To the ryght worshypfull and hys best betrustyd Frende, Roger Townesende.
1467-9
FEB. 12
Right worshipfull sir, I comaunde me to yow, praying yow hertly to remembre that by the award made bytwen yow and me by Roger Townesend for a tenement in Stratton in Norfolk callid Rees, I shuld delyver yow all the evydens apperteynyng to the said plase, and not from thens forth to chalenge nor interupte my lady your wife ner yow of the said tenement; And that for thes said causes ye shuld and therto were agreyd to geve me an horse and xli. to an harneys. And moreovir before Cristemasse in the kynges chambre ye ther ageyn promysed me that ye wold such tyme as I send to yow home to yowre plase by any servant of myne er any man from me, that ye wold delyver it hym and send it to me by hym. My brothir John hath send me word that he remembird yow therof on my behalfe and that you answerid hym that ye wold gyfe hym or me a fayre harneys at your comyng to London. I deme in yow that ye thynke par case to bye a fayre harneys here for x. markz; but, cosyn, as God help me, I bowte an harneys syn that tyme for my self, which cost me xxli. But I con not desire of yow so moch. Wherfore, cosyn, with all myn hert I pray yow accordyng to yowre promyse that it like yow to send me by my servaunt, berer herof, the said somme of xli., as my trust is in yow, and as I wolde in like case have don to yow, and as in the premysses I delt feithfully with yow and evir so shall dele, with the grase of God, Who have yow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn at London the xii. day of Feveryer.—Youris, John Paston, k.
[7.1] [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 186.] This letter was probably written after the death of John Paston, the writer’s father, but the precise year is uncertain.
John Paston, k.
printed with anomalous small “k.”
[700]
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[8.1]
To my mastyr, Sir John Paston, knyght, in Flet stret.
1468-9 (?)
Syr, &c. It is so that, with owght ye have hasty reparacyon doon at Caster, ye be lyek to have doubyll cost in hast, for the reyn hathe so moystyd the wallys in many plasys that they may not tylle the howsys tyll the wallys be reparyd; or ellys ye shall have doubyll cost for to untylle your howsys ayen at syche tyme as ye shall amend the wallys. And if it be not do thys yer, many of the wallys wyll lye in the moot or longe to; ye knowe the febyllnesse of the utter coort of old. John Pampyng hathe had hame to Caster as good as xml. tylle fyr the plase at Yermeuthe, and it wer pete that the tyll wer lost; and the lenger that it lythe unleyd the wers it wyll be. I have thys day bespok as myche lyme as wyll serve for the tyll. Wherfor I prey yow remembyr the cost of the werkmanschep and purvey the money by oo mean or othyr, what shefte so evyr ye make. And, for your owne profyte, remembyr to goo thorow with Hwghe of Fen; for by my trowthe ye wyll ellys repent yow er owght longe. For bothe ye shall loose hys good wyll and lett peraventure that avantage that he myght do yow in your lond recoveryng; wher as he may do yow harme and [if] he wyll and then, to late wyse. Item, that ye remembyr your relesys and gounys of my Lord of Norffolk er ye com hom. Item, I send yow by the berer herof a lettyr dyrect to yow that a man of my Lord of Oxenfortheys delyverd me; whych lettyr comyth fro the Kyng. Item, that ye remembyr in eny wyse to serche for the fyne in syche plasys as my modyr sent you woord of in a lettyr; for myn oncyll and my grauntdam report that they have serchyd in all plasys thar as it shold be, but they can not fynd no thyng of it. Also that ye look whedyr the fyne was reryd to eny feeffeys mor then to my grauntfadyr and my grauntdam and ther issu; for and ther wer eny feoffeys namyd in the fyn, it is the bettyr for yow. My Lady and my grauntdam be com to London for the same mater; wherfor it wer well do that the jwgys wer enformyd of your mater befor they spok with theym. I prey yow hye yow hom hastyly and se your owne profyte your sylf. Pampyng and I shall clowt up your howsys as we may with the money that we have tyll more come, but ye shold do bettyr your sylf. I prey red thys byll onys on a day tyll ye have sped thes maters wretyn her in; thowe it be to your peyne to labore theym, remembyr your profyt. Nomor, &c., but God kep yow thys Lent fro lollardy of fleshe. Wretyn at Norwyche the Twysday next aftyr that I departyd fro yow. J. P.
[8.1] [Add. MS. 33,597, f. 4.] The year in which this letter was written is doubtful, but it was most probably either 1468 or 1469, at the beginning of Lent.