Sir John Fastolf to John Paston, ESQ

276

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON, ESQ.¹

To myn ryght weel beloved cosyn, John Paston, Squier.

   WORSHIPFULL cosyn, I recomaunde me to yow.
     And lyke yow to wete that at this tyme I sende
     to yow myn welbeloved frende and servant, Sir
Thomas Howys, to have youre good councell and advyse how
and in what wyse he may best be demened there at this tyme
in his yeldyng to the Sheref upon his exigend, wheche is and
shal be v. tymes called as on Monday next comyng, as I
understande; and, the same by good and discrete advyse con-
cluded and sette in a good weye by sewertes found to appere at
London the day of the retorn of the wrytte or otherwyse, that
thenne if ye thenke hit be to do’n [to do], ye lyke to take upon
yow to comon with myne Lord of Norwyche,² recomaundyng
me to hys good and tender Lordship, and declaryng to hym
how and in what wyse the seyd Sir Thomas was demened in
the oyer and determyner, and sethe how he hath wrongously and
with ought cause be vexed by John Andrews and other, and
greetly trowbled, wherupon this atteynt now is grownded, in
such wyse as ye thenk best to be done; and that his Lordship
by youre medyacion here after geve not any favore to any
persone or persones on myne contrarye partye for any synystre
informacion geven other wyse than the trought in the mater
shal require, as he shal weel understande by youre good
reporte, for ye know the same mater weel. Wherfore, cosyn,
I praye yow that ye wole tender the same for the weel and
good speed therof, as myne syngler trust is in yow. And the
blessed Trinyte preserve yow to his pleaser.

     In hast, at Castre, the xxix. day of Marche.

                                      Youre,                 JOHN FASTOLF, Chr.

     Item, cosyn, I sende youre a lettre to delyver to myne
seyd Lord with a copye of the same, wheche I praye yow to
se, and if ye thenk hit be to do’n, delyveret [deliver it] youre
self, &c., to th’entent he myght know the disposicion of the
pepul how they be sette, &c.; for he weel advertysed in this
mater shalbe a greet supporter of trought in this be half, for
the partye contrarye wole do’n that they can to labore the
jure, and don to have theym rewled after theyr entent and
contrary to trought; wheche mater I remytte ondly to youre
ryght wyse discrecion.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The reference here made to the process of attaint,
which Fastolf had resolved to sue in November 1454 (see No. 268), shows that this
letter must belong to the month of March following. It is written in Barker’s hand.

     ² I suspect ‘Norwyche’ is here a slip of the pen, and that ‘my Lord of Norfolk’
was intended.

1455
MARCH 29

1455
MARCH 29