William Cely to Richard Cely jnr. and George Cely

120

Jhesu M^liiij^ciiij^xxiij

     The note at the end of the sale on March 24, 1483, and the reference to the
coming agreement with the Flemish towns about arrests, which was concluded in
September 1484, makes it certain that this Letter should be dated 1484. It is
on the first day of the year, O.S.

     Ryght worschyppffull and my specyall goode masters after
all dewe recomendacyon had I lowly recommend me unto yowre
masterschyppys Forder more plese yowre masterschyppys to
understond that I hawe sold iij M^l of yowre cottes pelt wherof ij M^lV^c
beyth of yowre vij M^l felles schypyd at the portt of London the x day
of Junn Anno iiij^xxiij and the rest ys of yowre V M^l iiij^c pelt schyp-
pyd at the portt at London the xxiiij day of Jowll Anno iiij^xxij &c
Syr, I wold fayne a sold moo new felles w^t all but I Kowde nott for
ther ys grett plenty of old felles in town iij old agaynest on new
and allsoo the vij M^l pelt schyppyd in Jun Anno iiij^xxiij were sorre
blemeschyd as brent yn the schyp bothe tymes as they were schyppyd
twyse &c Syr the reknyng of the sale of the forsayd sale of iij M^l
peltes her affter in thys letter ys conteynyd &c Furder more plese
hytt yowre masterschyppys to understond that thys day owre Lady
Day all the fellyschypp w. . assemlyd yn the hall and ther was
my lord Dennam^a and master Donsta, and master Marschall w^t
oder of the Councell that be made free of the stappell now late
and soo theyr the old mayer was dyschargyd and ther was putt in
alecschan of the new mayer Syr Wylliam Stocker master Yorck
and Master Wymbythe and soo Syr Wylliam Stocker ys choosen
mayer of the stappull for the yere forthe &c Furder more Syr
plese hytt yow to understond that Gyesbryght van Wynsbarge ys
com to Callez and soo hee hath taken schew to bye wull and hytt
ys soo that my lord lefftenaunte of the town of Callez as thys day
sent for my master lefftenaunte of the stappull schewyng unto
hym in thys wyse how that sarten town dwellers of Callez hath
ben at Bruges and hath bowghte wyne and oder merchaundyse the
whyche ys arestyd att Newportte^a for syche goodys that Englysche
men hathe taken be the see belongyng unto men of Oostendd^b and
other plases of Flaunders wherfor my lord schewyd unto the
leffetenaunt how that thes men that hath her gooddes soo arestyd
at Newportte desyryth to hawe lysens to rest Gyesbryght an oder
merchauntes of Bruges that be here for plege for the gooddys
that ys soo arestyd at Newportte but master lyefftenaunte answeryd
my lordd agayne be the avyce of the fellyschypp and sayd unto
hym in thys wyse yff soo be that Gyesbryght schuld be arestyd
here and trublyd hytt schuld causse at grett inconvenyens to the
stappull for Gyesbryght and his fellow be the men that doth
gretter fett of any marchauntes that camyth heder for the gooddes
that they hawe bowght here thys zere drawyth abowe xxv M¹ li ster:
wherfor yff they schuld be stoppyd ther wold come noo moo
merchauntes heder the whych schuld cause a grett stopp and yff
merchauntes straungers myght nott resortt heder that men myght
make sale of her gooddes they cowde make noo payment unto the
soudears of ther wages and allsoo schuld cause men to londd
agayne syche gooddes as they were yschyppyng w^t all and allsoo
hytt was answeryd my lordd in thys wyse how that ther ys an
entercourse made betwyxte the Kyng of Ynglond and the londd of
Flaunders in Dewk Phyllyps days^c and syns confermyd be Dewke
Charllys and syns that confermyd be Dewk Maxymelyanys how
that any merchaunde of Ynglonde beyng free of stappull may goo
sayff and a gonne sayff into Flaunders bothe hys body and gooddes
at all tymes w^towte any interrypcyon for any hurttes doon to any
man of Flaunders be see or lond be Englysche men and in lyke-
wyse all merchauntes of Flaunders or of theke partyes comyng to
Callez warde to bye stappull merchaundyse schall goo free and
come free w^t owte any interypcyon in lykewyse. And thys enter-
course ys entryd in the stappull Regester of old tyme w^t the
whyche my lordd ys well content w^t that the stappell wyll send ij
sadd men of the fellyschypp unto Gaunte to the Councell of
Flaunders to know wheder they wyll abyd be that entercoursse or
nott and soo sarton men schall be apoyntyd to goo to Gaunte w^t
wrytyng under stapell seall for to know an answer &c but Gyes-
bryght ys at hys lybbarte and he byeth wull here as he hath don
in tymes past &c Item Syr I have made wrytyng whych yowre
masterschyppys schuld a herdd or thys tyme but ther hath noo
passage goon thys xiiij day &c No more unto yowre master-
schyppys at thys but allmyghty Jhesu preserve yow Wrytten at
Callez on owre Lady Day Anuncyon

                                                            per yowre servaunte

                                                                                   Wylliam Cely.

     Md: the xxiiij day of Marche Anno iiij^xxiij sold per me
Wylliam Cely in the name of my masters Rechard and George
Cely to Gyesbryght Henryckson Jacob Gyesbryghtson Cornelys
Arnoldson Deryck Jacobson of Dellf iij M^l cottes pelles prys
le c xiiij nobulles sterlyng.

Argent . . . cxl^li ster:

Item the oon hallff Amountes lxx^li ster:

Wherof I receyved in redy mony xxxiij^li vj^s viij^d ster:              lxx^li ster:

And lent them be a byll of her hond     xxxvj^li xiij^s iiij^d ster:
     to paye at Sensyon marte nexte

Item lent them be an oblygacyon to pay the xxiij day
     of September next                                                                } xxxv^li ster:

 Item lent them be annoder oblygacyon payabull at Cole
     martt nexte                                                                             } xxxv^li ster:

     Addressed: To my worschyppffull masters
                            Rechard and George Cely mer-
                            chauntes of the stappull at Callez
                            at London in Martt Lane soo hytt
                            dd:

     ^a Sir John Denham, Lord Denham or Dynham, Privy Councillor to Edward IV.
and to Henry VII., made Lord Treasurer by the latter.

     ^a Nieuport.     ^b Ostend.     ^c Rymer, xi. 140.