_Un to the ryght wurschepful Sir John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: 1477 / AUG. 17]
Master Paston, after all dew recomandacion, and herty dissire to here of
your good hele, plese yt you to wete I have spoken with Sir John of
Medilton as wel as I cowde, and yt had ben for myself, for his hoby that
ye dissired, and tolde hym he myght wel forbere hym nowe in as moche as
Mastres Jane was ded, and that yt is a great cost for hym to kepe moo
hors than he nedyth; and he answered me, that he wold selle hym with
good will, but ther shuld no man bie hym under x_li._ Flemesch;[296-2]
and I offered hym in your name, x. marke, for he wold not here of none
other ambelyng horse, that ye myght geve hym therfore. And also my lord
dissired to have bowte hym for the Lord Schauntrell that is cheff
capteyn of Seynt Omers; and he wold no lesse lete my lord have hym than
x_li._ and so my lord bowte another, and gave hym the seide lord, for he
thoughte this to dere; neverthelesse he wol not selle hym to no man
under that mony, that he sette hym on, and so ye may bye your plesur in
hym and ye lest; for otherwyse he wol not doo for you, as I conseve.
And as for tydyngs in theyse partyes, the Frenche Keng leyzth at sege at
Seynt Omers, on the one side of the town a myle of, but he hath no gret
ordenaunce ther; and they of the town skyrmysh with them every day, and
kepe a passage halff a myle with oute the town; and the French Keng hath
brenned all the townys, and fayre abbeys, that were that way aboute
Seynt Omers, and also the cornes weche ar there. And also, as yt ys
seide for serteyn, the French Keng hath brenned Cassell, that ys myn
hoold Lady of Burgeynys[297-1] joynttor, and all the countre there
aboute, whereby she hath lost a gret part of her lyvelod; and that is a
sherewed tokyn that he menyth wel to the Keng, howur suffereygn Lord,
when he intendyth to distroye her.
Morover Sir Phylep de Crevekere hath takyn them that were in Fynys with
inne this iiij. dayes to the noumbre of xiiij. personys, and the
remnaunt where fled, and he had them to the French Keng, and he hath
brentte all the place, and pulled down the towre, and a part of the
wall, and disstroyed yt.
And as yt is seid, yf the French Keng can not gete Seynt Omers, that he
intendyth to brenge his armye thorwe theyse marchys into Flaundres;
wherefore my lord hath do brokyn all the passages excep Newham bryge,
weche is wached, and the turne pyke shette every nyght. And the seide
French Keng with inne these iij. dayes rayled gretely of my lord to
Tygyr Pursevaunt, opynly byfore ij. hundred of his folks; wherefore yt
ys thaught here that he wold feynde a quarell to sett upon thys town, yf
he myght gete avantage. And as I understonde, the Emperorys sone[297-2]
ys maryed at Gaunte as this day; and ther cam with hym but iiij. hundred
horse, and I can here of no moo that be comyng in serteyn; and in mony
he brengyth with hym an hundred thowsand dokets, wheche is but a smalle
thyng in regard for that he hath to doo. Wherefore, I fere me sore, that
Flaundres will be lost; and yf Seynt Omers be whonnyn, all is gon, in my
conceyt. Never the lesse they say there shuld come gret powere after the
Emperorys son; but I be leve yt not, by cause they have ben so long of
comyng.
And I pray you to recomaunde me unto Sir Tyrry Robsert, and that yt
plese you to lete hym knowe of your tydyngs, and Hour Lord have you in
His kepyng.
At Calais, the Sunday next after Hour Lady the Assumpsion.
Your,