Also, the godely menes wherby ye best can entrete my cosyn Sir W. Calthorpe at the seyde day, wse them to cawe hym, if itt wyll be, to come, ye in hys companye, and he in yow in cheff at yow cheff schew, and Mr. Roos and he in company, latyng my seyde cosyn wete that I tolde hym ones that I scholde meve hym of a thyng I trostyn scholde be encressyng bothe to hys honor and well.
I sende yow a lettyr, com to Norwyche by lyklyed to yow on Monday last past. It come some what the lattre, for I wende have dyed nat longe by foer it. Also I receyved on from yow by Mr. Blomvyle yister evyn. Tell my cosyn W. Yelverton that he may not appyr of a whylle in no wyse. I trow my cosyn hys fadr schall sende hym worde of the same. Do that ye can secretly that my Lorde be nat hevy Lorde on to hym. It is undrestande that itt is doon by the craffte of Heydon. He gate hym in to that offyce to have to be ageyn me, and nowe he sethe that he hathe don all that he can ageyn me, and now may doo no mor; nowe he wolde remeve hym. The daye is comen that he fastyd the evyn for, as an holye yonge monke fastyd mor than all the covent, aftr that for hys holynesse and fastyng hopyd to be abbott, whyche afterwarde was abbott; than lefte he hys abstynens, seyng, ‘The daye was come that he fast the evyn for.’
Brother, I pray yow recomand me to my Lord of Oxford gode Lordshyp. And wher as I told my Lord that I shuld have awayted uppon hys Lordsyp in Norff., I wold that I myght soo have don lever then a hundred li.; but in godefeth thos maters that I told my Lord trewed shold lette me war not fynyshed tyl yesterday. Wherfor yf that cause, and also syn Halowmasse every other day myst not hold uppe myn heed, nor yet may, in semech that sythen the seyd day, in Westminster Halle and in other place, I have goon with a staffe as a goste, as men sayd, more lyke that I rose owte of the erth then owte of a fayr laydys bedd; and yet am in lyke case, savyng I am in gode hope to amende. Wherfor I beshyche hys Lordshyp to pardon me, and at a nother tyme I shall make dobell amends; for by my trouth a man cowyd not have hyred me for v. mark with so gode will to have ryden in to Norff. as to have at thys season ther to have awaytyd in hys Lordshyp, and also I wold have ben glad for my Lord shold have knowyn what servys that I myght have don hys Lordshyp in that contray.
Item, your geer ys send to you, as Thomas Stampes sayth, savyng Mylsents geer and the shafeson,[91.1] whych I cannot entrete Thomas Stampes to goo therfor thys iij. or iiij. days, wherfor I knokkyd hym on the crowne, &c.
Item, loke that ye take hyde that the letter wer not broken or that it com to your hands, &c. Wryten at London, on Thursday next after Seynt Erkenwolds Day, &c. John Paston, K.
[88.6] [From Fenn, iv. 450.] From what is said in this letter about the Earl of Oxford, it is impossible that it could have been written at any other time than during the brief restoration of Henry VI., which only lasted from October 1470 till April following.
[89.1] A certain, i.e. a number.
[89.2] I retain this word in the abbreviated form in which it is printed in Fenn’s literal transcript; the copy in modern spelling reads sufficient.
[91.1] Chevron, a covering for a horse’s head, made of iron and leather.
if it be soo that all thynge go olyver currant (?)
text has “that that”: corrected from Fenn
“olyver currant” may be the Old French (avoir) l’olivier courant (to have a favorable wind)