_To my worshipful and right gode mayster, John Paston, Squyer._
[Sidenote: 1459(?) / AUG. [22]]
Wurshipful sire, and my right gode mayster, I recomaunde me to zou, and
hertely I thanke zour gode maystership that ze liked to sende my mayster
zour sone to Sporle with suych felaship as ze dede, for which I am ever
bounde to doo zou service, prayeng zou of zour gode contenuaunce.
Sire, the cause why I kam not was this: I was falle seek with an axez
[_ague_], and truly that caused me that I and my felaship taryed; and so
be cause theroffe I caused my lady to wryte a specyall lettre to my Lord
Scales. But for al that Blake hath hoom the corn in my Lady of Suffolkys
name. And the cause why I sent no wurd of my seknes was, that I wuld not
myn enmy shuld be rejoysed be the knowlych of my seknesse. So God help
me, the felaship that was redy to goo was right sory that thei myght not
goo furth with me; and my lordes and my ladyes wyl was that thei shuld
have goon further. But if I had been heil and not seek, there shuld have
kome a wurshipful felaship out of Suffolk of so litel warnyng; but truly
I lay seek at Ipeswych of the axcez bothe Sunday and Monday. But, sire,
syn ze have shewed me so kyndely zour gode maystership, I praye zou I
may have your felaship redy at a nothir tyme to help to execute a
commyssion touchyng Blake, and that thei may be redy withinne ij. dayez
after ze have warnyng. And, sire, my service is redy to zou at alle
tymys, as ze shewe me gret cause to doo zou service. Wreten at
Thelton,[147.1] the Wednysday next before Seynt Bertilmew Day in haste.
Your servaunt,