_To my ryth worchepfull [hus]bond, John Paston, be thys delyveryd in
hast._
[Sidenote: 1461 / NOV. 20]
Ryth worchepfull husbond, I recomand me to yow. Plesyt yow to wet that I
receyvyd yowyr lettyr that ye sent by the gold smyth, as thys day in the
mornyng. As for Syr Thomas, he sent me word he schold to yow ward as on
Twysday last past; if he fayle ony thyng that ye sent word he schold
bryng with hym, it is not for no lak of remembrans, for I sent to hym
thryis or fowyr tymys ther for, and that he schold hast hym ther in. As
for Rychard Call, he was not at home thys fortnyth. When he comyth I
schall do yowir erendys to hym; and as for all yowyr odyr erendys I
schall do hem as well as I can. I sent yow a byll yestyrday by old
Taverham, and a byll of Jone Gaynys mater, the whyche bylle I pray yow
may be delyveryd to Thomas Playter. I spak to hym of the same mater or
he yed hens, and I pray yow, if it plese yow, to geve hym yowyr avyse
what ye thynk is best to do ther in. Sche seyth sche is ryth sory, and
if hyr old mastyr demene hym not well to yow sche prayith yow that ye
wole be hyr good mastyr, and I that sche fare never the werse for hys
defawtys. And also I pray yow that ye wele be John Lysterys good mastyr
in hys mater. He spak to Playter ther of, and Playter seyd he hopyd to
fynd a mene aftyr that he had spook with yow, that schold ese hym ther
in. I thank yow hertly for yowyr lettyr, for it was to me gret comfort
to her fro yow. God knowyth my modyr and I thowt ryth longe tyll we herd
tydyngys fro yow. And the blyssyd Trinite have yow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn
in hast on Seynt Edmundys Day the Kyng.
By yowyr M. P.
The pepyll was nevyr bettyr dysposyd to yow than they be at this owyr.
The byll that Howard hathe mad a yens yow and odyr hathe set the pepyll
in thys contre a rore. God yeve grace it be no werse than it is yet.
[Footnote 4.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter seems to have
been written in 1461, the year of John Paston’s great dispute with
Howard.]
490