To my worchepful hosbonde, Jon Pastun, this letter be delyvered in hast.
Ryth worchepful husbond, I recomawnd me to yow. Plesyt yow to wete þat I am desyrid be Sir John Tatersale to wryte to yow for a comyssion or a noyr in termyner for to be sent down in to this cuntre to sit uppon þe parson of Snoryng, and on soche as was cause of Thomas Denyssys dethe, and for many and gret horebyl robryys; and as for þe costs þere-of þe cuntre wele pay þere-for, for they be sor aferd but þe seyd deþe be chastysed, and þe seyd robryys, they ar aferde þat mo folks xal be servyd in lyke wyse.
As for þe prest and vj. of hese men þat be takyn, they be delyveryt to Twer [_Twyer_], and iiij. be with hem of þe cuntreys cost, for to be sent with to þe Kyng; and yf they be browt up at þe reverens of God, do yowr parte þat they schape not, but þat they may have þe jugement of þe lawe, and as they have deservyd, and be comytyt to prison, not to departe tyl they be inqueryd of her forseyd robery be soche a comyssion þat ye can get, þat þe Keng and þe Lords may hondyrstonde wat rewle they have be of, not hondely for þe moderys and þe robbryys, but as wele for þe gret insurrexsin þat they were lyke amade within þe shyre. þe preests of Castyr they be streytely take hede at be Roberd Harmerer and hoder, so þat þe seyde prestys may have no thyng out of þere-owne, ne of hodyr menys, but they be rassakyt, and þe plase ys watchyd boþe day and nyth. þe prestys thynk ryth longe tyl they tydynggs fro yow. At þe reverens of God, be ware hou ye goo and ryde, for þat ys told me þat ye thret of hem þat be nowty felawys þat haþe be inclynyng to them, þat haþe be your hold adversarys.
þe blyssyd Trenyté have yow in hys kepyng. Wretyn in hast, þe Saturday nex be fore Sent Margarete.
Be yours,
M. P.
To my worchepful hosbonde, Jon Pastun, this letter be delyvered in hast.
Ryth worchepful husbond, I recomawnd me to yow. Plesyt yow to wete þat I am desyrid be Sir John Tatersale to wryte to yow for a comyssion or a noyr in termyner for to be sent down in to this cuntre to sit uppon þe parson of Snoryng, and on soche as was cause of Thomas Denyssys dethe, and for many and gret horebyl robryys; and as for þe costs þere-of þe cuntre wele pay þere-for, for they be sor aferd but þe seyd deþe be chastysed, and þe seyd robryys, they ar aferde þat mo folks xal be servyd in lyke wyse.
As for þe prest and vj. of hese men þat be takyn, they be delyveryt to Twer [_Twyer_], and iiij. be with hem of þe cuntreys cost, for to be sent with to þe Kyng; and yf they be browt up at þe reverens of God, do yowr parte þat they schape not, but þat they may have þe jugement of þe lawe, and as they have deservyd, and be comytyt to prison, not to departe tyl they be inqueryd of her forseyd robery be soche a comyssion þat ye can get, þat þe Keng and þe Lords may hondyrstonde wat rewle they have be of, not hondely for þe moderys and þe robbryys, but as wele for þe gret insurrexsin þat they were lyke amade within þe shyre. þe preests of Castyr they be streytely take hede at be Roberd Harmerer and hoder, so þat þe seyde prestys may have no thyng out of þere-owne, ne of hodyr menys, but they be rassakyt, and þe plase ys watchyd boþe day and nyth. þe prestys thynk ryth longe tyl they tydynggs fro yow. At þe reverens of God, be ware hou ye goo and ryde, for þat ys told me þat ye thret of hem þat be nowty felawys þat haþe be inclynyng to them, þat haþe be your hold adversarys.
þe blyssyd Trenyté have yow in hys kepyng. Wretyn in hast, þe Saturday nex be fore Sent Margarete.
Be yours,
M. P.
To my worchepful hosbonde, Jon Pastun, this letter be delyvered in hast.
Ryth worchepful husbond, I recomawnd me to yow. Plesyt yow to wete þat I am desyrid be Sir John Tatersale to wryte to yow for a comyssion or a noyr in termyner for to be sent down in to this cuntre to sit uppon þe parson of Snoryng, and on soche as was cause of Thomas Denyssys dethe, and for many and gret horebyl robryys; and as for þe costs þere-of þe cuntre wele pay þere-for, for they be sor aferd but þe seyd deþe be chastysed, and þe seyd robryys, they ar aferde þat mo folks xal be servyd in lyke wyse.
As for þe prest and vj. of hese men þat be takyn, they be delyveryt to Twer [_Twyer_], and iiij. be with hem of þe cuntreys cost, for to be sent with to þe Kyng; and yf they be browt up at þe reverens of God, do yowr parte þat they schape not, but þat they may have þe jugement of þe lawe, and as they have deservyd, and be comytyt to prison, not to departe tyl they be inqueryd of her forseyd robery be soche a comyssion þat ye can get, þat þe Keng and þe Lords may hondyrstonde wat rewle they have be of, not hondely for þe moderys and þe robbryys, but as wele for þe gret insurrexsin þat they were lyke amade within þe shyre. þe preests of Castyr they be streytely take hede at be Roberd Harmerer and hoder, so þat þe seyde prestys may have no thyng out of þere-owne, ne of hodyr menys, but they be rassakyt, and þe plase ys watchyd boþe day and nyth. þe prestys thynk ryth longe tyl they tydynggs fro yow. At þe reverens of God, be ware hou ye goo and ryde, for þat ys told me þat ye thret of hem þat be nowty felawys þat haþe be inclynyng to them, þat haþe be your hold adversarys.
þe blyssyd Trenyté have yow in hys kepyng. Wretyn in hast, þe Saturday nex be fore Sent Margarete.
Be yours,
M. P.
To my worshipful hosbonde, Jon Pastun, this letter be delivered in haste.
Right worshipful husband, I recomawnd me to you. Plesyt you to wait þat I am desyrid be Sir John Tatersale to write to you for a comyssion or a noyr in termyner for to be sent down in to this cuntre to sit uppon þe parson of Snoryng, and on soche as was cause of Thomas Denyssys dethe, and for many and great horebyl robryys; and as for þe costs þere-of þe cuntre wele pay þere-for, for they be sor frightened unless þe said deþe be chastysed, and þe said robryys, they ar aferde þat mo folks xal be servyd in like wise.
As for þe prest and vj. of hese men þat be taken, they be delyveryt to Twer [_Twyer_], and iiij. be with hem of þe cuntreys cost, for to be sent with to þe King; and yf they be browt up at þe reverens of God, do your parte þat they schape not, but þat they may have þe jugement of þe law, and as they have deservyd, and be comytyt to prison, not to departe tyl they be inqueryd of her forseyd robery be soche a comyssion þat you can get, þat þe Keng and þe Lords may hondyrstonde wat rewle they have be of, not hondely for þe moderys and þe robbryys, but as wele for þe great insurrexsin þat they were like amade within þe shyre. þe preests of Caister-on-Sea they be streytely take hede at be Roberd Harmerer and hoder, so þat þe said prestys may have no thing out of þere-owne, no of hodyr menys, but they be rassakyt, and þe plase is watchyd boþe day and nyth. þe prestys thynk right long tyl they tidings from you. At þe reverens of God, be ware hou you goo and ryde, for þat is told me þat you thret of hem þat be nowty felawys þat haþe be inclynyng to them, þat haþe be your hold adversarys.
þe blessed Trenyté have you in his keeping. Written in haste, þe Saturday nex be fore Sent Margarete.
Be yours,
M. P.
To my honoured and respected husband John Paston; please deliver this letter quickly.
Dearest husband, my best wishes. This is to let you know that Sir John Tattersall wants me to write to you for a commission, or a formal enquiry to come to this part of the world to consider the case of the parson of Snoring and to decide what was the cause of the death of Thomas Denys and of many great and unpleasant robberies. The country will pay the costs, because they're very afraid that if the death of Denys and the robberies go unpunished, many other people will meet the same fate.
As for the priest and the six of his men who have been arrested, they have been taken to Twyer, and four of them at the country's cost will be sent to the King. If they are brought up according to God's will, do your part to ensure they do not escape but face the judgement of the law and are committed to prison as they have deserved. They shouldn't be let out until a commission that you can arrange investigates, and the King and the Lords understand what has been going on – not just the murders and the robberies but also the great insurrection that they were likely to have provoked in the county. The priests of Caister are oppressed by Robert Harmereer and others, and the said priests have nothing of their own or from others because their place has been ransacked and watched day and night. The priests long to have news from you. In God's name take care as you walk and ride, for I'm told that you are at risk from bad men, those who feel that way and those who are your old enemies.
The blessed Trinity look after you. Written in haste, the Saturday before Saint Margaret's day.
By yours, M P
