_To my ryght wyrshypfull mayster, Sir John Paston, Knyzt, be thys letter
delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1466 / OCT. 29]
I grytte you well, and send you God ys blessyng and myn, desyryng you to
send me werd how that ye spede in youre maters, for I thynk ryght leng
tyll I here tydyngys from you; and in alwyse I avyse you for to be ware
that ye kepe wysly your wrytyngys that ben of charge, that it com not in
her [_their_] handys that may hurt you herafter. Your fader, wham God
assole, in hys trobyll seson set more by hys wrytyngys and evydens than
he dede by any of hys moveabell godys. Remember that yf the wer had from
you, ye kowd never gyte no moo such as the be for your parte, &c.
Item, I wold ye shold take hyde that yf any processe com owte a yenst
me, or a yenst any of tho that wer endyted a fore the coroner, that I
myght have knowlych therof, and to purvey a remedy therfor.
Item, as for your fader ys wyll, I wold ye shold take ryght gode
counsell therin, as I am enformyd it may be prevyd, thogh no man take no
charge thys twelfmonth. Ye may have a letter of mynystracyon to such as
ye wyll, and mynyster the godys and take no charge. I avyse you that ye
in no wyse take no charge therof tyll ye know more than ye doo yet; for
ye may verely knowe by that your unkell Will. seyd to you and to me,
that thay wyll lay the charge uppon you and me for moo thyngys then ys
exprest in your fader ys wyll, the whych shud be to grete for you or me
to bere; but as for me, I will not be to hesty to take it uppon me,
I ensure you.
And at the reverens of God, spede your maters so thys terme, that we may
be in rest herafter, and lette not for no labour for the season, and
remember the grete cost and charge that we have had hedyr toward, and
thynk verely it may not lenge endur. Ye know what ye left when ye wer
last at hom, and wyte it verely ther ys no mor in thys countray to bere
owte no charge with. I awyse you enquer wysely yf ye canne gyte any more
ther as ye be, for els by my feth I feer els it will not be well with
ous; and send me word in hast hough ye doo, and whether ye have your
laste dedys that ye fayled, for playnly they er not in thys contrey. It
ys told me in consell that Ric. Calle hath nyer conqueryd your uncle
Will. with fayre promyse twochyng hys lyflode and other thyngs, the
whych shold prevayll hym gretly, as he sayth. Be ware of hym and of hys
felowe be myn avyse. God sende you gode spede in all your maters.
Wryten at Caster, the moreu next after Symon and Jude, wher as I wold
not be at thys tyme but for your sake, so mot I ches.
By your Moder.
[Footnote 254.3: [From Fenn, iv. 272.] The date of this letter is
shown by the contents to be shortly after John Paston the father’s
death, probably in the same year.]
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