John Paston to Sir John Paston

802

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON⁴

RYGHT worchefull syr, I recomande me to yow, sertyfy-
     ing yow that I was purposyd to have com to London
     to have made my pese with my Lady of Norffolk,
but I undyrstand she is not in London; notwithstandyng that
is no cause of myn abydyng at hom, but thys is the cause, so
God help me,—I can get no mony, neythyr of your lyvelod
ner of myn, to pay for my costes, nor for to ease yow with at
my comyng. Notwithstandyng I am promysyd som at Snayle-
well, and if so be that John can take eny ther, he shall bryng
it yow with this bylle. I send yow here ij. of my reknynges
that I have receyved and payd syn I delt with yowr lyvelod,
and by thes ij. and by that reknyng that I sent yow to Lon-
don ye may know what is receyved by me, and what I have
payid; and howgh and when so evyr ye wyll let your ten-
auntes and fermours at alle plasys be examynd, ye shalle fynd
it non othyr wyse. So God help me, as your lyvelod is payid,
it cannot paye your dettes in thys contre; for it drawyth up
on a xli. that ye owe yet in thys contre, besyd the xiili. to
Dawbney; and with in thes vij. dayis I shall send yow a clere
byll what ye owe, for ther are axyid many thynges that I
knewe not of when I was with yow.

     Also I enswyr yow by my trowthe I saw my modyr nevyr
sorer mevyd with no mater in hyr lyve then she was when she
red the byll that ye gave me warnyng in that Perker had
atainyd an axyon ayenst yow and me, for she supposyth veryly
that it is doon by myn oncyll William meanys, to mak yow to
sell your lond. But thys she comandyd me for to send yow
word, that and ye sell eny lond, but paye your dettes with
syche good as my Lord Archebyshopp owyth yow, and eny
law in Inglond can put fro yow eny of hyr lond, she sweryth
by that feyth that she owyth to God she wyll put fro yow
dobyll as myche lond as ye selle. And therfor I wold avyse
yow, calle sharply upon my Lord, the Archebyshop, for ye ar
not bond to undo your sylf for hym.

     Item, I pray yow se that I tak no hurt by Parker. As
for myn oncyll W., I can not mak hym to send you the byll
of syche stuff as he hathe of yowrs. He seyth he woll, but he
comyth no of with it.¹ He and I ar fowly fallyn owght thys
same day for a mater betwyx Lovell and Johne Wallsam and
hyr sustyr. Lovell hathe bowt Jone Walshamys part of hyr
lyvelod, and maryd hyr to a knave, and myn oncyll W. hathe
oft spok with my modyr and me for to delyver Jone Wals-
hamys evydence to Lovell, whyche I have in kepyng; and be
cause I wyll not delyver Lovell the evydence therfor we fy11
owt, in so myche that he seyth he wyll stryppe me fro the
maner of Sweynsthorpe. Wherfor I pray yow in eny wyse
send me by John Mylsend a copye of the deed that I sent yow
to London. Ther is in the same deed Gresham and Snayle-
well, and Sporle and Sweynsthorpe, alle to gedyr I trow. And
I prey yow let the date and the feoffeys namys, and alle be set
in. And I trust to God to mak yt so sewyr that he shall do
me lytyll harm. Gefrey Spyrlyng callyth oft up on me to
undyrstand how ye wyll delle with hym for hys plase in Nor-
wyche. I pray you send me woord by John what answer
I may geve hym; he delyth alwey ryght frendly with yow.

     Item, I send yow here wyth Jamys Greshamys oblygacyon.

     Item, I pray yow send serteyn woorde how the world
gothe.

     Wretyn the xxv. day of May.                                              J. P.

Endorsed—John Paston.

     ⁴ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter seems to have been written in 1472,
when, as before observed, the Pastons were endeavouring to make peace with the
Duke of Norfolk by means of the Duchess. The date is confirmed by the reference
to James Gresham’s obligation at the end. Compare last No. There is no address
on the back.

¹ So in MS.

MAY 25

1472
MAY 25