Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

TO JOHN PASTON II 1475, 05, 23

Vn-to Syr John Paston be this delyuered in hast.

Ryght welbelouyd son, I grete you well and send you Cristes blissyng and myne, desyringe to know how ye faire. I mervaile þat I haue herd no tydynges from you sythe ye sent me þe lettyr off an answere off þe xxty li. the which I haue layde pleages fore to my cosyn Cleere, the which letter was wryten þe xxijty day off Februar. And as fore þat money, I can not gete no lenger day þer-off þan Mydsomer, or fourte-nyght affter. And towardys þat money, and þe xxty li. þat I send yow by-syde to London by Sym, I haue receyued no more money off yowres but as moch as I send yow wryten in þis letter. And as for any discharge þat I promysed at þe boroeng off þe xxty li. whan I leyde the pleages þer-fore, I thought not but þat your vncle shuld a boroed þem owte, and I to haue had my pleages as well as he his. Neuer þe less I shall be þe warere how I shall dele hereafftyr. By my trouth, I wote not how to do þer-fore. The Kyng goth so nere vs in þis cuntré, both to pooere and ryche, þat I wote not how we shall lyff but yff þe world a-mend. God a-mend it whan his wyll is. We can noþer sell corne nere catell to no good preve. Malt is here but at x d. a comb, wheete a comb xxviijty d., ootes a comb x d. And þer-off is but lytell to geet here at this tyme. William Pecok shall send yow a byll what he hath payde for yow for ij taskes at þis tyme, and how he hath purveyde for þe remnaunte off your corne and also off oþer thynges þat be necessary þat shuld be purveyd fore in your absence.

Send me word also whome ye wyll desyre to do for yow in this contré, or ellys where, in your absence, and wryte to them to do for yow and they wyll be the better wylled to do for yow. And I wyll do my deuyr for yow also as well as I can. The somma off money þat I haue receyuyd off Wylliam Pecok: Fyrst xl s. off Runnham. Item, off Bastwyk xx s. Item, off Runnham xx s.
Item, off hym for barly at Runnham xx s. Item, off þe fyschynge at Bastwyke xiij s. iiij d. Item, for barely sold at Runnham viij s. Summa totalis vj. li. xvj d. Item, I haue receyuyd off Richard Call off Sporle wodd xxvj s. viij d. And more shall I hope here-afftyr wyth-in short tym. As I receyue for yow I hope to yeff yow a trew acownt; and þis is all þat I haue receyuyd for yow ȝytt sen ye departyd hens. God bryng yow well a-geyn to þis contré, to his pleasans and to your wurshyp and profyȝt. Wryten at Mawteby þe xxiijty day of May and þe Tewsday next afftyr Trinyté Sonday. For Goddes loue, and your breþer go ouer þe see, avyse them as ye thynk best for here sauegarde, for som off them be but yonge sawgeres and wote full lytyll what yt meneth to be as a saugere, nor for to endure to do as a sowgere shuld do. God saue yow all and send me good tythynges off yow all. And send ye me word in hast how ye do, for I thynk longe to I here off yow. Be youre modyr
Item, I wold not in no wyse þat ye shuld noþer sell nor sett to pleage þat ye haue in Runnham, what som euer fortune off þe remnaund, for yt is a praty thyng and resonable well payde and nere thys towne. I wold be ryght sory þat ye shuld for-bere that; I had leuer ye for-bore þat your vncle hath to morgage than þat.