TO MARGARET PASTON OR JOHN PASTON III 1472, 11, 22 To Mestresse Margret Paston, or to John Paston, esquiere, or to Roose dwyllyng affore ther gate to delyuer to them. Please it yow to weete þat I have opteyned letterys from the Kynge to my lorde off Norffolke, to my lady off Norffolke, and to ther concell, whyche letter to there concell is nott superscrybyd for cawse we wyst nott serteyn whyche off the councell sholde be present when the massengere cowme, I therffor thynke þat thoos namys most be somwhatt by yowre advyce, and for-get nott Gornaye, nor yitt Brome, iff ye thynke so best, nor Sowthewelle. I trust to my cosyn Gornaye and on-to Brom and Barnard in cheffe, and as to Bernarde brothere I praye yow to take hys advyce, for I hope he is my welwyller, as ye know; and iffe he do me parffyght ease in thys mater I thynke verrely in tyme to come to gyff hym xx scutys, and yit a goode turne whan so euer it lythe in my power. The Kynge hathe specially doon for me in thys case and hathe pitte me, and so have þe lordys, in ryght greete comfort þat iff thys fayle þat I shalle haue ondelayed justyce; and he hathe sente a man off worshyp and in greet favore wyth hym on thys massage, whyche hathe nott offte ben seyne, whyche gentylman kan well do hys mastrys massage and brynge trywe reporte. I have gevyn hym v li. for hys costys; God sende hym and yow goode spede in thees werkys. I feere thatt he shall nott speke wyth my lady, for þat she hathe takyn hyre chambre. Iff she be my verry goode ladye, as she hathe seyde hertoffore þat she wolde be, I hope þat she wolle speke wyth hym. Neuerthelesse I praye yow by the meanys off Mestresse Jahne Rothen that [ye] will have my ladye mevyd fore me, and wher þat herre-to-fore I wolde have departyd wyth c m[a]rke to have hadde hyre goode helpe and to be restoryd to my place, whyche nott acceptyd I tolde my seyde lady þat I feeryd þat my power sholde natt be ther-afftre to gyff so large a plesyre; for at þat tyme I was in hope þat the Bysshop off Wynchester sholde have payd it, thoghe it hadde drawen a c li. Yit, for as moche as men may nott lure none hawkys wyth empty handys, I wolde yitt agré to gyffe my lady xx li. for an horse and a sadell so þat I be restoryd to my place, and thatt doone to have a relesse off my lorde and my gounys and bokys to be restoryd iff it maye bee. Neuerthelesse thys mony is nott yit redy wyth me. I remytte thys to yowre dyscressyonys. Item, iff it be soo þat itt be thowte behovefull, I thynke þat thoghe nowthere Slyfelde nore ye, brother John, maye come in-to my ladyes chambre, þat my moodre, iff she weer at Norwyche, she myght speke wyth hyre, for þat she is a woman and off worshyppe. I thynke þat my moodre sholde meve my lady moche. I thynke þat ther most be som body for me havyng auctoryté to conclude for me, or ellys knowyng myn entente; ellys they myght make delaye, and seye they wolle at þe Kyngys enstance comon wyth me, neuer the lesse I was nott ther present. Wherffor, rather than fayle yff neede be I wolle wyth-owte any abode iff I heere from yow come home, and Slyfelde is agreyd to tary the[r] a vij nyghte for my sake so þat the mater take effecte. I praye yow make hym goode cheere, and iff it be so that he tarye, I most remembre hys costys. Therffor iff I shall be sent for and he tery at Norwyche ther-whylys it wer best to sette hys horse at þe Maydes Hedde, and I shalle content for ther expencys. Item, ye maye largely sey on my behalve for suche servyse þat I sholde do to my lorde and lady hereaffter, whyche by my trowthe I thynke to doo. Neuerthelesse to sey þat I woll be hys sworyn man, I was neuer yitt lordys sworyn man, yit have I doone goode seruyce and nott leffte any at hys most neede nere for feere. But as Gode helpe me I thynke my lady shalle have my servyce a-bove any lady erthely, wheche she scholde weell have knowyn had I been in suche case as I hadde nott been alweye þe werse welkome for that on off myn herandys alweye was vndrestande þat it was for Caster, whyche was nott acceptable and I euyre the werse welkome. Item, brother, I ame concludyd wyth my lorde for yow þat ye shalle be at Caleys iff ye list, and have iij men in wagys vndre yow, wheroff my lorde seythe þat William Lovedaye most be on tyll tyme þat he have purveyd othere rome for hym. Iff ye be dysposyd to goo, as I tolde hym þat ye weer, yitt wer it nott best þat ye lete it be knowe tyll thys mater be doone, and than ye maye acordyng to yowre promyse lete my ladye have knowleche ther-off. Neuer þe lesse my lorde shall be here wyth-in xx dayes or ther-abowt; iff ye come thys weye ye maye speke wyth hym. Neuer the lesse ye shall nott lose no tyme iff ye weer at Caleys at thys owre, for my lorde promysed me þat he wolde wryght to Elkenhed, þe tresorer at Caleys, for yow by the next massenger thatt went. Item, ther hathe Perauntys wyffe wryte to me þat Bernaye seruyth hyre onkyndely. He owythe hyre xxxij s. and she is in noon hope þat euyre he woll come ther ageyn. Sende me worde iff he wyll. He shall nott lyff so weell and trywly to-geedr, I trowe, but iff he goo thyddre. I hadde comen home butt þat I ame nott yitt verrely purveyd for payment for my oncle William þe xxvj daye off thys mony[th], and he dothe me harme he delythe so oncurteysly wyth Towneshende, for he wille nott yitt paye hym the c m[a]rke payeable att Halowmesse whyche he hadde a monythe affore; wherffor I feere þat Towneshende wille nott do for me ageyn. I shall doo as I kan. Wretyn on Sondaye next Seynt Clement. John Paston, K.