To myn rith wurchipfull broder Jon Paston be þis delyueryd.
Ryth wurchypfull broder, I recomande me to ȝow, desiryng to here of ȝowre willefare. Byllyng þe seriant hathe byn in his contré, and he come to Lundonþis weke. He sent for me and ast me how I fard. I tolde hym here is pestelens, and sayd I farid þe better. He was in good hele, for it was noysyd þat he was ded. A toke me to him and ast how myn suster dede, and I anssweryd wyll, neuer better. He seyd he was wyth the Lord Gray, and they talkyd of j jantilman qweche is ward to myn lord, I remembre he sayd it was Harry Gray that thei talkyd of. And myn lord sayd, 'I was besy wyth-jn þis fewe days to a maryd hym to a jantyll-woman jn Norfolke that schall haue iiij c marc. to hyr mariage, and now a wyll not be me, for iiij c marc. wulde do me hese and now he wulde haue his mariage mony hym-self; and there-fore', quoth he, 'he schall mary hym-self for me.' þis wurdys had myn lord to Byllyng, as he tollde me. He vnderstod þat myn lord laboryd for his owne a-vayle, and consaylyd to byd here be wyse. And I thankkyd hym for hys good consayll.
I sent ȝow an ansswere of ȝowre letter of Ser Jon Fastolf comyng hom, as he told me hem-self. Neuer the lesse he bode lenger than he sayd hym- self he schull a do. He tolde me he schulde make j ende be-twix Skrop and myn suster wulle he is in Norfolke. Many wulde it schulde not preue, for thei say it is an onlykkely mariage. In casse Cressener be talkyd of ony more, he is countyd a jantylmanly man and a wurchepfull. ȝe know ho is most wurchipfull better than I. At the reuerens of Good, drawe to summe conclusyun, it is time.
Myn lord Chanselere come not here sone I come to Lundun, nere myn lord of Jorke. Myn lord of Cantirbury hathe receyued hys crosse, and I was wyth hym in the Kynggys once you know you have found some chamer qwan he mad hys homage. I tolde Harry Wylton þe demenyng betwix the Kyng and hym; it ware to long to wrythe.
As for the prist þat dede areste me, I can not vnderstond þat it is þe pryste þat ȝe mene. Here is gret pestelens. I purpose to fle in-to the contré. Myn lord of Oxforthe is come a-ȝen fro the se and he hath geth hym lytyll thank in this countré. Muche more thyng I wulde wrythe to ȝow, but I lak lysore. Harry Wylton sey the Kyng. Myn lord of Ely hathe do hys fewthé.
God haue ȝow in hys blyssyd kepyng, Wretyn at Lundon on the Fryday be-fore Owre Ladys Day the Natyuité in gret hast. I pray recomand me to myn suster and to myn cosyn Clere.
Be ȝowre broder W. Paston
To myn rith wurchipfull broder Jon Paston be þis delyueryd.
Ryth wurchypfull broder, I recomande me to ȝow, desiryng to here of ȝowre willefare. Byllyng þe seriant hathe byn in his contré, and he come to Lundonþis weke. He sent for me and ast me how I fard. I tolde hym here is pestelens, and sayd I farid þe better. He was in good hele, for it was noysyd þat he was ded. A toke me to him and ast how myn suster dede, and I anssweryd wyll, neuer better. He seyd he was wyth the Lord Gray, and they talkyd of j jantilman qweche is ward to myn lord, I remembre he sayd it was Harry Gray that thei talkyd of. And myn lord sayd, 'I was besy wyth-jn þis fewe days to a maryd hym to a jantyll-woman jn Norfolke that schall haue iiij c marc. to hyr mariage, and now a wyll not be me, for iiij c marc. wulde do me hese and now he wulde haue his mariage mony hym-self; and there-fore', quoth he, 'he schall mary hym-self for me.' þis wurdys had myn lord to Byllyng, as he tollde me. He vnderstod þat myn lord laboryd for his owne a-vayle, and consaylyd to byd here be wyse. And I thankkyd hym for hys good consayll.
I sent ȝow an ansswere of ȝowre letter of Ser Jon Fastolf comyng hom, as he told me hem-self. Neuer the lesse he bode lenger than he sayd hym- self he schull a do. He tolde me he schulde make j ende be-twix Skrop and myn suster wulle he is in Norfolke. Many wulde it schulde not preue, for thei say it is an onlykkely mariage. In casse Cressener be talkyd of ony more, he is countyd a jantylmanly man and a wurchepfull. ȝe know ho is most wurchipfull better than I. At the reuerens of Good, drawe to summe conclusyun, it is time.
Myn lord Chanselere come not here sone I come to Lundun, nere myn lord of Jorke. Myn lord of Cantirbury hathe receyued hys crosse, and I was wyth hym in the Kynggys once you know you have found some chamer qwan he mad hys homage. I tolde Harry Wylton þe demenyng betwix the Kyng and hym; it ware to long to wrythe.
As for the prist þat dede areste me, I can not vnderstond þat it is þe pryste þat ȝe mene. Here is gret pestelens. I purpose to fle in-to the contré. Myn lord of Oxforthe is come a-ȝen fro the se and he hath geth hym lytyll thank in this countré. Muche more thyng I wulde wrythe to ȝow, but I lak lysore. Harry Wylton sey the Kyng. Myn lord of Ely hathe do hys fewthé.
God haue ȝow in hys blyssyd kepyng, Wretyn at Lundon on the Fryday be-fore Owre Ladys Day the Natyuité in gret hast. I pray recomand me to myn suster and to myn cosyn Clere.
Be ȝowre broder W. Paston
To myn rith wurchipfull broder Jon Paston be þis delyueryd.
Ryth wurchypfull broder, I recomande me to ȝow, desiryng to here of ȝowre willefare. Byllyng þe seriant hathe byn in his contré, and he come to Lundonþis weke. He sent for me and ast me how I fard. I tolde hym here is pestelens, and sayd I farid þe better. He was in good hele, for it was noysyd þat he was ded. A toke me to him and ast how myn suster dede, and I anssweryd wyll, neuer better. He seyd he was wyth the Lord Gray, and they talkyd of j jantilman qweche is ward to myn lord, I remembre he sayd it was Harry Gray that thei talkyd of. And myn lord sayd, 'I was besy wyth-jn þis fewe days to a maryd hym to a jantyll-woman jn Norfolke that schall haue iiij c marc. to hyr mariage, and now a wyll not be me, for iiij c marc. wulde do me hese and now he wulde haue his mariage mony hym-self; and there-fore', quoth he, 'he schall mary hym-self for me.' þis wurdys had myn lord to Byllyng, as he tollde me. He vnderstod þat myn lord laboryd for his owne a-vayle, and consaylyd to byd here be wyse. And I thankkyd hym for hys good consayll.
I sent ȝow an ansswere of ȝowre letter of Ser Jon Fastolf comyng hom, as he told me hem-self. Neuer the lesse he bode lenger than he sayd hym- self he schull a do. He tolde me he schulde make j ende be-twix Skrop and myn suster wulle he is in Norfolke. Many wulde it schulde not preue, for thei say it is an onlykkely mariage. In casse Cressener be talkyd of ony more, he is countyd a jantylmanly man and a wurchepfull. ȝe know ho is most wurchipfull better than I. At the reuerens of Good, drawe to summe conclusyun, it is time.
Myn lord Chanselere come not here sone I come to Lundun, nere myn lord of Jorke. Myn lord of Cantirbury hathe receyued hys crosse, and I was wyth hym in the Kynggys once you know you have found some chamer qwan he mad hys homage. I tolde Harry Wylton þe demenyng betwix the Kyng and hym; it ware to long to wrythe.
As for the prist þat dede areste me, I can not vnderstond þat it is þe pryste þat ȝe mene. Here is gret pestelens. I purpose to fle in-to the contré. Myn lord of Oxforthe is come a-ȝen fro the se and he hath geth hym lytyll thank in this countré. Muche more thyng I wulde wrythe to ȝow, but I lak lysore. Harry Wylton sey the Kyng. Myn lord of Ely hathe do hys fewthé.
God haue ȝow in hys blyssyd kepyng, Wretyn at Lundon on the Fryday be-fore Owre Ladys Day the Natyuité in gret hast. I pray recomand me to myn suster and to myn cosyn Clere.
Be ȝowre broder W. Paston
To [mine/my] rith wurchipfull broder Jon Paston be þis delyueryd.
Right wurchypfull broder, I recomande me to ȝow, desiryng to [here/her] of ȝowre willefare. Byllyng þe seriant hathe byn in his contré, and he come to Londonþis weke. He sent for me and ast me how I fard. I tolde him [here/her] is pestelens, and sayd I farid þe better. He was in good hele, for it was noysyd þat he was ded. A toke me to him and ast how [mine/my] suster did, and I anssweryd wyll, neuer better. He said he was with the Lord Gray, and they talkyd of j jantilman qweche is ward to [mine/my] lord, I remembre he sayd it was Harry Gray that they talkyd of. And [mine/my] lord sayd, 'I was besy with-jn þis fewe days to a maryd him to a gentle-woman jn Norfolk that schall have iiij c marc. to hyr mariage, and now a wyll not be me, for iiij c marc. wulde do me hese and now he wulde have his mariage money him-self; and there-fore', quoth he, 'he schall mary him-self for me.' þis wurdys had [mine/my] lord to Byllyng, as he tollde me. He vnderstod þat [mine/my] lord laboryd for his owne a-vayle, and consaylyd to byd [here/her] be wise. And I thankkyd him for his good consayll.
I sent ȝow an ansswere of ȝowre letter of Sir Jon Fastolf coming hom, as he told me hem-self. Neuer the less he bode lenger than he sayd him- self he schull a do. He tolde me he schulde make j ende be-twix Skrop and [mine/my] suster wulle he is in Norfolk. Many wulde it schulde not preue, for they say it is an onlykkely mariage. In casse Cressener be talkyd of [any/only] more, he is countyd a jantylmanly man and a wurchepfull. ȝe know ho is most wurchipfull better than I. At the reuerens of Good, draw to summe conclusyun, it is time.
[mine/my] lord Chanselere come not [here/her] soon I come to Lundun, nere [mine/my] lord of Jorke. [mine/my] lord of Cantirbury hathe receyued his crosse, and I was with him in the Kynggys once you know you have found some chamer qwan he mad his homage. I tolde Harry Wylton þe demenyng betwix the King and him; it ware to long to wrythe.
As for the prist þat did areste me, I can not vnderstond þat it is þe pryste þat ȝe mene. [here/her] is great pestelens. I purpose to fle in-to the contré. [mine/my] lord of Oxforthe is come a-ȝen from the se and he has geth him lytyll thank in this countré. Muche more thing I wulde wrythe to ȝow, but I lak lysore. Harry Wylton sey the King. [mine/my] lord of Ely hathe do his fewthé.
God have ȝow in his blessed keeping, Written at Lundon on the Fryday be-fore Owre Ladys Day the Natyuité in great haste. I pray recomand me to [mine/my] suster and to [mine/my] cousin Clear.
Be ȝowre broder W. Paston
For delivery to my dear brother John,
Brother, my best wishes to you, and hoping to hear how you are. Thomas Billing's, the sergeant at law, has been in this part of the country, he came to London this week. He sent for me and asked how I was. I told him there is plague but I was well. He was in good health, for there had been rumours that he was dead. He asked how my sister is and I said she's well, never better. He said he had been with Lord Grey and they had talked about a gentleman is ward to his lordship. I recall that he said it was Harry Grey they talked of, and my lord said,"I was busy in the last few days to marry her to a lady in Norfolk who will receive 400 marks on her marriage; 400 marks would have been useful to me, but now he will receive it and so can get on and make his own marriage arrangements". This was what the lord said to Billing, he told me. He understood that my lord has worked for his own purposes and had advised her to wait and act for her own good, and I thanked him for his good advice.
I sent you a letter about Sir John Fastolf coming home, as he had informed me. Nevertheless he waited longer than he said he would. He told me he would make an end between Scrope and my sister while he is in Norfolk. Many hoped it wouldn't happen, for they say it is an unlikely marriage. In case there is any more talk about Cressener, he is a gentleman and worthy - you know his standing better than I do. By the grace of God, bring things to a conclusion; it's about time.
The Lord Chancellor hasn't been here since I arrived in London, nor has the Duke of York. The Archbishop of Canterbury has been installed, and I was with him in the King's chamber when he paid homage. I told Harry Wilton the proceedings between the King and him, but it would take too long to tell you all here.
As for the priest that stopped me, I don't think it is the priest you mean. The plague is rampant here. I intend to get out to the countryside. My Lord of Oxford has arrived back by sea, and gets little support in this country. There's much more that I could write to you about, but I don't have the time. Harry Wilton will tell you about the King. My Lord of Ely has paid fealty.
God have you in his blessed keeping. Written in London on the Friday before our Lady's Day the Nativity, in haste. Please remember me to my sister and to my cousin Elizabeth Clere.
From your brother, William Paston
