_To my ryght reverent and wurschipfull maystre, my mastre John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT. 13]
Plesith it your maystreschip to witte that Mr. John and I, with other
mo, have ben at Cotton on Friday[315.2] last passed, and there Jenney
had do warned the corte there to be the same Friday, and he was at Eye
at the cescions the Thorsday before; and on the Friday in the mornynge
he was comyng to Cotton to hoolde the corte there. And it fortuned we
had entred the place or he come; and he herd therof and turned bac a
yein to Oxon[315.3] to my Lorde of Norwiche, and there dyned with hym.
And my Lorde sent Mr. John Colleman to Cotton Halle to speke with you;
and at hes comyng he undrestode ye were not there, and if ye had, my
Lorde desired you to come and spoken with hym, and that my Lorde desired
to put your matre in a trety; in so moche that Mr. John Colleman tolde
to my master, John Paston, that diverse of your elmees [_enemies_] had
labored to my Lorde to have a trety if he cowde brynge it aboute, &c.
And as for the tenaunts they wolde not come at the place on to the tyme
that I sent for hem, for they sey pleynly they woll not have a do with
hem; and so the corte whas holden in your name, and the tenaunts ryght
weele plesed ther of, excepte Thurnberne and Agas, and as for any
socour, they have there ryght noone at all. And so Mr. John whas ther
Friday all day and Saterday tyll none; and than he toke hes horse with
xxx. men with hym and rode to Jeney place, and toke there xxxvj. heede
of nete, and brought hem in to Norfolk; and so whas I left still at
Cotton with xij. men with me, be cauce they reporte and we abode there
ij. dayes we schulde be pult out be the heeds. And so we a mode [?
_abode_] there v. dayes and kepte the place, and I walked aboute all the
lordeschippes and spake with all the fermours and tennaunts that longen
to the maner to undrestande her disposessyon and to receyve money of
hem; and I fynde [them] ryght weele disposed to you. And be cauce the
corte whas warned in ther name and not in youre, therfore they purvey no
money; but they have promysed me to pay no money to no man but to you,
so that ye woll safe hem harmeles; and I told hem ye wold safe hem
harmeles. They have apoynted with me to make redy her money withinne a
fornyght aftre Halowemesse, &c. I have receyved of the tenaunts that I
undrestod out [_owed_] you werst wyll viij. marc, &c. And as for Edward
Dalys money it is redy, so that your maistreschip woll se that he be not
hurt be hes obligacion. Ferthermore, plesit your maistreschip to sende
worde if they entre into the maner ayein, how we schall be rwled and
gidyd; for the tenaunts fere hem they wol entre whan we be gon, and than
wol they distreyne the tenaunts, for they sey there that my Lorde of
Cauntyrbury and other Lords woll relese to hem, notwithstandyng that I
have enformed hem other wice; wherfore, savyng your better advice, me
semethe it were ryght weele doo that ye had a letter of my Lorde of
Cauntirbury, and other to the tenaunts of Cotton that it is her wyll and
entent that ye schulde have the rwle and gouernaunce, and receyve the
money of that maner, and other that were Sir John Fastolff, on whom God
have mercy, for I dought not and suche a lettre came downe to the
tenaunts there schulde no man sey nay to it. Besechyng your maystreschyp
to have an answere of how we schall be gided and rwled, &c. Item, to
sende worde howe we schall doo with the geere that wee toke out at the
Wyght Freris, wether it schall be sent to you or nought. And Jesu
preserve you. Wreten at Norwiche upon Sein Edwards Day.
Be your servaunt and bedman,