I grete you wele, letyng you wete that Doctor Aleyns wyffe hath be with me and desired me to write to you to desire you to be good mayster to her husband and to her in her materes, for she tellith me that her trost is full in you, and if she myght have walked she shuld have come to have spoke with you or than ye departed; therfor, I pray you do your devoir for her, for I conceyve that she feyneth not, notwithstandyng that I had her in suspecion as I have wretyn to you before, be cause that she came not, but I conceyve now the trought and that sikenesse caused thatt she absent her. Therfore I pray you help her, for, so God help me, I have right gret pete on her, and it is right grete almes to help her, and I trow she wull put her most trost and sewe specialle to you. Also I wuld ye shold desire your brother to be good mayster on to her, for I suppose be that tyme ye have herd her excuse in such materes as he shuld be displeased with her husband, ye shall hold you pleased. God kepe you and send you Hes blyssyng, with myn. Wretyn on Sent Clementes Day at nyght, in hast, Be your Moder.
[164.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is evident that this letter was written in the same year as [No. 814].
[817]
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[165.1]
To Master Sir John Paston, Knyght.
1472
NOV. 24
Ryght worchepfull syr, I recomand me to yow, thankyng yow most hertly of your dylygence and cost whyche ye had in gettyng of the hawk, whyche ye sent me, for well I wot your labore and trowbyll in that mater was as myche as thow she had ben the best of the world; but, so God help me, as ferforthe as the most conyng estragers [falconers] that ever I spak with can imagyn, she shall never serve but to ley eggys, for she is bothe a mwer de haye, and also she hathe ben so brooseid with cariage of fewle that she is as good as lame in boothe hyr leggys, as every man may se at iee. Wherfor all syche folk as have seen hyr avyse me to cast hyr in to some wood, wher as I wyll have hyr to eyer [lay eggs]; but I wyll do ther in as ye wyll, whedyr ye wyll I send hyr yow ayen, or cast hyr in Thorpe wood and a tarsell with hyr, for I weit wher on is. But now I dar no more put yow to the cost of an hawke, but, for Godes sake, and ther be eny tersell or good chep goshawk that myght be gotyn, that the berer herof may have hyr to bryng me, and I ensuer yow be my trowthe ye shall have Dollys and Browne bonde to paye yow at Kandyllmas the pryse of the hawke. Now, and ye have as many ladyse as ye wer wont to have, I reqwere yow for hyr sake that ye best love of theym all, onys trowbyll yowr syllf for me in thys mater, and be owght of my clamor.
Item, as for the ryng, it is delyverd, but I had as gret peyn to make hyr take it as ever I had in syche a mater; but I have promyseid yow to be hyr knyght, and she hathe promyseid me to be more at your comandment then at eny knyghtes in Inglond, my Lord reservyd; and that ye shall well undyrstand, if ye have owght to do, wherin she may be an helper; for ther was never knyght dyd so myche cost on hyr as ye have doon.
I mervyall that I her no woord of the lettyrs that my Lord Chamberleyn shold send to my Lord and my Lady for Caster. It is best that my Lord Chamberleyn wryght to my Lady by som prevy tokyn betwyx theym, and let a man of hys com with the lettrys. My Lord Chamberleyn may speed with my Lady what maters he wyll, savyng the gret mater; and if ye inbyll me for a solysitor, I shal be a vouster comandment a touz jours.
Item, me thynkyth that ye do evyll that ye go not thorewgh with my Lady of Suffolk for Heylysdon and Drayton; for ther shold growe mony to you, whyche wold qwyte yow ayenst R. T. and all other, and set yow befor for ever.
I prey yow for your ease, and all others to you ward, plye thes maters. As for alle other thynges, I shall send yow an answer, when I com to Norwyche, whyche shall be on Thorsday, with Godes grace. I have teryd her at Framlyngham thys sevennyght, for [my] Lady took not hyr chambyr tyll yersterday. Adewe.