It liketh me evill to here that my prestis and pore men be onpaiid, and that no mony sent to me more thanne x. markis be Berney of alle this season, and yet therof telle Richard Calle he sent me viii. nobils in goold for v. markis, and that as longe as gold was better payment thanne silver I had nevir so moche gold of hym at onys; and telle hym that I wolle nat that he shall kepe that use, for I trowe my tenauntis have but litell gold to pay.
Also remembir yow in any housold, felaship or cumpany that will be of good rewle, purvyauns must be had that every persone of it be helpyng and furtheryng aftir his discrecion and powyr, and he that woll not do so without he be kept of almes shuld be put out of the houshold or felachep.
Item, where ye desire me that I shuld take your sone[122.1] to grase, I woll for your sake do the better, and will ye knowe he shall not be so oute of my favour that I will suffir hym to mischefe without be eftsones his owne defaut. And hough be it that in his presumptuouse and ondiscrete demenyng he gaf bothe me and yow cause of displeasir, and to other of my servauntis ille exaumple, and that also guided hym to alle mennes undirstandyng that he was wery of bidyng in myn hows, and he not insurid of help in any other place; yet that greveth nat me so evill as doth that I nevir coud fele nor undirstand hym poletyk ne diligent in helpyng hym self, but as a drane amongis bees which labour for gaderyng hony in the feldis and the drane doth nought but takyth his part of it. And if this myght make hym to knowe the better hym self and put hym in remembrauns what tyme he hath lost, and hough he hath leved in idelnes, and that he coud for this eschewe to do so heraftir, it myght fortune for his best. But I here yet nevir from no plase that he hath be in of any poletyk demenyng or occupacion of hym. And in the kynges hows he coud put hym self foorth to be in favour or trust with any men of substauns that myght forther hym; neverthelesse as for your house and myne I purpose not he shall come there, ner be my will non othir but if [i.e. unless] he can do more thanne loke foorth and make a fase and countenauns.
Item, send me word whedir my glasier hath do at Bromholm and at the friers of the South Towne,[123.1] and whedir he be paiid such mony as I sent home word he shuld be paiid, and if he have do all he must have more mony, but I remembir not certeynly what, till I come home, for I remember nat what his bargeyn was for the work at the Southtowne. I trowe Mr. Clement can telle, and also fele hym self and send me word. Also that ye and Richard Calle and Daubeney see that Mr. Clement and Mr. Braklee[123.2] which hath grete nede I wote well, and my prestis and pore men be paiid and also all othir men. And that ye see that I be not callid on for that is my dewte. Also that ye see amongis yow that that is owynge me be not lost ne forborn for lewdnes, for that shall bothe hurt me and do my tenauntis harme. Lete Richard Calle remembir that my fermour of Sweynesthorp is falle in gret dette for defaut of callyng upon but be on [one] yere; And I deme that bothe John Willeys and my new fermour of Snaylewell arn like to be in the same case, and peraventure Aleyn of Gresham and other.
Item, remembir yow or evir I had a doo with Fastolffis livelode, whill I toke hede to my livelode my self, it both served myn expenses at home and at London and all other charges, and ye leid up mony in my cofirs every yere, as ye knowe. And I wote well that the payment of my prestis and other charges that I have for Fastolffis livelode is not so gret as the livelode is, thow part therof be in trobill. And thanne consider that I had nought of my livelode for myn expenses at London this twol monyth day; ye may verely undirstand that it is not guided wittely nor discretly; and therfore I pray yow hertly put alle your wittes to gedir and see for the reformation of it. And ye may remembre be this how ye shuld do if this wer yowris alone, and so do now.
And that ye woll remembir I have sent yow all many lettirs touchyng many maters, and also a bille now last by Pecok of erandis, desiryng yow to see hem alle to gedir and send me an answere articlerly; and such as ye can not spede at this tyme, lete hem be sped as sone as ye may, that ye se over my seyd lettirs oft tymes til they be sped.
Item, I remembir that myn heygh at Heylisdon the last yere was spent and wasted fwll recklesly and colored under my shep.[124.1] I pray yow see that I be not servid soo this yere.
Item, Pecok told me of a fermour that wold have had Mautby Mersh, paying xij. markis as it went afore; and Richard Calle told me of on [one] that wold pay more. Burgeys paiid me first xij. markis vjs. viijd., and I had the reed and the rushis, and he found the shepherdis hyre in shakke tyme for my fold; and sithen he brigged awey the shepherdis hyre and thanne the nobill, and I trowe he occupyth ne lenger hym self. And I remembir he told me vij. yere goo that my merssh shuld alwey apeyr [impair] till the prime were past the nombre of xix., and thanne it shuld amend a ix. or x. yers, promittyng me he wold thanne amend my ferme. I praye yowe help to lete it aswell as ye can, rather to hym thanne a nother man if he woll do aswell, and that ye comon with Pecok.
Item, as for the mater that I wrote of to the viker and other goode felaws, desire hem that thei be not to excessive hasty in the mater for non nede, but to do that the may do therin [goodly][124.2] and wittely as sone as thei may; And as for the respite of the mater here, lete hem not care therfore. I shall do well ineugh, telle hem; for certeyn, the mater is in as good case as any such mater was this xx. wynter, as my counsell tellyth me; but I will be sure of all weyes that I may have, and specially of the declaracion of the trought of my mater and of my frendis.
Item, as for the mater athwyx the parson of Mautby, Constantine[124.3] and the viker of Derham,[124.4] whedir it were smalle mater or gret I care not, but I am sure that too witnesse which I knowe were apposed therin before a juge spirituall, whech as I suppose was Master Robert Popy or some other; the viker of Derham can telle, and as I trowe can John Wynter of Mautby, or othir parysshons telle, where the sute was athwyx hem, and I can think it was in the chapitell; if ye can easely gette me what the witnesse seid, I wold nomore; but do no gret cost over it.