Paston was misinformed at to what Sperlyng said of his late master's will....

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ABSTRACT¹

G. SPERLYNG TO JOHN PASTON

     Paston was misinformed as to what Sperlyng said of his late master’s² will.
What he said was that about Hallowmas was twelvemonth he was about eight
weeks with his said master, who one day examined him about the conveyance
of his lands, and said there was no man of worship in Norfolk had so many
auditors as he, yet he could never get the certainty how his livelode was dis-
posed; but he had found a means to be quiet, ‘whereof,’ he said, ‘I am as
glad as a man had geve me 1000 mark,’ by granting his cousin Paston all his
livelode in Norfolk and Suffolk, on condition he should amortise sufficient lands
to maintain a master and six secular priests at Castre. Paston was to take the
risk of any counter claim and trouble hereafter, etc.

     Norwich, Epiphany Day.

     [The date of this letter must be 1460, as it is after Fastolf’s death, and speaks of
a conversation the writer had with him about the management of his lands a twelve-
month before Hallowmas preceding the date of the letter. At Hallowmas 1459 Sir
John was dying, and quite unable to support any conversation for want of breath, so
that the reference must be to Hallowmas 1458.]

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     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]                                                   ² Sir John Fastolf.

1460
JAN. 6