TO JOHN PASTON III 1473,  05, 
18  
To John Paston, esquyer, in Norwyche. 
Ryght wershypffull brother, I recomand me to yow, letyng yow 
weet þat I receyuyd a lettre yisterdaye þat com fro yow, 
wretyn the viij daye off Maye, wherby I vndrestond þat the troble 
þat John Osberne has had hathe lettyd the bargeyn off the woode 
in Sporle, wheroff I make no grett forse so þat it maye be weell 
her-afftre. And as for John Osbernes beyng here, I heere no worde off 
hym. I wolde be glad to weet ones what I weer the rycher fore that 
woode. Item, I thynke, iff I haue leysere, to com and speke wyth 
my moodre. Bothe she and Playtere haue promysed me so largely 
þat it is shame for  
them to goo balke wyth it; and iff she wolde helpe me as she hathe 
promysed, þan all shall be weell. Sende me worde what wey ye 
haue taken for Saundre Cok. Ye weere at Yarmothe---on Nycoll, a man 
off R. Racclyffys, tolde me þat he spake wyth yow there, and 
þat ye promysed hym to haue sende me a letter by hym, but ye 
dyd nott. As for tydyngys, the Erle off Wylshyre and the Lord 
Sudelé be ded, and it was seyd þat Syr W. Stanlé 
was deed, but now it is seyd naye. As for W. Melsent, I woll nott haue 
hym but iff he had goon from yow, as it was tolde me that he was. As 
for Burgeys, iff I haue verry greet nede I shall sende yow worde; feell 
hys dysposicion and sende me worde by Juddy. Item, as for 
Master John Smythe, he delys harde wyth me. Late Juddy receyue off 
hym what he can geet; a marke is passyng lytell fo[r] vj m[a]rke. 
Item, the Fryres heer most be remembryd for there xx s. 
þat he bargayned for hy[s] grownde there, also a stoon for hym. 
Take what ye maye and afftre thatt cometh more. Item, as for 
Fastolff, he is nott curteyse. I praye yow deell wyth hym ther-afftre. Axe 
it as on-curteysly iff ye mete wyth hym. Item, I preye yow 
remembre the mater off John Kendall, so þat I maye haue a goode 
astate and relesys in my lond in Fylbye. Inquire afftre goode amblyng 
horse. Item, as for yowre goyng to Seyn James, I beleve it but 
atwyen ij. Item, John Osbern com to town thys afftre-non, and 
ryght now I spake wyth hym. He promysed me to doo þat in hym 
lythe when he comythe hom, whyche shall be in all hast, as he seythe. 
He wyll depart homwardys to-morow.. I herd seye that a man was thys 
daye examyned and he conffessed þat he knewe greet tresore was 
sende to þe Erle off Oxenfford, wheroff a ml li. sholde be 
conveyd by a monke of Westminster and som sey by a monke off 
Chartrehows. Item, that the same man schulde acuse c gentylmen 
in Norffolk and Suffolk þat have agreyd to assyst the seyd Erle at 
hys comyng thyddre, whyche as itt is seyd sholde be wyth-in viij dayes 
afftre Seynt Donston, iff wynde and weddre serffe hym---flyeng tales. 
No more at thys tyme, but God haue yow in kepyng. Wretyn at London 
on Seynt Donstones Daye, þe xviij daye off Maye ao E. iiijti 
xiijo. John Paston, K.