_To my ryght welbelovyd brother, John Paston, Esqer, beyng at Caster, or
to John Dawbeney there, be this letter delyvered._
[Sidenote: 1468 / NOV. 9]
Ryght welbelovyd brother, I comand me to yow, letyng yow wete that I
have wagyd for to helpe yow and Dawbeney to kepe the place at Castr,
iiij. wel assuryd and trew men to do al maner of thyng what that they be
desyryd to do, in save gard or enforcyng of the seyd place; and mor ovyr
they be provyd men, and connyng in the werr, and in fetys of armys, and
they kan wele schote bothe gonnys and crossebowes, and amende and
strynge them, and devyse bolwerkys, or any thyngs that scholde be a
strenkthe to the place; and they wol, as nede is, kepe wecche and warde.
They be sadde and wel advysed men, savyng on of them, whyche is ballyd,
and callyd Wylliam Peny, whyche is as goode a man as gothe on the erthe,
savyng a lytyll he wol, as I understand, be a lytel copschotyn
[_high-crested_], but yit he is no brawler, but ful of cortesye, meche
uppon James Halman; the other iij. be named Peryn Sale, John Chapman,
Robert Jakys Son, savyng that as yit they have non harneyse comyn, but
when it komyth it schall be sent to yow, and in the meane whyle I pray
yow and Dawbeney to purvey them some.
Also a cople of beddys they most nedys have, whyche I pray yow by the
help of my modre to purvey for them, tyl that I com home to yow. Ye
schall fynde them gentylmanly, comfortable felawes, and that they wol
and dare abyde be ther takelyng; and if ye undrestond that any assawte
schold be towardys, I sende yow thes men, becawse that men of the contre
ther about yow scholde be frayed for fer of losse of ther goods; wherfor
if ther wer any suche thyng towards, I wolde ye take of men of the
contre but few, and that they wer well assuryd men, for ellys they myght
discorage alle the remenant.
And asfor any wryghtyng fro the Kyng, he hathe promysyd that there
schall come non; and if ther do his unwarys [_without his knowledge_],
yowr answer may be thys, how the Kyng hathe seyd, and so to delay them
tyll I may have worde, and I schall sone purvey a remedy.
I understond that ye have ben with my Lorde of Norfolke now of late.
What ze have done I wete not; we se that he shal be her ageyn thys daye.
Mor ovyr, I trow John Alforde schall not longe abyde with my Lorde;
I schall sende yow tydyng of other thyngys in haste, with the grace of
God, who, &c. Wretyn on Wednysday nexte befor Seynt Martyn.