Thomas Denyes to John Paston

454

THOMAS DENYES TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my maister Paston.

I LOWLY recomaund me to your maistership, thankyng
     you as a pouer man may do his maister for soccuryng
     my wyf, which I wete wele is wo begone; praying you
for love of our Lord Jhesu Criste to take no displesir though
I not sent ne wrote to you herbeforn in this troble that I haf.
For parde ye may conceyve that I was besy j nogh to shifft
my self til now. Truly the noise cam sodeynly and I was
withynne the walles of your Cite, God sauf the governour
therof, for he was besy to trappe me, more besy than he wole
be a know, et per fenestram in sporta dimissus sum per murum, et

sic effugi manus ejus; but he shal abye, by God, if I lyf, for
serchyng myn house. And, Sir, as for the fals noise, sauf
your reverence, that he leyth on me and on tweyn servauntz
of myn, he lyeth falsly, your reverence savid; for I may haf
an C. persones notable and thrifty, whan tyme comyth, that
wole prove and make good by every meane, that my servauntz,
which he nameth, wer that same our at Brisle which is thens
more than xvj. myle, and that the same our and the same day
and a greet space bothe beforn and afftir. But ever I besech
your maistership of contynuaunce, and that ye like to do my
wif help and comfort in hir dissese; for if she wer not, God
knowith, I shuld soone shyfft. And truly I haf no thought
ne sorwe but for hir. Wherfore I beseche you lowly for His
love that all socourith and susteyneth to be good maister and
comfort to her. It shal not be long to but that I shall send
to hir to labour hir to other place, as for ony thyng touchyng
me ellis but that. I pray you also, if the boy that is hurt dey,
to meve your tenauntz in that hundrid wher he was bete to do
for me and myn; ellis can I not desire ne write at this tyme
for lak of remembraunce, for I am not yet myn own man.
Besechyng yow alwey of good maistership, for Almyghty God
knowith that the mater was falsly begunne on me and usurie
it is and acursid, so wold our Lord I never had knowyn it;
but sith I delid therwith I myght never reche it to handle
the mater to trouth or reson. Wherfore I am compellid to
do therwith unresonably. But, gentill Sir, socour my wif, and
be not displesid with me, and than shal I do wele with Goddis
mercy, Who Almyghty preserve yow for His mercy. Wretyn
onavised, &c.

     I pray you socour my wif, for she is wedow yet for me,
and shal be til more is done, sith I se that neyther plee, trety
ne werre may make my peas; for I leve hir undir your pro-
teccion til I write to hir to go thens, which shal be hastily, I
suppose, praying you to be alwey hir good maister, for I
purpose not to se hir of a while, though she remeve. Wrete
with sorwfull hert, &c.—Yours,                                    DENYES.

     ¹ [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 175.] The date of this letter is probably a little earlier
than that of the next (No. 455).

1461
APRIL(?)

XLIX

A.D. 1461, April?

THOMAS DENYES TO JOHN PASTON

[Add. MS. 34,888, f. 175]

The date of this letter is probably a little earlier than that of No. 389.

To my maister Paston.

ILOWLY recomaund me to your maistership,
     thankyng you as a pouer man may do his
     maister for soccuryng my wyf, which I wete
     wele is wo begone; praying you for love of
our Lord Jhesu Criste to take no displesir though I
not sent ne wrote to you herbeforn in this troble
that I haf. For parde ye may conceyve that I was
besy j nogh to shifft my self til now. Truly the noise
cam sodeynly and I was withynne the walles of your
Cite, God sauf the governour therof, for he was besy
to trappe me, more besy than he wole be a know, et
per fenestram in sporta dimissus sum per murum, et
sic effugi manus ejus; but he shal abye, by God, if I
lyf, for serchyng myn house. And, Sir, as for the
fals noise, sauf your reverence, that he leyth on me
and on tweyn servauntz of myn, he lyeth falsly, your
reverence savid; for I may haf an C. persones notable
and thrifty, whan tyme comyth, that wole prove and
make good by every meane, that my servauntz, which
he nameth, wer that same our at Brisle which is
thens more than xvj. myle, and that the same our
and the same day and a greet space bothe beforn
and afftir. But ever I besech your maistership of
contynuaunce, and that ye like to do my wif help
and comfort in hir dissese; for if she wer not, God
knowith, I shuld soone shyfft. And truly I haf no
thought ne sorwe but for hir. Wherfore I beseche
you lowly for His love that all socourith and
susteyneth to be good maister and comfort to her.
It shal not be long to but that I shall send to hir to
labour hir to other place, as for ony thyng touchyng
me ellis but that. I pray you also, if the boy that is
hurt dey, to meve your tenauntz in that hundrid
wher he was bete to do for me and myn; ellis can I
not desire ne write at this tyme for lak of remem-
braunce, for I am not yet myn own man. Besechyng
yow alwey of good maistership, for Almyghty God
knowith that the mater was falsly begunne on me
and usurie it is and acursid, so wold our Lord I
never had knowyn it; but sith I delid therwith I
myght never reche it to handle the mater to trouth
or reson. Wherfore I am compellid to do therwith
unresonably. But, gentill Sir, socour my wif, and
be not displesid with me, and than shal I do wele
with Goddis mercy, Who Almyghty preserve yow for
His mercy. Wretyn onavised, &c.

     I pray you socour my wif, for she is wedow yet for
me, and shal be til more is done, sith I se that
neyther plee, trety ne werre may make my peas; for
I leve hir undir your proteccion til I write to hir to
go thens, which shal be hastily, I suppose, praying
you to be alwey hir good maister, for I purpose not
to se hir of a while, though she remeve. Wrete with
sorwfull hert, &c.—Yours,                             DENYES.