_To my Lord._
[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 2]
My most doughtyd and singular good lord, aftyr most humble and dew
recomendacyon, please it your good lordshepp to have knowlage that,
accordyng to your comandement, in my wey homeward, I remembred me of a
persone whyche to my thynkyng is meetly to be clerk of your kechyn,
whyche persone is now in servyse with Master Fitzwater, and was befor
that with Whethyll at Gwynes, and purveyor for hys house, and at syche
tyme as the Kynges grace was ther last in hys vyage towardes France.
Thys man is meane of stature, yonge inough, well wittyd, well manerd, a
goodly yong man on horse and foote. He is well spokyn in Inglyshe, metly
well in Frenshe, and verry perfite in Flemyshe. He can wryght and reed.
Hys name is Rychard Stratton; hys modyr is Mastress Grame of Caleys. And
when I had shewyd hym myn intent, he was agreable and verry glad if that
it myght please your lordshepp to accept hym in to your servyse; wherto
I promysed hym my poore helpe, as ferforthe as I durst meve your good
lordshepp for hym, trustyng that I shold have knowelage of your plesure
her in, or I departed towardes your lordshep ought of this contrey.
Wherfor I advysed hym to be redy with in xiiij. dayes of Marche at the
ferthest, that if it pleasyd your lordsheppe to accept hym or to have a
syght of hym be for your departyng to Caleys, that ther shold be no
slaughthe in hym.
He desyred me to meve Master Fitzwater to be good mastyr to hym in thys
behalve, and so I dyd; and he was verry glad and agreable ther to,
seying if hys sone had ben of age, and all the servauntis he hathe myght
be in eny wyse acceptabell to your lordshepp, that they all, and hym
silff in lyek wyse, shall be at your comandment, whyll he leveth.
And at my comyng home to my poore house, I sent for Robart Bernard, and
shewid on to hym that I had mevyd your lordshepp for hym; and he in lyek
forme is agreable to be redy by the xiiij. day of Marche to awayte on
your lordshepp, be it to Caleys or ellys where, and fro that day so
foorthe for ever, whyll hys lyff wyll last, with ought grugeing or
contraying your comandement and plesure, in eny wyse that is in hym
possibyll t’accomplishe.
I shewed on to hym that I had preyed Master Talbot to be a mean to your
good lordshepp for hym, and if so wer that Mastyr Talbot thought that
your lordshepp wer content to take hys servyse, then that it wold please
Mr. Talbot to meve my Lady of Norffolkes grace to wryght or send to
Bernard, puttyng hym in knowlage that hyr grace is content that he shall
become your menyall servaunt. Wherof he was passyng well pleasyd; but,
that notwithstandyng, as I enformed your lordshepp, he is not so
reteyned, neyther by fee nor promess, but that he may let hym sylff
loose to do your lordsheppe servyse when ye wyll receyve hym, and so
wyll he do; but, your lordshepe so pleasid, leve wer bettyr. Rychard
Stratton told me that whyll he was in servyse with Whethyll, John Redwe
mocyond hym onys myche aftyr thys intent, but at that tyme Whethyll wold
not be so good mastyr to hym as to meve your lordshepe for hym.
My lord, I trust that your lordshepe shall lyek bothe ther persones and
ther condicyons; and as for ther trowthes, if it may please your good
lordshepe to accept my poore woord with thers, I wyll depose largely for
that. And as it pleasyth your good lordshepe to comand me in thes
maters, and all other, if it may please your lordshepe to shewe the same
to my brodyr Nessfeld, he knowith who shall sonest be with me to putt me
in knowlage of your plesure, whyche I shall be at all seasons redy
t’accomplyshe to my poore power, with Godes grace, Whom I beseche longe
to contenue the prosperous astate of your good lordshepp.
Fro Norwyche, the seconde daye of Marche, with the hand of your most
humble servaunt and beedman,