Ryght worchepfull sir, I recomand on to you, praying yow that ye wyll in all hast send me word how that ye wyll that Sir John Style, John Pampyng, W. Mylsent, Nycolas Mondonet, T. Tomson shall be rwlyd, and whedyr that they shall sek hem newe servysys or not; and Mathewe Bedford also, for he hathe be with me this seson, and is fro my modyr. And if so be that ye wyll have thes to abyde with yow, or eny of them, send word whyche that they be; for betwyx thys and Halowmas my modyr is agreyd that they shall have met and drynk of hyr for syche a serteyn wekly as my modyr and yu and I can acord when we met. Notwithstandyng, if ye kowd get Barney or eny of thes seyd folkys, whyche that ye wyll not kepe, eny servyse in the mene seson, it wer more worchep for yow then to put them from yow lyek masterles hondys [hounds]; for by my trowthe they ar as good menys bodys as eny leve, and specyally Sir John Stylle and John Pampyng. And I wer of power to kepe them and all thes befor rehersyd, by trowthe they shold never depert fro me whyll I leveyd.
If ye send me word that I shall come to yow to London for to comon with yow of eny mater, so God help me, I have neythyr mony to com up with, nor for to tery with yow when I am ther but if [unless] ye send me some; for by my trowthe thes werkys have causyd me to ley owt for yow bettyr then x. or xijli., besyd that money that I had of my modyr, whyche is abowt on viijli. God amend defowts; but this I warant yow, with out that it be Mathew, whyche ye sent woord by John Thressher that ye wold have to awayt on yow, ther is no man that was hyryd for the tyme of thys sege that wyll axe yow a peny.
Also I pray yow send downe acomandment to Stutvylle, or to some awdyter, to take acomptys of Dawbneys byllys; for hys executors ar sore callyd upon for to admynyster by the Byshop, or ellys he seythe that he wyle seqwester. Dawbeney set in hys dett that ye owt hym xijli. and xs. Whedyr it be so or nowt, hys byllys of hys owne hand wyll not lye, for he mad hys byllys clere or then the sege com abowt us.
As for the evydence of Bekham, my modyr sent to Calle for hem; and he sent hyr woord that he wold make hys acompts, and delyver the evydence and all to gedyr. My modyr hathe sent to hym ayen for hem thys day. If she sped, they shall be sent to yow in all hast, or ellys, and ye send for me, I shall bryng hem with me. Send my modyr and me word who ye wyll that have the rwyll of your lyvelod her in thys contre, and in what forme that it shall be delt with. I wyll not make me mastyrfast with my Lord of Norff., nor with non othyr, tyle I spek with yow; and ye thynk it be to be don, get me a mastyr.
Dell corteysly with the Qwen and that felawshep, and with Mastras Anne Hawte for Wappys,[61.1] tyll I spek with zow. Wretyn on Seynt Feythys Evyn. J. Paston.
By Sent George, I and my felawshep stand in fer of my Lord of Norff. men, for we be thret sore, not withstandyng the save gardys[61.2] that my felawshep have. As for me, I have non, nor non of your howsold men, nor non wyll have; it wer shame to take it.
[60.1] [From Fenn, iv. 412.] This is a letter desiring instructions about the garrison of Caister after its surrender.
[61.1] This expression ‘for Wappys’ I do not understand.—F. Perhaps Wappys may be a proper name.
[61.2] Save gardys. This is printed ‘same gardys’ in Fenn, but is evidently a misreading; in the right-hand copy the word is ‘safeguards.’