Godfrey Greene to Sir William Plumpton

27 Godfrey Greene to Sir William Plumpton, 10 July [?1477] (No. 29, p.
     176]

Right worshippfull Sir,^a I recomend me vnto your good mastershipp.
Sir, as for a supersedias¹ for your selfe, there will not begotten without I
shold put in sufficient men to be suerties, for there is a new rule made
in the chauncery, now late, that no sureties shalbe accepted but such
as be sufficient, and twenty of [b]e old common sureties dischardged; so
it is hard to gett suerties for a yoman; & as for the supliants I have
dayly labored, sith your man come, to gett a man to aske þe suretie, &
so I fand one which hath bene of old a supersedias mounger and was
agreed with him that he shold gett me a man to aske it, & he and the
man shold haue had vs for their labor. And so he said vnto me and
Thom: on Saturday last that it was done, & desired mony for þe mans
labor and for the sealing, & we shold haue them forth withall; & also
he hath driuen us from morne to euen, & in conclusion deceyued <us>,
& hath receued vjs vjd. And I may nott arreast him nor striue with
him for þe mony, [p. 177] nor for the decept, because the matter is not
worshipfull. And so there is none odere meane but dayly to labor him
to gett be writts, & so I shall, & send them to you asoune as they may
be gotten. The labor is great & perillous and the a<n>ger is more
because of þe decept. As for the suit of Tulis executor, it is delaid for
this terme, but the next terme it cannot be delaid. Therefore it were
well done ye sought up your writtings and all the sircumstances of
making þe obligacion & whear it was made, for there is none will make
a plea without he haue some matter to make it of; & also the court
will nott admitt a forreine plea² without þe matter be somewhat likely
to be true.

     As for all your oder suits, they haue the speed the law will giue
them, as Horbury will enforme you when he comes home. As for the
supena, the writt is nott retorned in: it seemes it will take a delay. I have
sent you a copie of þe letter & a supesedias for Ward of Breeton.³ And
as for your awne, if so be ye will that I put in sufficient suerties for you
<ye may haue one>, but, saueing your better advise, methink it not
necessary so [to] do without oder cause shold require; for as strong in
the law is a supersedias of a justice of the peace as in the chauncery.

     And as for your bottles, there came no samon men here of all this
sumor, but I understand they will come now hastely; by the next at
comes they shalbe sent, with Gods grace, who haue you euermore in
his blessed proteccion. Written att London, the xth day of July. Thomas
can enforme you of nouelties in this countrie better than I can writte.^b

Your servant Godfrey Grene

Endorsed (p. 176): To my right reuerend worshipfull maistre Sir William
Plompton kt

     ^a Marginal note: 29 letter.

     ^b Marginal note: Copied 1 of February 1612, Munday.

     ¹ A writ of supersedeas was a means of blocking the process of outlawry, Hastings, 210.

     ² A plea outside the judgement of the court.

     ³ 17.

LETTER XXIV.

To my right reverend and worshipfull Maistre, Sir William
Plompton, knight.

    Right worshippfull Sir, I recomend me unto your good master-
shipp; Sir, as for a supersedias^a for yourselfe, there will not be
gotten, without I should put in sufficient men to be suerties; for
there is a new rule made in the Chancery now late, that no sure-
ties shalbe accepted, but such as be sufficient, and twenty of
the old common sureties dischardged: so it is had to gett
suerties for a yoman. And as for the supliants, I have dayly
labored, sith your man come, to gett a man to aske the suertie;
and so I fand one which hath bene of old a supersedias mounger,
and was agreed with him that he shold gett me a man to aske
it, and he and the man shold have had v^s. for their labor;
and so he said unto me and Thom. on Saturday last that it
was done, and desired mony for the mans labor and for the
sealing, and we shold have them forth withall: and so he hath
driven us from morne to even, and in conclusion deceyved us,
and hath receved viis. vid. And I may nott arreast him nor
strive with him for the mony, nor for the decept, because the
matter is not wroshipfull; and so there is none odere meane, but
dayly to labor him to gett the writts, and so I shall, and send
them to you asoune as they may be gotten: the labor is great and
perillous, and the anger is more, because of the decept. As for
the suit of Tulis executor, it is delaid for this terme, but the
next terme it cannot be delaid; therefore it were well done ye
sought up your writtings, and all the sircumstances of making the
obligacion, and whear it was made; for there is none will make a
plea, without he have some matter to make it of: and also the
court will nott admitt a forreine plea, without the matter be some-
what likely to be true. As for all your oder suits, they have
the speed the law will give them, as Horbury will enforme you,
when he comes home. As for the supena, the writt is nott
retorned in; it seemes it will take a delay. I have sent you a
copie of the letter, and a supersedias for Ward of Breeton; and as
for your awne, if so be ye will that I put in sufficient suerties for
you, ye may have one; but saveing your better advise, me think
it nott necessary so to do, without oder cause shold require: for as
strong in the law is a supersedias of a Justice of the peace, as in

the Chancery. And as for your bottles, there came no samon
men here of all this sumor, but I understood they will come now
hastely; by the next at comes they shalbe sent, with Gods grace,
who have you evermore in his blessed proteccion. Written att
London, the xth day of July. Thomas can enforme you of novelties
in this countrie better then I can writte.

    (10 July, anno circiter 1475.) Your servant GODFREY GREENE.

    ^a There were two kinds of appearances before the quinto exactus to avoid an out-
lawry, viz. an appearance in deed, that is, to render oneself, &c. and an appearance
in lay, that is, by purchasing a supersedeas out of the court where the record was.