Wretyn at Framlyngham, the Fryday next aftyr that I depertyd fro yow. Thys day my Lord is towardys Walsyngham, and comandyd me to overtake hym to morow at the ferthest. J. P.
[171.1] [From Fenn, ii. 42.] Fenn informs us that this letter is dated on the back in a contemporaneous handwriting, ‘Anno xo.,’ which seems to mean 10 Edw. IV. This date however, is certainly erroneous; for in the inquisitions taken on the death of the Duke of Norfolk, Anne, Lady Mowbray, his daughter and heir, was found to have been four years old on the 10th December 1476. She was born, therefore, on the 10th December 1472.
[171.2] Then follows the substance of a conversation between the Lady of Norfolk and Thomas Davers, wherein she promises to be a friend to Sir John Paston concerning Caister; but J. Davers swore J. Paston not to mention her goodwill to any person, except to Sir John.—F.
[172.1] In the modern version Fenn reads, ‘so that they that loved not, laugh upon me.’
[824]
JOHN PASTON TO THE DUKE OF NORFOLK[172.2]
To the right hyghe and myghty Prince, and my right good and gracious Lord, my Lord the Dwke of Norffolk.
1472
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.
[172.2] [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.