[Sidenote: 1467]
Syr, plesyth yow to weet that my modyr and I comonyd this day with Freyr
Mowght to undyrstand what hys seying shall be in the coort when he
cometh up to London, wheche is in this wyse:-- He seyth at syche tyme as
he had shrevyn Master Brakley, and howsyllyd hym bothe, he let hym wet
that he was enformyd by dyvers personys that the seyd Master Brakley owt
for to be in gret consyens for syche thyngys as he had doone and seyd,
and causyd my fadyr, whom God asoyle, for to do and seye also, in
proving of Sir John Fastolfys wyll. To whom the seyd Mastyr Brakley
answerd thus agayne: ‘I am ryght glad that it comyth to yow in mynd for
to meve me with thys mater in dyschargyng of my consyens ayenst God,’
seying ferther mor to the seyd Freyr Mowght, be the wey that hys sowle
shold to, that the wyll that my fadyr put into the coort was as veryly
Syr John Fastolfys wyll as it was trew that he shold onys deye. This was
seyd on the Sonday when the seyd Brakley wend to have deyid then. On the
Monday he revyvyd a yen, and was well amendyd tyll on the Wednysday, and
on the Wednysday he sekyned a yen, supposyng to have dyeyd forthe with.
And in hys syknes he callyd Freyr Mowght, whyche was confessor on to
hym, of hys owne mosyon, seyng on to hym in thys wyse:-- ‘Syr, wher as
of your owne mosyon ye mevyd me the last day to tell you aftyr my
consyens of Sir John Fastolfys wyll lyek wyse as I knew, and now of myn
owne mocyon, and in dischargyng of my sowle, for I know well that I may
not askape, but that I must dye in hast, wharfor I desyr you that wyll
report after my dethe, that I took it upon my sowle at my dying that
that wyll that John Paston put in to be provyd was Syr John Fastolfys
wyll.’ And the seyd Brakley dyid the same Wednesdaye.
And wher as ye wold have had Rychard Calle to yow as on Sonday last
past, it was thys Twyisday or I had your lettyr; and wher as it plesyth
yow for to wyshe me at Eltam, at the tornay, for the good syth that was
ther, by trowththe I had lever se yow onys in Caster Hall then to se as
many Kyngs tornay as myght be betwyx Eltam and London.
And, syr, whar as it lyekyth yow to desyir to have knowlage how that I
have don with the Lady Boleyn,[276.1] by my feythe I have don nor spokyn
nowght in that mater, nor not wyll do tyll tyme that ye com hom, and ye
com not thys vij. yer. Not withstandyng, the Lady Boleyn was in Norwyche
in the week aftyr Estern, fro the Saterday tyll the Wednysday, and
Heydons wyfe[276.2] and Mastras Alys[276.3] bothe, and I was at Caster,
and wyst not of it. Hyr men seyd that she had non othyr erend to the
towne but for to sport hyr; bot so God help me, I suppose that she wend
I wold have ben in Norwyche for to have sen hyr dowghter. I beseche yow
with all my hart hye yow hom, thow ye shold tery but a day; for I
promyse yow your folk thynk that ye have forgetyn hem, and the most part
of them must depart at Whytsontyd at the ferthest, they wyll no lenger
abyd. And as for R. Calle, we can not get half a quarter the mony that
we pay for the bare housold, besyd menys wagys. Daube nor I may no mor
with owt coynage.
Your,