To my most worshipful Mafter, Sir John Pafton, Knight. MY my Y most worshipful and moft fpecial Mafter, with all fervice, moft lowly I recommend (me) unto your good Mastership, befeeching you most tenderly to see me somewhat rewarded for my labour in the Great Book which I wrote unto your faid good Mastership; I have oftentimes written to Pampyng, according to your defire, to inform you how I have laboured in writings for you, and I fee well he fpake not to your Mastership of it; and God knoweth I lie in Sanctuary at great cofts, and amongst right unreasonable afkers. I I moved this matter to Sir Thomas (Lewis) lately, and he told me he would move your Mastership therein, which Sir Thomas. defired me to remember well what I have had in money at fundry times of him. (Then comes the Account, as ftated more at large in the following Bill.) And in especial I befeech you to fend me for Alms one of your old Gowns, which will countervail much of the premises I W. Ebefham, (Pl. v. N° 20.) was one of thofe who purfued this employment, and wrote a good hand; he complains of poverty, and petitions to have his Account difcharged. One of the Articles in the bill is dated 30th of October 1468, 8 E. IV. what follows therefore was done after that day, fo that perhaps the bill was not delivered, nor this Letter written, before the next year, 1469. Why he was in Sanctuary I know not, but it appears that it was expensive being there wele, and I shall be yours while I lyve and at yo comandement I have grete myft of it God knows whom I befeche p'f've you from all adu'fite, I am fumwhat acqueyntid with it. 8 by 101. Yo'. verry mã, W. Ebfh'm. Wheels, &c. are a part of the Paper Folowyng apperith p'celly dyvers and foondry maner of Writyngs which I William Ebetham have wreetyn for my godc and woorfhupfull Maiftir S. John Pafton and what money I have Refceyvid and what is unpaide. XX "ffirft I did write to his Maift'fhip a litill booke S. d. of Pheesyk for which I had paide by Sir Thomas Leevys in Weftm' "Itm I had for the wrytyng of half the Prevy feale } of Pampyng "It' for the wrytynge of the seid hole prevy} ij feale of S. Thom's 2 "Itm I wrote viij of the Witneffis in p'chement but aftir xiiijd a peece for which I was paide of Sr. X Thomas "Itm while my feide Maift' was over the fee in Midfom't'me viij Calle fett me a warke to wryte two tymes the iiij viij the} prevy feale in papir and then aft' cleerely in p'chement And We are here furnished with a curious Account of the Expences attending the tranferibing of Books previous to the noble art of Printing. At this time the common wages of a Mechanic were with diet 4d. and without diet 5d. or 6d. aday; we here fee that a Wri ter received 2d. for writing a folio leaf, three of which he could with ease finish in a day, and wot well; and I fhall be yours while I live, and at your commandment; I have greatly miffed of it God knows, whom I befeech preserve you from all adverfity; I am fomewhat acquainted with it. Your very man, Wm. EBESHAM. About 1469, 9 E. IV. Following appeareth, parcelly, divers and fundry manner of writings, which I William Ebefham have written for my good and worshipful Mafter, Sir John Pafton, and what money I have received, and what is unpaid. "First, I did write to his Mastership a little Book of Phyfic, for which I had paid by Sir Thomas Lewis, in Weftminster “Item, I had for the writing of half the Privy Seal,} of Pampyng "Item, for the writing of the faid whole Privy Seal, of Sir Thomas 66 2 ご Item, I wrote eight of the Witneffes in parchment but after 14d a-piece, for which I was paid of Sir Thomas "Item, while my faid Mafter was over the fea in Midfummer term, Calle fet me at work to write two times the Privy Seal in paper, and then after clearly in parchment S. 2 ΙΟ d. 20 8 and I fhould think that many quick writers at that time would fill four, five, or even fix in a day, if fo, the pay of these greatly exceeded that of common handicraft men. Some Grant, or other matter, which was to pafs the Privy Seal. 2. The Depofitions of Witneffes, And And alfo wrote the fame tyme oon mo of the lengift Witneffis and other dyvers and neceffary wrytyngs for which he p'mifid me xs. whereof I had of Calle but iiijs viijd car. v3 iiija "I refceyvid of S. Th. at Weftm' penultio die 3 Oct. A° viijo Itm I did write to quairs of papir of witneffis eu'y quair conteynyng xiiij leves aft' ijd a leff "Itm as to the 4 Grete Booke witneflis eu'y ffirst for wrytyng of the Coronacon and other tretys of Knyghthode in that quaire which conteyneth a xiij levis and more ija a lef hich "Itm for the tretys of Werre in iiij books which conteyneth 1x levis aftir ijd a leaff "Itm for Othea piftill, which conteyneth xliij leves } vijij ich} iiij iiij vij "Itm for de Regie p'ncipu' which conteyneth xlvi leves, aftir a peny a leef, which is right wele worth "Itm for Rubrifsheyng of all the booke 3 This exactly afcertains the Date of this Receipt to be the 30th of October, 1468, 8 E. IV. 6 This Great Book feems to have contained various Treatifes. De Regimine Principum.-A Treatife concerning the Government of Princes, and by being written for a penny each leaf, I fuppofe it was in quarto. " S'm And also I wrote at the fame time one or more of the longest Witneffes, and other diverfe and neceffary Writings, for which he promised me 10s (whereof I had of Calle but 4s. 8d.) due 5s. 4d. "Item, I received of Sir Thomas at Westminster 303 October 8 E. IV. 1468 "Item, I did write two Quires of paper of Witneffes, every Quire containing 14 leaves after 2d. a 4 "Item, as to the Great Book Firft, for writing of the Coronation; and other Treatifes of Knighthood, in that quire which containeth a 13 leaves and more, 2d. a leaf "Item, for the Treatife of War in four books, which containeth 60 leaves after 2d. a leaf Item, for 5 Othea, an Epistle, which containeth 43 leaves "Item, for the Challenges, and the Acts of Arms which is 28 leaves 66 " Item, for De 'Regimine Principum, which containeth 45 leaves, after I penny a leaf, which it is right well worth 66 Item, for Rubrishing of all the Book 7 This either means ornamenting the whole with red Capital Letters, or writing the heads of the feveral Treatifes or Chapters in red Letters. 3 Sum |