1590 Neville to William Cecil

Source: State Papers Online

Original Spelling Transcription

Transcription by John O'Donnell

To the right honnorable my singular good lorde the lord Burghleygh lord hygh Treasorour of England

May yt please yor honor to vnderstande: That about michelmas laste my lorde of Warwicke sent a gentleman of his one mr Blyncoe wth a lre [= letter] of Cõmaundmt vnto all the Gonnefownders in Sussex to repaire vp to this Cyttie by the vijth of October there to vnderstande his pleasure Concerninge theire further Contynuance in that trade / whervpon the moste of them appearing, and I amonge the rest & meetinge at his deputie mr Hockenells howse, yt was told vs by mr Hocknell & mr Blynco, That vpon complaint made by my ??? of the Councell of the abuse of transportacõn of ordinance into forraine countries, their honors had referred vnto my lord of Warwicke, to take order for redresse of yt, wherevpon hee had thought good to call vs togeather, & had autorised them twoe? to deale wth us, & take sufficient securitye against the like abuses for the tyme to come, Nowe because yt was thought convenient that some quantitie of ordinance should yerelie be made for the necessarye provicõn of or owne navigacõn, they had as they said vpon good advise set downe a generall rate yerely wch should serve the whole realme, and out of that they were content to allotte vnto euerye of vs a certaine quantytie. But at our hande they required that not should enter into such bondes as they should thinke good, not to cast any greater quantitie, then should be allotted vnto vs, not to sell anye but in thys Cyttie, nor to any marchaunt but such as my lorde or his deputie should name vs, wth certayne other condicõns of taking a stampe for all our peeces, out of the office, & some other smale pointes. All wch I for my part was well content to yelde vnto, except that wch dyd restraine vs to a merchaunt of their appointmt in place whereof I offered to be bounde to geue my lorde or his deputie present notice to what merchaunt I had sould my ordinance, that they might require at his hande sufficient securitie against transportacõn; But this being reiected, I made them this other offer; That I would retayle my peeces in open market vpon tower hill my selfe, & enter into any bondes that they would require at the marchantes handes, that they should name wch should be as they said, not to sell anye peece to any that was not a naturall borne subiect or a denisen. This offer they liked very well of, & my lordes deputie said, that seeinge the daunger of transportinge, should be so well prevented by yt, they could require noe more. So that a daie was appointed for me & others to ???? bondes to that effect & to receve our warrantes notwthstandinge the daie after, I knowe not vpon what occacõn mr Blyncoe sent me woorde that my offer woulde not be accepted. Wherevpon I desisted a longe tyme, till at length all our gonnefounders havinge proceeded ? the yere passing awaye, I ventured also to caste some suche quantitie as they in our conference had allotted me. For wch I perceve my lo: of Warwicke hath nowe sent for me by a purseavaunt I beseeche yor good ho: therefore to consyder of my case, & Iudge of my offers / For my part yf [it]? be thought good for the state, that noe ordinance be made, I desire to make none./But yf there be any allowed, I desyre that I maye make some [of] yt as well as other, offering (as I hope I do) sufficient security to prevent the abuse of transportacõn: for this restrayning us to a marchaunt of their choice I for my parte doe greatlie feare that yt tendes rather to some pryvat benefyt then to the publike good. And I have some cause to be suspicious of such a matter when I had made suyte to my lorde for his licence & he had graunted yt & referred me for the dispatching of yt to one Pistor that then was his deputie, mr Pistor planelie tould me, that I should have noe licence vnlesse I would geve (my lorde as he said) fortye shillinges vpon euerye Tonne wch I then refused, & I hope may doe still, & herefore I do most humblye recõmende my cause & my selfe wholye vnto yor ho: as vpon whom I doe & will onlye relye for

favor both in this & all other my occacõns, beseeching yor honor to stand my good Lorde in this matter And I shall rest in all

yr. honnours most humble to be commaunded Henry Nevell