_To hys weell belovyd brother, John Paston, Esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1477]
I recomande me to yow, letyng yow weete that I receyvyd a letter of
yowres by Edward Hensted ij. dayes aftre that Whetley was departyd from
me, whyche he hadde forgetyn in hys caskett, as he seyde, wheroff I
sholde have sent yow answer by Whetley, iff I had hadde it toffore he
wente, notwithstandyng I am ryght lothe to wryghte in that mater offte;
for for a conclusion I wrote to my moodre by Peerse Moody alle that I
myght and wolde doo ther in. Ye have also nowe wretyn ageyn. Yow neede
nott to praye me to doo that myght be to yowr profyght and worship, that
I myght doo ofter than ones, or to late me weete theroff; for to my
power I wolde do for yow, and take as moche peyne for yowr weell, and
remembre itt when per case ye sholde nott thynke on it yowr selffe.
I wolde be as gladde that one gaffe yow a maner of xx_li._ by yeer, as
iff he gave it to my selff by my trowthe.
Item, wher ye thynke that I may with concience recompence it ageyn on to
owr stokke off other londys that I have off that valywe in fee symple,
it is so that Snaylwell, by my grauntefadres will ones, and by my fadris
will sceconderely, is entaylyd to the issyw of my fadres body.
Item, as for Sporle xx_li._ by yeer, I hadde ther off butt xx. marke by
yere, whyche xx. marke by yeer and the x. marke ovyr, I have endangeryd,
as ye weell knowe off that bargayne, whyche, iff itt be nott redemyd,
I most recompence some other maner off myne to one off my bretheryn for
the seyde x. marke, ovyr xx. marke that longyth to me; wherffor I kepe
the maner off Runham. Than have I fe symple londe the maner of Wynterton
with Bastwyk and Billys, whyche in alle is nott xx. marke by yeer,
whyche is nott to the valywe off the maner off Sparham. And as for
Castre, it weer noo convenyent londe to exchange for suche a thyng, nor
it weer not polesy for me to sett that maner in suche case for alle
maner of happis. I nede nott to make thys excuse to yowe, but that yowr
mynde is troblyd. I praye yow rejoyse nott yowr sylffe to moche in hope
to opteyne thynge that alle yowr freendys may nott ease yow off; for if
my moodre were dysposyd to gyve me and any woman in Ingelande the best
maner that she hathe, to have it to me and my wyffe, and to the heyres
off our too bodyes begotyn, I wolde nott take it off hyr, by God.
Stablysshe your selffe uppon a goode grownde, and grace shall folowe.
Yowr mater is ferre spoken off, and blowyn wyde, and iff it preve noo
better, I wolde that it had never be spoken off. Also that mater noysyth
me that I am so onkynde that I lett alle togedre. I thynke notte a mater
happy, nor weell handelyd, nor poletykly dalte with, when it can never
be fynysshyd with owte an inconvenyence; and to any suche bargayne I
kepe never to be condescentyng, ner of cowncell. Iffe I weer att the
begynnyng of suche a mater, I wolde have hopyd to have made a better
conclusyon, if they mokke yow notte. Thys mater is drevyn thus ferforthe
with owte my cowncell, I praye yow make an ende with owte my cowncell.
Iffe it be weell, I wolde be glad; iff it be oderwyse, it is pite.
I praye yow troble me no moore in thys mater. . . .[283-1]
[Footnote 282-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is clearly
written in answer to an application by John Paston to his brother
to aid him in making arrangements with Sir Thomas Brews in the
spring of 1477. Although the signature is lost, the handwriting is
that of Sir John Paston.]
[Footnote 283-1: The lower part of this letter seems to have been
cut off, and how much is lost does not appear.]
[[for for a conclusion I wrote to my moodre
_text unchanged: probably not an error_]]
910