[Sidenote: 1469 / SEPT. 12]
I grete you wele, letyng you wete that your brother and his felesshep
stand in grete joperte at Cayster, and lakke vetayll; and Dawbeney[45-2]
and Berney[45-3] be dedde, and diverse other gretly hurt; and they fayll
gunnepowder and arrowes, and the place sore brokyn with gonnes of the
toder parte, so that, but thei have hasty help, thei be like to lese
bothe ther lyfes and the place, to the grettest rebuke to you that ever
came to any jentilman, for every man in this countre marvaylleth gretly
that ye suffre them to be so longe in so gret joperte with ought help or
other remedy.
The Duke hathe be more fervently set therup on, and more cruell, sith
that Wretyll, my Lord of Claraunce man, was ther, than he was befor, and
he hath sent for all his tenaunts from every place, and other, to be
ther at Cayster at Thorysday next comyng, that ther is than like to be
the grettest multitude of pepill that came ther yet. And thei purpose
them to make a gret assaught--for thei have sent for gannes [_guns_] to
Lynne and other place be the seeys syde--that, with ther gret multitude
of gannes, with other shoot and ordynaunce, ther shall no man dar appere
in the place. Thei shall hold them so besy with ther gret pepill, that
it shall not lye in their pore within to hold it ageyn them with ought
God help them, or have hasty socour from you.
Therfor, as ye wull have my blyssyng, I charge you and require you that
ye se your brother be holpyn in hast. And if ye can have nonmeane,
rather desire writyng fro my Lord of Clarens, if he be at London, or
ell[es] of my Lord Archebusshop of York, to the Duke of Norffolk, that
he wull graunte them that be in the place her lyfes and ther goodes; and
in eschewyng of insurreccions with other in convenyens that be like to
growe within the shire of Norffolk, this trobelows werd [_world_], be
cause of such conventicles and gaderyngs within the seid shire for cause
of the seid place, thei shall suffre hym to entre up on such
appoyntment, or other like takyn be the advyse of your councell ther at
London, if ye thynk this be not good, till the law hath determyned
otherwyse; and lete hym write a nother letter to your brother to deliver
the place up on the same appoyntment. And if ye think, as I can suppose,
that the Duke of Norffolk wull not aggre to this, be cause he graunted
this aforn, and thei in the place wuld not accept it, than I wuld the
seid massanger shuld with the seid letters bryng fro the seid Lord of
Clarence, or ell[es] my Lord Archebusshop, to my Lord of Oxenford, other
letters to rescue them forth with, thowghe the seid Erle of Oxenford
shuld have the place duryng his lyfe for his labour. Spare not this to
be don in hast, if ye wull have ther lyves, and be sett by in Norffolk,
though ye shuld leys the best maner of all for the rescuse. I had lever
ye last the lyffelode than ther lyfes. Ye must gete a massanger of the
Lords or sume other notabill man to bryng ther letters.
Do your devoir now, and lete me send you no mor massangers for this
maters; but send me be the berer her of more certeyn comfort than ye
have do be all other that I have sent be for. In any wyse, lete the
letters that shall come to the Erle of Oxenford comyn with the letters
that shall comyn to the Duke of Norffolk, that if he wull not aggree to
the ton, that ye may have redy your rescuse that it nede no mor to send
therfor. God kepe you.
Wretyn the Tuesday next befor Holy Rood Day, in hast.
Be your Moder.
[Footnote 45-1: [From Fenn, iv. 382.] This and the other letters
relating to the siege of Caister are all rendered certain in point
of date by the documents touching its surrender on the 26th
September.]
[Footnote 45-2: John Dawbeney, Esq.]
[Footnote 45-3: Osbert Berney, the other person here mentioned as
dead, was not killed at the siege. He survived, and died without
issue some years after, when he was buried in Bradeston Church in
Norfolk, there being a brass plate in the chancel having the
following inscription to his memory:--‘_Hic jacet Osbertus filius
Joh. Berney, Armig. de Redeham Dni. et de Brayston._’ He was the
son of John Berney, Esq., by Catherine, daughter of Osbert
Mundeford of Hockwell, Esq.--F.]
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