_Unto my ryght wurchipfull Cosyn, Marget Paston, this lettre be
delyvered in haste._
[Sidenote: 1458 / JUNE 1]
Ryght wurchipfull and my moste beste beloved maystres and cosyn,
I recommaund me unto you as lowly as I may, evermor desyring to here of
your gode welfar; the whiche I beseche Almyzthy Jesus to preserve you
and kepe you to his plesur, and to your gracious herts desyre.
And yf it plese you to here of my welfar, I was in gode hele at the
makyng of this lettre, blessed be God.
Prayng you that it plese you for to send me word yf my fadyr wer at
Norwiche with you at this Trenite Masse or no, and how the matyr dothe
be twene my Maystres Blawnche Wychynham and me, and yf ze sopose that it
shall be brought a bowte or no; and how ze fele my fadyr, yf he be wele
wyllyng thereto or no; prayng you lowly that I may be recomaund lowly
unto my maystres, Arblastres wyfe, and unto my Maystres Blawnche, her
dowzther, specially.
Ryght wurchipfull cosyn, yf it plese you for to her of suche tydings as
we have her, the basset [_embassy_] of Burgoyne schall come to Calleys
the Saturday[130.1] eftyr Corpus Christi day, as men say v. hondred
horse of hem. Moreover, on Trenite Sonday,[130.2] in the mornyng, came
tydings unto my Lord of Warwyke that ther were xxviij^te sayle of
Spaynyards on the se, and wherof ther was xvj. grete schippis of
forecastell; and then my Lord went and manned fyve schippis of
forecastell, and iij. carvells, and iiij. spynnes [_pinnaces_], and on
the Monday,[130.3] on the mornyng eftyr Trenite Sonday, we met to gedyr
afore Caleis, at iiij. at the clokke in the mornyng, and fawz thet gedyr
till x. at the clokke; and ther we toke vj. of her [_their_] schippis,
and they slowe of oure men aboute iiij^xx [_four score_], and hurt a ij.
hondred of us ryght sore; and ther wer slayne on theyr parte abowte
xij^xx [_twelve score_], and hurt a v. hondred of them.
And haped me, at the fyrste abordyng of us, we toke a schippe of iij^c.
[300] ton, and I was lefte therin and xxiij. men with me; and thei
fawzthe so sor[130.4] that our men wer fayne to leve hem,[130.5] and
then come they and aborded the schippe that I was in, and ther I was
taken, and was prisoner with them vj. houris, and was delyvered agayne
for theyr men that wer taken beforne. And as men sayne, ther was not so
gret a batayle upon the se this xl. wyntyr. And for sothe, we wer wele
and trewly bette; and my Lord hathe sent for mor scheppis, and lyke to
fyzthe to gedyr agayne in haste.
Nomor I write unto you at this tyme, but that it plese you for to
recomaund me unto my ryght reverent and wurchipfull cosyn your husband,
and myn ownkll Gournay, and to myn awnte his wyfe, and to alle gode
maysters and frends where it schall plese yow; and eftyr the writyng I
have from you, I schall be at you in alle haste.
Wretyn on Corpus Christi day in gret haste, be your owne umble servant
and cosyn,