_To my ryght worchepfull broder, Syr John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: 1478 / JAN. 21]
Syr, aftyr all dutes of recomendacyon, lyeketh yow to undyrstand that I
have comond with dyvers folkys of the Dwk of Suffolk now thys Crystmas
and sythen, whyche let me in secret wyse have knowlage, lyek as I wrott
on to yow, that he must mak a shefft for money, and that in all hast.
Wherfor, syr, at the reverence of God, let it not be lachesyd, but with
effect aplyed now, whyll he is in London, and my lady hys wyff also; for
I assarteyn yow that C. mark wyll do more now in ther neede then ye
shall peraventure do with CC. marks in tyme comyng, and thys season be
not takyn. And alweys fynd the meane that my Lady of Suffolk and Syr R.
Chamberleyn may be yowr gwydes in thys mater, for as for my lord, he
nedyth not to be mevyd with it tyll it shold be as good as redy to the
sealyng.
Syr, lyeketh yow also to remember that I told yow that Mastyr
Yotton[309-3] had, as I cam last towardes London, desyred me, by a
lettre of attorney wryttyn with hys owne hand, to se th’enprowment of
syche profytes as ar growing of hys chapell in Caster that ye gave hym;
and at syche season as I told yow of it, ye sayd on to me that ye wold
asay to make a bargayn with hym, so that ye myght have a prest to syng
in Caster. Syr, me thynkes ye can not have so good a season to meve hym
with it as now thys Parlement tyme, for now I thynk he shalbe awaytyng
on the Quene; and also if ye myght compone with hym or he wyst what the
valew wer, it wer the better, and I have promysed hym to send hym woord
thys terme of the verry valew of it, and also syche mony as I cowd gader
of it. Wherfor, syr, I prey yow that by the next messenger that ye can
get to Pekok that ye wyll send hym woord to paye me for the lond in xxx.
acres, as it hathe ben answerd before tym.
And as for tydynges here, we have none, but we wold fayne here of all
your royalte at London, as of the maryage of my Lord of York,[310-1] and
other Parlement mater; and so I prey yow that I may doo when ye have
leyser.
Syr, I prey yow that Whetley may have knowlage that my broder Yelverton
hathe promysed me to take hym xl_d._; he owyth me by reason of his
fermore at Caster more then that.
And, syr, as for my huswyff, I am fayne to carry hyr to se hyr fadyr and
hyr frendes now thys wynter, for I trow she wyll be ought of facyon in
somer. And so in my progresse fro my fadyr Brews on to Mawtby, I took
Master Playter in my wey, at whoys hows I wrot thys bylle, the xxj. day
of January, anno E. iiij^ti xvij^{o}. And I beseche God to preserve yow
and yours.
Yowr,