_To the ryght worsh[yp]full Sir John Paston, Knyght, loged at the sygne
off the George at Powlys Wharff, in London, be thys delyvered in hast._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 20]
Pleas it your meastershep to understond the dealyng of every thyng, the
wych I was charged with at my departyng frome your measterchep.
Fyrst, your suppena to Denton was delyvered by me on Trenite Sondaye, in
hys parych cherch, at Matens tyme, be ffor the substans of the parych;
and as for Drayton wod, it is not all down yet, but it drawes fast
toward. I have the names of all the mynestres off and in that wod, and
more schall know or I come, yf ther be any more dealyng, &c.
And as for Haylysdon, my Lord of Suffolk was ther on Wedensday in
Whytson Weke, and ther dined, and drew a stew and toke gret plente of
fych; yet hath he left you a pyke or ij., agayn ye come, the wych wold
be gret comford to all your frendes, and dyscomford to your enmys; for
at hys beyng ther that daye ther was never no man that playd Herrod in
Corpus Crysty[321-1] play better and more agreable to hys pageaunt then
he dud. But ye schall understond that it was after none, and the weder
hot, and he so feble for sekenes that hys legges wold not bere hyme, but
ther was ij. men had gret payn to kepe hym on hys fete; and ther ye were
juged. Som sayd ‘Sley;’ some sayd ‘Put hym in preson.’ And forth com my
lord, and he wold met you with a spere, and have none other mendes for
the troble at ye have put hym to but your hart blod, and that will be
gayt with hys owen handes; for and ye have Haylesdon and Dreton, ye
schall have hys lyff with it. And so he comford your enmys with that
word that thay have dealed and dealeth with the wod, and most pryncepall
nowe is Nycolesse Ovye. For as for Ferrer,[321-2] the Meare, he delys
not with owt it be under covert; for it is sayd that he be soght my lord
that he myght have other sygnementes for hys money that he had payd, for
playnly he wold deall no mor with the wod. And so my lord hath set in
the Bayly of Cossay, and all is doon in hys name; and as for hys
servauntes, thay dayly thret my measter your brother and me to slay for
comyng of ther lordes ground, and thay say that we made an entre; and
thay beth answerd as ye comaunded me, for many a gret chalaunge make
thay to Mester John, both Measter Wodhowse, Wysman, with other dyveres
that I know not ther names; but he holdeth hys own that thay gayt no
grownd of hym. And thys he lettes thaym knowe that if thay bete hym or
any of hys, thay schall aby vj. for on, and so thay deall not but with
ther tonges; and as yet, syth Ferrer was at London, there passes not
iij. acres of wod down but thay cary fast for fere of rayn, &c.
Also, sir, I trust to bryng or send hastely the cloth off gold, for it
hath ben largely tempted; but as yet I have none playn answer, but put
in hope. Also I have spoken with Popy for your money, and delyvered hym
your letter, the wych, as he sayth, is a straunge thyng to hym, for, as
I understond, he that owght thys deute was uncle to thys yong man, and
he sayth that hys fader was never exsecutor to hym, nor never mynestred;
and I told hym howe that hys fader was bound for the same deute, in so
mech and my measter wold have forgevyn part of the same deute, he wold
have payed it; and so he will be at London thys terme, and speke with
you, and thys is hys answer.
Morover Wyllyam Worsestre, mevyd unto me of onne Sir Wylliam Bokkyng,
exsecutor and brother to John Bokkyng, the whych was one of Sir John
Fastolf hys clerkes, the whych mater I knewe not, nor had no
comaundement be you to deall therin, and so I told hym. Never the lesse
he sayd that ye promysed hym to have sent your will to have bene done in
that mater by me, and so he troweth that it was owt of your mynd at my
departyng. Yff so be that ye will any thyng to be doon by me or I come
to yow in that mater, let me have knowlege schortly, for I thynk to be
with yow in the weke folowyng aftyr thys wryten, with owt I may have
more comford of money then I have yet.
And as for my meastres, your moder hath ben gretly deseased and so seke
that she wened to have dyed, and hath made her wyll,[322-1] the wyche ye
shall understond more when I come, for ther is every man for hym selff.
I know not the sercomstance of every thyng as yet, and therfor I writ no
more to you therin, but I am promysed to know or I depart from thens.
Also I spake with William Barker, and he sayth that I shall have the
stuff or I depart, or els the monye agayn that he hade of Wylliam
Pecoke.
Also, sir, as for your lond be syd Bromholm that ye had of Bakton, it
hath layn un ocupyed syth ye were ther.
Moreover, my Lord of Suffolk[323-1] is remevyd in to Suffolk the morow
after that he had bene at Haylesdon, and my lady purposed to remeff
after on thys day, Corpus Crysty Evyn, by the grace of Jesu, Who
preserve yow ever in worchep.
Wryten at Norwych, on Wedensday Corpus Crysty Evyn, anno E. iiij^ti
xviij^{o}.
* * *
Item, as for the knowleg that Ferror denyed by hys othe that he knew
never no tytle nor entrest that ye had in and to Haylsdon and Dreton, as
yet we can not know; but thys thay will record all that were at the
delyveraunce of the wryt that he sayd my lord had promysed to save hym
harmles, in so mech that Wysman was bownd to Ferrour to save hym
harmeles, and he had for bryngyng that mater about, that Ferrour shuld
have the wod, xx_s._
Your servaunt,