Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

TO JOHN PASTON III 1470, 11, 15

To John Paston, esquyere, in haste.

Brother, I comand me to yow, prayng yow þat thys be yowremover guydyng iff other folkys wyremovell agré to þe same: þat Master Roos, olde Kneuett, ye, and the worshypffullest þat wyll do for owre sake, as Arblaster, John Gyneye, Wodhows, and al other gentelmen þat at the daye wyll be in Norwyche, þat ye all holl os on bodye come to-gedre þat my lorde off Oxenfforde maye ondrestande þat som strenkethe restyth ther, by whyche iff it be well handelyremoved and proue in the handelyremoveng I trow Heydonnes parte woll be but an easy comparyson. Neuer the lesse ye than most ye be ware off on payn, and that is thys:Heydon wyll off craffte sende amonge yow par case vj or more wyth harneyse fore to sclandre yowre felawschep wyth seying that they be ryotous peple and nott of substance. Requere the gentelmen aboue wretyn that iff any men be in Norwyche off the contré that bere any suche harneyse to do them leue it, ore any glysteryng byll. The meyre and siteseynes off Norwyche wher wonte to haue a sertayne in harneyse off men off the town to þe nombre off ij ore iij ore vc, whyche iff they now do in lyke case those woll owe better wyll to Master Roos and yow þan to othere folkys; and iff it be so þat the thowte nat to haue non

suche at thys tyme I thynke the meyre woll do it at þe request off Master Roos and yow,iff lak off tyme cawse it not.
Item, be well ware off Clopton, fore he hathe avysed my lorde to be all to-gydre rewled by Heydon, in so moche he hathe reportyd that all thyng and all materys off my lordes, and in all the contré, scholde removebe guydyd by Heydon. Iff Clopton ore Hygham ore Lowes John be besy, prese in to my lorde byffor theremovem, fore theremover be no Suffolk materys, and tell the raylyng, prayng them not to cawse my lorde to owe hys fauore fore there plesere to som folkes ther present, fore iff my lorde fauoryd, ore theye owthere, by lyklyod my lorde and they myght lose vj tyme as many frendes as he scholde wynn by there meanes. Also iff ye cowde fynde the menes, Master R. and ye, to cawse removethe meyre in my lordes ere to telle hym, thow he scholde bynde my lorde to concell, that the loue of the contré and syté restyth on owre syde, and that other folkys be not belouyd nere neuyre were, thys wolde do nonn harme, iff it be soo þat all thynge go olyuer currant; wyth more to remembre that there is owt off that contré that be nat at Norwych besyde me, that be ryght worshypfull and as worshypffull as few be-longyng to Norffolk that woll and schall do my lorde seruyse, the rather fore my sake and Master Rossys, and the rathere iff my lorde remytt nat moche thynge to Heydon guydyng. Also the goodely menes wherby ye best can entrete my cosyn Syr W. Calthorpe at the seyde day, wse them to cawremovese hym, iff itt wyll be,to come, ye in hys companye and he in yowremover in cheff at yowremover cheff schew, and Master Roos and he in company; latyng my seyde cosyn wete þat I tolde hym ones þat I scholde meue hym off a thyng I trostyd scholde be encressyng bothe to hys honore and well. I sende yow a lettyre com to Norwyche by lyklyod to yow on Monday last past; it come some-what the lattre, fore I wende haue dyed nat longe by-foore it. Also I receyued on from yow by Master Blomvyle yister euyn. Tell my cosyn W. Yeluerton that he may not appyre off a whylle in no wyse; I trow my cosyn hys fadre schall sende hym worde off the same. Do þat ye can secretly that my lorde be nat heuy lorde on-to hym. It is vndrestande þet itt is doon by the craffte off Heydon---he gate hym in-to that offyce to haue to be ageyn me, and nowe he sethe that he hathe done all þat he can ageyn me and now may doo no more, nowe he wolde remeve hym. The daye is comen þat he fastyd the euyn fore, as an holye yonge

monke fastyd more than all the couent, afftre that fore hys holynesse and fastyng hopyd to be abbott, whyche afterwarde was abbot, than leffte he hys abstynens seyng the daye was come þat he fast the eeuyn fore. Brothere, I pray you recomand me to my lord of Oxfordes gode lordshyp, and where as I told my lord that I shuld haue awayted vppon hys lordshyp in Norffolk, I wold that I myght soo haue don leuer than a hundred li., but in godefeth thos maters that I told my lord removei trowed shold lette me wer not fynyshed tyl yesterday, wherfor yremoveef that cause. And also syn Halowmasse euery othere day myȝtnot hold vppe myn heed, nor yet may, insomoch that sythen the seyd day in Westminster Hall and in othere place I haue goon wyth a staffe as a goste, as men sayd, more lyke that I rose owte of the erth then owte of a fayre laydys bedd; and yet am in lyke case, sauyng I am in gode hope to amende. Wherfore I beshyche hys lordshyp to pardon me, and at a-nothere tyme I shall make dobell a-mendes, for by my trouth a man cowydnot haue hyred me for vc markis wyth so gode will to haue ryden in-to Norffolk as to haue at thys season, there to haue awaytyd un hys lordshyp; and also I wold haue ben glad, for my lord shold haue knowyn what seruys that I myȝt haue don hys lordshyp in that contray.
Item, youre geere ys send to you, as Thomas Stompes sayth, sauyng Mylsentes geere and the shaferon, whych I cannot entrete Thomas Stompes to goo therefore thys iij or iiij days, wherfor I knokkyd hym on the crowne, &c.
Item, loke that ye take hyde that the lettere wernot broken or that it com to youre handes, &c. Wryten at London on Thursday next aftere Seynt Erkenwoldes Day, &c. John Paston, K.