,

as Green ys, a penie in a day more than an ordinarie workman. Now, yf this Blease had had a farther insight into mens works than his partener; it had bene his parte to have made it knowen to us that are overseers, and not to have moved the matter to Mr. Mills. But shall I tell you? When these two ware chose by Hillarie, Blease begins to take a pride in himselfe, as one that woulde challenge or thought himselfe worthie of the cheifetie of all, and begins to complaine to me against Hillarie, because he taks upon him both to sette out the bricklayers worke, and give his advise for the workmen, "for" saith Blease, "I knowe better what belongs to our worke than he; and yf I be appointed one to take charge, 'tis reason I appointe the worke and workmen." I, perceiving this, persuaded Blease to be contente to suffer Hillarie to have an insight into all mens doings: "for" said I," the charge principallie ys his for all; and as he hath put you, soe yf you contente not yourself, he may put you out: because whosoever commeth in here as bricklayer or bricklayers must be one with him. But, goodman Blease," said I, "I doe understande that you shoote at another matter, which neither you, nor Hillarie himself, nor never a man here shall atteine, if I can know yt; and that is, you would have the appointement of

the workmen under you to make a gaine of their wages; as for exemple, here is Kilnar, a bricklaier, one commended to us by Rowland Kilnar, his Gr. servant, a good workeman, he hath xiiiid. a day of us, and you have made him promise you iid. a day out of it, pretendinge, that he is under you, and commeth in by you, when you give him neither meate, drinke, nor lodginge; and thus you woulde doe with others: but you shall not have your will, and if he be meete to serve you for xiid. a day, he shall serve my L. soe: yf not, tis noe reason you shoulde gaine by his worke to my L. losse, for I have learned the tricke of you all; when you gaine by them, you suffer them to worke at pleasure ; but if you know the contrarie, than you haste. them on." After this, Blease seemed to be very quiet (as it seemeth not contented); for Hillarie and myself told him, if he would not be quiet, that id. which he hath in the day more than another shoulde be taken from him. Indeed hither came from Lewisham one Johnson upon Monday was a sevenight, and did thinke to have been employed as a workman ; but we, learninge what his skyll was, did not suffer him; yet Blease, by his leave, as carefull as he pretends to be, did suffer him for an hower, till Hillarie spied it, and would have suffered him as under him, but he woulde

not, and then the fellowe wrought 111 days as a laborer, and had iis. vid. a laborer's wages, as apeareth in the week's accompt which you had last. Two other came also on Friday last from Lewsham, and pretended they ware workmen, and set on to the wall that was made out of the sellar: but one of them proved none, and was paid as a laborer for a day and an halfe xvd, as apeareth in the accompt, and soe departed. Why? what are these matters to troble my L. with? We shall have ynough hereof yer the work be ended, as I told Mr. Mills. Tis no caveat to mee: for I know in a multitude there will fall out suche matters. "We" said I, meaninge myselfe, my father, Hillarie and Wm. Tagburne, "will and doe joine together as one, for the furtheraunce of his Gr. worke; and if we cannot appease, we will thruste out unrullie persons." And I pray you hartelie, Mr. Wormall, acquaint his Gr. with these my letters, as in your discretion you shall finde best opportunitie. Soe fare you well. Nowe this harde weather we get in carriages of stone and bricke, and make ready our chalk pits, and meddle not with other worke. We cannot as yet bargaine with a brickmaker, neither will we unadvisedlie. We will see the worke go on, and howe our owne may serve. Iterum Vale.

Croydon, Marche 3. Yours,

SAMUEL FINCHE.

VI. To my very lovinge friende, Mr. Wormall at Lambith.

With my verie hartie commendacons, &c. Rednap came hither this day; and assone as ever he came into the yarde, and sawe the bricks, his harte was deade; he went to them, and chose here one and there, and knockt on it and said, "he hoped there war better to be founde in the Parke". To the parke we came, and there went from clampe to clampe, and here we founde and there some one or moe good, but not to the purpose of his owne expectation. Fain he woulde have excused himselfe, but his handie worke spake against him, and we ware soe rounde with him, that he burste out into teares, sayinge," he was never the like served in anie worke; he was ashamde of it) he coulde not excuse it; yt was the wickednesse and deceitfulnesse of the yearth. And albeit he coulde not thoroughlie make amends, yet he could be contente to doe what lay in him, but not of that yearth". Well, then, to the lome pitts beyond Dubber's hill we came, neere Halinge-gate, where bricks had been made in tyme past). There he founde such moulde as contented him, and with much parlinge was contente to give my L. the makinge of fiftie thousande, and of x thousande for waste, (nothinge in comparison, but yet as

much as we coulde get him to yealde unto) and to make L thousande more at the price he made for in the parke, having all necessaries founde him as he had in the parke. And there wood must be had of from the farme grounde, and water fetched in a carte from the other Halinge-gate. And these bricks shall be redie for us before Whitsontide. Onlie he requested his Gr. letters to Sir John Box (in whose worke he is) that he will be contente to spare him till he served our turne, which he knoweth he both may and will. And now all this may be accepted of, he lokes for present

answere.

Besides this, you shall receave of this bearer a paterne of the hospitall-gate from the Freemasons; and by this paterne, vewe may be taken, where his Gr. armes shall be placed, and where the dedication S. Trinitati. There is space one eache side for Vincit qui

-patitur, &c. And for a enteringe stone of eache side, one with the armes of Woster, and the other what else is thought good.

I pray you let the armes be drawen out in suche full proportion as his Gr. will have them, and the place sett down where, and the inscripcons what, that all things may be to his Gr. best likinge. And this must be returned