Right trusty and hertely wilbiloved sone, I recommennde me to you, and send you Godes blyssynge and myn. And where oon John Malpas my olde servaunt, brynger herof, hath purchacede a writt directede to you and othre Justices of Peace in the shires of Norffolk and Suffolk, and also to the Sheryff of the same, for to put hym in pessible possescion in such certayn landes of his, accordynge to the Kynges writt; I pray you therefor hertely, and of my blyssynge charche you that at this my pour request and desir ye wole pute you in your faythfull devoir with othere Justaces associete with you, to see the execuscion doon and performyede accordynge to the saide writt. And Almyghty God evere more preserve you, my nown dere sone.
Writene in my lordes castell of Hethyngham, the xv. day of January. Margret Oxynford.
[165.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] I see nothing certain about the date of this letter, except that it must have been addressed to the later Sir John Paston (for in his brother’s time the Earl of Oxford was an exile, and his Countess Margaret in needy circumstances), so that the date must lie between 1488 and 1503. For what reason the Countess calls Sir John her son I cannot explain.
And Almyghty God evere more preserve you, my nown dere sone.
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[1071]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO WILLIAM PASTON AND RICHARD LIGHTFOOTE[166.1]
To my brother William Paston and my cosyn Richard Lightfoote, and to iche of theym.
1503
Mastyrs bothe, I recomand me to yow, and send yow closid herin a booke of the seying of dyvers folkis, whiche testyfiee ayenst Thomas Rutty and other. I prey yow shewe it to my lordys[166.2] good lordshepe, and that I may know hys plesur ferther in as hasty wyse as may be, that I may ordre me ther aftyr. I had gret labore to come by the woman that was in servyse with Rutty, whiche sie [saw] all ther conversacyons many yeris. She is now in servyse with Richard Calle. And I have Thomas Bange in prison at Norwyche with the Shrevys of Norwych. The woman seythe he is as bold a theffe as eny is in Ingland; but he wyll nowghte confesse, nor I handelyd hym not sore to cause hym to confesse. But and Ruty knewe that he and the woman be in hold, and hathe told talis, I thynke it wyll cause Rutty to shewe the pleynesse.
Clerk and Roger Heron are endightid at this sessyons at Norwyche, last holdyn on Twysday last past, for robbing of the pardoner; and so is Rotty and all his felawshepe that the woman hathe apechid. According to hir apechement, Raff Taylour is over the see; Robert Fenne is dede; John Baker and William Taylour ar yett untakyn. If my lord send for T. Bange or the woman, some of my lordis servauntes had need to come for theym; for I can not do in the cause for lake of men and horse, for my wyff ridith this next week in to Kente, to the wydow, hir doughtir Leghe.
And as for Ramesey, liek a prowde, lewde, obstynat foole, he wyll not come befor my brothe[r] Sir R. Clere, nor me, but he seythe he wyll be with my lord hastyly, and shewe hys mynde to his lordshepe, whiche I beleve not. The substancyall marchantys of Norwyche hathe shewid ther myndys to my brother Sir R. Clere and me that he entendith to William Bayly gret wronge in his reknynges.