_To Master Sir John Paston, Knight, be this letter delyvered in Calis._
[Sidenote: 1477]
Fresh amorouse sihts of cuntreys ferre and straunge
Have all fordoone[280-2] your old affeccion;
In plesurys new, your hert dooth score and raunge
So hye and ferre, that like as the fawcon
Which is alofte, tellith scorne to loke a down
On hym that wont was her feders to pyke and ympe;[281-1]
Ryht so forgotyn ye have your pore Pympe,
That wrytith, sendith, and wisshith alday your wele
More than his owne; but ye ne here, ne se,
Ne sey, ne send, and evyr I write and sele
In prose and ryme, as well as hit will be.
Sum evyll tong, I trow, myss sayeth of me
And ells your fast and feithfull frendelynes
Ye thenk mysspent on such as I, I gesse.
I wyll abate my customable concourse,
To yow so costuouse,[281-2] whan so evyr ye com agayn,
Which that I fele of reson, by the course
Of my proferid servyce, hath made yow so unfayne;
For veryly the water of the fowntayne
With brede only forthwith yowre presens
Me shuld content much more than your expense.
But ay deme I thus that Fortun hath hyryd yow,
For she but late of sorowys moo than many
Hath rakyd un to myn hert an hepe more than a moowe,
And wuld that ye shuld ley thereon on hye
Your hevy unkyndenes to make hit fast to lye,
And God knowth well hit cannot long lye there
But hit wyll bryng me to the chirch bere.
Take hit awaye therefore, y praye yow fayre,
For hardyly my hert beryth hevy y nowh,
For there is Sorow at rest as in hys chayre,
Fixid so fast with hys prikks rowh,
That in gode feith I wote not whan I lowh,[281-3]
For, Master Paston, the thyng whereon my blisse
Was holly sette, is all fordoone, I wysse.
By your JOHN PYMPE,
thes beyng the vj. letter that I have send yow.
Alway prayyng yow to remembre the hors that I have in every letter
wryten for; as thus, that hit wuld plese yow to undrestond who hath the
gentyllest hors in trottyng and steryng that is in Calis, and if he be
to sell, to send me word of hys pris, largenesse, and colour. Hytt is
told me, that the Master Porter hath a coragiouse ronyd hors, and that
he wuld putt hym away by cause he is daungerous in companye; and of that
I force [_care_] not, so that he be not chorlissh at a spore, as
plungyng; and also I sett not by hym, but if he trotte hye and gentilly.
No more, but God kepe yow.