Margaret Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER LXXV.

    To S^r Iobn Paston
    Knyght be y^is deliu^red
    in bast.

     I Grete you wele and send you godds blissyng and myn letyng
        you wete that Blykklyng of Heylesdon came fro london this
weke and he is right mery and maketh his bost that w^t in this
fourtnyght at Heylesdon shuld be bothe new lords and new offi-
cers and also this day was brought me word fro Caystr that
Rysyng of Freton shuld haue herd seid in diu'se plac's ther as he
was in Suff. that Fastolf of Conghawe maketh all the strenght
that he may and p'posith hym to assaught Caystr and to entre
ther if he may in samych that it is seyd that he hath a v score
men redy and sendyth dayly aspies to und'stand what feleshep
kepe the place be whos power or favor or supportacon that he
wull do this I knowe not but ye wote wele that I haue ben
affrayd ther befor this tyme whan that I had other Comfort than
I haue now and I can not wele gide ner rewle sodyo^s and also
thei set not be a woman as their shuld set be a man. Therfro I
wold ye shuld sned home yo^r brothers or ell Dawbenye to haue a
rewle and to takyn in such men as wer necessary for the saffe-
gard of the place. For if J wer ther w^tought I had the mor
sadder or wurchepfull p^rsones abought me. And ther comyn a
meny of Knavys and p^rvaylled in ther entent it shuld be to me
but a vylney. And I haue ben abought my liffelode to set a
rewle ther in as I haue wretyn to you which is not yet all
p'fo'med aft' myn desyre and I wuld not goo to Caystr till I had
don J wull no mor days make ther abowtyn if I may therfor in
any wyse send sume body home to kepe the place and whan that
J haue do and p^rfo^rmed that J haue be gunne I shall p'pose me
thed^r ward if J shuld do ther any good and ell J had leu^r be thens.
J have sent to Nicholas and such as kepe the place that thei
shuld takyn in sume feles to assiste and strengh them till ye send
hame su other word or sume other man to gou'ne them y^t ben
therin &c. J marvayll gretly that ye send me no word how that
ye do for yo^r elmyse begynne to wax right bold and that puttith
yor frends bothyn in grete fere and dought therfor p'vey that
thei may have sume Comfort y^t thei be no more discoraged For
if we lese o^r frends it shall hard in this troubelous werd to kete
them ageyn The blissid Trynyte spede you in yo' mater and
send you the victory of yo' elmyse to you^r herts eas and
ther Confusyon Wretyn at Norwich the Sat'day next befor
Relyke Sonday in hast J p'y you remembre wele the maters
y^t J wrote to you for in the letter y^t ye had be James Gre-
ih'm's man and send me an answer ther of be y^e next man y^t
Comyth, &c.

                                                           By yo^r mod^r

                                                                                                M. P

                      11 ? by 8 ?

                      Paper Mark,

                        A Snake.

                    Pl. XXVII. No 10.

    The exact date of this Letter is not easily determined, not is it of any consequence, it
only shews that one of the family of Fastolf, of Suffolk, pretended a claim to Caister,
and intended coming to assert that claim with a large fellowship; whether this was Thomas
Fastolf, the son of the Lady who had some time before applied to J. Paston for his assist-
ance towards regaining the livelihood of her Son, out of the hands of those who had the
wardship of him, does not appear.

    I have ventured to fix the date of this Letter to 1468, as it most probably was written
about that time.

    Relic Sunday, is the Sunday fortnight after Midsummer-day.

    Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

LETTER LXXV.

To Sir John Paston, Knight, be this delivered in baste

      I Greet you well, and send you God's blessing and mine, let-
          ting you weet that Blickling of Heylesdon came from London
this week, and he is right merry, and maketh his boast that
within this fortnight at Heylesdon should be both new Lords
and new officers; and also this day was brought me word from
Caister, that Rysing of Fretton should have heard said in divers
places there, as he was in Suffolk, that Fastolf of Conghawe
maketh all the strength that he may, and proposeth him to
assault Caister, and to enter there if he may, insomuch that it is
said that he hath a five score men ready, and sendeth daily spies
to understand what fellowship keep the place; by whose power,
or favour, or supportation, that he will do this, I know not, but
ye wot well that I have been affrayed (frightened) there before
this time, when that I had other comfort than I have now; and
I cannot well guide nor rule soldiers, and also they set not by a
woman as they should set by a man, therefore I would ye should
send home your Brother or else Dawbeny to have a rule, and to
taken in such men as were necessary for the safe-guard of the
place, for if I were there without I had the more sadder
(graver) or worshipful persons about me, and there come a
many of knaves, and prevailed in their intent, if should be to
me but a villany; and I have been about my livelihood to set a
rule therein, as I have written to you, which is not yet all per-
formed after mine desire, and I would not go to Caister till I
had done; I will no more days make thereabout if I may, there-
fore in any wise send some body home to keep the place, and
when that I have done and performed that I have begun, I shall
purpose me thither-ward, if I should do there any good, and else
I had lever (rather) be thence.

    I have sent to Nicholas, and such as keep the place, that they
should take in some fellows to assist and strength them, till ye
send home some other word, or some other man to govern them
that be therein, &c.

    I marvel greatly that ye send me no word how that ye do, for
your elmyse (enemies) begin to wax right bold, and that putteth
your friends both in great fear and doubt, therefore purvey that
they may have some comfort, that they be no more discouraged,
for if we lose our friends it shall (be) hard in this troublesome
world to get them again.

    The blessed Trinity speed you in your matters, and send you
the victory of your enemies, to your heart's ease and their con-
fusion.

    Written at Norwich, the Saturday next before Relick Sunday,
in haste.

    I pray you remember well the matter that I wrote to you for
in the Letter that ye had by James Gresham's man, and send me
an answer thereof by the next man that cometh. &c.

                                   By your Mother

                                                                        MARGARET PASTON.

     Norwich, Saturday,
         9th of July,
         1468. 8 E. IV.

    The exact date of this Letter is not easily determined, not is it of any consequence, it
only shews that one of the family of Fastolf, of Suffolk, pretended a claim to Caister,
and intended coming to assert that claim with a large fellowship; whether this was Thomas
Fastolf, the son of the Lady who had some time before applied to J. Paston for his assist-
ance towards regaining the livelihood of her Son, out of the hands of those who had the
wardship of him, does not appear.

    I have ventured to fix the date of this Letter to 1468, as it most probably was written
about that time.

    Relic Sunday, is the Sunday fortnight after Midsummer-day.

    Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

671

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To Sir John Paston, Knyght, be this delivered in hast.

I GRETE you wele, and send you Godds blissyng and myn,
     letyng you wete that Blykklyng of Heylesdon came fro
     London this weke, and he is right mery, and maketh
his bost that with in this fourtnyght at Heylesdon shuld be
bothe new lords and new officers. And also this day was
brought me word fro Caystr that Rysyng of Freton shuld
have herd seid in diverse places, ther as he was in Suffolk, that
Fastolf of Coughawe maketh all the strenght that he may, and
proposith hym to assaught Caystr, and to entre ther if he may,
in samych that it is seyd that he hath a v. score men redy, and
sendyth dayly aspies to understand what felesshep kepe the
place. Be whos power, or favour, or supportacion that he
wull do this, I knowe not; but ye wote wele that I have ben
affrayd ther befor this tyme, whan that I had other comfort
than I have now, and I can not wele gide ner rewle sodyours,
and also thei set not be a woman as thei shuld set be a man.
Therfor I wold ye shuld send home your brothers, or ell[es]
Dawbenye, to have a rewle, and to takyn in such men as wer
necessary for the saffegard of the place; for if I wer ther
withought I had the mor sadder or wurchepfull persones
abought me, and ther comyn a meny of knavys, and pre-
vaylled in ther entent, it shuld be to me but a vylney. And
I have ben abought my liffelode to set a rewle ther in, as I have
wretyn to you, which is not yet all performed after myn
desyre, and I wuld not goo to Caystr till I had don. I wull
no mor days make ther abowtyn if I may; therfor in any
wyse send sume body home to kepe the place, and whan that
I have do and performed that I have be gunne, I shall purpose
me thederward if I shuld do ther any good, and ell[es] I had
lever be thens.

     I have sent to Nicholas, and such as kepe the place, that
thei shuld takyn in sume feles [fellows] to assiste and strengh
them till ye send hame sume other word, or sume other man
to governe them that ben therin, &c.

     I marvayll gretly that ye send me no word how that ye do,
for your elmyse [enemies] begynne to wax right bold, and that
puttith your frends bothyn in grete fere and dought. Therfor
purvey that thei may have sume comfort, that thei be no more
discoraged; for if we lese our frends, it shall hard in this
troubelous werd [world] to kete them ageyn.

     The blissid Trynyte spede you in your mater, and send
you the victory of your elmyse, to your herts eas and ther
confusyon. Wretyn at Norwich, the Saterday next befor
Relyke Sonday,¹ in hast.

     I pray you remembre wele the maters that I wrote to you
for in the letter that ye had be James Greshames man, and
send me an answer ther of be the next man that comyth, &c.

                                               Be your moder,

                                                                                                      M. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 294.] This letter must have been written some time after Sir
John Paston had obtained possession of Caister by virtue of the King’s warrant of
the 17th July 1466 (No. 641), and before the Duke of Norfolk laid claim to it again
in 1469. Thus the date is certainly either 1467 or 1468. But in the latter year Sir
John Paston and his brother were both in Flanders at the marriage of the Princess
Margaret to the Duke of Burgundy; and Daubeney could not have been with them,
as he was when this letter was written, for John Paston the younger says he had sent
him five shillings by Calle’s man. Thus 1467 appears to be the only year possible.

     ¹ Relic Sunday (the third Sunday after Midsummer Day) was the 12th July in
1467.

1467
JULY 11

1467
JULY 11