The pepyll was nevyr bettyr dysposyd to yow than they be at this owyr. The byll that Howard hathe mad a yens yow and odyr hathe set the pepyll in thys contre a rore. God yeve grace it be no werse than it is yet.

[4.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter seems to have been written in 1461, the year of John Paston’s great dispute with Howard.

[490]
ROGER TAVERHAM TO JOHN PASTON[5.1]

To my reverent and most be trusted maister, John Paston, Esquyer, duelling in the Inner Temple, be this delyvered.

Year uncertain

Ryght reverent and most be trusted maister, I recommaunde me in the most lowly wise un to your good and prevyd maysterchep, and desiring many days to here of your welfare, whiche I be seche God encrese un to his plesauns and un to the prosperite and welfare of your person, and of all youres. And I be seche you of the good contynuaunce of your maysterchep at diverses tymes befor this writing shewed un to me; and, sir, ther is non man a lvye that I trust more to than I doo un to you, and I am your bedman, and so shall remayn be the grace of God all the days of myn liff. And, sir, I suppose I shall never see you no more, nor non of myn frendes, whiche is to me the grettest lamentacion that myght come un to myn herte; for, sir, by the grace of God, I shall go to Rome and in to oder holy places, to spende myn dayes of this present liff in the servise of God. For I hadde lever liffe in gret tribulacion in the service of God in this present liff, than for to folowe the wretchednesse of this worlde.

And, syr, of on thing I be seche specially your good maysterchep that ye wolle shew your good maistershep un to my fader in tyme of his nede, and that ye wolle recomaunde me in the most lowly wise with all reverence un to his good faderhode, be sechyng hym that he wole yeff me every day, during the dayes of his liff, his paternall blissing. And I have marvayle san that I have writen so many letters un to hym be for this tyme, that I hadde never non letter ageyn, whiche is to me the grettest lamentacion that ever come to my hert; and nowe knowing that I shall never see hym more, nor you, nor non other of my frendes, marvayle ye not thow sorowe is imprended in myn hert.

But, reverent maister, myn singuler trust remayneth nowe in your person, for, sir, and it please you, I most nedes write un to your good maisterchep, in the whiche my most trust remayneth. For, syr, and it please you, as for myn inheritaunce and other things whiche shulde come to me after the deth of my fader, whoes liff God preserve to his long plesauns, knowing that I shall never com ther, I hadde lever that by your good a vise that ye wolde take it unto you, for I hadde lever that ye hadde it rather than any person in the worlde during my liff, with all the profites ther of; and if that ye wole make as good evidences for you in that partye as ye can, and I shall a seale hem. And as you semeth best, and in the most secret wise, rewle you in this mater.

And, sir, I be seche you to recomaunde me in the most lowly wise to myn reverent Maister William Lumnour, seyeng hym that I am and shall be his perpetuall bedman, and as ye thenk best, ye may telle hym of all these maters. And, syr, I be seche you to recomaunde me with all reverence un to my masteras your wiff, and to all other maysters and frendes ther. And, sir, that ye wolle thank the bringer of this letter, whiche hathe ben in my gret tribulacion my good frende; and, sir, whan ye speke with my fader, recomaunde me un to hym with all reverence, and sey un to hym I shall send hym a letter in all hast possible.

And, syr, as for this mater, demene you as ye wolle, and I shall doo your plesauns as moche as in me is. And, reverent maister, remitte me summe letter by the bringer her of of all thes maters, for he duellith with my Lorde, and he is ryght moche be trusted, for I knowe wele he wole yef a tendaunce un to you for to have summe letter from you; for, syr, it shall not be longe or that I go to Rome, by the grace of God. And as sone as I have a letter from you at this tyme, I shall send you a noder ageyn.