_To my right worchepfull hosbond, John Paston, be this letter deliveryd
in hast._
[Sidenote: 1461 / JUNE]
Right worchepfull hosbond, I recommand me to you. Please you to wete
that thys day in the mornyng the parson of Snoryng came to Thomas Denys
and fechyd hym owt of hys hows, and beryth hym a hand,[282.2] that he
shuld a mad byllys agayns Twyer and hym, and hathe a leed hym ferthe
with hem. Hys wyf hathe no knowlege of it. Ferther more the seid parson
seythe that the seyd Thomas Denys shuld a take sowdyors owt of hys
felachep whan he went to Seynt Albons;[282.3] that hys a nother of hys
compleynts. Item, anothyr of hys compleynts ys, a beryth the seyd Thomas
a hand,[282.2] that he had awey a hors of John Coppyng of Bryslee, and a
nother of Kyng of Donham, the wyche hors were stole be the seyd ij.
personys. Wher for the seyd Thomas toke hem as a comyshaner and
delyveryd hem to the exchetor, Frances Costard, and one of them he bowt
of the seyd Fraunces. And the seyd parson hathe a wey the seyd hors, and
seyth that he wolle the seyd thevys shuld be recompenst be Thomas Denys.
Thys I am enformyd of all thesse maters be hys wyffe, and sche prayythe
yow in the reverence of God ye wolle be hyr good maister, and helpe that
hyr hosbond may have sume remedy be your labor in thys mater, [for she]
seythe syn that hyr hosbond ys the Kyngs offycer, that they owt to spar
hym the rather. But they that hathe hym take no . . . . . . told me that
they hope to have a newe chonge in hast.
Item, Pers that was with my unkyll Barney[283.1] sent you a l[etter]
. . . . . . er desyryng to have your good masterchep, and he woll fyynd
sufficient suerte[283.2] for hym for to com . . . . . . whan som ever ye
woll require hym. I’ good feyth it ys told me hys leggs ar all . . .
. . . [Send] me word, encas the suerte be sufficient, in what sum ye
woll have hem bownd for hy . . . . . . te in bayle. Item, it ys told me
that ther be many Freynche shyppys of se a geyns Yamothe, a[nd . . .
. . . t]hey woll do harme on the coste. I pray yow hertely that ye woll
send me word in hast howe that ye do with my [Lord] of Norffolk, and
with your adversaryys. Item, I have do purveyed in thys wareyn xj.^xx.
[_eleven score_] rabets and sent up be the berer herof. The blyssyd
Trinite have yow in Hys kepyng, and send yow the better of all your
adversariis, and good sped in all your maters. Wretyn in hast, the same
day that ye departyd hens.
Item, I pray yow that ye wolle remembre my unkyll Barneys mater tochyng
the executyng of his wylle, and how ye wolle that we be demenyd for
kepyng of hys yerday, and that it lekyth you to send me word be Mr. John
Smy[th].
[Footnote 282.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears
from internal evidence to have been written some time after the
second battle of St. Albans, which was fought in February 1461,
and before the murder of Thomas Denys in July following. But to
all appearance it was not very long before the latter date. The
MS. is mutilated, and a few words are lost in eight consecutive
lines.]
[Footnote 282.2: _i.e._ accuses him. _See_ vol. ii. p. 110,
Note.]
[Footnote 282.3: Thomas Denys was at the second battle of St.
Albans in February 1461. _See_ No. 455.]
[Footnote 283.1: John Berney.]
[Footnote 283.2: _See_ Letter 424.]
463