_To Sir John Paston, be this delivered in hast._
[Sidenote: 1469 / AUG. 31]
I grete you wele, and send you Godds blyssyng and myn, letyng you wete
that Sir John Hevenyngham was at Norwich this day, and spake with me at
my moders, but he wuld not that it shuld be understand, for my Lord hath
mad hym on of the capteynes at Caystre of the pepill that shuld kepe the
wetche abaught the place, that no mann shuld socour them, if my Lord
departed. I desired hym to favour them, if any man shuld come to them
fro me or you, and he wuld not graunte it, but he desired me to write to
you to understand if that my Lord myght be mevyd to fynde suerte to
recompense you all wrongs, and ye wuld suffre hym to entre pesibilly,
and the lawe after his entre wuld deme it you. Be ye avysed what answer
ye wuld yeve.
Item, sith that that I spake with hym, and the same day a feythfull
frende of owrs came on to me and mevyd me if that my Lord myght be
entreted to suffre endifferent men to kepe the place, and take the
profites for bothe parties till the right be determyned be the lawe; and
my Lord for his parte, and ye for your parte, to fynde sufficient suerte
that you nowther shuld vex, lette, ner trobilled the seid endifferent
men to kepe pesibiley the possession of the seid place, and to take the
profights on to the tyme to be determyned be the lawe, to his behowe
that the lawe demeth it. And the seid persones that so endifferently
kepe possession befor ther entre into the seid place, to fynde also
sufficient suerte to answer the parte that the lawe demeth it to, of the
profits duryng ther possession, and to suffre hym pessibilly to entre,
or any in his name, whan so ever thei be required be the parte to whom
the right is demyd of all thes premyses. Send werd how ye will be
demened be as good advyse as ye can gete, and make no longer delay, for
thei must neds have hasty socour that be in the place, for thei be sore
hurt, and have non help. And if thei have hasty help it shall be the
grettest wurchip that ever ye had, and if thei be not holpen it shall be
to you a gret diswurchep; and loke never to have favour of your neybors
and frends but if this spede wele; therfor pretend it in your mend, and
purvey therfor in hast. How so ever ye do, God kepe you, and send yow
the vittory of your elmyse, and geve yow and us al grace to leve in
peas. Wretyn on Sent Gyles Evyn,[37-1] at ix. of the belle at nyght.
Robyn came home yester evyn, and he brought me nowther writyng from you,
ner good answer of this mater, which grevyth me right ill that I have
sent you so many messangers, and have so febill answers ageyn.
Be your Moder.
[Footnote 36-1: [From Fenn, iv. 366.] This letter was written
after the Duke of Norfolk had begun to besiege Caister, which he
did in the year 1469.]
[Footnote 37-1: St. Giles’ Day is the 1st September; St. Giles’
Eve the 31st August.]
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