Margaret Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XC.

    To Sr John Paston
    be this deliu' ed in bast.

     I Grete you wele and send you godds blyssyng and myn letyng
        you wete that S^r Iohn Heuenyngh'm was at Norwich this
day and spake w^t me at my moders but he wuld not y^t it shuld
be understand for my lord hath mad hym on of the Capteynes at
Caystr of y^e pepill y^t shuld kepe the wetche abaught the place y^t
no mann shuld soco^r them if my lord dep^rted J desired hym to
favor them if any man shuld come to them fro me or you and he
wuld not gr'unte it but he desired me to write to you to under-
stand if that my lord myght be mevyd to synde suerte to recom-
pense you all wrongs and ye wuld suffre hym to entre pesibilly-
And the lawe aft^r his entre wuld deme it you be ye avysed what
answer ye wuld yeve It' sith that y^t I spake wt hym and the
same day a feythfull frende of owrs came on to me and mevyd
me if y^t my lord myght be entreted to fuffre endifferent men to
kepe the place and take the p'sites for bothe p^rties till y^e right
be det^rmyned be the lawe and my lore for his prte and ye for
you^r p^rte to synde sufficient suerte yt you nowther shuld vex lette
ner trobilled the seid endifferent men to kepe pesibiley the posses-
non of y^e seid place and to kake y^e p'fights on to the tyme to be
detrmyned be y^e lawe to his behowe y^t the lawe demeth it And ye
seid prsones y^t so endifferently kepe possession befor ther entre
into the seid place to synde also sufficient suerte to answer the
prte y^t the lawe demeth it to of y^e p'sits duryng ther possession
and to suffre hym pessibilly to entre or any in his name wham
so eur thei be required be the prte to whom the right is demyd
of all yes p'myses send werd how y^e will be demened be as good
advyse as ye can gete and make no lenger delay for thei must
neds haue hasty socor that be in the place for thei be fore hurt and
haue non help And if thei haue hasty help it shall be the grettest
wurchip y^t eur had and if y^ei be not holpen it shall be to you
a gret diswurchep and loke neur to haue savor of yor neybors and
friends but if this spede wele y' for pretend it in yor mend and
pruey yrfor in hast how so eur ye do God kepe you and send yow
the vittory of yor elmyse and geve yow and vs al g'ce to leve in
peas Wretyn on Sent Gyles evynat ix of ye belle at nyght.
Robyn came home yest^r evyn aud he brought me nowther writ-
yng from you ner good answer of this mater which grevyth me
right ill y^t I haue sent you so many messangers and haue so febill
answers ageyn.

By yo^r moder.

    11 ? by 8.

    The dispute concerning the possession of Caister now becoming a matter of great con-
sequence, and the fiege of it being determined upon by the Duke of Norfolk, if some
conciliatory plan could not be devised, Margaret Paston informs Sir John of the differ
ent schemes proposed; these she wishes him throughly to consider, and, if none should be
adopted, at all events to succour his friends there. Sir John Heveningham, though
engaged against the Pastons, shews himself not only a friend to them, but a faithful
Officer to his commander the Duke of Norfolk.

    Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

LETTER XC.

    To Sir John Paston, be this delivered in haste.

     I Greet you well, and send you God's blessing and mine, let-

         ting you weet that Sir John Heveningham was at Norwich
this it should be understood, for my Lord hath made him one of
the Captains at Caister, of the people that should keep the watch
about the place, that no man should succour them; if my Lord
departed. I desired him to favour them, if any man should
come to them from me or you, and he would not grant it, but
he desired me to write to you to understand, if that my Lord
might be moved to find surety to recompence you all wrongs,
and ye would suffer him to enter peaceably, and the law after
his entry would deem it you; be ye advised what answer ye
would give.

    Item, since that I spake with him and the same day, a faithful
friend of our s came unto me and moved me, if that my Lord
might be intreated to suffer indifferent men to keep the Place,
and take the profits for both parties till the right be determined
by the law; and my Lord for his part, and ye for your part, to
find sufficient surety that you neither should vex, let, nor trouble
the said indifferent men to keep peaceably the possession of the
said place, and to take the profits unto the time it be determined
by the law to his behalf, that the law deemeth it; and the said
persons, that so indifferently keep possession, before their entry
into the said place, to find also sufficient surety to answer the
party that the law deemeth it to, of the profits during their pos-
session, and to suffer him peaceably to enter, or any in his name,
whensoever they be required by the party to whom the right is
deemed of all these premises l send me word how ye will be
demeaned by as good advice as ye can get, and make no longer
delay, for they must needs have hasty succour that be in the
place, for they be fore hurt, and have none help, and if they
have hasty help it shall be the greatest worship ever ye had,
and if they be not holpen it shall be to you a great disworship;
and look never to have favour of your neighbours and friends,
but if (unless) this speed well; therefore prend (consider) it in
your mind, and purvey therefore in haste; howsoever ye do,
God keep you, and send you the victory of your enemies, and
give you and us all grace to live in peace. Written on Saint
Giles's even, at nine of the bell at night.

    Robin came home yester even, and he brought me neither
writing from you, nor good answer of this matter, which grieveth
me right ill that I have sent you so many messengers, and have
so feeble answers again.

By your Mother
                        MARGARET PASTON.

    Norwich, Friday,
        I September, 1469.
        9 E. Iv.

    The dispute concerning the possession of Caister now becoming a matter of great con-
sequence, and the fiege of it being determined upon by the Duke of Norfolk, if some
conciliatory plan could not be devised, Margaret Paston informs Sir John of the differ
ent schemes proposed; these she wishes him throughly to consider, and, if none should be
adopted, at all events to succour his friends there. Sir John Heveningham, though
engaged against the Pastons, shews himself not only a friend to them, but a faithful
Officer to his commander the Duke of Norfolk.

    Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

720

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To Sir John Paston, be this delivered in hast.

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 pro-
fights 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 posses-
sion, 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 dis-
wurchep; 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,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.

     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.

¹ St. Giles’ Day is the 1st September; St. Giles’ Eve the 31st August.

AUG. 31

1469
AUG. 31