[204.2]I pray you in no wise to depart as yet without my brother Roaf asent and agrement; and recommaund me to my syster, all my nieces, to the constabyll, and to all Ryves [reeves]. Your tru frend, Hastynges.
[204.1] [From Fenn, ii. 296.] I cannot discover in what year John Paston could have been staying at Guisnes during the month of April at the request of Lord Hastings, unless it was in the year 1474. There seems no other probable year in which we have not distinct evidence of his being elsewhere.
[204.2] This postscript is in the writer’s own hand, the preceding part of the letter being in that of a clerk. A fac-simile of the postscript is given by Fenn.
[848]
SIR RALPH HASTINGS TO JOHN PASTON[205.1]
To my feithful lovyng gode cousyn, Johan Paston.
1474(?)
MAY 9
Cousyn Paston, I recommaunde me to you in as speciall wise as I cane. And like you to witte, on Sondaye at even last I hadde writing and evedence frome my lorde by Punche of tidyngis and have understonde them wel al a longe. And on Monday erly in the mornyng I came to Calais to have spoken with you, but I came to late. Praying you to advertise my lord[205.2] to se wel to him self, etc. And at my comyng home the same nyght I felle doune syke, and have ever sith kept my bedde and yitte do. And, as you knowe wel, the Connestable sykened with you in his goyng to Calais, of whome I doubt me, and so I do of my self bothe. So that here amongis us nowe is no man to stirre about and see quykly to alle thingis as ther aught to be and is nede to be, which hevieth me gretly; and though I were up and might somwhat stire myself, yitte I am not seure so to contynue ij. daies to-geder, etc. As for moo men, my Lord hathe praied me and advised me to holde me content with thoo that I have, and that I shulde make as litel coste in reparacions as I maye, because he cannot se wel howe the monney cane be goten to content them. Cousyn, as for moo men ye knowe right wel thoo that we have are to fewe, and we have nede; notwithstonding I shal do as wel as I may with thoo that I have. But as [for][205.3] eny ferther reparacions, might I ones for oure seurte have this fournisshed that I am about, I kepe not to make moo, for I doubt me that this we are about, that parte therof wil reste in my nekke, because we cane not be seure of oure assignement. I pray you, cousyn, brekes to my Lord all suche maters that ye cane remembre and thinke[205.4] may be for the wele of us and the seurte of this place, as my ful speciall truste and alle othir mennes here is in you. I hadde thought to have writton to my lord to have sente some othir seure man hidre to have assisted and holpen us during oure infirmitees, but I fele by Punche that my Lord saith I write always so plainly to him that hit fereth him, and therfore I dar not but shal forbere to write any more so; howe be hit, it were ful necessarye and behofful so to do, that knoweth God, Who ever preserve you. Writton at Guysnes, the ixe daye of May.
I praye you to sende us some of your tidingis by this berer as oft as ye may. And if ther be anything I may do to your plesir, I shal do it with as good hart as ye cane desire. Your tru luffuyng coussen, Rauff Hastyngis.
[205.1] [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 122.] This letter was clearly written in the same year as [No. 847], which was apparently 1474.
[205.2] Lord Hastings.