John Paston to the Duke of Norfolk

LETTER IX.

To the right hyghe and
     myghty prince and my
     right good and gracious
     lord my lord the dwke of
     Norff.

MEKLY besechyth your hyghness your poore and trew
contynuall seru’nt and oratour John Paston the yonger
that it myght please your good grace to call on to your
most discret and notabyll remembrance that lateward at the
cost and charge of my brodyr John Paston Knyght whyche
most entendith to do that myght please your hyghness
The ryght nobyll lord the bysshop of Wynchest^r entretyd
so and compouned w^t your lordshepp that it lickyd the
same to be so good and gracyous lord to my seyd brodyr
that by forsse of serteyn dedys relessys and lettrys of
Attorney selyd w^t the sealys of yo^r good grace and of
other serteyn p^rsonys Jnfeoffyd to your use in the maner of
Cast^r late John Fastolfs knyght in the Conte of Norff. my
seyd brodyr and J w^t other enfeoffyd to my seyd brodyrs
use in the seyd maner wer peasably possessyd of and in the
same tyll syche tyme as serteyn p^rsonys seru’nts on to your
good grace entred in to the seyd maner and therof have
takyn the Jssuses and p’fitys in the name of your seyd
hyghnesse by the space of thre yer and more to the gret
hurt of my seyd brodyr And me your seyd seru’nt and
oratour Wherfor as J have oft tymys befor thys I beseche
your good grace at the reu^rence of god and in the wey of
charyte that my seyd brodyr may by your hyghness be
ayen restoryd in to the possessyon of the seyd maner
acordy˜g to the lawe and good conscyence And we shall
prey to god for the p’seruacyon of your most nobyll
estate.

         11½ by 6

                     Paper mark,
          A Mermaid, or Figure riding
                      on a Fish.
                   Pl. XXXII. No. 2.

   This petition must have been presented about the latter end of 1472, as the
Duke had been in possession of Caister from September 1469, and the peti-
tion sets forth that he had now received the issues and profits for three years
and more.

     Perhaps some readers may think that several of the Letters respecting
Caister might have been omitted: I wish such to consider that the various
contests for this manor, arising from its possession by will, by purchase, by
arms, by treaty, and by petition, show in one instance what were the several
modes of obtaining the object in pursuit, in each similar case throughout the
kingdom. In this view, every letter, which throws new light on these several
methods of proceeding, has its value, and will add to our knowledge of the
political or legal process used on each occasion.

     On the back of the original is written, in an ancient hand, “ A L˜re made
by John Paston the younger in the behalf of John Paston his brother to the
Duk of Norff. for restitution to be made to hym of hys manor of Caistr.”

LETTER IX.

To the most high and mighty Prince, and my right good and
gracious Lord, my Lord the Duke of Norfolk.

MEEKLY beseecheth your poor and true continual servant
and orator, John Paston the younger, that it might please
your good Grace to call unto your most discreet and
notable remembrance, that lateward, at the costs and charge
of my brother, John Paston, knight, which most intendeth
to do that might please your Highness, the right noble
Lord the Bishop of Winchester entreated so, and com-
pounded with your Lordship, that it liked the same to be
so good and gracious Lord to my said brother, that by
force of certain deeds, releases, and letters of attorney,
sealed with the seals of your good Grace, and of other
certain persons, infeoffed to your use in the manor of
Caister, late John Fastolf’s, knight, in the county of
Norfolk, my said brother and I, with others infeoffed to
my said brother’s use, in the said manor, were peaceably
possessed of, and in the same, till such time as certain
persons, servants unto your good Grace, entered into the
said manor, and thereof have taken the issues and profits
in the name of your said Highness, by the space of three
years and more, to the great hurt of my said brother, and
me your said servant and orator; wherefore, as I have oft-
times before this, I beseech your good Grace, at the
reverence of God, and in the way of charity, that my said
brother may by your Highness be again restored into the
possession of the said manor, according to the law and
good conscience; and we shall pray to God for the pre-
servation of your most noble estate.

                                                                        JOHN PASTON.

 This petition must have been presented about the latter end of 1472, as the
Duke had been in possession of Caister from September 1469, and the peti-
tion sets forth that he had now received the issues and profits for three years
and more.

     Perhaps some readers may think that several of the Letters respecting
Caister might have been omitted: I wish such to consider that the various
contests for this manor, arising from its possession by will, by purchase, by
arms, by treaty, and by petition, show in one instance what were the several
modes of obtaining the object in pursuit, in each similar case throughout the
kingdom. In this view, every letter, which throws new light on these several
methods of proceeding, has its value, and will add to our knowledge of the
political or legal process used on each occasion.

     On the back of the original is written, in an ancient hand, “ A L˜re made
by John Paston the younger in the behalf of John Paston his brother to the
Duk of Norff. for restitution to be made to hym of hys manor of Caistr.”

824

JOHN PASTON TO THE DUKE OF NORFOLK²

To the right hyghe and myghty Prince, and my right good
and gracious Lord, my Lord the Dwke of Norffolk.

MEKLY besechyth your hyghness, your poore and
     trew contynuall servaunt and oratour, John Paston,
     the yonger, that it myght please your good grace to
call on to your most discret and notabyll remembrance that
lateward, at the cost and charge of my brodyr, John Paston,
Knyght, whyche most entendith to do that myght please your
hyghness, the ryght nobyll Lord, the Bysshop of Wynchester
entretyd so, and compouned with your Lordshepp, that it
liekyd the same to be so good and gracious Lord to my seyd
brodyr, that by forsse of serteyn dedys, relessis, and lettrys of
attorney selyd with the sealys of your good grace, and of other
serteyn personys infeoffyd to your use in the maner of Caster,
late John Fastolffes, Knyght, in the conte of Norffolk, my seyd
brodyr and I, with other enfeoffyd to my seyd brodyrs use in
the seyd maner, wer peasably possessyd of and in the same tyll
syche tyme as serteyn personys, servaunts on to your good
grace, entred in to the seyd maner, and therof have takyn the
issuses and profitys in the name of your seyd hyghnesse by the
space of thre yer and more, to the gret hurt of my seyd brodyr
and me your seyd servuantes and oratour: wherfor, as I have
oft tymys befor thys, I beseche your good grace, at the
reverence of God, and in the wey of charyte, that my seyd
brodyr may by your hyghness be ayen restoryd in to the
possessyon of the sey[d] maner, acordyng to the lawe and good
conscyence; and wee shall prey to God for the preservacyon
of your most nobyll estate.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This petition is shown by internal evidence to have
been drawn up towards the end of the year 1472, as it sets forth that the Duke had
been more than three years in possession of Caister, which was surrendered to him in
September 1469. There can be no doubt therefore that it was presented or prepared
for presentation at the time of John Paston’s visit to Framlingham.

1472

1472