_To my brother, John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1467 / MARCH]
Ryght worschypful and verrely welbelovyd brother, I hertely comande me
to yow, thankyng yow of yowr labor and dyligence that ye have in kepyng
of my place at Castr so sewerly, both with yowr hert and mynde, to yowr
gret bisynesse and troble; and I ageyn warde have hadde so lytell leyser
that I have not spedde bot fewe of yowr erendys, ner kannot befor thys
tyme.
As for my Lady Boleynes[270.2] dysposicion to yow werds, I kannot in no
wyse fynde hyr a greable that ye scholde have her dowter, for all the
prevy meanes that I kowde make, inso moche I hadde so lytell comfor by
all the meanes that I kowde make, that I dysdeyned in myn own p[e]rson
to comon with hyr ther in. Neverthelesse, I undrestande that sche
seythe, ‘What if he and sche kan agre I wyll not lette it, but I will
never advyse hyr therto in no wyse.’ And uppon Tewesday last past, sche
rood hom in to Norfolke. Wherfor as ye thynke ye may fynde the meane to
speke with hyr yowr selfe, for with owt that, in myn conceyt, it wyl not
be.
And as for Crosseby, I undrestand not that ther is no maryage concluded
betwen them, neverthelesse ther is gret langage that it is lyke to be.
Ye be personable, and peraventure yowr beyng ones in the syght of the
mayde, and a lytele descuveryng of your good wyl to her, byndyng hyr to
kepe it secret, and that ye kan fynde in yowr hert, with som comfort of
hyr, to fynde the meane to brynge suche a mater abowt as schall be hyr
pleasur and yowrs, but that thys ye kannot do with owt som comfort of
hyr in no wyse; and ber yor selfe as lowly to the moder as ye lyst, but
to the mayde not to lowly, ner that ye be to gladde to spede, ner to
sory to fayle. And I alweys schall be your herault bothe her, if sche
com hydder, and at home when I kome hom, whych I hope hastly with in xl.
dayes at the ferthest. My modre hathe a letter, whych can tell you mor,
and ye may lat Dawebeney se it.