To our Cosyn Th’archbyshop of Yorke.
Cosyn, we pray you that ye wul, accordyng to the promyse ye made us, to come to us as sone as ye goodely may. And that [ye] yeve credence to Sir Thomas Mongomery and Morice Berkly, in that un our behalve thei shal sey to you; and ye shalbe to us welcome. At Notyngham the ix. day of Jul.
[35.1] [From Fenn, ii. 40.] The dates of Edward the Fourth’s privy seals show that he was at Nottingham in July 1469. He was not there in 1470, the year to which Fenn assigns these letters; and both Clarence and Warwick were then in France. It would appear, therefore, that these letters were written at the time of Robin of Redesdale’s rebellion, which the King was going northwards to suppress.
[720]
MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[36.1]
To Sir John Paston, be this delivered in hast.
1469
AUG. 31
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 profights 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 possession, 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 diswurchep; 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,[37.1] 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.
[36.1] [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.