Right worshipfull, and my especiall true hertid frende, I commaunde me un to you, preying you to ordeyne me iij. horsse harneys as godely as ye and Genyn kan devyse, as it were for yourselfe; and that I may have thyme in all hast, ordere. Also Skerne saith ye wolde ordeyne ij. standarde stavys; this I pray you to remembre, and my wife shalle deliver you silver,—and yit she most borowed it; vj. or vijli. I wold be stowe on a horsse harneys, and so Skerne tolde me I might have. The Lord Hastings had for the same price, but I wolde not myne were lik his; and I trust to God we shalle do right welle, who preserve you. Wreten at Canterbury in hast, the xviij. day of Juyll. Oxynford.
[300.1] [From Fenn, ii. 26.] The writer of this letter was committed to the Tower in November 1468, and though afterwards released, it was not long before he became a declared enemy of Edward IV.; so that, after the brief restoration of Henry VI. in 1470, he was obliged to leave the kingdom. The date of this letter, therefore, is not likely to be later than the present year, but it may be a year or two earlier.
[687]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO MRS. ANNE[300.2]
To Mastresse Annes.
1468
JULY 22
Rythe it is so that I may not, as oft as I wold, be ther as [i.e. where] I might do my message myselff, myn owne fayir Mastresse Annes, I prey yow to accept thys byll for my messanger to recomand me to yow in my most feythfull wyse, as he that faynest of all other desyreth to knowe of yowr welfare, whyche I prey God encresse to your most plesure.
And, mastresse, thow so be that I as yet have govyn yow bot easy [i.e. little] cause to remembyr me for leke of aqweyntacion, yet I beseche yow, let me not be forgotyn when ye rekyn up all yowr servaunts, to be sett in the nombyr with other.
And I prey yow, Mastresse Annes, for that servyse that I owe yow, that in as short tyme as ye goodly may that I myght be assarteynyd of yowr entent and of your best frends in syche maters as I have brokyn to yow of, whyche bothe your and myn ryght trusty frends John Lee, or ellys my mastresse hys wyff, promysyd befor yow and me at our fyrst and last being togedyr, that as sone as they or eyther of theym knewe your entent and your frendys that they shold send me woord. And if they so do, I tryst sone aftyr to se yow.
And now farewell, myn owne fayir lady, and God geve yow good rest, for in feythe I trow ye be in bed.
Wretyn in my wey homward on Mary Maudeleyn Day at mydnyght. Your owne, John Paston.