_To my Mayster Jon Pastone, Esqwyer, be this letter presented._
_Jesus, Maria, &c._
[Sidenote: 1460 / OCT.]
Ryte reverent Sire, after du recommendacion, we sey in this cuntre that
Heydon is for Barkschir in the Comon Hows. And the Lady of
Suffolk[226.2] hath sent up hyr sone[226.3] and hise wyf to my Lord of
York to aske grace for a schireve the next yer, Stapilton, Boleyn, or
Tyrel, qui absit. God send zow Ponyng, W. P., W. Rokewode, or Arblaster.
Ze haf myche to done; Jesu spede zow. Ze haf many good preyers, what of
the covent, cyte, and cuntre. God safe our good Lords, Warwik, alle hise
brether, Salisbury, &c., fro al fals covetyse and favour of extorcyon,
as they wil fle uttyr schame and confusyon. God save hem, and preserve
fro treson and poyson; lete hem be war her of for the pite of God; for
yf owt come to my Lord Warwik but good, far weel ze, far weel I, and al
our frends! for be the weye of my sowle, this lond wer uttirly on done,
as God forbede. Her [_their_] enmyes bostyn with good to come to her
favour; but God defende hem, and zeve hem grace to knowe her frends fro
her enmyes, and to cherisch and preferr her frends and lesse the myte of
alle her enmyes thorw owt the schiris of the lond. And [_i.e._ if] my
good Lord Warwik, with my Lord his brother Chaunceler[226.4] and my Lord
her fadyr[226.5] woldyn opposyn, as dede Danyel, Fortesku, Alisaunder,
Hody, Doctor Aleyn, Heydon, and Thorp, of the writyng made be hem at
Covyntre Parlement, they schuld answer wers than sub cino or sub privo
(?), and this generaly wold I sey at Powlys Cros, etc., and [_i.e._ if]
I schuld come there, &c. It is verifyed of hem, 1º Jeremiæ, 8º, _Vere
mendacium operatus est stilus mendax scribarum_, &c. And think of two
vers of zour Sawter, _Scribantur hæc in generatione altera_ (hujus
scilicet parliamenti) _et populus qui creabitur laudabit
Dominum_,[227.1] &c. _Deleantur etiam tales perversi scriptores de libro
viventium et cum justis non scribantur._[227.2] Et non plura, sed vos,
vestros et vestra conservet Jesus graciose in prosperis et graciosius
dirigat in agendis.
Ex Norwico, feria quarta,[227.3] nuncio festinante.
And I prey zow for Godds sake to be good mayster to Jon Lyster, &c. And
I prey zow think, in this Parlement, of the text of Holy Scripture,
_Quicunque fecerit contra legem Dei et contra legem Regis judicium fiet
de eo, vel in condemnationem substantiæ ejus, vel in carcerem, vel in
exilium, vel in mortem_ (Primo Esdræ, vij., et parti 2º Esdræ 8º).
[Footnote 226.1: [From Fenn, iii. 382.] This letter appears to
have been written just before the sitting of the Parliament of
October 1460, of which John Paston was a member. Warwick’s
brother was then Chancellor. No signature is attached to this
letter in Fenn’s literal copy, although the name is appended to
the modern transcript.]
[Footnote 226.2: Alice, widow of William, Duke of Suffolk.]
[Footnote 226.3: John de la Pole, second Duke of Suffolk. He
married Elizabeth, the Duke of York’s daughter.]
[Footnote 226.4: George Nevill, Bishop of Exeter.]
[Footnote 226.5: Richard Nevill, Earl of Salisbury.]
[Footnote 227.1: Psalm ci. (or cii.) 18.]
[Footnote 227.2: Psalm lxviii. (or lxix.) 28.]
[Footnote 227.3: ‘Feria quarta’ means Wednesday.]
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