  
TO MARGARET PASTON OR JOHN PASTON III 1472,  11, 22  
To Mestresse Margret Paston, or to John Paston, esquiere, or to 
Roose dwyllyng affore ther gate to delyuer to them. 
Please it yow to weete &thorn;at I have opteyned letterys from the 
Kynge to my lorde off Norffolke, to my lady off Norffolke, and to ther 
concell, whyche letter to there concell is nott superscrybyd for cawse we 
wyst nott serteyn whyche off the councell sholde be present when the 
massengere cowme, I therffor thynke &thorn;at thoos namys most be 
somwhatt by yowre advyce, and for-get nott Gornaye, nor yitt Brome, iff 
ye thynke so best, nor Sowthewelle. I trust to my cosyn Gornaye and 
on-to Brom and Barnard in cheffe, and as to Bernarde brothere I praye 
yow to take hys advyce, for I hope he is my welwyller, as ye know; and 
iffe he do me parffyght ease in thys mater I thynke verrely in tyme to 
come to gyff hym xx scutys, and yit a goode turne whan so euer it lythe 
in my power. The Kynge hathe specially doon for me in thys case and 
hathe pitte me, and so have &thorn;e lordys, in ryght greete comfort 
&thorn;at iff thys fayle &thorn;at I shalle haue ondelayed justyce; and he 
hathe sente a man off worshyp and in greet favore wyth hym on thys 
massage, whyche hathe nott offte ben seyne, whyche gentylman kan well 
do hys mastrys massage and brynge trywe reporte. I have gevyn hym v 
li. for hys costys; God sende hym and yow goode spede in thees werkys. 
I feere thatt he shall nott speke wyth my lady, for &thorn;at she hathe 
takyn hyre chambre. Iff she be my verry goode ladye, as she hathe seyde 
hertoffore &thorn;at she wolde be, I hope &thorn;at she wolle speke 
wyth hym. Neuerthelesse I praye yow by the meanys off Mestresse Jahne 
Rothen that [ye] will have my ladye mevyd fore me, and wher &thorn;at 
herre-to-fore I wolde have departyd wyth c m[a]rke to have hadde hyre 
goode helpe and to be  
restoryd to my place, whyche nott acceptyd I tolde my seyde lady 
&thorn;at I feeryd &thorn;at my power sholde natt be ther-afftre to gyff 
so large a plesyre; for at &thorn;at tyme I was in hope &thorn;at the 
Bysshop off Wynchester sholde have payd it, thoghe it hadde drawen a c 
li. Yit, for as moche as men may nott lure none hawkys wyth empty 
handys, I wolde yitt agr&eacute; to gyffe my lady xx li. for an horse and 
a sadell so &thorn;at I be restoryd to my place, and thatt doone to have 
a relesse off my lorde and my gounys and bokys to be restoryd iff it 
maye bee. Neuerthelesse thys mony is nott yit redy wyth me. I remytte 
thys to yowre dyscressyonys. Item, iff it be soo &thorn;at itt be 
thowte behovefull, I thynke &thorn;at thoghe nowthere Slyfelde nore ye, 
brother John, maye come in-to my ladyes chambre, &thorn;at my 
moodre, iff she weer at Norwyche, she myght speke wyth hyre, for 
&thorn;at she is a woman and off worshyppe. I thynke &thorn;at my 
moodre sholde meve my lady moche. I thynke &thorn;at ther most be 
som body for me havyng auctoryt&eacute; to conclude for me, or ellys 
knowyng myn entente; ellys they myght make delaye, and seye they 
wolle at &thorn;e Kyngys enstance comon wyth me, neuer the lesse I 
was nott ther present. Wherffor, rather than fayle yff neede be I wolle 
wyth-owte any abode iff I heere from yow come home, and Slyfelde is 
agreyd to tary the[r] a vij nyghte for my sake so &thorn;at the mater 
take effecte. I praye yow make hym goode cheere, and iff it be so that 
he tarye, I most remembre hys costys. Therffor iff I shall be sent for and 
he tery at Norwyche ther-whylys it wer best to sette hys horse at 
&thorn;e Maydes Hedde, and I shalle content for ther expencys. 
Item, ye maye largely sey on my behalve for suche servyse 
&thorn;at I sholde do to my lorde and lady hereaffter, whyche by my 
trowthe I thynke to doo. Neuerthelesse to sey &thorn;at I woll be hys 
sworyn man, I was neuer yitt lordys sworyn man, yit have I doone 
goode seruyce and nott leffte any at hys most neede nere for feere. But 
as Gode helpe me I thynke my lady shalle have my servyce a-bove any 
lady erthely, wheche she scholde weell have knowyn had I been in suche 
case as I hadde nott been alweye &thorn;e werse welkome for that on off 
myn herandys alweye was vndrestande &thorn;at it was for Caster, 
whyche was nott acceptable and I euyre the werse welkome. Item, 
brother, I ame concludyd wyth my lorde for yow &thorn;at ye shalle be 
at Caleys iff ye list, and have iij men in wagys vndre yow, wheroff my 
lorde seythe &thorn;at William Lovedaye most be on tyll tyme &thorn;at 
he have purveyd othere rome for hym. Iff ye be dysposyd to goo, as I 
tolde hym &thorn;at ye weer, yitt wer it nott best &thorn;at ye lete it be 
knowe tyll thys mater be doone, and than ye maye acordyng to yowre 
promyse lete my ladye have knowleche ther-off. Neuer &thorn;e lesse 
my lorde shall be here wyth-in xx dayes or ther-abowt; iff ye come thys 
weye ye maye speke wyth hym. Neuer the lesse ye shall nott lose no 
tyme iff ye weer at Caleys at thys owre, for my lorde promysed me 
&thorn;at he wolde wryght to Elkenhed, &thorn;e tresorer at Caleys, for 
yow by the next massenger thatt went. Item, ther hathe Perauntys 
wyffe wryte to me &thorn;at Bernaye seruyth hyre onkyndely. He 
owythe hyre xxxij s. and she is in noon hope &thorn;at euyre he woll 
come ther ageyn. Sende me worde iff he wyll. He shall nott lyff so weell 
and trywly to-geedr, I trowe, but iff he goo thyddre. I hadde comen 
home butt &thorn;at I ame nott yitt verrely purveyd for payment for my 
oncle  
William &thorn;e xxvj daye off thys mony[th], and he dothe me harme 
he delythe so oncurteysly wyth Towneshende, for he wille nott yitt paye 
hym the c m[a]rke payeable att Halowmesse whyche he hadde a monythe 
affore; wherffor I feere &thorn;at Towneshende wille nott do for me 
ageyn. I shall doo as I kan. Wretyn on Sondaye next Seynt Clement. 
John Paston, K. 
