1475
OCT. 23
Aftyr all dwtes of recomendacyon, please it yow to undyrstand that I have spoken with my lady[239.4] sythe I wrot to yow last; and she told me that the Kyng had no syche woordys to my lord for Caster, as ye told me; but she seyth that the Kyng axid my lord at hys departyng fro Caleys, how he wold deele with Caster, and my lord answerd nevyr a woord.
Sir W. Brandon[240.1] stood by, and the Kyng axid hym what my lord wold do in that mater; seying that he had comandyd hym befor tyme to meve my lord with that mater, and Sir W. Brandon gave the Kyng to answer that he had doone so; then the Kyng axid Sir W. B. what my lordys answer was to hym, and Sir W. B. told the Kyng that my lords answer was that the Kyng shold as soone have hys lyff as that place; and then the Kyng axid my lord whedyr he seyd so or nought, and my lord seyd, yee. And the Kyng seyd not a woord ayen, but tornyd hys bak, and went hys wey; but my lady told me, and the Kyng had spokyn any woord in the world aftyr that to my lord, my lord wold not have seyd hym nay. And I have gevyn my lady warnyng that I wyll do my lord no more serveys; but er we partyd, she mad me to make hyr promess that I shold let hyr have knowlege er I fastonyd myselff in eny other servysse; and so I departyd, and sye hyr not syness, nor nought purpose to doo, tyll I spek with yow.
I prey yow bryng home some hattys with yow, or and ye come not hastyly, send me on, &c., and I shall pay yow for it a comb otys[240.2] when ye come home.
My modyr wold fayn have yow at Mawtby; she rode thydyr ought of Norwyche on Saturday last past, to purvey your lodgyng redy ayenst your comyng.
I have been ryght seek ayen sythe I wroote to yow last, and thys same day have I ben pessyng seek; it wyll not ought of my stomak by no mean. I am undon. I may not ete halff i nough, when I have most hungyr, I am so well dyettyd, and yet it wyll not be. God send yow heele, for [I] have non iij. dayes to gedyr, do the best I can.
Wretyn at Norwyche, the Monday next be for Seynt Simone and Jude,[240.3] anno E. iiij. xvo. J. P.
[239.3] [From Fenn, ii. 182.]
[239.4] The Duchess of Norfolk.
[240.1] Sir William Brandon was the grandfather of Henry VIII.’s favourite, Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. [Footnote 2 on p. 156], taken from Fenn, is wrong. Charles Brandon’s father, who was slain at Bosworth, was another Sir William, knighted by the Earl of Richmond before the battle.