_To John Paston, Esquier, ande to Osberne Berney, and to everyche off
them, be thys letter delyveryd._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 5]
I recomaunde me to yowe, and thanke yow off yowr labor that ye hadde at
Heylesdon and Drayton in seyng the woodys there. And it is soo heer that
Ric. Ferore seyde, that he repentyd hym that evyr he dalte with any
woode theer, and iff I hadde sente hym but the leest chylde that I hadde
to have warnyd hym to leve he wolde notte have dalte therwyth; and he
ffonde noe comfforte in the Chancery, but that he is lyke to contente me
for the harmes and hurte that is doone, and moore ovyr he hathe an
instrucyon that he shall ffelle noo moore.
Item, wheer as he desyryd me to be freendly to hym, I dalte so with hym,
that I trowe he wylle reporte that I seyde and dalte moore cortesly with
hym than he demyd that I wolde doo. Yitt for alle in convenyences that
myght ffalle, I wolde be gladde to have a weell stomakyd felawe that
wolde for my sake everye daye see the seyde woodes of Heylesdon and
Drayton, and to knowe iff any weer fellyd heer afftre; and iffe there be
any fellyd syns that Whetley was theer, and I can preve it by wytnesse,
I sholde have better recompence for every tree than iiij. trees weer
worthe.
Item, it is so that he hathe answeryd to my bille, wheryn he seythe that
he never knywe byfor the subpena delyveryd hym that I hadde any clayme
or entrest in the maner off Heylesdon, but that it was peasyble my
Lordys off Suffolk. Wherffor I suppose that there be many men in
Norwyche that comonyd with hym off the byenge off that woode ere evyr he
made hys fulle bergayne, and per aventure some freendys off hys gave hym
warnyng theroff, and off myn entrest. Iff any suche credyble mane that
hadde hadde any suche langage to hym, or in hys companye, or than he
bargayned, or any man that he laboryd to be halffe marchant or byer with
hym, ar any man that refusyd to bye the seyd wood bycawse off myn
entrest in the presence of Feror, any suche credyble man maye, iff he
wyll, wytnesse ther in with me, or that dare avowe it, sholde be to me a
remedy off alle that is fellyd. I praye yow, if ye can here any suche,
that ye will in the presence off them make a bylle of remembraunce
theroff, and off ther sayng, so that they maye her afftre wytnesse in
the mater. Neverthelesse, trowthe it is that he hadde knowleche ther off
i nowe, and soo hadde every man off hys havore [_substance_] in Norwych,
I dowt nott; and as for hym, I am sure he hadde knowleche, for so moche
as he desyryd at hys bargayn to have a sywerte to be savyd harmeles
ageyn me, whyche was grawntyd hym butt nott executyd. No mor, butt I
hope with Goddys grace to have hastely goode remedy for the hole maner,
and off Drayton therto, and alle the remenaunte.
Wretyn a London, the v. daye off Maye, anno E. iiij^ti xviij^{o}.
[Footnote 316-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
930