_To my welbelovyd son, Sir John Paston, be this deliveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1463 / NOV. 15]
I gret yow welle, and send yow Godds blissyng and myn, latyng yow wet
that I have receyved a letter from you, the wyche ye deliveryd to Master
Roger at Lynne, wherby I conseyve that ye thynke ye ded not well that ye
departyd hens withowt my knowlage. Wherfor I late yow wett I was ryght
evyll payed with yow. Your fader thowght, and thynkyth yet, that I was
asentyd to your departyng, and that hathe causyd me to have gret
hevinesse. I hope he wolle be your good fader hereafter, yf ye demene
you welle, and do as ye owe to do to hym; and I charge you upon my
blyssyng that in any thyng towchyng your fader that shuld be hys
worchep, profyte, or avayle, that ye do your devoyr and dylygent labor
to the fortherans therin, as ye wulle have my good wille, and that shall
cause your fader to be better fader to you.
It was told me ye sent hym a letter to London. What the entent therof
was I wot not, but thowge he take it but lyghtly, I wold ye shuld not
spar to write to hym ageyn as lowly as ye cane, besechyng hym to be your
good fader; and send hym suche tydyngs as be in the contre thir ye bethe
in, and that ye war [_beware_] of your expence bettyr and ye have be
befor thys tyme, and be your owne purse berer, I trowe ye shall fyndyt
most profytable to you.
I wold ye shuld send me word howghe ye doo, and howghe ye have schevyfte
for yourself syn ye departyd hens, be som trosty man, and that your
fader have no knowlage therof. I durste not late hym knowe of the laste
letter that ye wrot to me, be cause he was so sor dyspleasyd with me at
that tyme.
Item, I wold ye shuld speke with Wekis, and knowe hys dysposysion to
Jane Walsham. She hathe seyd, syn he departyd hens, but [_unless_] she
myght have hym, she wold never maryd, hyr hert ys sor set on hym; she
told me that he seyd to hyr that ther was no woman in the world he lovyd
so welle. I wold not he shuld jape hyr, for she menythe good feythe; and
yf he wolle not have hyr, late me wete in hast, and I shall purvey for
hyr in othyr wysse.
As for your harneys and ger that ye left here, it ys in Daubeneys
kepyng; it was never remevyd syn your departyng, be cause that he had
not the keyes. I trowe it shall apeyer [_get injured_], but if it be
take hed hate [_unless it be taken heed at_, or _to_] be tymys. Your
fader knowythe not wher it is.
I sent your grey hors to Ruston to the ferror, and he seythe he shull
never be nowght to rood, nowthyr ryght good to plowe nor to carte; he
seyth he was splayyd, and hys shulder rent from the body. I wot not what
to do with hym.
Your grandam wold fayne here sum tydyngs from yow. It wer welle do that
ye sent a letter to hyr howe ye do, as astely as ye may. And God have
you in Hys kepyng, and make yow a good man, and zyf yow grace to do as
well as I wold ye shuld do.
Wretyn at Caster, ye Tewisday next befor Seynt Edmund the Kynge.
Your moder,