Transcript

[fol. 81r] I cannot forbere mystres Roper, to wryte these fewe lynes unto yow, having suche busynes at the Cowrt, which letts me to declare that by woorde of mowthe, which I wollde, yt [ deleted: toucheth] towchethe bothe my self nere, but my brother neerer, in that yow dele so hardely with us bothe, what with Raylling and scollding & in the hearing of all strangers, as though we were the abjects of the worlld, which in the end yow & yours shall farre fynde contrarye, & fyrst concernyng money, dewe by the score, that yow will not gyve respyte for the payment therof, as yow have promysed my brother, as becometh a partye of your yeres, bothe in words and dedes to agree, we have nether byn yll Tenants nor neighbors unto yow for assured I am, yow have had of my brother, above C markes in rent for his tyme, & for bred since my comyng to the howsse (as I can make accompt of) within theis viij ^th^ yeres above CC. markes, I speake with the least, & as for any comodytye that ether of us hathe reped at your hands (as ^Edward^ your prating yowthe brags of) I knowe nothing otherwyse, then your good will, for we borowed no money of yow, nether have we disadvantaged yow, any way. But the good olld man is gone, that wolld not have dellt in this sute besydes, yf he had knowen, that which the worlld, & yow knowe at these dayes he wolld have advised him self beffore he wolld have made suche heyres therfore looke to your self, & be advised by your frends [ Marginalia (by Herle): his servants yncoraged [ ... ] resist her in their langayge & deeds by Edward to werye her & to thrust her owtt of doores./ the miller at Racleff] & not suffer your self to be overuled by suche parasytes, that gape dailye for your deathe, & whom in master Ropers lyffe tyme, yow have fownd untrew in woorde & deede & withall intersepted theyr lres, & gyven the reading therof to my syster. which conteyned at on tyme [fol. 81v] [ Marginalia (by Herle): Her leasse paroll] As muche as came to Lli. I wryte this as a thyng knowen unto yow, as well as since his deathe they have in lyke case dellt with yow, next for your howsse a woman of your yeres & discretyon may well consyder that at this tyme of the yere, & especially at christmas is no tyme to remove & breake up howsse, having so many chilldren to care and provyde for as my brother hath & for whom my care is not the least, withall the lawe gyvethe hallf a yeres warnyng, to any stranger & we had thought to have had a lyttell more frendship at your hands then [ deleted: so] ^strangers^ where in [redy] [deede] we fynde nothyng els but Rygor and extremyty, But seyng we canne gett nothing by fayre menes of yow (which procedeth [ deleted: not] I knowe right well ^nott^ of your own nature & disposytyon but of hym that wyssheth yow with God, havyng that he looketh for) my brother shall keepe the howsse by my consent till he be otherwyse provyded, for he shall nether fayll of frends, nor yet procede otherwyse then lawe will gyve hym leve, although your nephews have gyven owt that yow will by force enter with the Constable & others, & after this sute do they eate us & drincke us in every Taverne & ale howse besydes, which sheweth theyr malypertnes in everye degree farre contrary to your will as I take ytt But by gods grace theyr demeanures towards us, as they shall not annoye us any way so shall yt torne to theyre own shame and nephewe, as they shall hereafter ^fynde^ to be trew yf they contynew in theyr loosnes as they have don, as at my next speking with yow theyr practyses & knavery shall further be reveled, which I knowe will save yow a brase of hundred pounds. Thus wyssheng yowr beste then by theyre menes your wyshe unto us I take mi leve this xxviij ^th^ of November. from the Cowrt att Richemond. 1580. your frend. W. H./