John Russe to John Paston

525

JOHN RUSSE TO JOHN PASTON¹

To the right worshypful my right honourabyl mayster,
John Paston.

RIGHT worshipfull sir, and my right honourabill maister,
     I recomaund me to you in my most humble wyse, and
     please your maistirship to wete that her is on Thomas
Chapman, an evyl disposyd man al wey ayens you, as I have
informyd youre maistirship many tymes, and now he hathe
labouryd to my Lord Tresorer to subplante me, and brought
down wryghting from the Kyng and my Lord Tresorer; but
or hise wryting cam, Wydwell fond the meanys, be the suppor-
tacion of Maistir Feen, that we had a discharge for hym out of
the Chauncery; wherfor the seyd Chapman proposyth to be
at London in all haste, and to avertise the Kyng and my Lord
Tresorer ageyn me to the grettest hurt he can imagyne. Wher-
for I beseke youre maystirship, consedryng is evyl disposecion
to yow, and also the rather at my pore instaunce, that ye lyke
that my Lord Tresorer myght undyrstonde that the seyd
Chapman is of no reputacion, but evyl disposyd to brybory of
straungers, and be colour of hise office of supervisor of the
searche shal gretly hurte the port. The seyd Chapman sup-
portors is Blakeney, clerk of the sygnet, and Avery Corn-
burght, yoman of the Kynges chaumbre. He hathe here of
Avereyes xxiiij. tune wyn, whereof at the long wey he shal
make the seyd Averey a lewd rekenyng. The seyd Chapman
lovyth not you, nor no man to yow wards, &c.

     Sir, I prey God brynge you onys to regne amongs youre
cuntre men in love, and to be dred. The lenger ye contynwe
there the more hurt growyth to you. Men sey ye will neyther
folwe the avyse of youre owyn kynred, nor of youre counsell,
but contynwe your owyn wylfullnesse, whiche, but grace be,
shal be youre distrucion. It is my part to enfourme youre
maistirshyp as the comown voyse is, God betir it, and graunt
yow onys herts ease; for it is half a deth to me to here the
generall voyse of the pepyll, whiche dayli encreassyth, &c.

     Sir, I beseke youre maistirshyp to remembre my maystresse
for the lytil sylvir, whiche for serteyn thyngs delyverid to
youre use is dewe to me. I have nede of it now. I have
bought salt and other thyngs, whiche hathe brought me out of
myche sylvir. I wold trust, and I nedyd to borwe xxli., your
maistirshyp wold ease me for a tyme, but thys that I desyre is
myn owyn dute. And Jesu graunt yow ever yowr herts desyre
to youre worshyp and profyt, and preserve yow my right
honourabyll maister from all adversyte.

     Wretyn at Jernemuthe, the xv. day of July. Here is a
kervyl [carvel] of Cane in Normandy, and he takyth Duchemen,
and raunsumyth hem grevously.

                          Yore servaunt and bedman,            JOHN RUSSE.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 120.] The precise year in which this letter was written is
a little uncertain, but from the date and contents it would appear that Russe was now
in possession of the office which in No. 515 he had asked Paston to procure for
him; so that it cannot be earlier than 1462.

JULY 15

1462 (?)
JULY 15