholde conclude a
bergayn with one Bocher, a woode byer, whyche Mendham that was my fermor
ther can fecche hym to yow.
ii. And thys is myn entent. I wolde have the dykes to stonde stylle,
acordyng as John Osberne and I comonyd, I trow xij. foothe with in the
dyke.
iij. Item, that the standardes off suche mesur as he and I comonyd off
maye also be reservyd. I suppose it was xxx. inche, abowt a yerde from
the grownde.
iiij. Item, that it be surely fencyd at the cost off the woode byer in
any wyse with a sure hedge, bothe hyghe and stronge.
v. Item, that ther be a weye taken with the fermores for the undrewood,
so that I lesse not the ferme therffore yerly. Item, John Osbern can
telle yow the meanys howe to entrete the fermores, for Herry Halman hath
pleyed the false shrowe and fellyd my woode uppon a tenement off myn to
the valew off xx. marke, as it is tolde me. I praye yow enquire that
matre and sende me worde and dele with hym ther afftre.
vj. Item, iff the seyde wood clere above alle charges excep as is above,
be made any better than CC. marke, I wolle seye that ye be a good
huswyff. John Osberne seythe that he woll do me a frendes turne ther in
and yitt gete hym self an hakeneye.
vij. Memorandum, that he have nott past iij. or iiij. yere off untraunce
at the ferthest.
viij. Item, thatt I have payement off the holl as shortly as ye kan,
halffe in hande, the remenaunt at halffe yeer, or ellys at ij. tymes
with in one yere at the ferthest by mydsomer xij. monyth.
ix. And that ye make no ferther bergayn than Sporle woode and the
lawnde, not delyng with noon other woode, nowther in the maner, nor
ellys wher in none other tenement.
x. Item, that ye have sufficient sewerte for the monye, with penaltes
iff nede be, some other men bonden with hym for the payement.
xj. Item, I wolle well be bownde to waraunt it to hym.
Item, I sende yow herwith a warant to yow and John Osberne joyntlye to
bergayn. Comone and conclude that bergayn.
xij. Item, I suppose he woll, iff he conclude with yow, desyre to felle
thys Maye, and I to have mony soon afftre. I reke not thowe he fellyd
not tyll thys wynter; but iff he woll nedes begyn thys Maye, therffor I
wryght yow thus hastely entrete hym, iff ye can, that he felle not tyll
wynter.
xiij. Item, be ware how ye bergeyn, so that he felle nott butt in
sesonable tyme and sesonable wood, for he maye felle no undrewood thys
Maye, as I trowe.
Item, as for yowr costes late th . . . . . . . newe fynde yow
mete, and I woll allow it there, or ellys make me a bylle what it
dra[weth to] . . . . . . . . yow.
Item, I praye yow iff ye g . . . . . for me as ye can. I made my
Lady heer but easy cheer, neverthelesse I gaff hyr . . . . . ys.
I promysed hyr to purveye hyr . . . . weselys, but I was deseyvyd;
yit I wend to have had one.
My Lord of Norffolk hathe ben mevyd for Caster by my Lord Cardenall and
the Bysshop of Wynchester, but it woll take non effecte . . . my
Lady come. God gyff grace that she brynge auctoryte when she comythe
thys next terme to common ther in and conclude, and so I prey yow advyse
hyr. Itt may haply paye for hyr costes.
No mor to yow, but wretyn at London, the xij. daye of Apryll, Anno E.
iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
* * *
I sende yow her with ij. letteris from John Osbern to me, wherby and by
hys billes ye may undrestond the verry valewe off the wood.
I praye yow sende me wryghtyng ageyn by the Mondaye vij. nyght afftre
Ester; iff Hoxon or the goode man off the Goot have it, they shall
conveye it welle.
[Footnote 180-2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
[[... Maye, as I trowe.
_final period (full stop) missing_]]
832