TO JOHN PASTON III 1473,  04, 
12  
To John Paston, esquiere. 
Best belovyd brother, I recomand me on-to yow, letyng yow weet 
þat i receyuyd on Wednysday last past yow[r] angry lettre 
towchyng the troble þat Sandre Kok is in, wherin I haue largely 
comonyd wyth John Russe and advysed hym to take a curteys weye wyth 
Sandre for yowre sake and myn. He seythe he wold nott dysplease yow 
by hys wyll, and that he purposythe to entrete yow and wolde deserue it 
to yowe. He vndrestod þat ye had large langage to þe jurye 
þat passyd ageyn Saundre. I lete hym weete þat ye weere 
wrothe, and that he shall nowther please yow nere me but iff he dele 
curteyslye wyth Saundre. I tolde hym as fore the condempnacion vppon 
the accion off trespasse, I thoght it nowthere good ner worshypffull. 
Also I haue wretyn to þe person off Maultby to dele curteyslye 
wyth Sawndre iff he woll please yow ore me. Item, I sende yow 
herwythe the supercedyas fore Saundre so that, 
iff ye fynde any meane for the condempnacions, þat than ye maye 
ease therwyth the suerté off pease. John Russe, as I suppose, is 
att home thys daye. Item, as for tydynges heere, the Kynge rydeth 
fresselye thys daye to Northamton warde, there to be thys Esterne; and 
afftre Esterne he purposythe to be moche at Leysettre and in Leysettre 
shyre. Euery man seythe þat we shall have adoo ore Maye passe. 
Hogan the prophet is in the Towre.  
He wolde fayne speke wyth þe Kyng, but the Kynge seythe he 
shall not avaunt þat euyre he spake wyth hym. Item, as fore 
me, I most nedys to Caleyse warde to-morowe. I shall be heere ageyn iff 
I maye thys next terme. John Myryell, Thyrston, and W. Woode be 
goon from me, I shrewe them. My modre dothe me moore harme than 
good. I wende she wolde haue doon for me. Playter wroot to me 
þat she wolde haue leyde owt for me c li. and receyuyd it ageyn 
in v yere off the maner off Sporle, wherto I trustyd; whyche iff she had 
perfformyd I had nott ben in no juparté off the maner off Sporle. 
Neuerthelesse i shall do whatt I kan, yit I preye yow calle vppon hyre 
fore the same; remembre hyre off that promyse. Item, I preye 
yow remembre hyre for my fadrys tombe at Bromholme. She dothe ryght 
nott; I am afferde off hyre þat she shall nott doo weell. 
Bedyngffelde shall mary Syr John Skottys doghtre, as I suppose. 
Item, Janore Lovedaye shall be weddyd to on Denyse, a fuattyd 
gentylman wyth Syr G.Brown, nowther to weell ner to ylle. Item, 
as for me, iff I had hadd vj dayes leyser more than I hadd, and other 
also, I wolde haue hopyd to haue ben delyueryd off Mestresse Anne 
Hault. Hyr frendys the Quyen and Att[[cl]]if agreyd to comon and 
conclude wyth me iff I can fynde the meanys to dyscharge hyre 
concyence, whyche I trust to God to doo. Item, I praye yow that 
ye take a leysere thys Estern halydayes to ryde to Sporle and sende for 
John Osberne, and I wolde ye sholde conclude a bergayn wyth on 
Bochere, a woode byere, whyche Mendham þat was my fermore 
there can fecche hym to yow. And thys is myn entent. I wolde haue the 
dykys to stonde stylle acordyng as John Osberne and I comonyd, I trow 
xij foothe wyth-in the dyke. Item, þat þe standardys 
off suche mesure as he and I comonyd off maye also be reseruyd; I 
suppose it was xxx inche abowt a yerde from the grownde. Item, 
that it be surely fencyd at þe cost off þe woode byere in 
any wyse wyth a sure hedge, bothe hyghe and stronge. Item, that 
there be a weye taken wyth the fermorys fore the vndrewood so 
þat I lesse nott the ferme therffore yerly. Item, John Osbern can 
telle yow the meanys howe to entrete the fermorys, for Herry Halman 
hathe pleyed the false shrowe and fellyd my woode vppon a tenement off 
myn to þe valew off xx m[a]rke, as it is tolde me. I praye yow 
enquire that matre and sende me worde, and dele wyth hym ther-afftre. 
 
Item, iff the seyde wood, clere above all chargys excep as is 
above, be made any better than cc m[a]rke I woll seye that ye be a good 
huswyff. John Osberne seythe þat he woll doo me a frendys turne 
ther-in and yitt gete hym-selff an hake-neye. Memorandum that he haue 
nott past iij ore iiij yere off vutraunce at þe ferthest. Item, 
that I haue payement off the holl as shortly as ye kan, halffe in hande, 
the remenant at halffe yeere ore ellys at ij tymes wyth-in on yere at 
þe ferthest by Mydsomere xij monyth. And that ye make no 
ferthere bergayn than Sporle woode and the lawnde, not delyng wyth 
noon other woode nowther in the maner nor ellys wher in non other 
tenement. Item, that ye haue sufficient sewerté for the 
monye, wyth penaltés iff nede be, som othere men bonden wyth 
hym for the payement. Item, I wolle well be bownde to waraunt it 
to hym. Item, I sende yow herwyth a warant to yow and John Osberne 
joyntlye to bergayn, comone, and conclude that bergayn. Item, I 
suppose he woll, iff he conclude wyth yow, desyre to felle thys Maye 
and I to haue mony soon afftre. I reke not thowe he fellyd not tyll thys 
wynter, but iff he woll nedys begyn thys Maye, therffor I wryght yow 
thus hastelye. Entrete hym iff ye can that he felle not tyll wynter. 
Item, be ware howe ye bergeyn so þat he felle nott butt in 
sesonable tyme and sesonable wood, for he maye felle no vndrewood 
thys Maye, as I trowe. Item, as for yowre costys late th[[..]] newe 
fynde yow mete and I woll allow it them, ore ellys make me a bylle 
what it dra[[...]]nce yow. Item, I praye yow iff ye g[[...]] for me 
as ye can. I made my lady heer but easy cheer; neuerthelesse I gaff hyre 
[[...]]ys. I promysed hyre to purueye hyre a[[...]] weselys, but I was 
deseyuyd; yit I wend to haue had on. My lord of Norffolk hathe ben 
mevyd for Caster by my lord Cardenall and the Bysshop off Wynchester, 
but it woll take non effecte [[...]]y lady com. God gyff grace þat 
she brynge auctoryté when she comythe thys next terme to 
common ther-in and conclude, and so I prey yow advyse hyre. Itt may 
haply paye for hyre costys.  
Nomore to yow, but wretyn at London the xij daye off apryll ao E. iiijti 
xiijo. I sende yow herwyth ij letteris from John Osbern to me, wherby 
and by hys billes ye may vndrestond þe verry valewe off the 
wood. I praye yow sende me wryghtyng ageyn by the Mondaye vij nyght 
afftre Estern. Iff Hoxon ore the goode man off the Goot haue it they 
shall conveye it to me.