1452
APRIL 23

Reverent and ryth wurshepfull sir, and my god maister, I recommaund me to yow. Plese yow to wete that Charles Nowell with odir hath in this cuntre mad many riot and sautes; and, among othir, he and v. of his felachip set upon me and mo (?) of my servants at the Chathedrall chirch of Norwich, he smyting at me, whilis on of his felawis held myn armes at my bak, as the berer herof shall mor playnly inform yow. Whech was to me strawnge cas, thinking in my conseyth that I was my Lords man and his homagier, or Charlis knew hys Lordschipe, that my Lord was my god Lord, and that I had be with my Lord at London within viij. [days?][261.3] bey for Lent, at which tyme he grantyd my his god lordship, so lagerly [largely] that it must cause me ever to be his trew servant to myn pow[er]. I thowt also that I had never geff cawse to non of my Lords hous to ow me evill will, ne that ther was non of the hows but I wold have do fore as I cow (sic) desir anioone (?) to do for me, and yet will except my adversare; and thus I and my frendes haff miusid of this and thowt he was hard to do thus. And this notwithstanding, assone as knolech was had of my Lords coming to Framlingham, I never attemptid to precede ageyns hym as justis and law wuld, but to trust to my seyd Lord that his Hyghnes wold se this punischichid (sic), and desirid my master (?) H. . . . . . mi cosin (?) Tymperle, the dene and odir to (?)[262.1] and dayly hath be redy with such jentilmen as dwelle here abought that can record the trought to have come (sic) compleyn to my Lord; but we have had contynually tydynges of my Lordes comyng heder that causid us for to abide ther up un, besechyng your gode maystershep that ye wull lete my Lord have knowlech of my compleynt. And that ye wull tender the gode spede of the entente of the letteris wretyn to you fro jentilmen of this shire. Prayng yow that ye woll yeve credens to the berer herof, and be his gode mayster in cas any man make any qwarell to hym. And what that I may do be your comaundment shall be redi with the grace of God, how have in his blissid kepyng. Wretyn at Norwhich, un Seynt Georges day.

[261.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is printed from a rough draft in John Paston’s handwriting, on the back of which is a draft of the preceding letter. The date of both letters is the same. The reading of particular words in this draft is very uncertain, owing to the cramped handwriting used in corrections and interlineations, and the manner in which several of the words are abbreviated.

[261.3] Word omitted.

[262.1] The preceding words from ‘and desirid’ are a peculiarly illegible interlineation, and do not appear to form a consecutive sense along with the passage following. Perhaps the words ‘and daily hath’ should have been erased, which would make the connection intelligible.

[213]
JOHN PASTON TO ——[262.2]

1452
APRIL

Ryth worchepfull sir and cosyn, I recommaund me to yow, [and] pray yow that ye will in mi behalf inform my Lord of the domag of Charlis Nowell to meward, withow occacion gef on min part, as the berer herof knoweth (?).[262.3] I am and was my Lords man and homagier, or the seyd Charlis knew my Lord, and will do my Lord sech servis as I can, and that ye will tendre the god sped of the mater of the letter direct to you from serteyn jentilmen of thes shir, with whech jentilmen or odir to bere recor of this thowt, I have bene dayly toward my Lord to compleyne to his Lorship, but the continuall tydings of my seyd Lords coming heder hath cawsid us to awayt ther opon. Beseching yow, cosine, as my trust is in yow, that ye will help to kepe the god rewll of thes shir, and my por honeste, and geff credens to the berer herof, and be his god master if any querel be mad to him. And what I may do for you, I am and ever shall be redi to do it be the grace of God, hoo ——

[262.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter, like the preceding, is from a rough draft in Paston’s handwriting. It is clearly of the same date as the two last, or perhaps a day or two later. There is nothing to show with certainty who was the person addressed; but we should think it was probably Sir John Fastolf.

[262.3] The reading is very uncertain, being partly interlined in a very cramped hand, partly corrected in the text.