[153.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is shown by a contemporaneous endorsement ‘Anno E. iiijti xijo,’ as well as by the repetition of the writer’s request for a goshawk.

[154.1] The feast of St. Michael in Monte Tumba was the 16th October.

[811]
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[154.2]

To John Paston, esquyer.

1472(?)
OCT. [23]

I grete you wele; letyng you wete that on Saterday last past within nyght the felesshep at Cayster tokyn ought of Mawtby Cloos xvj. shep of diverse mennes that were put therein to pasture, and thei ledde them a wey, so that every man ferith to put any bestis or catell therin, to my grete hurt and discoragyng of my fermour that is now of late come theder. And the seid evill disposed persones affraid my seid fermour as he came from Yarmoth this weke and shotte at hym that if he had not had a good hors he had belike to have ben in joparte of his lyfe; so that be thes rewle I am like to lese the profite of the lyfelode this yere but if there be purveyed the hastyere remedy. Thei threte so my men I dar send non theder to gader it. Thei stuffe and vetayll sore the place, and it is reported here that my Lady of Norffolk seth she wull not leas it in no wyse. And the Duchesse of Suffolkis men sey that she wull not departe from Heylesdon ner Drayton,—she wuld rather departe from money; but that shuld not be wurchepfull for you; for men shull not than set be you. There for I will avyse you to have rather the lyvelod than the money; ye shall mown excuse you be the College which must contynue perpetuall, and money is sone lost and spent whan that lyfelode abideth. Item, I lete you wete that Hastyngis hath entred ageyn in to his fee of the Constabyllshep of the Castell of Norwich be the vertu of his patent that he had of Kyng Harry; and I here sey he hath it graunted to hym and his heyeris. There was at his entres your unkill William and other jentilmen dwellyng in Norwich. This was do be fore that ye sent me the letter be Pers I had forgetyn to have sent you word ther of. God kepe you. Wretyn the Friday next after Sent Luke. Be your moder.

[154.2] [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 108.] This letter was clearly written between the surrender of Caister in 1469 and its recovery by Sir John Paston after the death of the Duke of Norfolk in 1476. The year 1472 may be considered very probable from what Margaret Paston writes in June of that year ([No. 803]).

[812]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[155.1]

A Johan Paston, Esquyer, soit done.

1472
NOV. 4