_To my ryght worshypfull modre, Margret Paston, be thys delyvered._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 13]
Please it yow to weete, that wher as I entendyd to have ben at home thys
Mydsomer, and purposyd with yowr goode helpe to have bygonne uppon my
ffadrys tombe, so that it myght have ben endyd thys somyr; it is soo,
that ffor suche cawsys as ar nowe bygunne by twyen my Lorde off Suffolk
and me, ffor the manerys off Heylesdon, Drayton, &c., for whyche materis
I most nedys be heer thys nexte terme; therffor I deme it woll be afftr
Mydsomer, er than I can see yow.
Please it yow also to weete that I comonyd with Master Pykenham to weete
iff he wolde bye the clothe off golde, for soo moche as he desyryd ons
to have bowte it, and he offryd me ons xx. marke therffor, neverthelesse
it coste me xxiiij_li._; yit nowe, when that I spake to hym ther off, he
refusyd to bye it, and seyde that he hadde nowe so many chargys that he
maye nott. Butt it is soo that the Kynge dothe mak sertayne copys and
vestymentys off like clothe, whyche he entendyth to gyve to the Coledge
at Foodryngdre, wher my lorde hys ffadre is nowe buryed, and he byethe
at a grete pryce.
I comonyd with the vestment maker ffor to helpe me fforthe with xij.
yerds, and he hathe grauntyd me to doo, as Whetleye can telle yow;
wherffor, iff it please yow that it be bystowyd ffor to make a towmbe
ffor my ffadre at Bromholme, iff ye lyke to sende it hyddr, iffe it be
solde I undretake or Mychelmesse, that ther shalle be a tombe, and
somwhatt ellys ovyr my ffadris grave, on whoys sowle God have mersye,
that ther shall noone be lyke it in Norffolk; and as ye shalle be gladde
herafftr to see it; and God sende me leyser that I maye come home, and
iff I doo not, yit the monye shall be putte to noon other use, butt
kepyd by some that ye trust, tylle that it may be bystowyd acordyng as
is above wretyn, and ellys I gyve yow cawse nevyr to truste me whylle ye
and I lyve. When I was last with yow, ye grauntyd that the seyde clothe
of golde sholde be bywaryd [_spent_] abowte thys werke, that is above
wretyn, whyche iff ye wylle perfforme, I undretake that ther shalle be
suche a towmbe as ye shalle be pleasyd at, thowgh it cost me xx. marke
off myn owne purse besyde, iff I ons sette uppon it.
No mor, but I beseche Goode have yow in Hys kepyng.
Wretyn at London, the Wednysdaye in Whyghtsonweke, anno E. iiij^ti
xviij^{o}.
Please it yow to sende me worde by Whatley off yowr plesyr her in.
By your Sone,