Wretyn the last day of Aprill. By your, William Barnard, that I can or may.
[146.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is very uncertain, but it is probably about the year 1492, as William Paston does not seem to have been in the Earl of Oxford’s service many years before or after that date.
[1056]
EDMUND PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[148.1]
To the ryght wurshupfull Sir John Paston, Knyght, be this delyvered.
Before 1493
Ryght wurshypfull Sir, I recomawnd me to zow. As zesterday I was with my cosyn Clere;[148.2] he lythe at Borow, and my mastres hys wyveffe,[148.3] be cause the plage reygnyth at Ormysby. And so of hys own mocyon he mevyd to me of the maryage of my nevew zour soon, and as glad foolkes woold be to bargayn as ever ze wyste, and soo hathe shewyd me that ze shuld have as myche as Sir E. Bedyngfelld, whyche was v. C. marke. Moore over he shewyd that he woold depart with it to Sir Roger T.[148.4] or to Harry Colett, whyche he shewyd ze woold not of, but to have the mony at zour dysposyssyon; and me semys be hys report that he knowyth well that yf ze delle with Sir H. H.,[148.5] he wyll be in a suerte that the mony that he shuld depart with shuld goo to the redemyng of zour landes, and other zowr dawngeres. More over he shewyd me that the mony whyche ze skyftyd of H. Colett was th[oug]ht be Sir Harry H. that Sir R. Townesend shuld have ben contentte with it, whyche is knowyn the contrary, and causyd hym to geve delay in that be halffe to zow. I know well this jantylman berythe zow as good mynde as any man alyve, my mastres hys mother,[148.7] and allso my mastres hys wyve in lyeke wyesse; and me semys he makys not the dowghttes to delyver zow hys mony that other men do of the delyverye of thers. Foor trowthe, he shewythe me hys mynde, whyche is thus: yf ze wyll putt lande in feffement for zeres, to the full contentacyon of Townesend, Colett, and of my uncle, whyche he and all men thynke ze muste be charged to, or ever ze goo thorow, and that zour next frendes have the receyte of it tyll it be full contente and payed, thus, or suche a suer weye to be had for the well of all parteys, I darre say he is not alyve wyll indevour hym with better wyll to deele with zow, and, as my mynde servys me, streytte hymsylffe, as it may be booryn, be syde my mastes hys modyrs v. C. My mastres hys wyffe, on my feythe I darr say, the moste harty body to zow wordes in this be halffe that is alyve, and the fayneeste body woold be to have it accomplyshyd.
Syr, I thenke ze be to wardes London, and well I woot zowre mynde is to ease zour sylffe as hastely as ze may; I pray God ze do to zour honur, and to zour moste well to gederys.
Marchandes or new jantylmen I deme wyll proferr large; noon other dyspreysed, ze know the contynewance of this man, and how he is alyed. Well I woott yf ze depart to London, ze shall have proferes large; yf zour jornay be not but to ease yow in that be halfe, be my poor avyce slake for iij. or iiij. days, for ever me semys I shuld not have ben brokyn to so largely, but that they entende it hastely to say to zow. Sythe I was ther, I undyr stande yf it had not happyd me to have seyne them as zester day, she wold this day have made her cowntenance to have seyn her nes, Bothas (?) dowter, wyche is at Pallynges for fere of the plage, and have comyn seyne [come and seen] my wyffve, and specyally to have de syrid us to meve zow towardes them, and in trowthe so she hasse.
I pray God ze do as well to zour honur as I woold do my sylfe. Yf ze wyll tery thys lytell season be foor rehersyd, yf ze lyste, I woott well ze may have the mater moor largely comyned; and yf ze tary tyll Monday, I wyll awayte on zow to Hynengham, with Godes grace, Who ever preserve zow and zours. Your, E. Paston.
[148.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter cannot be later than the year 1493, as Sir Roger Townsend died on the 9th December in that year (Inq. p. m. 10 Hen. VII., No. 170). Moreover the will of Elizabeth Clere of Ormesby was proved, according to Blomefield, on the 6th March 1492-3. But as Sir John Paston’s eldest son was only born in 1478, the date is not likely to be many years earlier.