_To my worchepful mayster, John Paston the holdest, be this letter
delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1466 / MAY 12]
Ryth reverent and worchepful sire, I hartyly recomende me on to your
reverens, thankyng yow for the gret cher and comfortabyll words that ye
yovyn on to me wat tyme that I was last yn yowr presens; desyryng ful
specyaly of Almity God, owt of al your wordly tribulacyonys and
adversyte, gracyowus delyverans, and yn al vertuows prosperite, good
encres and contynuans. If yt like your maysterchep to know the cause of
this wrytyng, it ys thys; it is nowth unknow[219.2] on to yow that
Mayster Brakle (Cryst rest hys sowle!), delyveryd to Wyllam Paston, your
broder, certayn oblygacyonys, of the weche the dute xuld grow to my
convent yn Norwyche. I have spoke on to Wyllam Paston her of, and he
excuseth hym and seyth on this wyse; that be the wyl of Mayster Brakle,
wat tyme that Sire Tomas Todenham,[219.3] Knyth, xuld be put on to hys
deth, he delyveryd hem on to hys confessor; the weche, as he seth, xuld
a be Grey fryer, hows name he knowyth nowt; also he seyth that after the
deth of the forseyd Knyt, he spake with the Fryer, confessor on to the
Knyth, and hasked hym aftyr the forseyd oblygacyonys, and as he seyth,
the Fryer seyd on to hym that he had delyveryd hem on to [the] Knyth
Marchall. Werfor I beseche you, as specyaly as I may, that, now wyl your
broder is at London, that ye of your grace wyl know the trowthe in this
mater, for the comfort of the dede, and profyth of my convent. Nomor at
this tyme, but that I be seche Almyty God in Trinyte conserve your, and
kepe yow in all vertuows prosperite. Amen.
Wretyn at Heylysdon in gret hast, the xij. day of May, in your maner
aftyr mete. The cause wy the mayster delyveryd hem to hym mor than to
yow, was, as he seyd on to me, for as meche as ye had so many maters yn
hand for yowr self, and also for the dede, that he durst not attempt yow
with all; and al so be cause he had lesse for to do hys hope was that he
xuld asped yt mor redyly.
Fr[e]re Willam Thorp dwellyng at Salisbury.
By yowr pore orator and bedman,