Jesu mercy.
1459
Ryte reverent mayster, &c., as sone as ze may goodly, comyth to Castre, and Zelverton[144.3] with zow, and ze think it to be done; and sendyth home zowr men and hors, tyl ze haf do here, &c. And by grace of God and zour polityk wisdham, ze schal conclude more effectually in gret matyers of substans, to my maysterys[144.4] and zour worschip and profyte. It is hey tyme; he drawyt fast home ward, and is ryte lowe browt, and sore weykid [weakened] and feblyd, &c. And ze must bryng with zow a forme of a supplicacyon made at London in what maner wyse Mr. R. Popy, a cunnyng and a crafty man, schal presentyn and purposyn to the Kyng for the inmorteysing of Castre to Seynt Benet, &c., which he promittyd up [promised upon] a certeyn mony, &c., and undirtoke it, &c., and fond that tyme no bonys in the matere, &c. And now he seyth he wil labour and ryde and do hise part, &c. And he wold haf me to help hym, &c., quod non fiet, &c., or elles a man of credens of my masterys, &c., quod dubito fieri, &c. God bryng zow sone hidyr, &c., for I am weri tyl ze come.
Sir Thomas the parson, zowr owne most trewe, &c., be myn trewthe, and I zour bedeman and zowrs at zour comaundement, in zour letter haf no more towchid of the mater, &c., to my mayster, &c. Every day this v. dayes he seyth, ‘God send me sone my good cosyn Paston, for I holde hym a feythful man, and ever on man.’ Cui ego, ‘That is soth,’ &c. Et ille, ‘Schew me not the mete, schew me the man.’ Hæc verba replicat sæpius cum magno stomacho, &c. Colinus Gallicus dicit in Jernemuta et aliis locis se esse executorem, &c. Dixit etiam heri coram pluribus, si semel fuerit London’ nunquam vult videre Norfolchiam, &c. Dicit etiam, ubi executores credunt se habituros claves, &c., post mortem alii habebunt claves, ita bene sicut illi, &c. Falsissimus est, et ego bene dixi in partem suam inter ipsum et me, &c. Propter Deum, faciatis Spirlyng venire juxta promissum in f’cū [factum ?], &c. Gallicus ipse maxime odit rectorem et vellet supplantare eum, &c. Item, valde desiderat suum, quietus est quia absit, &c.
Henricus Todyham continue aspirat post mortem magistri cum mille habeat oculos nocendi, &c., si quorum duos deperderit, nullus cæteros timeret, &c.
[144.2] [From Fenn, iii. 342.] No signature appears to be attached to this letter as Fenn has printed it, but the style is unmistakably that of Brackley, to whom he attributes it. The original was endorsed in an ancient hand, according to Fenn, ‘Littera fratris Doctoris Brackley per quam patet Jo. Fastolf valde desiderasse presentiam consanguinei sui Jo. Paston.’ The date seems to be shortly before Sir John Fastolf’s death, which happened on the 5th November 1459.
[144.3] William Yelverton.
[144.4] Sir John Fastolf.
[384]
WILLIAM JENNEY TO JOHN PASTON[146.1]
To my worshipful and right gode mayster, John Paston, Squyer.