_To my maister Paston._
[Sidenote: 1461]
I lowly recomaund me to your maistership, thankyng you as a pouer man
may do his maister for soccuryng my wyf, which I wete wele is wo begone;
praying you for love of our Lord Jhesu Criste to take no displesir
though I not sent ne wrote to you herbeforn in this troble that I haf.
For parde ye may conceyve that I was besy j nogh to shifft my self til
now. Truly the noise cam sodeynly and I was withynne the walles of your
Cite, God sauf the governour therof, for he was besy to trappe me, more
besy than he wole be a know, _et per fenestram in sporta dimissus sum
per murum, et sic effugi manus ejus_; but he shal abye, by God, if I
lyf, for serchyng myn house. And, Sir, as for the fals noise, sauf your
reverence, that he leyth on me and on tweyn servauntz of myn, he lyeth
falsly, your reverence savid; for I may haf an C. persones notable and
thrifty, whan tyme comyth, that wole prove and make good by every meane,
that my servauntz, which he nameth, wer that same our at Brisle which is
thens more than xvj. myle, and that the same our and the same day and a
greet space bothe beforn and afftir. But ever I besech your maistership
of contynuaunce, and that ye like to do my wif help and comfort in hir
dissese; for if she wer not, God knowith, I shuld soone shyfft. And
truly I haf no thought ne sorwe but for hir. Wherfore I beseche you
lowly for His love that all socourith and susteyneth to be good maister
and comfort to her. It shal not be long to but that I shall send to hir
to labour hir to other place, as for ony thyng touchyng me ellis but
that. I pray you also, if the boy that is hurt dey, to meve your
tenauntz in that hundrid wher he was bete to do for me and myn; ellis
can I not desire ne write at this tyme for lak of remembraunce, for I am
not yet myn own man. Besechyng yow alwey of good maistership, for
Almyghty God knowith that the mater was falsly begunne on me and usurie
it is and acursid, so wold our Lord I never had knowyn it; but sith I
delid therwith I myght never reche it to handle the mater to trouth or
reson. Wherfore I am compellid to do therwith unresonably. But, gentill
Sir, socour my wif, and be not displesid with me, and than shal I do
wele with Goddis mercy, Who Almyghty preserve yow for His mercy. Wretyn
onavised, &c.
I pray you socour my wif, for she is wedow yet for me, and shal be til
more is done, sith I se that neyther plee, trety ne werre may make my
peas; for I leve hir undir your proteccion til I write to hir to go
thens, which shal be hastily, I suppose, praying you to be alwey hir
good maister, for I purpose not to se hir of a while, though she remeve.
Wrete with sorwfull hert, &c.
Yours,