John, Duke of Norffolk, Erle Marshall of Sussex, Surrey, and of Nottingham, Marshall of Inglonde, Lorde Mowbray of Segreve, Bromfelde, and Yalle, to al our frendes, servauntes, and othir Crystyne people, gretyng. Wher John Paston, esquier, and othre diverse persones forseble hath kepte the manoir of Castre, contrary to our will and pleaser, and aftirwarde by his lowly labour and gret meanese to us maade, the seide John Paston hathe maade deliveraunce of the seide manoir to such persons as we have assignede, and he and his seide felouship by our lycence to departe out of the same. Wherefore we pray, wil, and charge you and everysche of you, that ye ne vexce, trouble, manase, ne greve the forseid persones, nor eny of them, for the kepyng of the seide manere contrary to the Kynge our Sovereynge Lordes lawyes, for we have takyne them in our safe garde. Yevin undir our signet and signmanuell the xxvjti day of Septembre, the ixth yere of Kynge Edward iiijt. Norff’. [LS]
[56.1] [From a MS. in the College of Arms.] The original of this document, signed and sealed by the Duke of Norfolk, is inserted in the MS. volume called Brooke’s Aspilogia, vol. i. p. 35.
see previous letter for [LS]
[732]
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[56.2]
Caystr yelded.—J. P.
1469
[SEPT.]
Ryght werchepfull sir, I recomand me on to yow. And as for the serteynte of the delyverance of Caster, John Chapman can tell yow how that we wer enforsyd therto, as wel as mysylf. As for John Chapman and his iij. felaws, I have purveyd that they be payid ache of them xls., with the mony that they had of yow and Dawbeney; and that is inow for the seson that they have don yow servys. I pray yow geve them ther thank, for by my trowthe they have as well deservyd it as eny men that ever bare lyve; but as for mony, ye ned not to geve hem with owt ye wyll, for they be plesyd with ther wagys. Wryttyll promysyd me to send yow the serteynte of the apoyntement. We wer sor[57.1] lak of vetayl, gonepowdyr, menys herts, lak of suerte of rescwe, drevyn therto to take apoyntement.
If ye wyll that I come to yow, send me woord, and I shall pervey me for to tery with yow a ij. or iij. dayis. By my trowthe, the rewardyng of syche folkys as hathe ben with me dwryng the sege hathe putt me in gret danger for the monye. God preserve yow, and I pray yow be of good cher tyll I spek with yow, and I trust to God to ese your hert in some thynggys. J. Paston.
[56.2] [From Fenn, iv. 410.]
[57.1] sor. So the word stands in Fenn, and ‘sore’ in the copy in modern spelling; but I suspect a misreading of ‘for.’