_To the ryght worshypfull Sir, John Paston, Escuier, beyng in Norwych,
yn haste._
[Sidenote: 1457 / MAY 1]
Ryght worshypfull Sir, aftyr dewe recommendacion, please yow to wete
that I wrote a remembraunce to yow the day that I departed owte of
Norwich, by Rychard, the Parson ys servaunt of Blofeld, concernyng
certeyn maters to be remembred by your wysdom for my maister ys avaylle,
whych your grete wysdom can well undrestand ys ryght nedefull, as one
thyng yn especiall, that Shypdam and Spyrlyng ought to labour, fyrst of
onye thyng that belongyth, to audyt the accompts of the resseyt and
despense of my maister housold at Castr seth he came last in to
Norffolk, whych aswell for the provisyons that ys had of hys oune
grownyng as in money payd; for till the seyd accompts be made
ordynatlye, whych be of a grete charge yeerlye, wete ye for certeyn my
maister shall nevere know whethyr he goth bakward or forward. And manye
othere accomptants that maken lyvere of provysyons of cornys and catell
to the household by the resseyvour and by the bayllyfs can not approve
theyr liberatz just tille the seyd housold bokes be made upp; and seth
it hath be kept ordynarylye seth my maister begen to kepe house thys l.
yeer almoste, and when he hath be absent beyond see, &c., hyt ought to
be more redelyer be doon and made upp whyle he is present, and well the
rathere that hys housold menye were not so hole to ghedr thys xl. yer as
be now at Castr. Also hyz minustrs of accompts of hys chieff maner of
Haylysdon for iij. yeer to make upp and to examyn; and I ensure yow full
simplye approwed hys wollys and hys fermys.
And the iij^d ys that so wold Jesus my maister audytors wold faythfully
and playnlye enforme my maistr of the trouth of the yeerly grete damage
he beryth in debursyng hys money aboute shyppes and botes, kepyng an
house up at Jermuch [_Yarmouth_] to hys grete harme, and resseyvyth but
chaffr and waare for hys cornys and wollys, &c. and then most abyde
along day to make money; of such chaffr takyng he shall nevere[117.1] be
monyed, ne be aunsuerd clerly of hys revenues yeerly but [_unless_]
those thyngs abofeseyd be amended be tyme. Yn Lowys days xij. yeer to
gheder my maister was wont to ley upp money yeerly at London and Castr,
and now the contrarye--_de malo in pejus_.
I dar not be know of thys bille, but ye may question and vele of the
disposicion of thys maters of otheres, and then I undrstand yff I wryt
justlye or no; and ye, as of your mocion for my maister worshyp and
profyt, exortyng hym, the stuard, Shypdam, and Spyrlyng to take a labour
and a peyn that thys be reformed.