1

166.THOMAS BETSON TO KATHERINE RYCHE

2

1 JUNE, 1476

3
4    My nowne hartely belovid Cossen Kateryn, I recomande me unto
5yow withe all the inwardnesse of myn hart. And now lately ye shall
6understond þat I resseyvid a token ffrom you, the which was and is to
7me right hartely welcom, and with glad will I resseyvid it; and over
8that I had a letter ffrom Holake, youre gentyll Sqwyer, by the which I
9understond right well þat ye be in good helth off body, and mery at

page II,7

10hart. And I pray God hartely to his plesour to contenew the same:
11ffor it is to me veray grete comfforth þat ye so be, so helpe me Jhesu.
12And yff ye wold be a good etter off your mete allwaye, that ye myght
13waxe and grow ffast to be a woman, ye shuld make me the gladdest
14man off the world, be my trouth: ffor whanne I remembre your ffavour
15and your sadde loffynge delynge to me wardes, ffor south ye make me
16evene veray glade and joyus in my hart: and on the toþersyde agayn
17whanne I remembre your yonge youthe. And seeth well that ye
18be none eteter off youre mete, the which shuld helpe you greately in
19waxynge; ffor south þan ye make me veray hevy agayn. And therffore
20I praye you, myn nown swete Cossen, evene as you loffe me to be mery
21and to eate your mete lyke a woman. And yff ye so will do ffor my
22loveff, looke what ye will desyre off me, whatsomever it be, and be my
23trouth I promesse you by the helpe of our Lord to perfforme it to my
24power. I can no more say now, but at my comyng home I will tell
25you mych more betwene you and me and God beffore. And where as
26ye, ffull womanly and lyke a loffer, remembre me with manyffolde recomendacion
27in dyversse maners, remyttynge the same to my discresscion
28to depart them þer as I loveff best, ffor south, myn nown swete Cossen,
29ye shall understond þat with good hart and good will I resseyve and
30take to my self the one halff off them, and them will I kepe by me;
31and the toþer halff with hartely loveff and ffavour I send hem to you,
32myn nown swete Cossen, agayn, ffor to kepe by you: and over that I
33send you the blissynge þat our Lady gaveffe hir dere sonne, and ever
34well to ffare. I pray you grete well my horsse, and praye hym to gyffe
35yow iiij off his yeres to helpe you with all: and I will at my comynge
36home gyff hym iiij off my yeres and iiij horsse lofes till amendes. Tell
37hym þat I prayed hym so. And Cossen Kateryn I þannke you ffor
38hym, and my wiff shall þanke you ffor hym hereafter; ffor ye do grete
39cost apon hym as it is told me. Myn nown swete Cossen, it was told
40me but late þat ye were at Cales to seeke me, but ye cowde not se me
41nor ffynde me: ffor south ye myght have comen to my counter, and
42þer ye shuld bothe ffynde me and see me, and not have ffawtid off me:
43but ye sought me in a wronge Cales, and þat ye shuld well know yff ye
44were here and saw this Cales, as wold God ye were and som off them
45with you þat were with you at your gentill Cales. I praye you, gentill
46Cossen, comaunde me to the Cloke, and pray hym to amend his
47unthryffte maners: ffor he strykes ever in undew tyme, and he will be

page II,8

48ever affore, and that is a shrewde condiscion. Tell hym with owte he
49amend his condiscion that he will cause strangers to advoide and come
50no more there. I trust to you that he shall amend agaynest myn
51commynge, the which shalbe shortely with all hanndes and all ffeete
52with Godes grace. My veray ffeiȝtheffull Cossen, I trust to you þat
53thowe all I have not remembred my right worshipfull maystres your
54modyr affore in this letter þat ye will off your gentilnesse recomaunde
55me to her maystresshipe as many tymes as it shall ples you: and ye
56may say, yff it plese you, that in Wytson Weke next I intend to þ^e
57marte ward. And I trust you will praye ffor me: ffor I shall praye
58ffor you, and, so it may be, none so well. And Almyghty Jhesu make
59you a good woman, and send you many good yeres and longe to lyveffe
60in helth and vertu to his plesour. At greate Cales on this syde on the
61see, the ffyrst day off June, whanne every man was gone to his Dener,
62and the Cloke smote noynne, and all oure howsold cryed after me and
63badde me come down; come down to dener at ones! and what answer
64I gaveffe hem ye know it off old.
67

parameters for this division: #betson_classification_1

page II,46