_To my rythg reverent and worchypfoll fader, John Paston, Esquyer,
dwellyng in Heylysdon, be thys letter delyvered in haste._
[Sidenote: 1461 / AUG. 23]
Most reverent and worschepfull fadyr, I rekomawnd me hertyly, and
submytt me lowlely to your good faderhood, besechyng yow for cheryte of
yowr dayly blyssyng. I beseche yow to hold me ascewsyd that I sente to
yowe none erste no wrythgtyng, for I kowd not spede to myn intent the
maters that ye sent to me for. I have laboryd dayly my Lord of Essexe,
Treserer of Ynglond, to have mevyd the Kyng bothe of the maner [of]
Deddham and of the byll copye of the Corte Roll, everye mornyng ore he
went to the Kyng, and often tymys inqueryd of hym and he had mevyd the
Kyng in these matyers. He answeryd me naye, seyyng it was no tyme, and
seyd he wold it war osse fayne spedd os I myselfe, offed tymys de
layding me that in trouthe I thowt to have send yowe word that I felyd
by hym that he was not wyllyng to meve the Kyng ther in. Neverthe lesse
I lawberyd to hym contynually, and prayed Barronners hys man to remembyr
hym of it. I told offten tyms to my seyd Lord that I had a man teryyn in
town, that I schuld a sente to yow for othyr sundry maters, and he
teryid for no thyng but that I mythg send yowe by hym an answer of the
seyd matyers; othyr tyms besechyng hym to spede me in theys matyers for
thys cawse, that ye schulde thynke no defawte in me for remembryng in
the seyd maters.
And nowe of late, I, rememberyng hym of the same mater, inqueryd if he
had mevyd the Kyngs Hythgnes therin; and he answeryd me that he hadde
felte and mevyd the Kyng ther in, rehersyng the Kyngys answer therin;
how that, when he had mevyd the Kyng in the seyd maner of Dedham,
besechyng hym to be yowr good Lord ther in, konsyderyng the servyse and
trewe part that ye have done, and owthg to hym, and in espesyal the
rygth that ye have therto, he seyd he wold be your good Lord therin as
he wold be to the porest man in Inglond. He wold hold with yowe in yowr
rygth; and as for favor, he wyll nogth be under stand that he schal
schewe favor mor to one man then to anothyr, nowgth to on in Inglond.
And as for the bille copyd of the Cort Rolle, when he mevyd to him of
it, he smylyd and seyd that suche a bylle ther was, seyyng that ye wold
an oppressyd sundreys of yowr contremen of worchypfull men, and the for
he kepyd it styll. Never the lesse he seyd he schuld loke it uppe in
haste, and he schuld have it.
Baronners undertoke to me twyes ore thryes that he schuld so a’
remembred hys lord and master,[302.1] that I schuld au had it with inne
ij. or iij. dayes. He is often tyms absent, and therfor I have it nowthg
yyt; when I kan gete it, I schall send it yowe, and of the Kyngs mowth,
hys name that take it hym.
I scend you home Pekok a geyn. He is not for me. God send grace that he
may do yow good servyse, that be extymacion is not lykelye. Ye schall
have knowleche aftyrward how he hathe demenyd hym her with me. I wold,
savyng yowr dysplesure, that ye were delyvered of hym, for he schalle
never do yow profyte ner worchyp.
I suppose ye understand that the monye that I hadde of yowe att Londun
maye not indur with me tyll that the Kyng goo in to Walys an kome ageyn,
for I under stand it schall be long or he kome ageyn. Wher for I have
sent to Londun to myn onkyl Clement to gete an C_s._ of Christofyr
Hansom yowr servaunt, and sene [_send_] it me be my seyd servaunt, and
myn herneys with it, whyche I lefte at Lundun to make klene.
I beseche yowe not to be dysplesyd with it, for I kowd make non othyr
cheysaunce [_arrangement_] but I schuld a boruyed it of a strange man,
sum of my felawys, who I suppose schold not lyke yowe, and ye herd of it
a nothyr tyme. I ame in suerte wher as I schall have a nothyr maun in
the stede of Pekoke.
My Lord of Estsexe seythe he wyll do as myche for yowe as for any
esquyer in Inglond, and Beronners hys man telht me, seyy[n]g, ‘Yowr
fadyr is myche be holdyng to my Lord, for he lovyth hym well.’ Bernners
mevyd me ons, and seyd that ye must nedys do sum wate for my Lord and
hys, and I seyd I wost well that ye wold do for hym that laye in yowre
powar. And he seyd that ther was a lytyl mony be twyxe yowe and a
jantylman of Estsexe, callyd Dyrward, seyyng that ther is as myche be
wern [_between_] my seyd Lord and the seyd jantylman, of the wyche mony
he desieryth yowr part.
It is talkyd here how that ye and Howard schuld a’ strevyn togueder on
the scher daye, and on of Howards men schuld a’ strekyn yow twyess with
a dagere, and soo ye schuld a ben hurt but for a good dobelet that ye
hadde on at that tyme. Blyssyd be God that ye hadde it on. No mor I
wryth to yower good faderhod at thys tym, but All myghty God have yowe
in Hys kepyng, and sende yowe vyttorye of yowr elmyes [_enemies_], and
worschyp in cressyng to yowr lyvys end yn. Wrytyn at Lewys, on Seynt
Bertylmwes Eve.
Be yowr servaunt and elder sone,