My maister demaundyth me sondry tymes when ye shall be here. I coude not sey till thys day be passed. William Geney shall be here to morn, so wold Jesus ye were her then. I asked licence to ryde yn to my contree, and my maistr dyd not graunt it; he seyd hys wille was for to make, &c. Y aunsuerd it fyt not me to know it. God gefe hym grace of holsom councell, and of a gode disposicion; non est opus unius diei, nec unius septimanæ.
My Lord Bedford wylle was made yn so bryeff and generall termys, that yn to thys day by the space of xx. yeer can neider hafe ende, but all wey new to constrew and oppynable; so a generallte shall ne may be so gode as a particuler declaracion.
I wryte blontly. I had foryete to hafe told yow Maister Fylongley meoved me to enforme my maister to hafe a generalle pease, so it myzt be worshypfull. Y hafe seyd no word, for I can not medle yn hygh maters that passyth my wyt; and therfor yff ye and W. Geney mete to gheders, ye know and can devyne best what ys to be doon. Our Lord be with yow.
Wryt hastly, vj. day Januar. W. Botoner, H.R.
[66.2] [From Fenn, iii. 256.] By the reference to the Duke of Bedford’s will as having been in dispute for twenty years, it would appear that this letter was written in the beginning of the year 1456. Bedford died at Rouen on the 14th September 1435.
[315]
BOTONER TO JOHN PASTON[67.1]
1456(?)
Please yow to wete that my maister[67.2] yn allwyse wille that I ryde to Dedham to speke with Broke as well as wyth the stuard, and to gefe aunsuer to Broke yn whate wyse he wille depart for the reuersyn; he was ryd or I came home. And my maister wille comyn with yow for the moyens of a chauntuarye to be founded of the place ye wote off; y seyd hym such chargeable maters wold be doo betyme to know the certeyntee. And a greter lak ys yn hym, he taryeth so long to put all thynges of charge yn a sure wey; hyt ys for lake of sad councell to moove hym. And I most be at Castre by Thursday next; and I pray yow let me not be lete of my voyage yn to my contree, and I shall kepe Yorkesshyre with Spyrlyng, or such as shall ryde. The parson[68.1] with yow shall do well sort my maister evidences, and that ys one the grettist thyng nedefull for the seurtee of hys lyfelode; and so it wold be remembred hym, for now all thyng ys sett at appoynt, how it standyth with hys debtys and officers, except that mater of grettist charge, and also to provyde for the approwement of hys lyfelode. W. Botoner.
And, syr, yff ye thynke to done (think it to be done), to meofe Cler of the acre lond, but gefe hym no credence yn the contrarye, for I shall preffe it trewe yn my seyng for onye man lyvyng. He that wille dysseyve hys servaunt yn maryage for so litell a thyng, he wold disseyve another frende yn a gretter thyng. He sekyth occasyons and querell to colour hys brekyng off.
[67.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From the desire expressed by the writer in this letter to visit his own country, we may refer it to the same period as the last.