TO JOHN PASTON II 1469,  03, 
12  
To Ser John Paston, knyght, be this deliuered in hast. 
I grete you wele and send you Goddes blyssyng and myn, desiryng 
you to recomaund me to my brothere William and to comune wyth hym 
and your councell in such materes as I wright to you, that there may be 
purveyd be summe writyng fro the Kyng that my lord of Norffolk and 
his councell seas of the wast that thei don in your lordsheps and in 
especiall at Heynford; for thei haue felled all the wood and this weke 
thei wull carie it a-wey, and lete renne the wateres and take all the fyssh. 
And Ser William Yeluerton and his sone William, John Grey, and 
Burgeys, Will Yeluerton men, haue ben at Guton and takyn distresses, 
and wyth-ought that thei wull pay them thei shall not set ought no plow 
to till there londe. Thei byd them lete there lond lye on-tilled but if thei 
pay them, so that if the tenauntes haue no remedy that thei may pesibily 
wyth-ought assaught or distresse takyng be the seid Yeluerton or his 
men, or of any oþer in there names, at there liberté herye 
there londes wyth-in this vij days, there tylth in tho feldes [shall] be lost 
for all thes yere and thei shall be on-doon. And though ye shuld kepe it 
here-aftere pesibilly, ye shuld lese the ferme of this yere, for thei may 
not pay you but if thei may occupie there londes. Thei set not so sone a 
plow ought at there gates but þer is a felesshep redy to take it. 
And thei ride wyth speres and laungegays like men of werre, so that the 
seid tenauntes arn a-ferd to kepe there owyn howses. Therfore purvey an 
redy remedye, or ell ye lese the tenauntes hertes and ye gretly hurt, for 
it is gret  
pety to here the swemefull and petowse compleyntes of the pore 
tenauntes that come to me for comfort and socour, sumtyme be vj or vij 
to-geder. Therfore, for Goddes love, se that thei ben holpyn, and desire 
my brothere William to geve you good councell here-in. Also it is told 
me that my lady of Suffolk hath promysed you here good will if your 
bargayn of the mariage holdyth, to do as largely as she shall be disired, 
or largelyere if there be any appoyntement takyn a-twix you for any 
materes a-twix here and you. And thei wuld avyse you to geve any 
money to here to make here refuse or disclayme here titill, me semyth ye 
may wele excuse you be the money that she had last and be the wronges 
that were don be here and here men in fellyng of wood and pullyng doun 
of your place and logge at Heylesdon and takyn a-wey of the shep and 
your faderes goodes which were takyn a-wey at the pullyng don of the 
seid place; whech wele considered she were wurthy to recompense you. 
And the Kyng and the lordes were wele enformed thei wuld considere 
the redilyere your hurtes. It semyth this Ser William Yeluerton hath 
comfort that he is so bold, for [he] hath right prowde and fowle langage, 
and right slaunderows, to the tenauntes, as thei haue reported to me; 
therfore be right ware that ye bynde not your-self ner make non 
ensuraunce till ye be suere of a pesibill possession of your londe, for 
oftyn tyme rape rueth, and whan a man hath mad such a comenaunte he 
must kepit, he may not chese; there[fore] be not to hasty till your londe 
be clere. And labore hastly a remedy for thes premysses, or ell Ser John 
Fastolfes lyvelode, thowgh ye entre it pesibilly, shall not be worth to you 
a grote this yere wyth-ought ye wull on-do your tenauntes. I pray you 
remembre a kerchye of cremyll for your suster Anne. Remembre to 
labore sume remedy for your faderes will whill my lord of Caunterbury 
lyvyth, for he is an old man and he is now frendly to you; and if he 
happed to dye how shuld come after hym ye wote neuer. And if he were 
a nedy man, in asmych as your fader was noysed of so greet valew he 
wull be the more straunge to entrete; and lete this be not for-gete, for 
were there on that aught vs no good wyll he myght calle vs vp to make 
accounte of his goodes. And if we had not for to shewe for vs where-by 
we haue occupied, he myght send doun assentence to curse vs in all the 
diosyse and to make vs to deliuere his goodes, which were to vs a gret 
shame and a rebuke. There-fore purvey hastly and wyssely þerfore 
whill he levyth, and do not, as ye dede whill my lord of York was 
chancellor, make delays; for if ye had labored in his tyme as ye haue do 
sith, ye had be thurgh in your  
materes. Be ware be that, and lete slauth nomore take you in such 
diffaught. Thynk of after-clappes and haue prevysion in all your werk, 
and ye shall do the better. God kepe you. Wretyn on Myd-lent Sonday in 
hast. Be your modre, M. P.