George Cely to Richard Cely snr.

45

Jhesu M^liiij^ciiij^xx

     Ryght rewerent and worshypffull Fadyr affter all dewe
recomendacyon pretendyng I recomeawnd me unto yow in the
moste lowlyest whisse that I con or may Fordyr mor plesyth ytt
yow to undyrstond that I hawe resseywyd an letter from yow beryng
date at London at London [sic] the xiij day of Octobyr in hast
wheche y do whell undyrstond and I hawe resseywyd yowr warant
and ys anlowyd appon yowr byll ancordyng As towchyng hodyr
clausys in yowr sayd letter y undyrstond them ryght whell and as
for Robyn ye undyrstond be this how whell he has done nonethyng
but put ze to cost &c as towchyng me bothe be yowr sayd letter
and be my cossyn Maryons I am sory and y con nott be mery tyll
that I hawe ben w^t yow and y whollde aben w^t yow shorttly savyng
my besynesse ys soch that I connott as ze know In dede I hawe
bene long away and therfor my besynesse ys the mor y this day I
be gon to pak yowr woll I thanke Good ytt rysythe full fayr and
som medyll woll ze shall have but and ytt rysyth as ytt do ytt
shall nott be moche I have men appon yowr fellis dayly in good
faythe y nevyr sawe yowr goods so loud in my dayys and so dyd
all men ze shall hawe abowe an M^l made fellis and yowr woll ys
lyke whysse arayd be the grace of God y shall fenyshe all thynges
hevyr that y go unto the marte As towchyng my clawis afore I
hawe ben long hens as ze know nevyr the lesse and my debyteyys
had done ther deuteys y myght so aben for that resson ryght whell
Now y hawe sen that at y dessyryd long to se y toke this seson
wheche tyme y wollde that y hade lyne syke in my bede yf ye be
dysplesyd therw^t y hawe had letterys dyvars to an kept Wylliam
Cely styll at Calles in dede he departyd hevyr any wryttyng and
allso y shall nott nede hym grettly y hawe helpe y now y am yn
good whay of my besynesse now zett whas ther ryght lytyll done
therto whan he departyd ytt ys so that her whas grett ado at
Calles for that woll that come in the last schyppyng becawis that
the dokates bare nott dat of the xiiij day of Septembyr dyvars men
wold an hade ytt but newe woll ther ys derectyon takyn that ytt
shall nedyr be newe nor howllde but yt shall hawe that lysens
that ytt shall passe w^thowght howlde woll appon ytselffe^a men
hade whent that the fellis showld abene howlde zett whe con nott
tell ther ys replyyng ther an zenst y thynke that ze shall sett
them in the sam casse as the wholl stondys whe shall do moche
therto. Y whas to sweffte in wrythyng to my cossyn Maryon y
wrott hym they wher howllde fellis.

     It ys so that the xiiij day Novembyr ytt whas concleudyd be
Cortt that at from Candyllmesse for ij^s no man shall sell but for
xxvj^s le li I thynke ytt shall causse an stope ze most now wrytt
me yowr hadvysse how y shall be demenyd wher y shall howld
hand tyll than or sell affore and y con Ther ys but lytyll
Cotteswolld woll at Callez and y understond Lombardys has
bowght ytt up yn Ynglond and ze undyrstonde what sobstons
is at London to schyppe I hope ther whas nott a better markett
toward for Cottes woll many a day. I woll nott avysse ze to
schype in the dede of wynter ytt yss long lyyng fowlle whedyr
and jepardes for stormys.

     Of tydynges I con none wryght yow for sarten as zett but at
myn howllde lady ^b ys comyng from Byng ^c to Sent Tomers^d and
the ambassetters bothe of Ynglond and Fraunsse y connott say
what whorlld whe shall have some of the Deukes Counsell wholld
hawe whar and some pesse the very grounde must come howght of
Ynglond The Frenche kynge has forneshed his garysons appon
the frontes all redy &c. My lady porposeth to ly at Sent Tomers
and the Frensche ambassett shall ly at Tyrwhyne^a iij wekes
thens &c.

     Her ys but fewe merchantes at Calles now I am in whay w^t
Iyshbryght van whennysbarge for an ij of yowr sarplers I hope I
shall go thorow w^t hym. I woll that y myght undyrstond be
wryttyng wher the kyng porposythe to hawe whar w^t Frawnsse or
no my brodyr Rychard may undyrstond that of my lorde yff y
undyrstode be tymes y myght yff nede be porvay me of saffe
condytt y whollde forst ondyrstond how the Kynge take my lordys
answar &c no mor unto yow at this tyme but Jhesu hawe you and
all yowrs in His kepyng Amen Wrettyn at Calles the xvj^the day
of Novembyr Anno iiij^xx.

                                                            per yowr son

                                                                                 George Cely.

     Addressed: Unto my ryght whorschypfull fadyr
                                 Rychard Cely merchant of the
                                 Stapell of Callez Dwelling at
                                 London in Marte Lane so it dd:

     ^a Usually a buyer of new wool was compelled to take with it a certain propor-
tion of old (see Introduction).

     ^a Terouenne.

     ^b The Dowager Duchess of Burgundy, Margaret, sister to Edward IV.

     ^c Perhaps Busigny, now in French Flanders; or Binche, in Hainault.

     ^d St. Omer.