_To my mastresse, Margret Paston, James Gresham and Ric. Calle._
I recomaund me to yow, and have reseyvid ij. lettirs from John Russe,
wherin he remembirth me that I shuld owe hym xix_li._, or therupon, for
divers parcelles whech he seith he shuld have deliverid in to myn hows,
wherof he seith xiiij_li._ was deliverid in to myn howse ij. yere
g[oon], and that I had a bille deliverid me therof, and the remnaunt
sithen, and desireth of me payment of the seid xix_li._ Wherfore I
certi[fye] yow as I undirstand in the mater; ye may lete John Russe come
to yow and take such a direccion in the mater as reason and trought
woll. I lete yow wete that abought ij. yer goo the seid John Russe
deliverid me first a bille of the seid xiiij. [_li._], and I examined
the parcelles; and as I remembir xj_li._ was my dewte, wherof the
certeyn somme is writen in my blak book of foreyn reseytes that yere,
and the remnaunt was Ric. Calles dewte, wherof he was allowed, savyng
apart was Elys dewte. And as for the seid xj_li._, I offerid the seid
John Russe payment in hand at that tyme, and desired hym he shuld no
more send in to myn howse, and warnyd yow and Richard that ye shuld no
more stuffe take in to myn hows without ye peyd in hand, nowther of hym
ner of non other. And the seid John Russe prayd me to remembir that I
had grauntyd hym the maner of Akthorp in Leystoft, at a certeyn prise,
as it apperyd by writyng undir my seall, and desired me that I wold take
the seid somme in party of payment. And I told hym that as for such mony
that shuld com from hym for that lond, I wold take it of hym and ley it
up by the self, that I myght purchase other lond therwith, bicause I
wold lesse Fastolffs lyvelode for the college, but I wold pay hym his
dewte without any stoppage. And he thanne desired me to take that same
xj_li._, and ley it up to the same use, seying to me that it was as good
to do so as I for to take it hym, and he to take it me ayen. And thus he
and I agreed, and departed, and thanne he prayd me to take more chafar
of hym, whech I denyed. And nough I merveyll what shuld cause hym to
aske mony for that dewte; neverthelesse I deme he supposith that he coud
not opteyne his bargeyn by me, bicause of the trobill that it standyth
in; and for that or for some other cause he repentyth his bargeyn and
woll nomore of it. Wherfore send for hym, and take James Gresham or some
of your frends and Richard Calle, and fele what he menyth; and if ye can
fynd hym disposed to leve his bargeyn yet, though I myght kepe stille
the seid mony I wold he shuld not lese therby. Nevirthelesse if he woll
refuse his bargeyn, thanne take ayen the writyng that he hath of that
bargeyn and a writyng of his hand that he dischargyth me of the graunt
that I mad hym of that same bargeyn. And thanne loke that ye enquere
what mony he hath reseyvid of the seid maner in my tyme, wherof the
ferme is vj_li._ yerly whech I suffird hym to occupie to his owne use by
fors of the seid bargeyn all my tyme; and aftir the parcellis cast what
I have had of hym; abbate therof the mony that he hath reseyvid of the
seid maner, and also as moch of the xiiij_li._ as the seid Ric. Calle
and Elys owen, wher of he is alowid; and thanne see that the seid John
Russe be content of the remnaunt of his parcellis that is dew by me, but
loke ye pay non other mennes dewtes.
Also the seid John Russe writyth in his lettir that rather thanne he
shuld fayle this mony that I wold lend hym asmoch to pay ayen at
Cristemasse; wherfore, if he leve his bargeyn I woll ye lend hym asmoch
mony over his dewte as shall make up xx_li._, takyng of hym suerte to
pay ayen at Cristemasse, as he writyth; in case be that he will kepe
stille his bargeyn, thanne ye may answere hym it is no reason that he
shuld aske me any part of that mony ayen, for he owyth that and moch
more.
Item, the seyd John Rus sent me heder a man for this mater only with in
thes ij. daijs. Wherfor let him know an ansue letyng (?) for I fel well
(?) he hath mad agret bargen but late, wherfor he hath mor nede of mony
now, and I wol do for hym that I may resonably. Nevertheles his wryting
merveylith me that he askith thes mony as dewte, wheche he toke me for
parte of my payment. I deme it comith not all of his owne disposicion.
Inquier ye that ye can what it menith. God kepe yow. Wret the Wednisday
nex Lammes.
Yowr JOHN PASTON.
In cas ye han Drayton in any quiete take sewertie of yowr tenants for
paiment as I have wret befor.
[Footnote 174.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is evidently the
letter referred to in the beginning of the last.]
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