TO JOHN PASTON II 1472,  11, 
24  
To master Syr John Paston, knyght. 
Ryght worchepfull syr, I recomand me to yow, thankyng yow most 
hertly of your dylygence and cost whyche ye had in gettyng of the hawk 
whyche ye sent me, for well I wot your labore and trowbyll in that mater 
was as myche as thow she had ben the best of the world. But so God 
help me, as ferforthe as the most connyng estragers that euer I spak wyth 
can jmagyn, she shall neuer serue but to ley eggys, for she is bothe a 
mwer de haye and also she hathe ben so brooseid wyth cariage of fowle 
that she is as good as lame in boothe hyr leggys, as euery man may se at 
jee; wherfor all syche folk as haue seen hyr auyse me to cast hyr in-to 
some wood wher as I wyll haue hyr to eyer. But I wyll do ther-in as ye 
wyll, whedyr ye wyll I send hyr yow a-yen or cast hyr in Thorp wood 
and a tarsell wyth hyr, for I woot wher on js. But now I dar no more put 
yow to the cost of an hawke; but for Godys sak, and ther be eny tersell 
or good chep goshawk that myght be gotyn, that the berer herof may 
haue hyr to bryng me. And I ensuer yow be my trowthe ye shall haue 
Dollys and Browne bonde to paye yow at Kandyllmas the pryse of the 
hawke. Now, and ye haue as many ladyse as ye wer wont to haue, I 
reqwere yow for hyr sake that ye best loue of theym alle, onys trowbyll 
yowr-syllf for me in thys mater, and be owght of my clamor. 
Item, as for the ryng, it is delyuerd, but I had as gret peyn to 
make hyr take it as euer I had in syche a mater; but I haue promyseid 
yow to be hyr knyght, and she hathe promyseid me to be more at yowr 
comandment then at eny knyghtys in Inglond, my lord reseruyd, and that 
ye shall well vnderstand if ye haue owght to do wherin she may be an 
helper, for ther was neuer knyght dyd so myche cost on hyr as ye haue 
doo. I meruayll that I her no woord of the lettyrs that my lord 
Chamberleyn shold send to my lord and my lady for Caster. It is best 
that my lord  
Chamberleyn wryght to my lady by som preuy tokyn betwyx theym and 
let a man of hys com wyth the lettrys. My lord Chamberleyn may speed 
wyth my lady what maters he wyll, sauyng thd gret mater, and if ye 
inbyll me for a solysitor, I shalbe a vouster comandment a touz iours. 
Item, me thynkyth that ye do euyll that ye go not thorowgh wyth 
my lady of Suffolk for Heylysdon and Drayton, for ther shold growe 
mony to yow whyche wold qwyte yow ayenst R. T. and all other, and 
set yow befor for euer. I prey yow, for your ease and all others to yow 
ward, plye thes maters. As for all othe[r] thyngys, I shall send yow an 
answer when I com to Norwyche, whyche shall be on Thorsday, wyth 
Godys grace. I haue teryd her at Framly[n]gham thys s[e]uennyght, for 
[my] lady took not hyr chambyr tyll yersterday. A dewe. Wretyn on 
Seynt Kateryns Euyn. J. P. I sye the pye and herd it spek, and be God it 
is not worthe a crowe. It is fer wers then ye wend. Be God, it wer 
shame to kep it in a cage.