TO JOHN PASTON II 1462,  12, 
11  
To my ryth worchepfull brodyr [[John]] Paston the older, sone of 
John Paston, esqwyer, be thys delyueryd in hast. 
Ryth worchepfull brodyr, i recomand me to yow. Plesyt yow to 
wet þat as thys day we had tydyngys her that the Scottys wyll 
come in-to Inglond wyth-in vij days aftyr the wryttyng of thys letter for 
to rescue these iij castellys, Alnewyk, Donsamborowe, and Bameborowe, 
whyche castellys wer besegyd as on yesterdaye. And at the sege of 
Allnewyk lythe my lord of Kent and þe Lord Scalys, and at 
Donsameborow castyll lythe the Erle of Wyrcetyr, Syr Rafe Grey, and at 
the castyll of Bameborow lythe the Lord Montagwe and þe Lord 
Ogyll and othyr dyuers lordys and gentylmen that i knowe not; and ther 
is to hem owte of New-castyll ordynans jnowe bothe for the segys and 
for the feld in cas that ther be ony feld takyn, as i trowe ther sc[h]all 
none be not yet, for the Scottys kepe no promes. Lord of Warwyk lythe 
at þe castyll of Warcorthe but iij myle owt of Alnewyk, and he 
rydyth dayly to all thes castelys for to ouer-se the segys, and if they 
want vetaylys or ony othyr thyng he is redy for to puruey it for them to 
hys power. The Kyng comandyd my lord of Norfolk for to condyth 
vetaylys and the ordynans owt of New-castyll on-to Warcorthe castyll to 
my lord of Warwyk, and so my lord of Norfolk comandyd Syr John 
Howard, Syr William Peche, Syr Robert Chamberleyn, Rafe Ascheton, 
and me and Calthorp and Gorge and othyr for to go forthe wyth the 
vytalys and ordynans on-to my lord of Warwyk, and so we wer wyth my 
lord of Warwyk wyth þe ordynans and vytalys yesterdaye.  
 
The Kyng lythe at Durham and my lord of Norfolk at New-castyll; we 
haue pepyll j-now her. In cas we abyd her i pray yow puruey þat i 
may haue her more mony by Crystmas Evyn at the ferthest, for i may 
get leue for to send non of my wagyd men home ageyn. No man can get 
no leue for to go home but if they stell a-wey, and if they myth be 
knowe they schud be scharply ponyschyd. Mak as mery as ye can, for 
ther is no joperté toward not yet; and ther be ony joperté 
i schall sone send yow word, by the grase of God. I wot well ye haue 
more tydyngys than we haue her, but thes be trewe tydyngys. Yeluerton 
and Geney ar lek for to be gretly ponyschyd for be-cause they come not 
hedyr to the Kyng; they ar morkyn well j-now, and so is John 
Bylyngforthe and Thomas Playter, wher-for i am ryth sory. i pray yow 
let them haue wetyng ther-of, þat the may puruey ther excuse in 
hast so that the Kyng may haue knowlage why that they come not to hym 
in ther one personys. Let them come or send ther excuse to me in 
wrytyng, and i schall puruey that the Kyng schall haue knowlage of ther 
excuse; for i am well aqueyntyd wyth my Lord Hastyngys and my Lord 
Dakarys whyche be now gretest a-bowt the Kyngys person, and also i am 
well aqweyntyd wyth the yonger Mortymer and Fererys, Hawte, Harpor, 
Crowmer, and Bosewell of the kyngys howse. I pray yow let my 
grandam and my cosyn Cler haue knolage how that i desyiryd yow to let 
hem haue knowlage of the tydyngys in thys letyr, for i promysyd for to 
send them tydyngys. I pray yow let my modyr haue cnowelege howe 
þat i and my felawsc[h]ep and your seruauntys are at þe 
wrytyng of þis lettyr in good hell, blesyd be God. i pray yow let 
my fadyr haue knowlage of thys lettyr and of the todyr lettyr þat i 
sent to my modyr by Felbryggys man, and how that i pray bothe hym 
and my modyr lowly of her blyssyngys. I pray yow that ye wole send 
me som lettyr how ye do, and of yowyr tydyngys wyth yow, for i thynk 
longe that i her no word fro my modyr and yow. I pray yow þat 
thys byll may recomand me to my systyr Margery and to my mastres 
Jone Gayne and all god mastyrys and felawys wyth-in Castyr. i sent no 
lettyr to my fadyr neuyr syn i departyd fro yow, for i kowd get no man 
to London, and neuer sythe. I pray yow in cas ye spek wyth my cosyn 
Margaret Clere recomande me to hyr; and All-mythy God haue yow in 
hys kepyng. Wretyn at Newcastyll on Saterday next aftyr þe 
Consepsion of Owyr Lady. Yowyr John Paston the yongest. i pray yow 
let Rychard Call se thys lettyr.