Plese it your good maistershep to knowe that my maisteresse your wyff recomaundeth here to yow and fareth well, blyssed be God, and all your menye faren well also and recomaunde hem to yaw, &c. I was with my lord of Oxenford and dede myn erand, and I found his good lordshep well disposed towardys yow, for he seid if he were sent to for to come to, &c., if it kepe faire weder he wold not tarye, and if it reygned he wold not spare. More over I spak with Pertrych as touchyng the letter sent to my lord Moleyns; he seyth that he was privy to the wrytyng and wele a vowe it by record of xx. persons, but he wold name to me no persone; and so he and I accorded not fully. And I bad hym remembre hym that he myght not abyde there if ye wold have hym owt. And he seid he knewe well that. But he seid, if ye put heem out, ye shuld be put owt sone after a geyn. And I seyd if it happe it so thei shuld not longer reste there. And Mariot stod by and seyd that were no merveyll whill thei were but ij. men, but it shuld not be best so. And I seyd that I lete them wete it shuld be so if ye wold, thow they made all the strenght which they coude make. And ther to Mariot seyd stately, that myght not be performed; and more langage ther was, to long to wryte at this leyser. Pertrych and his felaw bere gret visage and kepe gret junkeryes and dyneres, and seyn that my lord Moleynes hath wrytyn pleynly to hem that he is lord there and well be, and shall be, and ye not to have it; but I trust to Goddes ryghtwysenes of better purvyaunce. Lyke it yow to remembre what Heydon doth and mayde by colour of justice of the pees, beyng of my lordes councell and not your good frend nor weell wyller, and to comon with your sad councell what ye must suffre by the lawe, and where inne ye may resiste. On Sunday last passed Gunore and Mariot and John Davy and other dyned with Pertrych, &c.; and after eveson [evensong] Gonore spake to my maisteresse that she shuld make here men to leue here wyfeles and here jackes; and she answered that thei purposed to hurte no man of here owyn sykyng; but for it was seid that she shuld be plukkyd owt of here howse, she were loth to suffre that; and therfore she sayde thei shuld goo soo til ye come hom. And he seid stately, but if thei left here aray it shuld be plukked from them. I trust he must have a better warant, from his stately langage, or ells he shall not have it from hem esily. All this I remitte to your good remembraunce with Goddes help, to Whom I pray to gyde your ryght to his worshep and your hertes desire.
Wrytyn at Sustede on Seynt Andrewe day, &c. —Yowres, J. Damme.
Were but well, as me semyth, that ye myght ordeygne now a fetys jacke defensable for your self, for there con they do best and best chep, &c.
[111.2] [Add. 34,888, f. 32.] This letter was evidently written in 1449, after John Paston had re-entered Gresham, and his wife was keeping it for him. See [No. 88].
[96]
JAMES GRESHAM TO [JOHN PASTON][113.1]
1449(?)
OCT. 16
‘The King is now into the Marches of Wales, as it is said, to the intent he may be near the country if my Lord of Buckingham, which is commissioner now in Wales for divers offences done there to the Crown, would sue to have his commission to be enlarged, if he were repyned.’ It is not known when the King will be in London again, but he is expected here at the beginning of the Parliament. I have your writs of error, but can see nothing wrong. Thos. Denys asked me why you did not follow his suggestion about the removing of the strength at Gresham, and thinks it should be done yet. Francis Costard is not yet well at ease, for his venire facias between Will. Prentys and him and Hen. Halman comes in very inopportunely. You had better come hither as soon as possible and get the favor of the sheriff that shall be next year.
London, 16 Oct.
[113.1] This abstract was made from one of the Roydon Hall MSS. shown to the Editor in 1875. Since that date he has not seen the original.