Yt ys soo that I undyrstonde be yowyr letter wretyn the Thyrsday nexte be fore Seynt Lauerons, that ze wulde have knowlage how that I wuld be demenyd in Cokettes mater; qweche I send you here undyr wretyn. I putte yow in certeyn that I wull nevyr pay him peny of that duty that ys owyng to hym, thow he sue me for yt, not of myn owyn pursse; for I wul nat be compellyd to pay yowyr dettes azens my well, and thow I wuld, I may nat. Where fore I a wyse yow to see me savyd harmelesse azens hym for yowyr owyn a wauntage in tyme cumyng, for yf I pay yt, at longe wey ze xall bere the losse.

And where as ze wryte to me that I gave yow xxli., and promysyd odyr xxli., that ys nat soo, for I wutte wele yf I had soo doon, ze wuld nat assynyd me be yowyr letterys of yowyr owyn hande wrytyng, the whech I have to schew, that I schuld resseyve a zen the same summe of Wylliam Pecok, and of yowyr fermores, and byars of yowyr wood of Sporle; and take this for a full conclusyon in thys mater, for yt xall be noon othyr wyse for me than I wryte here to yow.

I mervel meche that ze have delte azen soo symply wyth Sporle, consyderyng that ze and yowyr frendys had so meche to doo for to geetyt yow azen onys; and ye havyng noo gretter materes of charge than ze have had sythyn yt was laste pleggyt owte, yt causyth me to be in gret dowte of yow what yowyr dysposycion wul be here aftyr for swheche lyfelood as I have be dysposyd before this tyme to leve yow after my decesse. For I thynke veryly that ye wulde be dysposyd here aftyr to selle or sette to morgage the lond that ye xulde have after me yowyr modyr as gladdly and rathyr than that lyfe lood that ye have after yowyr fadyr. Yt grevyth me to thynke upon yowyr gydeyng after the greet good that ze have had in yowyr rewle sythyn yowyr fadyr deyyd, whom God assoyle, and soo symply spendyt as yt hath ben. God geve yow grace to be of sadde and good dysposyn here after to Hys plesans, and comforte to me, and to all yowyr frendys, and to yowyr wurchyp and profyte here after.

And as for yowyr brothyr Wylliam, I wuld ye xulde purvey for hys fyndyng, for as I told yow the laste tyme that ye ware at home, I wuld no lenger fynde hym at my cost and charge; hys boord and hys scole hyer ys owyng sythyn Seynt Thomas Day afore Cristmesse, and he hathe greet nede of gownys and odyr gere that whare necessary for hym to have in haste. I wulde ze xulde remembyrt and purvey them, for as for me, I wul nat. I thynke ze sette butte lytyl be myn blessyng, and yf ye dede, ye wulde a desyyrd yt in yowyr wrytyng to me. God make yow a good man to Hys plesans.

Wretyn at Mawteby, the day after Seynt Lauerons, the yere and the renge of Kyng E. the iiijte the xvij. zere. Be yowyr Modyr.

[294.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is not addressed, the original being a corrected draft, but there is no doubt it was written to Sir John Paston in reply to the last. It is endorsed in a more modern hand: ‘Copia literæ Jo. Paston, mil., a matre sua.’

[918]
EDMUND BEDYNGFELD TO SIR JOHN PASTON[296.1]

Un to the ryght wurschepful Sir John Paston, Knyght.

1477
AUG. 17

Master Paston, after all dew recomandacion, and herty dissire to here of your good hele, plese yt you to wete I have spoken with Sir John of Medilton as wel as I cowde, and yt had ben for myself, for his hoby that ye dissired, and tolde hym he myght wel forbere hym nowe in as moche as Mastres Jane was ded, and that yt is a great cost for hym to kepe moo hors than he nedyth; and he answered me, that he wold selle hym with good will, but ther shuld no man bie hym under xli. Flemesch;[296.2] and I offered hym in your name, x. marke, for he wold not here of none other ambelyng horse, that ye myght geve hym therfore. And also my lord dissired to have bowte hym for the Lord Schauntrell that is cheff capteyn of Seynt Omers; and he wold no lesse lete my lord have hym than xli. and so my lord bowte another, and gave hym the seide lord, for he thoughte this to dere; neverthelesse he wol not selle hym to no man under that mony, that he sette hym on, and so ye may bye your plesur in hym and ye lest; for otherwyse he wol not doo for you, as I conseve.