[Sidenote: 1477 / AUG. 11]
Yt ys soo that I undyrstonde be yowyr letter wretyn the Thyrsday nexte
be fore Seynt Lauerons, that ze wulde have knowlage how that I wuld be
demenyd in Cokettes mater; qweche I send you here undyr wretyn. I putte
yow in certeyn that I wull nevyr pay him peny of that duty that ys owyng
to hym, thow he sue me for yt, not of myn owyn pursse; for I wul nat be
compellyd to pay yowyr dettes azens my well, and thow I wuld, I may nat.
Where fore I a wyse yow to see me savyd harmelesse azens hym for yowyr
owyn a wauntage in tyme cumyng, for yf I pay yt, at longe wey ze xall
bere the losse.
And where as ze wryte to me that I gave yow xx_li._, and promysyd odyr
xx_li._, that ys nat soo, for I wutte wele yf I had soo doon, ze wuld
nat assynyd me be yowyr letterys of yowyr owyn hande wrytyng, the whech
I have to schew, that I schuld resseyve a zen the same summe of Wylliam
Pecok, and of yowyr fermores, and byars of yowyr wood of Sporle; and
take this for a full conclusyon in thys mater, for yt xall be noon othyr
wyse for me than I wryte here to yow.
I mervel meche that ze have delte azen soo symply wyth Sporle,
consyderyng that ze and yowyr frendys had so meche to doo for to geetyt
yow azen onys; and ye havyng noo gretter materes of charge than ze have
had sythyn yt was laste pleggyt owte, yt causyth me to be in gret dowte
of yow what yowyr dysposycion wul be here aftyr for swheche lyfelood as
I have be dysposyd before this tyme to leve yow after my decesse. For I
thynke veryly that ye wulde be dysposyd here aftyr to selle or sette to
morgage the lond that ye xulde have after me yowyr modyr as gladdly and
rathyr than that lyfe lood that ye have after yowyr fadyr. Yt grevyth me
to thynke upon yowyr gydeyng after the greet good that ze have had in
yowyr rewle sythyn yowyr fadyr deyyd, whom God assoyle, and soo symply
spendyt as yt hath ben. God geve yow grace to be of sadde and good
dysposyn here after to Hys plesans, and comforte to me, and to all yowyr
frendys, and to yowyr wurchyp and profyte here after.
And as for yowyr brothyr Wylliam, I wuld ye xulde purvey for hys
fyndyng, for as I told yow the laste tyme that ye ware at home, I wuld
no lenger fynde hym at my cost and charge; hys boord and hys scole hyer
ys owyng sythyn Seynt Thomas Day afore Cristmesse, and he hathe greet
nede of gownys and odyr gere that whare necessary for hym to have in
haste. I wulde ze xulde remembyrt and purvey them, for as for me, I wul
nat. I thynke ze sette butte lytyl be myn blessyng, and yf ye dede, ye
wulde a desyyrd yt in yowyr wrytyng to me. God make yow a good man to
Hys plesans.
Wretyn at Mawteby, the day after Seynt Lauerons, the yere and the renge
of Kyng E. the iiij^te the xvij. zere.
Be yowyr Modyr.
[Footnote 294-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is not
addressed, the original being a corrected draft, but there is no
doubt it was written to Sir John Paston in reply to the last. It
is endorsed in a more modern hand: ‘Copia literæ Jo. Paston, mil.,
a matre sua.’]
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