Item, as for the pedegre of the seyd Dewk, he is sone to William Pool, Dewk of Suffolk, sone to Mychell Pool, Erl of Suffolk, sone to Mychel Pool, the furst Erl of Suffolk of the Polis, mad be King Richard seth my fader was born; and the seyd furst Mychell was sone to on William Pool of Hull, whech was a wurchepfull man grow be fortwne of the werld. And he was furst a marchant, and after a knygth, and after he was mad baneret; and if any of thees hadde the maner of Drayton I will los Cli. so that any persone for the Dewk will be bond in as moch to prove the contrary; and I wot weel the seyd Dewkis Cowncell wil not claym the seyd maner be the tytill of the fader of the seyd William Pool. And what the fader of the seyd William was, as be the pedegre mad in the seyd last Dewkis fadirs daijs I know rygt weell; wherof I informyd Herry Boteler to tell my old Lady of Suffolk, becawse he is of her cowncell; and more will I not tell in thes mater, but if [unless] I be desyrid or compellid.
Item, let my Lord of Norwich wete that it is not profitabe ner the comen well of gentilmen that any jentilman shuld be compellid be an entre of a lord to shew his evidens or tytill to his lond, ner I wil not begine that example ne thralldam of gentilmen ner of other; it is god a lord take sad cowncell, or he begyne any sech mater.
And as for the Pools that owth Drayton, if ther wer C. of hem levyng, as ther is non, yet have they no tytill to the seyd maner. God kepe yow. Wret the Satirday, &c. Yowr Jon Paston.
I pray yow be as mery with yowr felachep as ye kan.
Item, I send hom writt and prasens for yowr servaunts and myn.
Item, I may sell you woll for xld. the ston, redi mony, as Arblaster can tell yow, and malt for iiijs. the quarter at days xxj. for xx. delivered of Yermouth mesur. If ye fayle mony ye most make it of yowr wole or malt.
I send you hom writts of replevin for the shep and the horses that wer take, and avise yow lete the writtis be delivered be fore my Lord of Norwich, and god rekord; and if ye may make men with fors to take the catell agey[n] be waran of replevyn, spar not rather than fayle.
On the back of the letter is the following memorandum in a different hand:—
Md. there lefte behynde of Heylesdon folde of my mastre schepe xlj. modreschep. Item of lambes xxxiiij. Item of my mastres xij. modreschep. Item of her lambes xij.
[164.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As this letter is dated on a Saturday, and refers to the Duke of Suffolk’s attempt on Hellesden as having been made on the Monday preceding, there can be no difficulty in fixing the precise date, both of day and year.