_To my mastyr, Sir John Paston, logyng in Fletstret, be thys delyveryd._
[Sidenote: 1467 / JAN. 27]
Syr, lyekyth it yow to wet that thys day my modyr sent me your lettyrs,
wer by I undystand, blessyd be God, all thyng standyth in good wey. Also
I undyrstand by your lettyr sent to my modyr and me that ye wold have
your lyvelod gadyrd as hastyly as we myght do it. Syr, as to that, and
othyr folk do no wers ther dever [_devoir_] in gaderyng of othyr manerys
then we have don in Caster, I tryst to God that ye schall not be long
unpayid; for thys day we had in the last comb of barly that eny man had
owyth in Caster towne, not with standyng Hew Awstyn and hys men hathe
crakyd many a gret woord in the tym that it hathe ben in gaderyng. And
twenty comb Hew Awstyns man had doun cartyd redy for to have led it to
Yarmowth. And when I herd ther of I let slype a sertyn of whelpys that
gave the cart and the barly syche a torn that it was fayn to tak covert
in your bakhous systern at Caster halle, and it was wet within an owyr
aftyr that it cam hom, and is nye redy to mak of good malt all, ho ho!
William Yelverton hathe ben at Gwton and hathe set in a new bayly ther
and hathe dystreynyd the tenauntis, and hathe geve hem day till
Candyllmas to pay syche mony as he axyth of hem. Also the seyd
Yellverton hathe ben at Saxthorpe, and hathe dystreynyd the fermour ther
and takyn of hym swerte to paye hym. And thys day the seyd Yelverton and
viij. men with hym, with jakys and trossyng dobletis all the felawshep
of hem, wer redy to ryd; and one of the same felawschep told to a man
that sye hem all redy that they shuld ryd to tak a dystres in sertayn
maners that wer Syr John Fastolffys; wherfor I suppose veryly that they
be to Gwton and Saxthorp. Wher for to morrow I purpose to send Dawbeney
thedyr to wet what they do, and to comand the[266.1] tenauntis and
fermors that they pay no mony to nobody bot to yow. John Grey, othyrwyse
callyd John Delesbay, and John Burgeys they be Yelvertons kapteyns, and
they ryd and go dayly, as well in Norwych as in othyr plasys of yours
and othyr menys, in the contre in ther trossyng dowblettis with
bombardys and kanonys and chafeveleyns, and do what so ever they wyll in
the contre; ther dar no pore man dysplese theym, for what so evyr they
do with ther swordys they make it lawe; and they tak dystressys out of
mens howsys, hors or catell, or what they wyll, thow it be not on that
for that they ask the dwte for. Wher for, me thynkys with esy menys ye
myth get a prevy seall of the Kyng to be dyrectyd to the meyer of
Norwyche, as for the towne of Norwyche, and for the countre a nothyr
prive seall, dyrect to me and to som othyr good felaw, Syr William
Calthorp, for he hatyth Grey,[266.2] for to arest the seyd felaws for
syche ryot and to bryng hem to the next prison, ther to abyed with out
bayle tyll syche tym as the Kyng sendyth othyrwyse woord, and they that
the prive sale shall be dyrect to, to be chargyd vpon peyne of ther
alegeans to execut the Kyngis comandement; and, this done, I warant your
lyvelod that my lord delys not with shall be gadyrd pesybylly. As to
that lyvelod that my lord clemys I shall do my dever, our logyng kep, to
tak as myche profyt of it as I may by the grase of God, Whom I pray send
you the acomplyshement of your hertys desyir, and other por folys thers.
All my felawshep ar mery and well at ease, blyssyd be God, and
recomandyth hem all on to yow. Wretyn the Twesday next befor
Kandylmas.
Your brodyr,