Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

TO AN UNIDENTIFIED PERSON IN LONDON: DRAFT 1449??

Ser, I pray yow þat ye will send sum chyld to my lord of Bukingham place, and to þe Crown, wich as I conseiue is callid Gerardis Hall in Bredstret, to inquere whedir I haue any answere of my letter sent to Caleys whech ye know off, and that ye will remembre my broþiris ston so þat it myth be mad er I cumm ageyn, and þat it be klenly wrowgth. It is told me þat þe man at Sent Bridis is no klenly portrayer, wherfor I wold fayn it myth be portrayid be sum odir man, and he to graue it vp. ... It is informyd sum personis in þis cuntré þat ye know þat þe frere will sew a-nodir delegaci fro Rome direkt to sum bischop of Ingland to amend his mater, &c., and how be it þat it may not gretly hurt, yet þe seyd personis, &c., wold not he shuld haue his entent, in aremovesmoch as his suggestion is vntrewe, but raþer þey wold spend mony to lette it. I suppose þe Abbot of Bery shuld labor for him rather þan anodir becawse þe seyremoved Abbot is aparteynor to þe lord þat is þe freris mayntener, &c.; wherfore, ser, my modir and I pray yow inquere after a man callid Clederro whych is solisitor and attorné with Master Will Grey, þat late was þe Kinggis proktor at Rome, and þe seyd Clederro sendith maters and letters owth of Ingeland to his seyd master euerremovey monith, &c. He is well knowe in London and amoremoveng þe Lumbardis, and with þe Bischep of Winchesteres men, but I wot not wher he dwellit in London; and I suppos if ye speke with him he knowith me. Plese yow to comen with him of þis mater, but let him not wete of þe mater atwix my modir and him, but desir him to wryth to his master to lett þis if it may be; or ell to se þe best wey þat he haue not his intent, and to comon with þremovee proktor of þe Whith Freris at Rome to heremovelp forth. For þe freris here haue laborid to my modir and praiid her to help to lette his on-trewe intent, and haue wrete to her proketor befor þis; and I suppose if ye speke to þe prior of þe Freris at London he will writh to her seyd proktor, &c. But tell þe prior no word þat I know þerof, but let him wete if he will wryth

to his proktor odir men shall help forth. More-ouer þat ye will tell Cledero þat I am not seker þat þe frere laborith þus but be talis of freris and odir. Neuertheles let him writh to his master þat whatsumevyr he do herin he shall be truly content for his labor and costis. And if ye thiremovenk þat Cledro will writh efectually herin, geff hym j noble. Let hym let his master know þat my lord of Wynchester and Danyell ow godwill to þe part that he shall labor fore. And if þere be fown no sech swth be þe seyd frere, yet wold I haue sum thing fro Rome to anull þe old bull, &c., or to apeyre it if it myth be do esily, &c., and tydiremoveng wheder þer be any sech sute, &c. Yowr awn, &c. ... how beit þat it may nowþir avayle ner hurt, yet my modir will þis be do. I send yow þe copi of þe bull and how execuciun was do, and informaciun of þe mater jn parte, &c. I pray yow red it ouer, and spede yow homward. And, ser, I sharemovel content yowr noblremovee, &c. Bryremoveng þis letter hom with yow, &c.