_To my full worshipfull, speciall gode maister, John Paston, Squyer,
abidyng at Norwich._
[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT. 4]
Right worshipfull sir, and some tyme my moost speciall gode master,
I recommaunde me unto your gode maistership, with all my pour service,
if it may in any wise suffice; and farthermore, sir, I beseche you, nowe
beyng in your countre, where ye may deily call unto you my maister Sir
Thomas Howys, ones to remembre my pour mater, and by your discretions to
take such a direction theryn, and so to conclude, as may be to your
discharge and to my furtherance, accordyng to the will of hym that is
passed unto Gode, whose saull I pray Jesu pardone! for truly, sir, ther
was in hym no faute, but in me onely; yf it be not as I have remembred
your maistership affore thy[s] tyme. For truly, sir, I der say I shuld
have had as speciall and as gode a maister of you, as any pour man, as I
am, withyn England shuld have hadd of a worshipfull man, as ye ar, yf ye
had never medulled the godes of my maister F., and as moche ye wold have
done, and labored fore me, in my right, if it hadde byn in the handes of
any oder man than of your self anely. But, I truste in Gode, at your
next comyng to have an answere, such as I shalbe content with. And yf it
may be so, I am and shalbe your servaunt in that I can or may, that
knoith our Lord Jesu, whom I besech save and sende you a gode ende in
all your maters, to your pleiser and worship everlastyng. Amen. Writton
at London, iiij^to die Octobris.
As fore tidyngs, the Kyng wolbe at London withyn iij. deies next comyng;
and all the castelles and holdes in South Wales, and in North Wales, ar
gyfen and yelden up into the Kynges hand. And the Duc of Excestre[312.1]
and th’erle of Pembrok[312.2] ar floon and taken the mounteyns, and
dyvers Lordes with gret puissans ar after them; and the moost part of
gentilmen and men of worship ar comen yn to the Kyng, and have grace, of
all Wales.
The Duc of Somerset, the Lord Hungerford, Robert Whityngham, and oder
iiij. or v. Squyers are comen into Normandy out of Scotland, and as
yette they stand strete under arest; and as merchauntes that ar comen
late thens sey, they ar like to be demed and jugged prisoners. My Lord
Wenlok, Sir John Cley, and the Dean of Seynt Severyens, have abiden at
Cales thise iij. wikes, and yette ar there, abidyng a saufconduit, goyng
uppon an ambassate to the Frenshe Kyng; and Sir Wauter Blount, Tresorer
of Cales, with a grete feleship of souldeours of Cales, and many oder
men of the Marches, have leyn, and yette doo, at a seege afore the
Castell of Hampmes, by side Cales, and deily make gret werre, either
parte toother.
Item, I send unto you a copy of a letter that was taken uppon the see,
made by the Lord Hungerford and Whytyngham.
Item, we shall have a gret ambassate out of Scotland in all hast of
Lordes.
At your comaundement, and Servaunt,