I know no body can tell how to make that answer but himselfe. If he comes into the country again, I hope you will speake with him about this matter, or any thing els which may concerne

Post scr: If wee doe not get my Lord Gerard to make over the assignment, wee shall be at an infinite trouble, cost and uncertainty to get the surrender made when wee come into the country, and therefore I pray with all speede draw up an assignment in as breife words as you and Mr Jeffrayson can, which will soon be done, and send it up.

[Addressed] For Mr Miles Stapylton

att his House, or att the Bishop's Castle

I received yours of Febr 27th as to the buisines of your house; you are in a way to have it, or to see others pay a good high rate for it, for what you answere as to the D[ean] and Ch[apter] you have the right measure of it, but the D[ean]s asured me he would bury the remembrance of it if anything came in his way or power to serve you, and so I perswaide my-selfe you will finde heareafter, for Charleton being guiltie the D[ean] hath manye notorious sircumstances to thinke him so, besides the left hand blood, though that if a hurt at that instant will cause a shrewd suspition, and Charleton's behaviour the same night, and next day careing about that proportion of money to Newcastle, with severall suche allegations, would incline a looser to thinke him guiltie.

According to my last advice address your-selfe to the D[ean] telling him how you have beene used by Whittingham and Allenson, and asure him you will give him and the Ch[apter] a good fine when they cane lett you lease. I beleeve you will have it, you have done well to send Mr Flower* directions to pay the Dean of St Paules 12li 10s. Mr Cosins† is readie enough for the rest, if Mr Wright will not keepe punctuall time of payments Mr Cosins must come in person and enter upon his land.

*Bishop Cosin's domestic chaplain.

† John Cosin, the Bishop's son, to whom money was sent from time to time for his maintenance without his father's consent but with his connivance.

There is now an ugly quarrell at Court which I am heartily troubled att. Sir Wm Coventrie was sent to the Tower this morning at 7 a clock, and Mr Henry Savile* my Lord Hallifax brother sent thither since. The reason for it is something like a challenge sent to the Duke of Buckingham. There hath beene some distance and difference betweene the Duke and Sir Wm Coventrie, begun by the former, and many sharpe things said of both sides. On Satterday last there should have beene a new play acted at the King's house, wherein Sir Wm Coventrie should have beene personated in the charracter of an impertinent knight, and so rendered rediculous, which he is very farre from being so in any kinde, but certainely one of the best servants the King ever had, or will have, for understanding, honestie, fidellitie and proffitt.

It being said the Duke of Buckingham had a hand in makeing the part of this play intended to abuse Sir Wm Coventrie made Harry Savile concerned (who is his nephew), and he went to speake with the Duke but could not gett opertunitie, so he left a noate for him, wherein were some darke expressions, as to a private meetting. The Duke sent Sir Robrt Homes‡ to him to know what he meant by his noate or letter if he were to understand it in the nature of a challenge, but he would not give that sattisfaction to any but the Duke himselfe, to whom Sir Robt Homes offered to carrie him, and he imediatly went where with the Duke was my Lord Arlington, who spoake to and reproved Mr Savile very sharply for presumeing to challenge a Privie Councellor and one of so great quallitie, and that he would presently go tell the King of it, and went presently and did so. What Mr Savile said to the Duke in person is a secrett, the King sent to the Duke to keepe his house, and sent for my Lord Hallifax to come to Court. He denied the challenge or knowledge of anything of it, and Mr Savile denied he either writt or carried any. This was Sunday last, what hath beene discovered more by the Duke or any other since I cannott tell you, but methinkes it is hard for Sir Wm Coventrie to be first abused, and instead of sattisfaction like a gentleman given him, to be clapt in the Tower, being a Privie Councellor, Commissioner of the Treasury, etc. I pray God send a good end of this buisines, for we have had to many parties and discontents amongst us.

I am very sorrie you

pray do not unreasonably opose the helps by physic],¶ for you will not recover without useing some

* Henry Saville of Borowby, brother of the Earlof Halifax, sometime M.P. for Retford and envoy at Paris. cf. Dugdale's Visitation of Yorkshire, with Additions, by J. W. Clay, vol. i, p. 67.

† George Villiers, second Duke of Buckingham, who, after ill-using the King's favours and wasting his great estate, died 16th April, 1687, in a Yorkshire inn, without a friend in the world.

Sir Robert Holmes, captain H.M.S. Defence, knighted 27th March, 1666. § Torn away in breaking the seal.

¶ Ditto.

remedies, or it may turne into dropsie. I pray God give a blessing to what course soever you take. My wife's service and mine very affectionatly to your good lady, and also to Mr Davenport* when you see him.

I received 2 letters from you, one dated the 4th the other the 11th instant, which I should have answered sooner, but that I could not sooner send you an accompt of Anth: Haddock, who did not go with the Duke of Richmond into France, for he was sick when the Duke went, but is now recovered and liveing still at Cobham in Kent.

Upon my lord's first intimation by Tho: Gibson I broake off my treatie with Moore about my office, but one question is whether this is the same Moore my lord meanes for I thinke it is not, however I am at end with him, if I agree with some 3 or 4 others in treatie with me now.

I do asure you I had rather keepe my office then sell it, if I could sell my house; pray help me in that if you cane possibly, cast out a word now and then to my lord to perswaid him to buy it, and give it to some of his children or grandchildren, I do asure you it hath cost me 65011, besides the ground which my lord gave me to make a garden to it, and I will take 3001, payd to me in hand, and a hundred pounds a yeare for 3 yeares which will make but 6001 for it as now it is; I am sure no boddie cane build suche a house haveing the stone to gett and lead under a thousand pounds, if my lord does not buy it no boddie else, his lordshipp hath choice enough to give it to, my Lady Gerrard and her children, my Lady Burton and Mir Grenvile, it will be fitt and convenient for any of them, pray aford me your freindshipp on this, or otherways I thinke I must sell it to John Langstaff, for he told me when I began to build it, that he would give me within 201 of what it should cost me; if he keepe his

* cf. The Correspondence of George Davenport, sometime rector of Houghton-le-Spring, by Dr. Gee, Arch. A el., 3 ser., vol. ix, p. I.

word he will be my best chapman, only I would not bring my lord a quaker for so neere a neighbour to him.

If I sell my office Mr Dawson's talke will seace, but possibly breake out worse with my predecessor (sic); Lyonell is a fooll, and so let him pay for his folly, Deane Sudbury is still in towne and tells me the lessees of Jarrow will bring on theire suitt againe against Newcastle,* upon comon right, and in oposition to theire pretended prescription, which began within the memory of thousands yett liveing, though truly I thinke the Towne will carry it as to Ballastshores being acknowledged by the Judges as conservators of the River, and are and have beene at many thousand pounds charges upon accidents proved by wittness to cleare and maintaine the river navigable, what my wife and I cane do to serve Mir Neile we will, as any opertunitie we cane lay hold of is offered upon our enquirie. The Queene is prettie well recovered since her miscarreing. The Dutchess of Yorke hath beene ill, and shortly goes to Tunbridge to take the waters there. The Duke of Albemarle† is at Newhall, where a man is come to him from Bristoll who hath cured many of dropsicall distempers, and hopes to cure his grace. I heare some discourse of haveing a Parliament called in Scotland where my Lord Lowderdale is to be (president I thinke) to be held next winter; heere was a report that the Earle of Carlile had killed a Frenche Ambassador in duell at Stockholme in Sweden, but now it is said there was no Frenche Ambassador there so it proves like a new play made by a lady and lately acted at the Kings house wherein shee makes Sampson and Alexander fight a duell in the other world and the Maide of Orleans with another hero, but I have not seene it and am not perfitt in the storie. Yesterday I had Jack Grove by the hand who is prettie well recovered, but so altered and plump chopps pinched that I did not at first sight know him. Pray give my service to Mr Davenport, Mr Flower, Mr Miller, honest Fowler, Monsr La Ville, etc. I am to you and your lady a most affectionate and humble servantt.

[Addressed] For Miles Stapylton Esqr at his house in the

Edw: Arden.

pd [Post-mark.]

Bayly
att

Durham.

*This suit is briefly alluded to in Surtees, Durham, vol. ii, p. 73.

† George Monk, the Commonwealth general, whose action in favour of the exiled Charles II was the principal factor of his Restoration. He was created Duke of Albemarle 7th July, 1660, and dying 3rd January, 1669-70, was buried in Henry VII chapel at Westminster, but not until the 29th of April following.

John Maitland, second Earl of Lauderdale in the peerage of Scotland, advanced to be a duke in 1672, was created Earl of Guildford in the peerage of England, in 1674. He was a member of the notorious administration known as the Cabal

BISHOP COSIN TO MILES STAPYLTON.

Mr Stapylton:

Novemb. 11th, 1669.

Upon Tuesday last I sent you the Patent of the clerkeship of the Hallmote office under my seal, with instructions to keep it in your hands untill halfe the money due to my daughter Burton upon Mr Arden's bond be payd unto you, together with security given to have the rest payd unto you againe within 6 months, and you are neither to part with the money nor the security untill you can find an opportunity to lay out the same for the purchase of a house at Durham where she hath a mind to dwell hereafter.

I send you this night, being Martinmas day, the lease of Howden under my seal dated yesterday: by the next post, because I will not send you two together,* shall come the other lease of Gateshead, etc., both to be confirm'd by the Deane and Chapter according to the King's Mandatory Letter and their own promise. In the mean while I have sealed and delivered them as escrolls only, to become each of them my Act and Deed when the Deane and Chapter's confirmation-seal in their chapter-house shall be ready to be put to them, whereof you will take care.

It is high time now that you and Mr Kirby send us an account of all the rents due this yeare from Chilton, together with an addition thereunto of what is unlet there and remain in expectation of what profit will be like to come in for the Gates, the West Meere, etc. If the money be received, adde to the account how much is payd out to the poor in the hospitall at Durham and to the keeper of my new library for the halfe yeare. The halfe yeare's rent due to the colledges in Cambridge that is to say 141 for Caius Colledge and 2911 for St Peter's Colledge must be sent up and payd here to my late Lord Mayor, now Sir William Turner,† for the use of the present Masters, Fellowes and Schollars in both those colledges. The rest of the halfe yeare's rent is to be payd unto my daughter here ac

*A lease of the manors of Gateshead and Whickham with the coal royalties, for the term of 99 years, was extorted, in 1582, from Bishop Barnes by the Crown. This lease, which had been purchased by the mayor and burgesses of Newcastle, was due to expire in 1682, when the premises leased would revert to the see of Durham. Bishop Cosin in order to make further provision for his daughter, Lady Gerard, granted a concurrent lease for the term of 21 years to his son-in-law, Sir Gilbert Gerard, but that grant was only good against the Bishop himself until confirmed by the Dean and Chapter of Durham, on whom was imposed the unpleasant duty of preventing the bishop from wronging his successors. Dean Sudbury, having taken exception, only yielded a reluctant consent after he had been brow-beaten by the King in person. cf. Hutchinson, Durham, vol. i, p. 539; Surtees, Durham, vol. ii, p. 112; Correspondence of Bishop Cosin, Surtees Soc., vol. lv, p. 94.

† Sir William Turner of London, merchant and alderman, also three times lord mayor, and knighted 19th July, 1662, was a Kirkleatham man, and acted as Bishop Cosin's banker. cf. Correspondence of Bishop Cosin, Surtees Soc., vol. lv, p. 1OON.