_To my ryth wurchepfull sovereyn and master, John Paston, be this
delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: About 1456(?)]
Ryth wurshepfull master and sovereyn, I recomaunde me to you, besechyng
you to pardon me that I cum not to awayte up on you like as Barkere
wrote to me. For I have notable and grete causis syth the lettere cam
from hym, the qweche hath chaungyd my purpos, and be my master the
Schreve is wrytyng, on to weche I must aplie me, all excusis leyd apart.
And as for the wrytyng Barkere wrote to me, be the qweche he directyth a
gret default in my deputys for return of the _habeas corpus_ with
_ducens tecum_, ther as is none, I dar seye, for John Rede spek to all
my master Fastolfs councell to advyse hym in the return, and to have
returnyd hit after ther conceyt, and thei wuld gyf hym non advys.
Nevertheles I now understande ther entent be Barkere is wrytyng; for
thei wuld put alle juparte up on me to myn utter ondoyng, and yit to do
my trewe part in execucion of ther entent, for ye knowell my master hath
put the juparte and the losse, if any growe, to me on his part. And ther
for I may repent the tyme that ever I promysyd my trewe and good wyll to
that entent. For alle the malesse and evylwill that is owyng to me in
alle the Schere ys for that mater and non other, the qweche hath
grettely hurt me, and in tyme comyng schall hurt more. But lete them
hold me excusyd, thei schall not have my goodwill so feythfully as thei
have had, be my troweth, and I schall helpe my sefl [_sic_] as I may.
And, Sire, I be seche you, thynke not that I pyke this be waye of
qwarell, that I myth be this querell owe my good wyll to the toder part,
for thei schall never have yt in that mater, nor in non other. And for
good the qweche I have receyvyd yff be thowth I have not deservyd yt I
am abill to content yt a geyn. And on Friday nexst foluwyng I schall be
with you atte Norwich be Goddys grace, and knowe your entent in this
mater.
No more, &c., but &c.
Be your man and servaunt,
JOHN DORY under Schreve of Norffolk.
[Footnote 113.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 170.] The name of Dory
occurs only once elsewhere in these letters, and then without a
Christian name; but the person so referred to (at the end of No.
330) is probably the under-sheriff of Norfolk; and this letter,
which is likewise concerned with Fastolf’s business, may have
been written about the same period.]
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