Mistress Alice, in my most heartywise I recommend me to you. And whereas
I am informed by my son Heron of the loss of our barns and our
neighbours’ also, with all the corn that was therein; albeit (saving
God’s
pleasure) it is great pity of so much good corn lost; yet since it has
liked him to send us such a chance, we must and are bounden, not only to
be content, but also to be glad of his visitation. He sent us all that
we have lost; and since he hath by such a chance taken it away again,
his pleasure be fulfilled! Let us never grudge thereat, but take it in
good worth, and heartily thank him, as well for adversity as for
prosperity. And peradventure we have more cause to thank him for our
loss than for our winning, for his wisdom better seeth what is good for
us than we do ourselves. Therefore, I pray you be of good cheer, and
take all the household with you to church, and there thank God, both for
that he has given us, and for that he has taken from us, and for that he
hath left us; which, if it please him, he can increase when he will, and
if it please him to leave us yet less, at his pleasure be it!
I pray you to make some good onsearch what my poor neighbours have lost,
and bid them make no thought therefor; for, if I should not leave myself
a spoon, there shall no poor neighbour of mine bear no loss by my
chance, happened in my house. I pray you be, with my children and your
household, merry in God; and devise somewhat with your friends what way
were best to take, for provision to be made for corn for our household,
and for seed this year coming, if we think it good that we keep the
ground still in our hands. And whether we think it good that we so shall
do or not, yet I think it were not best suddenly thus to leave it all
up, and to put away our folk from our farm, till we have somewhat
advised us thereon. Howbeit, if we have more now than ye shall need, and
which can get them other masters, ye may then discharge us of them. But
I would not that any man were suddenly sent away, he wot not whither.
At my coming hither, I perceived none other but that I should tarry
still with the king’s grace. But now I shall, I think, because of this
chance, get leave this next week to come home and see you, and then
shall we farther devise together upon all things, what order shall be
best to take.
And thus as heartily fare you well, with all our children, as ye can
wish. At Woodstock, the third day of September, by the hand of