[Sidenote: 1462 / JAN. 27]
Ryth worchepfull husbond, I recomand me to yow. Plesyt yow to wet that
Perse was delyveryd owt [of] preson by the generall pardon that the
Kynge hathe grantyd, whyche was opynly proclamyd in the Gyld Hall.
A none as he was delyveryd he cam hedyr to me, God wote in an evyll
plyte, and he desyiryd me wepyng that I wold be hys good mastres and to
be mene to yow to be hys good mastyr, and swore sore that he was nevyr
defawty in that ye have thowte hym defawty in. He seyd that if ther wer
ony coyne in the cofyr that was at Wylliam Tavernerys it was ther
withowt hys knowlage, for hys mastyr wold nevyr lat hym se what was in
that cofyr, and he told me that the keyis wer sent to Thomas
Holler[26.2] by mastyr John Smyth. What Holler leyd in or took owte he
wot not as he sweryth. He offyrd me to be rewlyd as ye and I wold have
hym, and if I wold comand hym, to go ageyn to preson, whedyr I wold to
the Castyll or to the Gyld Hall, he wold obey my comandment. And seth
that he came of hys owne fre wyll withowt ony comandment of ony man or
desyir, I seyd I wold not send hym ageyn to preson, so that he wold
abyde yowyr rewyll when ye came home. And so he is here with me and
schall be tyll ye send me word how ye wole that I do with hym. Where
fore, I pray yow that ye wole lete me have knowlage in hast how ye wole
that I do with hym.
Item, I have spok with John Dame and Playter for the lettyr
testymonyall, and John Dame hathe promysyd to get it, and Playter schall
bryng it to yow to London. Item, I have purveyd yow of a man that schall
be here in Barsamys sted and ye wole, the wyche can bettyr cherysch
yowyr wood, bothe in fellyng and fensyng there of than Barsam can; and
he schall mak yow as many hyrdyllys as ye nede for yowyr fold, of yowyr
owne wood at Drayton, and schall tak as lytyll to hys wagys as Barsam
dothe; and he is holdyn a trew man. Item, Playter schall tell yow of a
woman that compleynyd to the Dwk of Sowthefolk of yow, and the sey[d]
Playter schall tell yow of the demenyng and answeryng of the scheryfe
for yow, and also of the demenyng of the seyd Dwke, and of othir materys
the wyche wer to longe mater to put in wryttyn. The pepyll of that
kontre be ryth glad that the day yed [_went_] with yow on Monday as it
ded. Ye wer nevyr so welcome in to Norfolk as ye schall be when ye come
home, I trowe. And the blyssyd Trynyte have yow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn in
hast on Wednysday next aftyr Seynt Augnet the Fyrst.
By yowyr M. P.
Item, Ric. Calle told me that he hathe sent you a answer of all erands
that ye wold shuld be do to Sir Thomas Howes. Sir Thomas Howes cam
nowther to me nor sent syn that he cam home from London.
Will Worceter was at me in Cristemes at Heylysdon, and he told [me] that
he spake with you dyvers tymys at London the last terme; and he told me
that he hopyd that ye wolle be hys good master, and seyd he hopyd ye
shuld have non other cause but for to be hys god maister. I hope and so
do my moder and my cosyn Clere, that he wolle do well inowe, so that he
be fayre fare with Dawbeney and Playter. Avise me to lete Peers go at
large and to take a promys of hym to com to me a mong unto your comyng
hom, and in the mene while his demenyng may be knowyn and espyed in mo
thyngs.
[Footnote 26.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter relates to
the prisoner Piers mentioned in Nos. 423, 424, and 426. He seems
to have been delivered by a general pardon issued at the
commencement of the reign of Edward IV. The letter bears no
address. It is endorsed, but in a much later hand:-- ‘A lettre
to J. Paston, Ar., from his wife.’]
[Footnote 26.2: He was John Berney’s executor.]
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