_Unto my ryght welebelovyd Voluntyn, John Paston, Squyer, be this bill
delyvered, &c._
[Sidenote: 1477 / FEB.]
Ryght reverent and wurschypfull, and my ryght welebeloved Voluntyne,
I recomande me unto yowe, ffull hertely desyring to here of yowr
welefare, whech I beseche Almyghty God long for to preserve un to Hys
plesur, and yowr herts desyre. And yf it please yowe to here of my
welefar, I am not in good heele of body, nor of herte, nor schall be
tyll I her ffrom yowe;
For there wottys no creature what peyn that I endure,
And for to be deede, I dare it not dyscure [_discover_].
And my lady my moder hath labored the mater to my ffadur full
delygently, but sche can no mor gete then ye knowe of, for the whech God
knowyth I am full sory. But yf that ye loffe me, as I tryste verely that
ye do, ye will not leffe me therefor; for if that ye hade not halfe the
lyvelode that ye hafe, for to do the grettest labur that any woman on
lyve myght, I wold not forsake yowe.
And yf ye commande me to kepe me true wherever I go,
I wyse I will do all my myght yowe to love and never no mo.
And yf my freends say, that I do amys,
Thei schal not me let so for to do,
Myne herte me bydds ever more to love yowe
Truly over all erthely thing,
And yf thei be never so wroth,
I tryst it schall be better in tyme commyng.
No more to yowe at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite hafe yowe in kepyng.
And I besech yowe that this bill be not seyn of none erthely creatur
safe only your selffe, &c.
And thys letter was indyte at Topcroft, with full hevy herte, &c.
By your own,