Ryght worchepfull syr, and my specyall good brodyr, I recomand me to yow; and for as myche as I can not send yow good tydyngs, ye shall have syche as I knowe.
It is so that on Wednysday last past ye and I, Pampyng, and Edmund Broom were endyttyd of felonye at the Sessyons her in Norwyche for shotyng of a gonne at Caster in August last past, whyche goone slowghe two men, I, Pampyng and Broom as pryncypall, and ye as accessary; notwithstandyng Townysend[73.1] and Lomner held an oppynyon that the verdytt is voyd, for ther wer ij. of th’enqwest that wold not agre to th’endyttment. And in as myche as they ij. wer agreyd in othyr maters, and not in that, and that they two wer not dyschargyd fro the remnant at syche tym as that verdyth of yowyr endytment was govyn, ther oppynyon is that all the vordyght is voyde, as well of all othyr maters as of yowyr. Whedyr ther opynyon be good or not, I can not determyne, nor them sylf neythyr.
I pray yow let not thys mater be slept, for I can thynk that my Lord of Norff. consaylle wyll cawse the wedows to tak an apell, and to remeve it up in to the Kyngs Benche at the begynyng of this term. Townysend hathe promysyd me that he shall be at London on Twysday next comyng, and then ye may comon with hym in that mater, and take hys avyse.
Item, Townysend and Lomner thynk that and ye have good consayll, ye may justyfye the kepyng of the plase for the pesybyll possessyon that ye have had in it mor then iij. yeer; but in conclusyon, all thys is doo for nowght ellys but for to enforse yow to take a dyreccyon with my Lord of Norff.
I undyrstood by R. Sothewell—for he and I comonyd in thys mater ryght largely betwyx hem and me—in so myche he tellyth me that and I be at London in the wek next aftyr Seynt Petyr, at whych tyme he shall be ther hym sylf, he seyth that my Lady hathe promysyd me hyr good ladyshep, and sent me woord by hym, in as myche as he spak for me to hyr, that she wold remembyr myn old servyse, and for get the gret dysplesyr in syche wyse that I shall undyrstand that the swtte that I have mad to my Lord hyr husbond and hyr shall torne to your avantage and myn, more then we weene as yett or shall undyrstand tyll syche tyme as I have spokyn with hyr good grace. And upon thys promesse I have promysyd Sothewell to meet with hym at London that same weeke next aftyr Seynt Petyr; wherfor I wold passyngly fayne that ye wer in London at that season, or nye abowght London, so that I myght undyrstand at your plase wher that I myght spek with yow or then I spek with my Lady.
I propose to go to Canterbery[74.1] on foot thys next week, with Godds grace, and so to com to London fro thense. I pray yow se that I be safe for Parker and Henry Coletts mater.
Sothewell[74.2] told me thys, that if so be that ye wyll your sylf, ye shall have bothe goode lordshep and ladyshep, and mony or lond, or both, and all your maters set cler. What that he menyth, I can not sey. As for all othyr maters in thys contre, I shall do as well as I may for fawt of monye tyll I spek with yow. I have many collars on, as I shall tell yow when I come.
No more, but God preserve yow and yours. Wretyn at Norwyche, Fryday next aftyr Corpus Christi Daye. J. P.
I ded as myche as I kowd to have lettyd th’endyttment, but it wold not be, as I shall enform you; and Townysend knowyth the same.
[72.2] [From Fenn, iv. 428.] As this letter refers to an incident in the siege of Caister as having taken place ‘in August last,’ there can be no doubt about the date.