_To my cosyn, Margaret Paston._
[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 12]
I recomaund me to yow, letyng yow wete tha the Undershreve doughtyth hym
of John Berney; wherfore I pray yow bryng hem to gedyr, and set hem
acord, if ye can, so that the seyd Ondershreve be sure that he shall not
be hurt be hym, ner of hys cuntrymen. And eyf he woll not, lete hym
verely understonde that he shall be compellyd to fynd hym suerte of the
pes to agry in thys heed, and that shall nowther be profitabyll, ner
worchepful. And lete hym wete that there have be many compleynts of hym
be that knavyssh knyght, Sir Miles Stapilton, as I sent yow word before;
but he shall come to hys excuse wele inow, so he have a mannys hert, and
the seyd Stapylton shall ben ondyrstand as he ys, a fals shrewe. And he
and hys wyfe and other have blaveryd here of my kynred in
hedermoder;[290.1] but, be that tyme we have rekned of old dayes and
late dayes, myn shall be found more worchepfull thanne hys and hys
wyfes, or ellys I woll not for hys gilt gypcer.
Also telle the seyd Berney that the Shreve ys in a dought whedyr he
shall make a newe eleccion of knyghts of the shyre, be cause of hym and
Grey; where in it were bettyr for hym to have the Shreves good wyll.
Item, me thynkyth for quiete of the cuntre it were most worchepfull that
as wele Berney as Grey shuld get a record of all suche that myght spend
xl_s._ ayere, that were at the day of eleccon, whech of them that had
fewest to geve it up as reson wold. Wretyn at London, on Relyk Sonday.
Item, that ye send abought for sylver acordyng to the old bylle that I
sent yow from Lynne.