TO JOHN PASTONII 1469, 09, 22-30 To Ser John Paston, in hast. I grete &yogh;ow wele and send &yogh;ow Goddys blyssyng and myn, letyng &yogh;ow wete þat me thynke be þe letter þat þe sent me be Robeyn þat &yogh;e thynke þat I xuld wryte to &yogh;ow fabyls and ymagynacyons. But I do not soo; I haue wrytyn as yt haue be enformed me, and wulle do. It was told me þat bothe Daubeney and Berney were dedee, but fore serten Daubeney is dede, God asoyle hys sowle, where-of I am rythe sory, and yt had plesyd God þat yt mythe a be odere-wysse. Remembyre &yogh;ow &yogh;e haue had ij gret lossys wyth-yne thys towylemonthe, of hym and of Ser Thomas. God wysythyt &yogh;ow as yt plesythe hym jn sundery wyses. He woold &yogh;e xuld knowe hym and serue hym better þan &yogh;e haue do be-fore thys tyme, and þan he wule send &yogh;ow þe more grace to do wele in alle othere thynggys. And fore Goddys loue, remembyreyt rythe welle and takeyt pacyentely, and thanke God of hys vysitacyon; and yf any thyng haue be a mysse any othere wyse þan yt howte to haue ben be-fore thys, owthere in pryde ore in laues expencys ore in any othere thyng þat haue offendyd God, amend yt and pray hym of hys grace and helpe, and entend welle to God and to &yogh;owr neybors; and thow &yogh;owr poore hereaftyre be to aquyte hem of here maleys, &yogh;et be mersyfulle to them, and God xale send &yogh;ow þe more grace to haue &yogh;owr entente in othere thynggys. I remembyre thys clawsys be-cause of þe last letter þat &yogh;e sent me. I haue sent to Hary Halman of Sporylle to helpe to gette as &yogh;e desyerd me, and he canne not gette passyd v ore viij at the most, and &yogh;et yt wule not be but yf he cume þat &yogh;e trust vpon þat xuld cume, fore they long a parte to hym. And Ryschard Schary[[ls]] hathe a-sayed on hys parte, and he cane not gette passyd v, fore thoo þat long to vus there long also to owr aduersarys, and they haue be desyerd be them and they woold nowte do fore hem; and there-fore they thynke to haue magery of þe todere parte. As fore þe jantylman þat ye desyerd me to speke wyth, I spake wyth hys wyfe and sche told me he was not in thys cuntré nere nowte woost wan he xuld be here; and as fore the toder man, he hath bowthe hym a leuery in Bromeholme Pryory and haue &yogh;euen vpe þe woord, &c. Item, as fore mony I kowde gette but x li. vpon pledgys, and þat is spent fore &yogh;owr materes here fore payeng of &yogh;owr men þat wern at Caster and othere thynggys, and I woot not were to gette non, nowthere fore suerté ner fore pleggys. And as fore myn owyn lyuelod, I am so symppely payed thereof þat I fere me I xale be fayn to borow fore my-sylfe ore ell to breke vp howsold, ore bothe. As fore þe &yogh;elddyng of the place at Caster, I trowe Wretyll hathe told of the pow[n]tementys how yttys delyuerd. I woold þat had be so here thys tyme, and &yogh;an there xuld not a be do so mykyle hurte as the[[re]] is in dyuerse weyes, fore ma[n]y of owr wele-wylleres arn putte to loosse fore owr sakys, And I fare me yt xale be long here yt be recumpensyd a-geyn, and þat xale cause othere to do þe lesse fore vus here-aftyre. I woold &yogh;e xuld [send] &yogh;owr brothere woord, and sum othere þat &yogh;e truste, to see to &yogh;owr owyn lyuelod, to sette yt in a rule and to gader there-of þat may be had in haste, and also of Ser John Fastolffys lyuelod þat may be gadyrd in pesybyle wyse; fore as fore Ryschard Calle, he wulle no more gadyre yt but yf &yogh;e comaund hym, and he woold fayn make hys acowntte and haue &yogh;owr good maystyre-schepe, as yttys told me, and delyuere þe euydens of Bekkeham and alle othere thynggys þat longgyth to &yogh;ow þat he trusttythe þat &yogh;e wylle be hys good maystere here-aftyre. And he sethe he wylle not take non newe master tyle &yogh;e refuse hys seruyse. Remembyre þat &yogh;owr lyuelod may be set in soche a rule þat &yogh;e may knowe how yttys and wat is owy[[ng]] to &yogh;ow, fore be my feythe I haue holppyn as mysche as I may, and more, sauyng my-sylfe. And therefore take hede ere yt be weers. Thys letter was begune on Fryday was vij nythe and enddyd thys day nexte afftyre Mykylmes Day. God kepe &yogh;ow and &yogh;eue &yogh;ow grace to do as we[[le]] as I woold &yogh;e dede. And I scharge &yogh;ow be ware þat &yogh;e sette no lond to morgage, fore yf any auyse &yogh;ow there-to they arn not &yogh;owr frenddys. Be ware be tymes [be] myn a-vyse, &c. I trow yowr brothere wy[[lle send]] &yogh;ow tydyngys in haste.