_To my Maister Paston._
[Sidenote: 1456(?) / OCT. 12]
Please yow to wete that I hafe remembred of the langage that I hafe late
lerned W. Barker had to yow and othyrs of his accomptes apposyng,[104.2]
and of that they be not hole bethyn [_between_] ws, but yn division, &c.
Sir, as I may sey yow, hyt was nevere othyrwyse, ne nevere ys lyke to
be; for now they hafe do with Lowys, he that ys next shall be yn the
same as he was yn gelosye; for when my maister comaundyth such as of
force, by reson of her occupacion, most be nere hym, to do a message to
hys felow, or question of hym, hyt shall be ymagyned amonges our
felyshyp that he doth make maters to my maister. And so it ys ymagyned
of me when I wryte lettres to London, to Bokkyng or Barker, that yn such
maters as please hem not, then it ys my doyng; yff it take well to theyr
entent, then it ys her [_their_] doyng. And yn gode feyth, so it was
ymagyned of me and othyrs that wrote, by my maister comaundment, to
Castre, to the parson of Blofeld, Geffrey Spyrlyng, and othyrs, that of
such maters as was lykyng to hem and coude be sped by help of my maister
frendes as by theyr solicytyng, then it was seyd that it was theyr
avice, labour, and doyng. And yff the maters went not to my maister
entent, ne that they coude not bryng aboute the mater, then it was
imagyned and jangled that it was my wrytyng and doyng. I bare nevere my
maister purs, ne condyt nevere chargeable mater alone of hys yn lawe,
for my discrecion ne connyng know not whate such maters menyth. I knew
nevere of _oyer_ ne _terminer_, ne rad nevere patent before, ne my
maister knew nevere the condyt of such thynges; and when he wrote of hys
grevonse to hys frendys, he commaunded no man to be endyted, for he wyst
not whate belonged to such thynges, ne the parson neyther, but remitted
it to his councell lerned. There was no man gretter at hert with hym, as
Andreus wyth Heydon, because of castyng Bradwell and Tychewell yn the
Kynges handes, and toke awey the waarde. And I came nevere at the _oyer
and terminer_.
By God, my maister lost c. marc by a seute of Margyt Bryg upon a defence
of atteynt, because a quest passed ayenst hyr of xij. penyworth lond by
yeer; and I dar sey and prefe it, my maister never spake of hyr, ne knew
hyr not, ne wrote to sew hyr at the _oyer and terminer_, as I am
remembred. Yhyt yt was well deffended, at my maister grete cost and
labour, and myne pore labour also. Yhyt ought not I, ne none such yn my
stede, beer the wyte [_blame_] wyth Sir Thomas, ne none othyr; he that
takyth the tolle most take the charge, hyt ys hys negligence that wille
take the labour more then he may awey. I wold the parson ys wellfare
asmoch as man lyvyng, to my wreched power; and yff, or when, ye hyre
onye froward ymagynacions, I pray yow gefe no credence tille ye hyre it
aunsuerd. I am eased of my spyrytes now that I hafe expressed my leude
[_ignorant_] menyng, because of my felow Barker, as of such othyr
berkers ayenst the mone, to make wysemen laugh at her foyle. Our Lord
kepe yow.
Wryt at Castre the xij. day of October.