  
TO JOHN PASTON III 1473,  05, 
18  
To John Paston, esquyer, in Norwyche. 
Ryght wershypffull brother, I recomand me to yow, letyng yow 
weet &thorn;at I receyuyd a lettre yisterdaye &thorn;at com fro yow, 
wretyn the viij daye off Maye, wherby I vndrestond &thorn;at the troble 
&thorn;at John Osberne has had hathe lettyd the bargeyn off the woode 
in Sporle, wheroff I make no grett forse so &thorn;at it maye be weell 
her-afftre. And as for John Osbernes beyng here, I heere no worde off 
hym. I wolde be glad to weet ones what I weer the rycher fore that 
woode. Item, I thynke, iff I haue leysere, to com and speke wyth 
my moodre. Bothe she and Playtere haue promysed me so largely 
&thorn;at it is shame for  
them to goo balke wyth it; and iff she wolde helpe me as she hathe 
promysed, &thorn;an all shall be weell. Sende me worde what wey ye 
haue taken for Saundre Cok. Ye weere at Yarmothe---on Nycoll, a man 
off R. Racclyffys, tolde me &thorn;at he spake wyth yow there, and 
&thorn;at ye promysed hym to haue sende me a letter by hym, but ye 
dyd nott. As for tydyngys, the Erle off Wylshyre and the Lord 
Sudel&eacute; be ded, and it was seyd &thorn;at Syr W. Stanl&eacute; 
was deed, but now it is seyd naye. As for W. Melsent, I woll nott haue 
hym but iff he had goon from yow, as it was tolde me that he was. As 
for Burgeys, iff I haue verry greet nede I shall sende yow worde; feell 
hys dysposicion and sende me worde by Juddy. Item, as for 
Master John Smythe, he delys harde wyth me. Late Juddy receyue off 
hym what he can geet; a marke is passyng lytell fo[r] vj m[a]rke. 
Item, the Fryres heer most be remembryd for there xx s. 
&thorn;at he bargayned for hy[s] grownde there, also a stoon for hym. 
Take what ye maye and afftre thatt cometh more. Item, as for 
Fastolff, he is nott curteyse. I praye yow deell wyth hym ther-afftre. Axe 
it as on-curteysly iff ye mete wyth hym. Item, I preye yow 
remembre the mater off John Kendall, so &thorn;at I maye haue a goode 
astate and relesys in my lond in Fylbye. Inquire afftre goode amblyng 
horse. Item, as for yowre goyng to Seyn James, I beleve it but 
atwyen ij. Item, John Osbern com to town thys afftre-non, and 
ryght now I spake wyth hym. He promysed me to doo &thorn;at in hym 
lythe when he comythe hom, whyche shall be in all hast, as he seythe. 
He wyll depart homwardys to-morow.. I herd seye that a man was thys 
daye examyned and he conffessed &thorn;at he knewe greet tresore was 
sende to &thorn;e Erle off Oxenfford, wheroff a ml li. sholde be 
conveyd by a monke of Westminster and som sey by a monke off 
Chartrehows. Item, that the same man schulde acuse c gentylmen 
in Norffolk and Suffolk &thorn;at have agreyd to assyst the seyd Erle at 
hys comyng thyddre, whyche as itt is seyd sholde be wyth-in viij dayes 
afftre Seynt Donston, iff wynde and weddre serffe hym---flyeng tales. 
No more at thys tyme, but God haue yow in kepyng. Wretyn at London 
on Seynt Donstones Daye, &thorn;e xviij daye off Maye ao E. iiijti 
xiijo. John Paston, K.  

