_To my ryght worchepfull modyr, Margaret Paston, at Mawtby._
[Sidenote: 1475(?) / [MAR. 29]]
Ryght worchepfull modyr, aftyr all humbyll recomendacyons, as lowely as
I can I beseche yow of your blyssyng. Pleasyt yow to wete that late
yester nyght I cam to Norwyche, purposeing to have been as thys day with
yow at Mawtby, but it is so that I may not hold my purpose, for he that
shall pay me my quarter wagys for me and my retenew, is in Norwyche, and
waytyth ourly when hys money shall com to hym. It is oon Edmund Bowen of
the Cheker, a specyall frend of myn, and he avysyth me to tery tyll the
money be com, lest that I be unpayed, for who comyth fyrst to the mylle,
fyrst must grynd.
And as I was wryghtyng thys byll, on of the gromys of my lords chambyr
cam to me, and told me, that my lady wyll be here in Norwyche to morow
at nyght towards Walsyngham, whyche shall, I wot well, be a nother lett
to me; but I had more need to be other wyse ocupyed then to awayte on
ladyse, for ther is as yett, I trowe, no sperre that shall go over the
see, so evyll horsyd as I am. But it is told me that Rychard Call hathe
a good horse to sell, and on John Becher of Oxborough hathe an other;
and if it myght please yow to geve Syme leve to ryd in to that contre at
my cost, and in your name, seying that ye wyll geve on of your sonys an
horse, desyryng hym that he wyll geve yow a penyworthe for a peny, and
he shall, and the pryse be resonabyll, hold hym pleasyd with your
payment ought of my purse, thow he knowe it not or hys horse depert fro
hys lands. Modyr, I bese[che] yow, and it may please yow to geve Syme
leve to ryde on thys message in your name, that he may be here with me
to morow in the mornyng be tymys, for wer I onys horsyd, I trowe I wer
as ferforthe redy as some of my neyghborows. I herd a lytyll word that
ye purposeid to be here in Norwyche thys next week. I prey God it be
thys week. Modyr, beseche yow that I may have an answer to morow at the
ferthest of thys mater, and of eny other servyse that it please yow to
comand me, whyche I wyll [be] at all seasons redy to acomplyshe with
Gods grace, Whom I beseche to preserve yow and yours.
Wretyn at Norwyche, thys Wednysday in Estern Week.
By your sone and servaunt,