_To John Paston, Esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1475(?) / [MAY 13]]
Syr, I recummawnd me to zow. Please yt zow to wette that my modyr hathe
causyd me to putte Gregory owte of my servyse, as, God help, I wrythe to
zow the very cause why. Yt happyd hym to have a knavys loste, in pleyn
termes to swhyve a quene, and so dyd in the Konyneclosse. Yt fortunyd
hym to be a spyed be ij. plowemen of my modyrs, whyche werne as fayne as
he of that mater, and desyerd hym to have parte, and as kompany
requeryd, seyd not nay; in so myche that the plowemen had her alle a
nythe in ther stabylle, and Gregory was clere delyvered of her, and as
he swherys had not a do with her within my modyrs place. Not with
standdyng my modyr thynkks that he was grownd of that matier; wherfor
ther is no remedy but he moste a voyde. And in so myche that at the
laste tyme that ze wer her, [ye] desyerd hym of me, yf that he schuld
departe from me, I send zow the very cawse of hys departyng, as my modyr
sethe; but I am in serteyn the contrary is true. Yt is nomor but that he
can not plese all partys. But that jantylman[231-2] is hys woords Lord,
he hathe seyd that he woold lyfte them whom that hym plese, and as that
scheweyt welle, he lyftyd on [_one_] xiiij. myle in a mornyng, and nowe
he hath ben caw sar of hys lyfte, I wot not how far, but yf that ze be
hys better master; but and we a mong us geve not hym a lyfte, I pray God
that we never thryve. And that is hys intente, I trowe, to bryng us to;
wherfor I requer zow, yf that yt plese zow to have hym, that ze wylle be
the better master to hym for my sake, for I am he that is as sory to
departe from hym as any man on lyve from hys servant, and be my trowthe,
as farforthe as I knowe, he is as true as any on lyve.
I troste my fortune schale be better than ever to leve thus her; but yf
I wer hens wards, I ensuer zow I wold not schange for none that I knowe.
He is profytabylle on dyvers thynggs as ze knowe welle.
Ther has ben a gret breke be twyx Calle and me, as I schal enforme zow
at my coming, wyche schalle be on Wedynsday next be the grace of God,
who preserve zow.
Wretyn at Mawteby, on Wyteson eve.