_To my ryth worchepfull husbond, Jon Paston, be thys delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1460 / OCT. 21]
Ryth worchepfull husbonde, I recomand me to yow. Plesyth it yow to weet
that I receyvyd yowyr letter that ye sent me by Nycolas Colman on Sonday
last past. And as for the mater that ye desyiryd me to breke of to my
cosyn Rokwode, it fortunyd so that he came to me on Sonday to dyner sone
aftyr that I had yowyr letter; and when we had dynyd, I mevyd to hym
ther of in covert termys, as Playter shall informe yow eraftyr. And as I
thowt by hym, and so ded Playter also by the langwage that he had to us,
that he wold be as feythfull as he kowd or myte be to that good Lorde
that ye wrot of, and to yow also, in ony thynge that he kowde or myte do
in case wer that he wer set in offyse, so that he myth owte do; and ther
to he seyd he wolde be bownde in a m^l. _li._ [£1000] and he was so
myche worthe.
As for the todyr that ye desyiryd I scholde meve to of the same mater,
me semyth he is to yonge to take ony swhyche thyngys up on hym; and also
I knowe veryly that he scholl never love feythfully the todyr man that
ye desyiryd that he schuld do, for when he rem[em]bryth the tyme that is
paste, and ther for I spak not to hym ther of.
Thys day was holde a gret day at Okyll[238.2] befor the undyr schreve
and the undyr exchetor, for the mater of Syr Jon Fastolfys londys; and
ther was my cosyn Rookwod and my cosyn Jon Berney of Redham, and dyvers
odyr jentylmen and thryfty men of the contre; and the mater is well sped
aftyr your intent (blyssyd be God!) as ye schall have knowlage of in
hast.
I suppose Playter schall be with yow on Sonday or on Monday next comyng,
if he may. Ye have many good prayers of the poer pepyl that God schuld
sped yow at thys Parlement, for they leve in hope that ye schold helpe
to set a wey that they myte leve in better pese in thys contre thane
they have do befor, and that wollys schold be purveyd for, that they
schuld not go owt of thys lond as it hathe be suffryd to do be for, and
thane schall the poer pepyll more leve bettyr thane they have do by her
ocwpacion ther in.
Thomas Bone hathe salde all yowyr wole her for xx_d._ a stone, and goode
swerte fownd to yow ther for, to be payid a Myhellmas next comyng; and
it is solde ryth well aftyr that the wole was, for the moste part was
ryte febyll. Item, ther be bowt for yow iij. horse at Seynt Feythys
feyer, and all be trotterys, ryth fayir horse, God save hem, and they be
well kepyd. Item, your myllys at Heylysdon be late [_let_] for xij.
marke, and the myller to fynde the reparacion; and Rychard Calle hathe
let all yowyr londys at Caster; but as for Mawtby londys, they be not
let yet. Wylliam Whyte hathe payid me a geyne thys daye hys x._li._, and
I have mad hym a qwetans ther of, be cause I had not hys oblygacion.
Ther is gret talkyng in thys contre of the desyir of my Lorde of
York.[239.1] The pepyll reporte full worchepfully of my Lord of Warwyk.
They have no fer her but that he and othyr scholde schewe to gret favor
to hem that have be rewyllers of thys contre be for tyme.
I have done all yowyr erandys to Syr Thomas Howes that ye wrote to me
for. I ame rythe glade that ye have sped welle in yowyr materys be twyx
Syr Fylyp Wentworthe and yow, and so I pray God ye may do in all othyr
materys to hys plesans. As for the wrytyngys that ye desyirid that
Playter schulde sende yow, Rychard Call told me that they wer at Herry
Barborys, at the Tempyll gate.
The mayir[239.2] and the mayires sent hedyr her dynerys thys day, and
Jon Dame came with hem, and they dynyd her. I am beholde to hem, for
they have sent to me dyvers tymys sythe ye yed hense. The meyr seyth
that ther is no jentylman in Northefolk that he woll do more for than he
wole for yow, if it laye in hys poer to do for yow. J. Perse is stylle
in prisone, but he wolle not confese more thane he ded when ye wer at
home. Edmond Brome was with me, and tolde me that Perse sent for hym for
to come spek with hym, and he tolde me that he was with hym and examynyd
hym, but he wold not be a knowe to hym that he hade no knowlage wher no
goode was of hys masterys more thane he hade knowlageyd to yow. He tolde
me that he sent for hym to desyir hym to labor to yow and to me for hym
if ye had be at home; and he tolde me that he seyd to hym ayen that he
wold never labor for hym but [_unless_] he myth know that he wer trwe to
hys mastyr, thow it lay in hys power to do ryth myche for hym. I suppose
it schulde do none harme thow the seyd Perse wer remevyd ferther. I pray
to Gode yeve grace that the trowthe may be knowe, and that the dede may
have part of hys owne goode. And the blissyd Trinyte have yow in Hys
kepyng.
Wretyn in hast at Heylysden the Tuesday next aftyr Seynt Lwke.
Be yowyrs,