[288.1] [From Fenn, i. 236.]
[468]
JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[289.1]
To my cosyn, Margaret Paston.
1461
JULY 12
I recomaund me to yow, letyng yow wete tha the Undershreve doughtyth hym of John Berney; wherfore I pray yow bryng hem to gedyr, and set hem acord, if ye can, so that the seyd Ondershreve be sure that he shall not be hurt be hym, ner of hys cuntrymen. And eyf he woll not, lete hym verely understonde that he shall be compellyd to fynd hym suerte of the pes to agry in thys heed, and that shall nowther be profitabyll, ner worchepful. And lete hym wete that there have be many compleynts of hym be that knavyssh knyght, Sir Miles Stapilton, as I sent yow word before; but he shall come to hys excuse wele inow, so he have a mannys hert, and the seyd Stapylton shall ben ondyrstand as he ys, a fals shrewe. And he and hys wyfe and other have blaveryd here of my kynred in hedermoder;[290.1] but, be that tyme we have rekned of old dayes and late dayes, myn shall be found more worchepfull thanne hys and hys wyfes, or ellys I woll not for hys gilt gypcer.
Also telle the seyd Berney that the Shreve ys in a dought whedyr he shall make a newe eleccion of knyghts of the shyre, be cause of hym and Grey; where in it were bettyr for hym to have the Shreves good wyll.
Item, me thynkyth for quiete of the cuntre it were most worchepfull that as wele Berney as Grey shuld get a record of all suche that myght spend xls. ayere, that were at the day of eleccon, whech of them that had fewest to geve it up as reson wold. Wretyn at London, on Relyk Sonday.
Item, that ye send abought for sylver acordyng to the old bylle that I sent yow from Lynne. John Paston.
[289.1] [From Fenn, iv. 20.] This letter and the next, which is an answer to it, are evidently of the same year as [No. 471]. Relic Sunday (the third Sunday after Midsummer Day) was the 12th July in 1461.
[290.1] In hugger-mugger, i.e. clandestinely.