_To his worchypfull moder, Margaret Paston, dwellyng in Mawtby, be this
letter delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 19]
Rytgh reverent and worchypfull moder, I recomaund me on to yowr good
moderchypp, besechyng yow to geve me yowr dayly benediccyon, desyeryng
hartyly to heer of yowr prosperyte, whych God preserve to Hys plesure,
and to yowr hartys desyyr, &c. I marvel soor that yow sent me noo word
of the letter wych I sent to yow by Master Wylliam Brown at Ester.
I sent yow word that tym that I xold send yow myn exspenses
partyculerly; but as at thys tym the berar her of had a letter sodenly
that he xold come home, and there fore I kowd have no leysur to send
them yow on that wys; and there fore I xall wryt to yow in thys letter
the hool som of my exspenses sythyns I was with yow tyll Ester last
paste, and also the reseytys, rekenyng the xx_s._ that I had of yow to
Oxon wardys with the Buschopys fyndyng.
The hool some of reseytys ys v_li._ xvij_s._ vj_d._, and the holl some
of exspenses ys vj_li._ v_s._ v_d._ ob. qua., and that comth over the
reseytys in my exspenses I have borowd of Master Edmund, and yt drawyth
to viij_s._ And yet I recone none exspenses sythyns Ester. But as for
them, they be non grete; and therfor I besech yow to send me mony by Syr
Richard Cotman, brynger of thys letter, or ellys by the next masenger
that yow kan have to me.
I besech yow that he that I sent by thys letter to yow may have good
scher, yf he brynge yt hym selfe, as he telth me that he woll, for he ys
a good lover of myn. Master Edmund Alyard recomaund hym specyaly to yow,
and to all my brodyrn and systyrs, and to all yowr howshold; and I
besech yow that I may be recomaundyd to all them also, and specyaly to
my brodyr John the yonger. No more to yow at thys tym, but Allmythy
Jhesus have yow in Hys kepyng. Amen.
Wretyn at Oxonforth, on Seynt Dunstonys Day and the xix. day of May.
By your sonn and scoler,