Syr, I have thank for the shew that I onys made of yow and daily gramercy, and ye theire prayer.

Syr, forthemore I beseche yow, as ye wyll do eny thyng for me, that ye se o day for my sake, and for yowr own plesure, all the gode hors in Caleys, and if ther be among theym eny pric[278.2] horse of deds, that is to sell, in especiall that he be well trottyng of his owne corage, with owte fors[278.3] of sporis, and also a steryng [stirring] hors if he be, he is the better; I pray yow send me word of his color, deds, and corage, and also of his price, feynyng as ye wold by hym yowrself, and also I wold have hym sumwhat large, not with the largest; but no smalle hors, as more than a dowble hors; prayyng yow above all thyngs to have this in remembrauns, and that hastily as may be, for ther is late promysed me help to such an entent, and I wote not how long hit shall endure; and therfor I beseche yow send me word by tyme.

I trow the Frenshe men have taken up al the gode hors in Pycardye, and also they be wont to be hevy hors in labor, and that I love not, but a hevy hors of flesh, and lyht of corage y love well, for y love no hors that wyll al way be lene and slender like grehounds. God kepe yow. Yowr, J. Pympe.

Y pray yow to recomaund me to my cosyn Sir John Scot and all his, in especiall Mastres Benyngfeld.[279.1]

[276.2] [From Fenn, ii. 226.] This letter, Fenn tells us, was endorsed under the address in a handwriting of the time which he believed to be Sir John Paston’s—‘Jon Pympe, xvj. die Mar’., anno E. 4, 17,’ showing the date at which it was received.

[277.1] Frau’s, i.e. women. The writer’s pleasantry in this passage is certainly rather coarse.

[278.1] Perhaps this enigmatical passage may have reference to the Mrs. Barly mentioned in [No. 903].

[278.2] In the modern version, Fenn reads here, ‘any prized horse of deeds,’ a reading which seems to me questionable.

[278.3] ‘Fort’ in Fenn, which is probably a misprint, as the word is spelled ‘force’ on the opposite page.

[279.1] Margaret, daughter of Sir John Scot, and wife to Edmund Bedingfeld.—F.