_To the ryght worshypfull John Paston, Esquier, at Norwych, or to hys
modr, Margreet Paston, in hys absence, in haste._
[Sidenote: 1475 / JAN. 17]
I recomande me to yow, praying yow hertely, that I maye have weetyng
when that my Lorde and Lady of Norffolk shalle be at London, and howgh
longe they shall tery theer, and in especiall my Lorde of Norffolk; ffor
uppon ther comyng to London wer it ffor me to be guydyd. Neverthelesse I
wolde be soory to come theer but iff I neds most. I thynke it wolde be
to yow ovyr erksom a labor to solycyte the maters atwyen them and me,
but iff I weer theer myselffe; wherffor, iff ye thynke it be convenyent
that I com thyddr, I praye yow sende me worde as hastely as ye maye, and
by what tyme ye thynke most convenyent, that I sholde be theer; and off
all suche coumfforte as ye ffynde or heer off the towardnesse theroff,
and when also that ye shall be theer yowr selffe. For it is so that as
to morow I purpose to ryde in to Flaundrys to purveye me off horse and
herneys, and percase I shall see the assege at Nwse[218-3] er I come
ageyn, iff I have tyme; wherffor, iff I so doo, by lyklyhod it woll be a
xiiij. dayes er I be heer ageyn; and afftr, as I heer ffrom yowe and
other ther uppon, that at the next passage, and God woll, I purpose to
come to London warde: God sende me goode spede; in cheff ffor the mater
above wretyn; and secondly, ffor to appoynt with the Kyng and my Lorde,
ffor suche retynwe as I sholde have now in thees werrys in to Frawnce;
wherffor I praye yow, in Norffolk and other places, comon with suche as
ye thynke lykly ffor yow and me, that ar dysposyd to take wages in
gentylmenns howsys and ellys wher, so that we maye be the moor redy,
when that nede is; neverthelesse at thys owr, I wolde be gladde to have
with me deyly iij. or iiij. mor than I have, suche as weer lykly; ffor I
lakke off my retynwe, that I have neer so many. I praye yow sende me som
tydyngs, suche as ye heer, and howghe that my brother Edmonde dothe.
For as ffor tydyngs heer, ther be but ffewe, saffe that the assege
lastyth stylle by the Duke off Burgoyn affoor Nuse, and the
Emperor[219-1] hathe besegyd also, not fferr from these, a castell, and
an other town in lyke wyse, wher in the Dukys men ben. And also, the
Frenshe Kynge, men seye, is comyn ryght to the water off Somme with
iiij^ml. [4000] spers; and som men trowe that he woll, at the daye off
brekyng off trewse, or ellys byffoor, sette uppon the Duks contreys
heer. When I heer moor, I shall sende yowe moor tydyngs.
The Kyngs inbassators, Sir Thomas Mongomere and the Master off the
Rolls[219-2] be comyng homwards ffrom Nuse; and as ffor me, I thynke
that I sholde be sek but iff I see it.
Syr John off Parre and William Berkeley com thys weye to Flaundrs ward
to by them horse and herneys, and [I] made Sir J. Parr goode cheer as I
cowde ffor yowr sake; and he tolde me, that ye made hym haulte cheer,
&c. at Norwyche. No moor.
Wretyn at Caleys, the xvij. daye off Janever, anno Edwardi iiij^ti
xiiij^o.
[Footnote 218-2: [From Fenn, ii. 174.] ‘Though this letter,’ says
Fenn, ‘has no signature, yet it is written by Sir John Paston,
Knight.’]
[Footnote 218-3: Neuss, not far from Düsseldorf, in the territory
of Cologne, at this time besieged by Charles the Bold, Duke of
Burgundy.]
[Footnote 219-1: Frederick III. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.]
[Footnote 219-2: Dr. John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Lord
Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal.]
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