_To my ryght wyrshypfull hosbond, John Paston, be thys delyveryd in
hast._
[Sidenote: 1465 / OCT. 27]
Ryght wyrshypfull hosbond, I recomand me to you. Please it you to wyte
that I was at Haylesden uppon Thersday laste passyd, and sey the place
ther, and in gode feyth ther wyll no cryatur thynke how fowle and
orubelly it ys arayed but yf they sey it. Ther comyth moch pepyll dayly
to wonder ther uppon, both of Norwych and of other placys, and they
speke shamfully therof. The Duck had be beter then a m^{l}._li._ that it
had never be don; and ye have the more gode wyll of the pepyll that it
ys so foylle don. And they made youre tenauntys of Haylesdon and
Drayton, with other, to help to breke down the wallys of the place and
the logge both,--God knowyth full evyll ayenst ther wyllys, but that
they derst no notherwysse don for ferre. I have spoken with your
tenauntys of Haylesdon and Drayton both, and putte hem in comfort as
well as I canne. The Duck ys men rensackyd the church, and bare a way
all the gode that was lefte ther, both of ours and of the tenaunts, and
lefte not so moch but that they stode uppon the hey awter, and ransackyd
the images, and toke a way such as they myght fynd, and put a way the
parson owte of the church till they had don, and ransackyd every mans
hous in the towne v. or vj. tymys. And the chyff maysters of robbyng was
the Baylly of Ey, the Baylly of Stradbroke, Thomas Slyford, and Porter;
and Slyford was the chyff robber of the cherch, and he hath most of the
robbery next the Baylly of Ey. And as for lede, bras, pewter, yren,
dorys, gatys, and other stuffe of the hous, men of Coshay and Causton
have it, and that thay myght not cary, thay have hewen it a sonder in
the most dysspytuose wyse. Yf it myght be, I wold som men of wyrshop
myght be send from the Kyng to see how it ys both ther and at the logge,
or than any snowys[207.1] com, that they may make report of the troth,
ellys it shall not mo be seyn so playnly as it may now.
And at the reverens of God, spyde your maters nowe, for it ys to orybell
a cost and trobell that we have now dayly, and most have tyll it be
other wyse; and your men dar not goo abowte to geder uppe your lyfflode,
and we kype here dayly more than xxx. persons for savacyon of us and the
place, for, in very trowght, and the place had not be kypyd strong, the
Duck had come hether. Arblaster thynketh verely that Hugh a Fen may do
moch in your maters, and he thynkyth that he wole do for you faythfully,
yf ye wyll, &c.
At the reverens of God, yf any wyrshypfull and profetabile mene may be
take yn your maters, for sake it not in eschuyng of our trobell and gret
costs and charges that we have, and may growe here after. It ys thoght
here that yf my Lord of Norffolk wolld take uppon hym for you, and that
he may have a comyssyon for to enquer of such ryotts and robberyes as
hath be don to you and other in thys contray, that then all the contray
wyll a wayte uppon hym, and serve your entent; for the pepyll lovyth and
dredyth hym more then any other lord except the Kyng and my Lord of
Warwyk, &c.
God have you in Hys kypyng, and send ous gode tydyngs from you. Wryten
in haste, uppon the Sonday Seynt Symon and Jude ys Evyn.
By yours,