  
TO JOHN PASTON II 1467,  07, 
11  
To Ser John Paston, knyght, be &thorn;is deliuered in hast. 
I grete you wele and send you Goddes blissyng and myn, letyng 
you wete that Blykklyng of Heylesdon came fro London this weke, and 
he is right mery and maketh his bost that wyth-in this fourtnyght at 
Helesdon shuld be bothe new lordes and new officeres. And also this day 
was brought me word fro Cayster that Rysyng of Freton shuld haue herd 
seid, in diuerse places there as he was in Suffolk, that Fastolf of 
Coughhawe maketh all the strenght that he may and purposith hym to 
assaught Caystre and to entre there if he may, in somych that it is seyd 
that he hath a v score men redy  
and sendyth dayly aspies to vnderstand what felesshep kepe the place. Be 
whos powere or favour or supportacion that he wull do this I knowe not, 
but ye wote wele that I haue ben affrayd there be-fore this tyme whan 
that I had othere comfort than I haue now. And I can not wele gide ner 
rewle sodyour, and also thei set not be a woman as thei shuld set be a 
man. Therfore I wold ye shuld send home your brothere or ell 
Dawbenye to haue a rewle and to takyn in such men as were necessary 
for the saffegard of the place, for if I were there wyth-ought I had the 
more saddere or wurchepfull persones abought me, and there comyn a 
meny of knavys and prevaylled in there entent, it shuld be to me but a 
vylney. And I haue ben a-bought my liffelode to set a rewle there-in as I 
haue wretyn to you, which is not yet all parfourmed after myn desyre, 
and I wuld not go to Cayster till I had don. I wull nomore days make 
there-abowtyn if I may; there-fore in any wyse send summe body home 
to kepe the place. And whan that I haue do and parfourmed that I haue 
be-gunne I shall purpose me thederward if I shuld do there any good, 
and ell I had leuer be thens. I haue sent to Nicholas and such as kepe the 
place that thei shuld takyn in summe feles to assiste and strengh them till 
ye send home sum othere word or summe othere man to gouerne them 
&thorn;at ben there-in, &amp;c. I marvayll gretly that ye send me no 
word how that ye do, for your elmyse be-gynne to wax right bold, and 
that puttith your frendes bothyn in grete fere and dought. There-fore 
purvey that thei may haue summe comfort &thorn;at thei be no more 
discoraged, for if we lese our frendes it shall [be] hard in this troblelous 
werd to kete them ageyn. The blissid Trynyt&eacute; spede you in your 
materes and send you the victory of your elmyse to your hertes eas and 
there confusyon. Wretyn at Norwich the Saterday next be-fore Relyke 
Sonday in hast. I pray you remembre wele the materes &thorn;at I wrote 
to you fore in the lettere &thorn;at ye had be James Greshams man, and 
send me an answere there-of be &thorn;e next man &thorn;at comyth, 
&amp;c. By your moder M. P.  

