William Cely to Richard Cely jnr. and George Cely

133

Jhesu M^liiij^ciiij^xxvij

     Ryght worschyppffull Syrs and my reverent mastyrs aftyr
all dew recommendacion precedyng I lowly recommend me
unto yowre mastyrschyppys Fyrdyr more plese hytt yowre
mastyrschyppes to understond that I hawe receyved yowr letter
datyd at London the xviij day of Jenyvere the whych I doo well
underston and as tochyng John Delowppys I hawe wrytten hym
acordyng to the tenour of yowr letter but the ceson ys syche at
Bruges now that noo man there hath noo leyser to goo abowght any
thynges perteynynge merchaundyse for viij dais longe the gates of
Bruges were schytt & noo man sufferyd to com yn nor owte &
evyr syns Candyll messe evyn all the comoners of Bruges hath ben
yn harnesse & kepe the markett place & they hawe sett the Kyng
of Romayns owte of hys place & put all hys men from hym &
kepeth hym under ward but they saye they wyll doo hym noo
bodyly hurtt and they hawe taken diversse that were rewlers
abowte hym whych men thyncke they hawe or schall suffer deth &
many of hys lorddys ben fledd and the cheyffe rewlers of Gaunte
be com to Bruges and soo they wyll playnly hawe pese w^t
Fraunce and to be under the abesaunce of the Kynge of Fraunce
yff the town of Bruges wold be agreabull to the samee but as
yett they be nott agreed amongyst hemsellfe wherfor they hawe
sent ynto Braband & ynto Holond & Selond that everyche of
thes contreys doo send to Bruges serten wysemen w^t full auctoryte
of ther contrey for to coomen & talke w^t the Gauntnersse & them
and that maye take syche wayes & conclucion amongyst them as
they can dryve be reson moste benyffycyall for them & ther
contreys but they ar utterly determenyd that the Romayns
Kynge schall rewle noo longger amongyste them for all redy
they hawe dischargyd all the old wytt^a of Bruges the whych was
sett yn be the Kyng and made a new wytt and they seye that they
wyll hawe the quoynz^b sett doun agayne and soo they of
Bruges sayth all schall be well schorttly but hytt ys onlyckly
the imbassettors that schuld acomen yn to Ynglond beth fledd to
Slewce. Item Syr I hawe receyved anoder letter from yow datyd
at London the x day of Fevere the whych I hawe well understond
and as tochyng makyng over of mony at Bruges be exchaunge
or oder wayis of conveyaunce yn redy mony or fyne gold ther
can be none tell thys hete be over for every man ys yn har-
nesse yn the markett place and soo ys John Delowppis & Gomers
Desers bothe. And Syr as for the payment of the nexte halffe zere
ys wages at the vj day of Apryll I truste & putt noo dowttes
yn hytt. Yowre wulles schall be owte of the town or any pur-
veyaunce or provysion schalbe made for payment therof for John
Delowppis man ys here at Callez redy to receyve hytt as sone as he
heryth they be at a conclucyon at Bruges wythyn viij or x days
wee schall knowe at the uttrest what weye they of Bruges wyll
take for they hawe denayed them of Gaunte diversse of ther
desyrys &c. Syr the saynges ys that the quoyns schall be sett
down at Bruges & yff it soo be hytt were best yowre mastyr-
schyppes taryed yn makyng ower of yowre monys for hytt ys
now at to owtreages losse the ryall ys wurth xx^sfl. & all oder
goldds after the rate and as for new grottes ar wurth vij^d a
pese yn Bruges now &c. Syr w^t the next passage I schall wryte
yowre masterschyppys syche newes as I can here &c. No more
unto yowre mastyrschyppis at this tyme but allmyghty Jhesu
preserve yow Wrytten at Callez the xix day of Fevere.

                                                       per yowre servaunte

                                                                                Wylliam Cely.

     Addressed: To my ryght worschyppfull mastyrs
                                Rechard & George Cely mer-
                                chauntes of the Stappell of Callez
                                at London yn Martt Lane so
                                ytt dd.

     ^a Magistracy. See Introduction.              ^b Cunagium, mint