_To my right reverent and my moost wurschipful maystre, my Maystre John
Paston._
[Sidenote: 1461 / DEC. 29]
Right wurshipfull and my mooste reverent mastre, I recomaunde me unto
your goode maystreship. Like you to witte that on Childremasse
daye[17.2] there were moche people at Norwich at the shire, be cauce it
was noyced in the shire that the Undresheriff had a writte to make a
newe aleccion; wherfore the people was greved be cauce they had labored
so often, seying to the Sheriff that he had the writte, and pleynly he
shulde not a wey unto the tyme the writte were redd. The Sheriff[17.3]
answerd, and seyd that he had no writte, nor west who had it. Heruppon
the people peacyd, and stilled unto the tyme the shire was doone, and
after that doone, the people called uppon hym, ‘Kylle hym! Heede
[_behead_] hym!’ And so John Dam, with helpe of other, gate hym out of
the schire-hows, and with moche labour brought hym unto Sporyer
Rowe;[17.4] and ther the people mett a yenst hym, and so they a voided
hym unto an hows, and kept fast the dore unto the tyme the meyer was
sent fore, and the Sherif, to strenght hym, and to convey hem a wey, or
ell he had be slayne. Wherfor divers of the thrifty men came to me,
desiryng that I shulde writte unto your maistreship to lete you have
undrestandyng of the gidyng of the people, for they be full sory of this
trowble; and that it plese you to sende hem your advice how they shal be
gided and rwled, for they were purposed to a gathered an c. or cc. of
the thriftyest men, and to have come up to the Kyng to lete the Kyng
have undrestandyng of ther mokkyng. And also the people fere hem sore of
you and Mastre Berney,[17.5] be cauce ye come not home.
Plese you that ye remembr the bill I sent you at Hallowmesse for the
place and londs at Boyton weche Cheseman had in his ferme for v. mark.
Ther wol no man have it above xlvj^s. viij^d., for Alblastre and I have
do as moche therto as we can, but we can not go a bove that. And yet we
can not lete it so for this yere, with owte they have it for v. or vj.
yere. I wrote to your mastreship herof, but I had non answre; wherfor I
beseche you that I may have an answere of this be Tlwelthe, for and we
have an answre of this be that tyme, we shall enfeffe hem with all, &c.
My right wurshipfull and my moost reverent maistre, Almyghty Jesu
preserve you, and send you the victorye of your elmyes, as I truste to
Almyghty Jesu ye shall. Wreten at Norwich on Seyn Thomas daye after
Cristemasse daye.
Your pore servant and bedman,