I pray yow that ye be not strange of wryting of letters to me be twix this and that ye come hom. If I myght I wold have every day on from yow. The blyssed Trinyte have yow in his kepyng. Wrete att Norwyche, on the Tesday next after the Convercion [of] Seynt Poull.
[Footnote 281.1: [From Fenn, iii. 324.] The beginning of this letter refers to building operations, which I presume to be the same as those to which the next letter relates, and therefore of the same date. They were probably at Caister Castle.]
[Footnote 281.3: Draught chamber. A withdrawing-room.--Halliwell.]
[Footnote 281.4: Cowntewery must mean his counter, desk, or board to sit and write, etc., at.--F.]
[Footnote 282.1: Probably a member of the Berney family (_see_ Sir John Fastolf’s letter of the 28th January 1451). Philip Berney, as will be seen by No. 217, was disseised of the manor of Rockland Tofts during the year 1452.]
I lete you wete that Hache hath do no werk of myn wherfore he aught to have receyvid any mony, savyng only for the makyng of the litill hous above the halle wyndownes, for the remenaunte was that fell down in his diffaute. And as for the makyng of that litill hous, he toke that in a comenaunte [_covenant_], with makyng of too chymnyes of Sir Thomas Howys for xl_s._, which comenaunte may not hold, be cause that I must have thre chymnyes and in a nother place.
Item, the seid litill hows drawyth not v. thowsand tyle, which after xvj_d._ the thowsand shuld drawe vj_s._ viij_d._ Notwithstandyng, if Sir Thomas thynk that he shuld be alowyd mo, he shall be. And ye must remembre how that he hath receyvid vj_s._ viij_d._ of you, and of Robert Tolle before Halwemesse, as apperith in his accompt, viij_s._ And he hath receyvid of Tolle sith Halwemesse v_s._ iiij_d._ And than be this rekenyng he shuld be xiij_s._ iiij_d._ a fore hand, which I wold ye shuld gader up in this newe werk aswele as ye myght, for I am be hold to do hym but litill favour.
Item, be war ther leve no firsis in the deke that ye reparre, and that the wode be mad of fagot and leyd up forthwoth as it is fellid for taking away. I wold ye wer her on Satirday at evyn thow ye yed ageyn on Moneday.
_The following memoranda occur on the back of this letter:--_