William Cely to George Cely

87

Jhesu M¹iiij^ciiij^xxij

     The negotiation between the King and the Fellowship of the Staplers, recorded
in this letter, illustrates the possibility of what really amounted to extra-parliamen-
tary grants through a chartered company. The King was anticipating the pay-
ment. See also Letter of August 20, 1482.

     Ryght worshypfull Syr afftyr dew recommed[aschon] . . .
. . masterschypp & further more plese hit yowre . . . .
I hawe receyved a letter from yow whych . . . . well under-
stond and as towchyng zowre . . . . schall endewer me to
hym acordyng to yowre letter . . . . Item Syr I understondd
that yowre masterschypp wold [th]at John Dalton schuld bye the
horsse that he wrote to yow off Syr he hath bowght won as on
Sint Telen Day ^a besyde Odenborow ^b at a fayer and he standys yn
yowre stabull hys color ys maner of a grey coler and he ys but yong
for he was new broken yett and he ys almoste as moche as yowre
grett Bayardd &c. Item Syr hytt ys grauntyd to the Kyng be the
fellyschypp at London vj thowsand marke for hys syrplysage and
upon that the lefftenaunte and the fellyschypp here hath agreyd as
be an asemble the vj day of Maye that all the woll and felles that
schall be schyppyd at London at thys nexte schyppyng schall be
kockyttyd yn affore the vj day of Aprell last past and hit schall paye
the costom yn Ynglonde at syche days as they can gett of the Kynge
and takyn to the payment of the sayd syrplysage and that that ys
schyppyd more than the syrplysage schall be cokettyd yn aftyr
the xj day of Apryll last past and pay nott tyll hit com to Calys
and all the woll and felles that ys schyppyd at all oder porttes
schall paye nothyng tyll hit come to Calys noder and all that schall
ryn to the payment of the nexte hallffe yerys wagys &c. Item
Syr hit was agreyd that thys hallfe yerys wagys schold abe payd
hallff yn Ynglonde sterlyng money be the last day of Jule and the
toder hallff at Calys be mydsomer yn Flemische money at xxvj^s
viij^d le pownde Syr now I understonde we muste paye all here be
Whyttsontyde at xxvj^s viij^d the pownde for the sowdeers hath
lewer to be payd here at xxvj^s viij^d than hawe yn Yngland ster-
lyng money for they mystruste her payment there &c. Syr oder
tydynges hawe we none here but Jhesu kepe yow. Wrytten at
Calys the vij day of Maye.

                                                            per yowre servaunte

                                                                                     Wylliam Cely.

     Addressed: To my worshyppffull master George
                              Cely merchaunte off the stappell
                              off Caleys he beynge at the Martt
                              soo hitt dd.

     On the Dorse:

     ^a Not any of the recognised St. Helen’s days, but the day of the Invention of
the Cross, May 3.

     ^b Oudenburg, on the coast between Nieuport and Bruges.