Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

TO JOHN PASTON III 1469, 09, 18

To John Paston, and to noon othyre

I recomand me to yow, and promyse yow þat I haue and schall labore and fynde þe meane þat ye schall haue honore of yowre delyng, as ye haue hyddre-towardys, as all Ingelond and euery man reportythe. And moreouer I am in weye fore it by many dyuerse weys, wherof there schall be one exicutyd by thys day xiiij nyght at þe ferthest, and parauenture wyth-in vij dayes, and iff ye maye kepe it so longe I wolde be gladd. And afftre that, iff ye haue nott from me other wryghtyng, that than ye do there-in fore yowre saffgarde and yowre felaschep only, and to yowre worschypys; and asfore the place, no force therffore. Ye knowe thys hande, þerfore nedythe no mencion from whom it comythe. And more-ouyre, they that be abut yow be in obloquy of all men, and more-ouyre they haue ben wretyn to by alse speciall wryghtyng as myght be afftre the worlde þat now is, and removei promyse yow þat the Dukes

concell wolde þat they had neuyre be-gon it. And more-ouyr they be chargyd in payne of there lyvys that, thow they gate the place, they scholde not hurt on of yow. There is nowther ye ner none wyth yow but, and he knewe what is generaly reportyd of hym, he ore ye--and God fortewne yow wele- may thynke hym iiij tymes bettere in reputacion of all folk than euyre he was. Be ware whom ye make a consell to thys mater. Also, I lete yow wete þat I am in moche more comffort of yow þan I maye wryght, and they þat be abowt yow haue cawse to be more ferde than ye haue; and also beware of spendyng of yowre stuffe of qwarellys, powdre, and stone, so that iff they assawt yow ere we come that ye haue stuffe to dyffende yow of on, and than of my lyffe ye get nomore; and that yowre felaschyp be euyre ocopyed in renewyng of yowre stuffe. Wretyn the Mondaye next afftre Holy Roode Daye. I trow, thow ye be not preuy ther-to, ther is taken a trews new tyl thys day vij nyght