IV. To his assured and verie loving With my verie hartie commendacons from myself and my wyfe to yourself and your wyfe; with the like thanks for all the courteous entertainmente you both shewed unto my wyfe. Sir, so yt is, that this goodlye seasonable weather, as it hath staied our worke somewhat this day, soe it do the cause that we shall not be readie for his Grace this next weeke, viz. untill Monday come sevennighte, for this weather wyll not serve for layinge of mortar. Nevertheless we doe go on with the groundeworke. Firste, we have finished the two trenches nexte the Crowne and the George, and made them even with the grounde. Also the ynner trenche which doth countermaunde those other, we have filled and finished on that side next the Crowne. We have digged the other that answers that against the George, and we have almost filled it this afternoon (for feare, if the weather breake, it might fall in againe). And whereas bothe these ynner trenches doe meete with there angle in the sellar, we have made up that angle from the bottom of the sellar wall R wyse with stone and morter, almost even with the grounde; and are now fillinge the voyde rometh therein with earth and rubbishe. This beinge done, we meane to goe in hande with other ground-worke, until the wether serve to worke above grounde; and order our businesse soe to the tyme, that this kinde of weather shall not hurte us and lyttle hinder us. Thus I committ you to God. Croydon, this xxvith of Februarii, Anno 1596, Yours as his own, SAMUEL FINCHE. V. To his verie lovinge Friend SIR, with my verie hartie commendacons to yourselfe and Mrs. Wormall, I did understande by Mr. Mylles, that (upon Blease his complainte) he had moved my L. Gr. as though it were needfull that our workmenbricklayers shoulde be looked unto (not as a caveat for us, but as a reproach to us that be overseers) as though there ware some unskillfull admitted alreadie. This Blease is one of those whom Hillarie chose with Greene to be those that should take the charge of the bricklainge; and in that respecte he is allowed, 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, oue 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. |