_To myn ryght worchipffull cosyn, John Paston the elder, Esquyer, be
this letter delivered in hast._
[Sidenote: 1461 / DEC. 12]
Ryght worchipffull cosyn, I recomaunde me to you in as hertely wyse I
can, desyryng ever to here off your welffare, whiche I beseche our Lord
Jesu to preserve to your hertes pleaser, &c. Sir, ye sent me a letter of
atorney to reseyve and to ocupye in your name the maner called
Burnevyles in Nakton. Sir, as for that ocupacion, I can litil skylle en,
ne I wel not take up on me non suche ocupacionis; wherffor I beseche you
holde me excused, for it is no werd [_world_] for me to take suche
ocupacionis. I have as moche as I may to gader myn ownne lyfflode, and
truli, cosyn, I can not gader that well. And therffor, cosyn, I pray you
take it to non displeaser. Sir, that I may worchepfulli doo for you, ye
shal fynde me redy be the grace of Jesu, whom I hertely beseche to have
you in Hise mersyfull kepyng. Wretyn at Hevenyngham on Seynt Lucye Even.
Be your cosyn,
JOHN HEVENYNGHAM, knyght.
[Footnote 10.3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is evidently
of the same year as No. 492. The contents, moreover, seem to show
that the date cannot be far distant from that of Richard Calle’s
letter of the 1st of February following.]
495