_To my rytz wurchepfull mayster, Jon Paston, in hast._
[Sidenote: 1463 / MAY 6]
Ryt wurschipfull hosbond, I recommand me to zou, desyring hertyly to her
of zour wellfar, praying zou to wete, that I [have] spoken with Strawngs
wyf of the matter that ze spoken to me of; and sche seyth pleynly to me,
be her feyth, that sche knew never non seche ne never herd of non
scheche, and told to me in lyk wyse as sche had seyd to Jamys Gloys. And
sche seyd to me if sche kowd inquier of any other that sche thinght xuld
have knowleche of any seche, sche xuld wetyn of hem, and letyn me have
knowleche therof; and if ze soppose that any other be in this contre
that ye thync xuld have knowleche of this forseyd mater, yf ye wyll send
me word ther of, I xall do my part ther in.
Also I have ben att Sweyngsthorp and spoken with Kokett, and he seyth
that he woll don lyche as ye bad me that I xuld sey to hym for to don.
And I have spokyn with the sexteyn, and seyd to hym as ye bad me that I
xuld don, and he axid me ryt feythfully hw ye sped in zour materys.
I teld hym that ze haddyn fayr be hests, and I seyd I hopyd that ze xuld
don rytz well therin; and he seyd that he supposyd that D.[75.1] wold
don for zou; but he seyd he was no hasty laborer in non mater. He seyd
be hys feyth he wost qher a man was that laboryd to hym for amater ryth
along tym, and alwey he be hestyd that he wold labor itt effectualy, but
qhyll he sewyd to hym that he kowd never have remedy of his mater; and
than qhan he thowth that he xuld no remedy have to sew to hym, he spak
with Fynys,[75.2] that is now Speker of the Parlment, and prayid hym
that he wold don for hym in hys mater, and zaf hym areward; and withinne
ryth short tym after his mater was sped. And the seyd sexteyn[75.3] and
other folkys that ben yowr ryth wele willers have kownselyd me that I
xuld kownsell zou to maken other menys than ye have made to other folks,
that wold spede your materys better than they have don thatt ye have
spoken to therof be for this tym. Sondery folks have seyd to me that
they thynk veryly, but if [_unless_] ye have my Lord of Suffolks[75.4]
godelorchyp, qhyll the werd [_world_] is as itt is, ye kan never leven
in pese with owth ye have his godelordschep; therfor I pray that with
all myn herth, that ye wyll don yowr part to have his godelordschep and
his love in ese of all the materis that ye have to don, and in esyng of
myn hert also; for be my trowth I am afferd ellys bothen of these
materys the qhyche ye have in hand now, and of other that ben not don to
yett, but if he wyl don for zou and be your godelord. I pray yow
hertylye send me werd how ze don, and how ye speden in zour materys; and
I pray you as for seche thyngs as Jamys hath a byll of, that I may have
hem as hastyly as ze may; and that ze wyll vowchesave to bey apese of
blak bukram for to lyn with a gown for me, I xuld bey me amurrey gown to
gon in this somer, and leyn in the koler the satyn that ze zeve me for
an hodde; and I kan gettyn non gode bokeram in this town to lyn it with.
The Holy Trinyte have yow in His kepyng, and send zou helth and good
spede in all yowr maters.