John Davy to John Paston

LETTER XXII.

     On to my Maystyr

     Pastone be y' lr

     delyv'ryd.

RYTH wurchopful Sere I recomānd me on to you and iff it
lyke you I have spokyn w^t Bussard and demaūdyd hym
iff he had ony evydens dedys or copyis or ony oyr evydens of ony
place or off ony lyflod y^t longg^t on to my mayst^r and seyth nay
be is Feyth and be is trowthe For if he hadde he wold send hem
on to you w^t a good wyl for he seyth it xud don hym non ese
and fer iff it plese you I askyd hym if he knew ony evydens y^t
he had delyv'ryd on to Will? Wossetyr bill or deds or ony oy^t
evydens y^t xuld longgy on to ony purchas of off ony lyfflod on
to my maystrys and he seyth nay trewly For he seyth y^e last
tyme y^t he wrot on to Will Wusset^r it was be ffor myssomyr and
yāne he wrot acronekyl of Ierewsalem and y^e Jornes y^t my
mayst^r dede whyl he was in Frānce y^t god on is Sowle haue
m^rcy and he seyth y^t y^s drow more yan XX Whaszerys off paper
and y^s wrtyng delyv'ryd on to Will Wursset^r and non oy^r ne
knowyth not off non oy^r be is feyth.

                                        Be yo^r Man
                                                                       J. Davy.

     11 ? by 6 ?.

     This Letter was most probably written in the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.
after the Executors of Sir J. Fastolf had disagreed amongst themselves, and would scarcely
have been worth preserving, but as it mentions ?A Chronicle of Jerusalem,? and ?A
History of the Valiant Acts of Sir John Fastolf.?

    This Bussard appears to have been one of those persons who were employed to tran-
scribe Books before the Art of Printing reached England, and perhaps was likewise con-
cerned in drawing up, as well as in writing, the Account of Sir John Fastolf's Exploits
in France.

     Autograph. Pl. XXV. No 24,

                                                         LETTER XXII.

               Unto my Master Paston, be this Letter delivered.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me unto you, and if
it like you I have spoken with Bussard, and demanded
(asked) him if he had any evidence, deeds, or copies, or any other
evidence of any place, or of any livelihood that longg^t (belong-
eth) unto my master, and (be) faith nay by his faith and by his
truth, for if he had he would send them unto you with a good
will; for he faith, it should do him none ease, (they would be of)
no use to him). And Sir if it please you I asked him if he knew
any evidence that he had delivered unto William Worcester,
bill, or deeds, or any other evidence, that should belong unto any
purchase, or of any livelihood unto my Master's and he faith
nay truly, for he faith the last time that he wrote unto William
Worcester it was before Midsummer and then he wrote ?A
Chronicle of Jerusalem,? and the Jornes (Journess, valiant Ex-
ploits) that my Master (Fastolf) did while he was in France,
that God on his soul have mercy! And he faith that this drew
more than twenty Whazerys (Wases, Bundles, q?) of paper, and
this writing (be) delivered unto William Worcester and none-
other , nor knoweth not of none other by his faith.

                                        By your man,

                                                                             JOHN DAVY.

 Most probably written aster 1460.

         and in the beginning of the reign

         of E. IV.

    This Letter was most probably written in the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.
after the Executors of Sir J. Fastolf had disagreed amongst themselves, and would scarcely
have been worth preserving, but as it mentions ?A Chronicle of Jerusalem,? and ?A
History of the Valiant Acts of Sir John Fastolf.?

    This Bussard appears to have been one of those persons who were employed to tran-
scribe Books before the Art of Printing reached England, and perhaps was likewise con-
cerned in drawing up, as well as in writing, the Account of Sir John Fastolf's Exploits
in France.

     Autograph. Pl. XXV. No 24,

433

JOHN DAVY TO JOHN PASTON¹

On to my Maystyr Pastone, be this lettre delyveryd.

RYTH wurchopful Sere, I recomaund me on to you.
     And iff it lyke you I have spokyn with Bussard, and
     demaundyd hym iff he had ony evydens, dedys, or
copyis, or ony other evydens of ony place or off ony lyflod
that longget on to my mayster,² and seyth, Nay, be is feyth,
and be is trowthe, for, if he hadde, he wold send hem on to
you with a good wyl; for he seyth it xud don hym non ese.
And, Ser, iff it plese you I askyd hym if he knew ony evydens
that he had delyveryd on to William Wossetyr, bill, or deds, or
ony other evydens that xuld longgyn on to ony purchas or off
ony lyfflod on to my maystrys, and he seyth, Nay trewly; for
he seyth the last tyme that he wrot on to William Wusseter,

it was be ffor myssomyr, and thanne he wrot a cronekyl of
Jerewsalem, and the jornes that my mayster dede whyl he was
in Fraunce (that God on his sowle have mercy!); and he
seyth that this drow more than xx. whazerys [20 quires?] off
paper, and the wrytyng delyveryd on to William Wursseter,
and non other, ne knowyth not off non other be is feyth.

                                                Be your man,                J. DAVY.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 78.] This letter was written some time after the death of Sir
John Fastolf—not unlikely, as Fenn imagines, in the reign of Edward IV.; but the
exact date is immaterial.

     ² Sir John Fastolf