To my cosyn, John Paston.
1450
OCT. (?)
I recomawnde me un to yow the best wyse I kan. Whanne I cam to Ware, ther herd I furst tydynges that the Lord Moleyns shuld come in to Norfolk in hast with grette pupyll, and, as on of hys men seyd ther, with the vijxx [sevenscore]. Also a man of the Lady Morles[179.2] cam thedyr owte of Wyllshire ther thanne, and seyd that the seyd Lord was comyng thedyrward with grette pupyll. And atte London a man of hys hedde large langage, and seyd that my Lord shuld come to Norffolk, and do meche thyng agayns hem that hadde do indite hym and hys men, and also for the personyng of hys men atte Norwych. This is sopposyd verely to be Heydons werke that wyll sette hym verely to do the utterest ayens yow and John Dam in the werst wyse that he can. Ze have both lordshep and frendshep in your countre, and also good inow to reciste hym yf he wyll do yow wronge, and peraventur that shuld brynge thys matier nyer and ende thanne it is now. Whedder it be to done or not, I remitte that to youre counceyll.
Also, my Lord[179.3] shall be atte Walsyngham on Sonday nest comynge, a from thens he shall go to Norwych. For any thynge in the werd [world] meve my Lord of Oxenford and my cosyn Sir Miles Stapulton that they awayte up on my seyd Lord in the most wurchepfull wyse that they kun, and do hym as good attendaunce and plesaunce as they mown. And ye do the same also; and that the cyte of Norwych mete with hym in the best wyse also; and also that they and ze also cherse and wirchep well Sir William Oldhalle. And ther be good informacion made ayens T. T. and H.,[180.1] for they wyll spend ml. ml. li. [£2000] for to come in ther, and that were petye. Spende sum what of your good now, and gette yow lordshep and frendshep ther, quia ibi pendet tota lex et prophetæ. And send som man to aspye of the governaunce, and of the comyng of the Lord Moleyns, and take hed to your self. And byd John Dam be war of hym self. Sum men suppose that my Lord of York cherse not meche the seyd Lord Moleyns. And send sum men hedyr often to London that mown he them here and brynge yow tydynges. And I pray God spede yow in alle youre werkes. Youre Cosyn, Nameles atte this tyme.
Endorsed: Literæ Fastolff, Yelverton, circa le oyrdeterminer.—Memorandum de billa actus justic’ apud Walsingham.
[179.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The tone of this letter so closely resembles that of William Wayte of the 6th October 1450, especially in its warnings to Paston and John Damme, and in the information it contains as to Lord Moleyns not being in favour with the Duke of York, that it may be safely inferred to have been written about the same period.
[179.2] See [page 84, Note 2].
[179.3] Probably the Duke of York.
[180.1] Thomas Tuddenham and Heydon.