_To John Paston, Esquier._
[Sidenote: 1474 / DEC. 11]
Brother, I recomaunde me to yow, letyng yow weete that I have, lyke as I
promysyd yowe, I have doon my devoyr to know my Lady Walgraves stomacke,
whyche, as God helpe me, and to be pleyn to yowe, I ffynde in hyr no
mater nor cawse, that I myght tak comfort off. Sche will in nowyse
receyve, ner kepe yowr rynge with hyr, and yit I tolde hyr that sche
scholde not be any thynge bownde therby; but that I knew by yowr herte
off olde that I wyst weel ye wolde be glad to fforber the lesvest
[_dearest_] thynge that ye had in the worlde, whyche myght be dayly in
her presence, that sholde cawse hyr onys on a daye to remembr yow, but
itt wolde not be. She wolde nott therby, as she seyde, putte yow ner
kepe yow in any comffort therby. And mor ovyr, she preyed me, that I
sholde never take labor moor heer in, ffor she wolde holde hyr to suche
answer as she hadd geven yow to ffoor, wherwith she thowght bothe ye and
I wolde have holde us contente, had nott been the words off hyr suster
Geneffyeff.
When I undrestood all thys, and that over nyght she bad hyr that weent
bytwyen hyr and me byd me brynge with me hyr muskeball[217-1] which,
&c., than I aftr all thys axid iff she weer dyspleasyd with me ffor it,
and she seyde, naye.
Than I tolde hyr, that I had nott sent it yowe, ffor synne off my sowle;
and so I tolde hyr all, how I had wretyn to yow why that I wold nott
sende it yow, by cawse I wyst weell ye sholde have slepyd the werse; but
nowe, I tolde hyr, as God helpe me, that I wolde sende it yow, and gyffe
yow myn advyse nott to hope ovyr moche on hyr, whyche is ovyr harde an
hertyd lady ffor a yonge man to tryst on to; whyche I thowght that ffor
all my words, ye cowde nott ner wolde nott do ffor all myn advyce.
Yitt ageynwards she is nott dyspleasyd, nor fforbad me nott but that ye
sholde have the kepyng off hyr muskball; wherffor de ye with itt as ye
lyke. I wolde it hadd doon weel; by Good, I spake ffor yow soo, that in
ffeythe I trowe I kowde nott seye so weel ageyn.
Wherffor I sende yow herwith yowr rynge, and the onhappy muskeball. Also
make ye mater off it herafftr as ye kan, I am nott happy to wow nowther
ffor my selff ner noon other. I tolde hyr all the processe off the Lorde
Howarde and off yowr grewnds [_greyhounds_] as I kowde; all helpys
nott.[218-1]
. . . . . . .