Robert Lethum to John Paston

459

ROBERT LETHUM TO JOHN PASTON¹

A tres reverent Sire, John Paston, Esquier, demouraunt
ou lostell le Roy soit d[onne].

RIGHT worshipfull sir, I recomaund me to you. And,
     sir, yesterday I resceived of you a lettre from oure
     sovereign lord the Kyng directe to John Fulman,
dyvers othir, and me, by the quych, for certeyn causes that
meved hym, and for the well and save gard of his person and
this his realme, he desired we chuld fynd men for kepyng of
the see. I said to you that I hade beyn dyvers tymes spoled
and robbed, as ye have herd, and also gretely vexed and sued
to me [my] unportab[l]e [charges];² nevir the les, to my pouer,
with my body and my gode, I chall be redy to do hym servyce in
resistyng his enmyse and rebelles. Also I said I dwelled uppon
the cost of the see here, and be langage hit were more necessare
to with hold men here than take men from hit. The said the
Kyng hade wreton to dyvers persones here quych hade promysed
men, queruppon I promysed a man, quych chall be redy at such
tyme I have knowelege quere the shippyng chall be, to waite
uppon yow, or quane the Kyng comaundes. I write to you of
my promyse as ye comaund me, and pray you I may have a
copy of the said lettre. And I pray Godd kepe you. Wrete
at Plumsted on the Fest of Seynt Gervaise and Prothase.³

                                              Your,                         ROBT. LETHUM.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As we find by the last letter that John Paston was
with the King in the beginning of June 1461, this may with great probability be
attributed to the same year.            ² Omitted in MS.                 ³ 19th June.

1461
JUNE 19