1479
FEB. 23
Ryght reverent and worchepfull broder, after all dewtes of recomendacion, I recomaunde me to yow, desyryng to here of your prosperite and welfare, whych I pray God long to contynew to Hys plesore, and to your herts desyr; letyng yow wete that I receyved a letter from yow, in the whyche letter was viijd. with the whyche I schuld bye a peyer of slyppers.
Ferthermor certyfying yow, as for the xiijs. iiijd. whyche ye sende by a jentylmannys man, for my borde, cawlyd Thomas Newton, was delyvered to myn hostes, and soo to my creancer [creditor], Mr. Thomas Stevenson; and he hertely recomended hym to yow.
Also ye sende me worde in the letter of xijli. fyggs and viijli. reysons. I have them not delyvered, but I dowte not I shal have, for Alwedyr tolde me of them, and he seyde that they came aftyr in an other barge.
And as for the yong jentylwoman, I wol certyfye yow how I fryste felle in qweyntaince with hyr. Hir ffader is dede; ther be ij. systers of them; the elder is just weddyd; at the whych weddyng I was with myn hostes, and also desyryd by the jentylman hym selfe, cawlyd Wylliam Swanne, whos dwyllynge is in Eton.
So it fortuned that myne hostes reportyd on me odyrwyse than I was wordy; so that hyr moder comaundyd hyr to make me good chere, and soo in good feythe sche ded. Sche is not a bydynge ther sche is now; hyr dwellyng is in London; but hyr moder and sche come to a place of hyrs v. myle from Eton, were the weddyng was, for because it was nye to the jentylman whych weddyd hyr dowtyr. And on Monday next comynge, that is to sey, the fyrst Monday of Clene Lente, hyr moder and sche wyl goo to the pardon at Schene, and soo forthe to London, and ther to abyde in a place of hyrs in Bowe Chyrche Yerde; and if it plese yow to inquere of hyr, hyr modyrs name is Mestres Alborow, the name of the dowtyr is Margarete Alborow, the age of hyr is be all lykelyod xviij. or xix. yere at the fertheste. And as for the mony and plate, it is redy when soo ever sche were weddyd; but as for the lyvelod, I trow not tyll after hyr modyrs desese, but I can not telle yow, for very certeyn, but yow may know by inqueryng. And as for hyr bewte, juge yow that when ye see hyr, yf so be that ye take the laubore, and specialy beolde hyr handys, for and if it be as it is tolde me, sche is dysposyd to be thyke.
And as for my comynge from Eton, I lake no thynge but wersyfyynge, whyche I troste to have with a lytyll contynuance.
Quæritur, Quomodo non valet hora, valet mora? Unde dicitur?
Arbore jam videas exemplum. Non die possunt,
Omnia suppleri; sed tamen illa mora.[8.1]