[Sidenote: 1461(?) / DEC.]
Ryght worchefull master, I recommend me on to yow, &c. The cause of my
wrytyng is this; I was at Blofeld on Sent Andruys Day[11.2] wyt the
person,[11.3] and he understode non noder but that I cam to se is master
chepe, for it was hese cheve day,[11.4] and that I mevyd in to hym of
the lond in Sochewerk, how I hard sey qwan I was in Sochefolk that Geney
mad hys avaunt that he had zon [_given_] zow and hym a choppe of xx.
pownd of lond. And in contynent he telde me al the mater beter than I
cowde telle hym, and as I cowde understond in hym be my sympyl wyt, that
he was of knoleche of alle the mater; for he seyd that Yelverton cam don
fro the benche, and plete the mater, and for cause ye wer to laches, and
cam not in tyme, the mater yede a mys. And so I understode be hym that
he is dysposyd to excuse Yelverton in al materys rather than yow; but
never de les make good cher to the person, as thow ye understode that he
wer your frend, tyl tyme ye have your in tente. But be warr and trost
hym not, but make yow so strong in lorchepe and in the lawe, that ye
reeke not meche qwder he be good or bad, &c.
Item, ye be meche be held on to Tomas Grene and Edmund Wydewel, broder
to Heu à Fen, for thei reporte meche worchepe of your master chepe in al
maters, and that cause the substans of the towne to howe yow servese,
and be wel dysposyd on to yow masterchepe, and that understonde I hevery
day. And yf that plese yow, qwan we partyt at Norwyche in yowr plase, ye
seyd on to me ye wold som qat do be my sympyl a wyse; and this is myn a
wyse that in ony wyse ye make Heu à Fen and Tomas Grene on your consel,
yf ye can fyne in yow herte. For I dare sey, as I her and understonde,
that thei how yow ryth good well and servyse, for a man may her be the
halfe qwat the hole menyth, and therfor for Godds lowe remember yow wel
in this mater; for and it stode on myn lyfe, I wold do as I awyse yow,
&c.
Item, for howr Lords love, goo tharow with Wyll Weseter, and also plese
Chrewys as ye thynke in yow hert best for to do; for it is a comon
proverbe, ‘A man must sumtyme set a candel befor the Devyle’; and
therfor thow it be not alder most mede and profytabyl, yet of ij. harmys
the leste is to be take.
Item, ye xul oonderstonde that the parson telde me that dey wer somuned
to cum for the probat of the testement at Convercyon of Sent
Powle;[12.1] and therfor I wolde avyse yow in ony wyse that ye xuld
understond the mater wysely her ye com hom, for I sopose that Yelverton
and he is confydett and acorde to geder.
Item, qwan I was at Blofeld with the parson, ther cam Robert Fyrass to
hym, seyyng that he is compeld be the Kyngs Commycyoners to have harnes
after is degre, and that the parson sent hym to my mastras that che xuld
delyver hym harnes, and I understond che wylle not tylle ye com hom. But
ye xul understond it is an halmes dede to do hym good, understondyng is
nesessyte and nede that he stond in, and also understondyng that he was
kynnyes man to my master, and it is a comon proverbe, ‘A man xuld kepe
fro the blynde and gevyt to is kyn’; and hevery man wyl sey wel ther of,
the mor cause he is a gentylman, and of is kyne, and in gret penur. And
therfor, for the love of God, remembyr seche maters.
No mor at this tyme, but God have yow in Hys kepyng, bothe body and
sowle, and spede yow in yowr maters as wel as wel as I wolde ye
xulde do.
[Footnote 11.1: [From Fenn, iv. 64.] The date of this letter is a
little uncertain, but it seems to have been written at the
beginning of the dispute between Paston and Yelverton, about
Fastolf’s will, and the year 1461 appears to me on the whole most
probable.]
[Footnote 11.2: 30th November.]
[Footnote 11.3: Thomas Howes.]
[Footnote 11.4: The day of his _chief_ or patron saint. Blofield
Church is dedicated to St. Andrew.]
[Footnote 12.1: Jan. 25.]
[[and spede yow in yowr maters as wel as wel as I wolde ye xulde do.
_text has “sqede yow”; “as wel / as wel as” is printed across
a line break and looks like an error, but Fenn has the same text
at mid-line_]]
496