Letters and papers of John Shillingford, mayor of Exeter 1447-50. Ed. by Stuart A. Moore, F. S. A.

XII. H. WEBBER, PRIEST, ON BEHALF OF THE BISHOP, TO THE RECORDER (?) Chudlegh, 28 Dec. 1447.

Thanks for good will expressed in the letter sent to him (the Bishop) on Sunday. The same day he had a long and diffuse letter from the Mayor of Exeter, stating that the Lords' command was that the matter shall be entreated at home in this vacation. The Bishop will order Copleston and Hendeston to be at Exeter at the next sessions of the peace for that purpose. [There was a consultation in the Chapter House, Lent 1447 8.—See Extracts from Receiver's Accounts in the Appendix.]

My right reverend trusty and singular maister, after dewe and entierly recommendacion with all worship and reverence, my lord the Bysshop of Excetre, of whas commaundement y write un to you at this tyme, thanketh your kyndenesse of your gode and well conceyved letter that ye sende unto hym on Sonday last passed, the whiche day sone apon that he receyved [Originally "hadde receyved."] your letter he receyved a long and right a diffuse letter y send to hym by the Mayer of Excetre remyttyng my seide lord in the same yn to a long rolle of supplicacions by hym made ther a fore, yn the whiche letters ye as yn youre by the enformacion of the seyde Mayer, and the seide Mayer as yn his letters conceyved, atte laste terme that hit was appoynted by my lord of Canterbury and the two Chyf Justises, that the maters be twene my seide lord and the Deane and the Chapitre of his Churche of Excetre and the seyde Maier and the Comminalte of the said Cite hongyng sholde be entreted here at home yn this vacacon, with other larger words of the same in the Mayer's letters comprehended. Trewly, S^r, what the departyng and how at the laste terme was a fore my seid lord the Chaunceller and the seide Justises my seide lorde was a fore and is fully enfourmed therof. Notheles for as moche as ye fynde the seide Maier and his feloship of the Cite disiderable and aggreyng a communicacion to be hadde after the effecte that ye commyned with my seid lord sum

tyme at Excetre, and yn maner so the seide Maier writeth hym self to my seid lord, with maters of pretens contrarye articulis and other allegauncies and remissions yn to meny diffuse supplicacions, seyng furdermore that he hath writen to John Copleston and William Hendiston for the same communicacion to be hadde for the gode ende and peasyng of the seide maters, of the whiche my seide lorde seith that hit pleaseth hym that a communicacion myght be hadde yn haste, and he woll do the seide John Copleston and William Hendeston to be at Excetre with other as well of the Chapitre is counseill as of his awne atte next session of peas. So that the seide communicacion be no longe delaye to hyndryng of his Churche and of his right, for trewly he woll noo long delayes theron, bot to do his avail whan he shall se his tyme. And yf hit so be that ther shall be y-offered suche weyes that may be to the gode ende and peasying of the seide maters withoute hertyng and delayng of the right of his Churche, he woll applie hym self therto with gode will: and where ye wrote yn to my seide lorde that he moved to yow that William Hendeston and ye a certyn day limited by yow and by my seid lord for to commune for the gode ende to be hadde yn the seide maters, and he kepte not his day, my seid lord seith that ye knowe well by certefyyng of right worthy men that he myght not be there at that day for certyn causes that they certefied yow therof resonable. Notheles sone apon he came to yow and ye and he communed to geder, the whiche communicacion was be ease and litell fruite theron. And he seith that sith he came home from Courte he communed with yow of dyvers maters, bot ye moved noo thyng of the seide maters. And therfor my seide lord supposed ye wolde noo more therof. Notheles my seide lord, seyng your gode will, whiche ben of counseill with his Churche, wyth [wyth—originally "and."] hym, and with the Maier of later date, thanketh yow hertely of your gode letter and also the Maier for his godeley letters, and with the grace of God John a Copleston and William Hendeston and other, as hit is aböveseid, shall be a redy to commune with yow under the

fourme as hit is aboveseid to the effectuall gode ende with oute grete delay, for trewly y ther sey yow secretely, on grete truste that y have founde yn your person ever, my seid lord woll not be long delayed yn noowise, as y veryly conceyve by hym, and therfor y wolde for the reverence of God and ease of the pore puple and for your grete worship that ye myght be cause of the gode ende and peasyng of the seide maters. And yf y myght se that hit myght take effectuall and a spedcefull ende, y sey yow feithfully y shall do my part truly therto with the grace of God, the which have yow ever yn his gracyous kepyng, and my seid lord praied yow that ye wolle notise his wyll aboveseid to the seid Maier and to such other as your worthy and appreved discrecion semyth best for be don. Y-write at Chuddelegh the xxviii day of December.

By your owne Prest,
H. WEBBER,
dwellyng with the Bysshop of Excetr.

Indorsed. A lettre agaynst the Cite sent by a preest to the bishop.