Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/205

convenient speed y^t may be. For w^th y^t poore colledge will be exceedingly bound to you and my selfe remayne as I am

yo^r L^ps very lovinge ffreind and Brother

My L^d I have since receyved other L^rs from my L^d Strange, in which he signifyes unto me y^t some body belowe hath been in treaty w^th my L^d his fFather for y^e House and Land w^th it (w^ch was never meant) and y^t his offers are very much under y^t value. I have signified to his L^p y^t I have entreated you to undertake y^e prosecucon and setling of this busynes, and therefore I pray my L^d be pleasd to take some paines in it and to bringe it to y^t best yssue you can."^[1]

"S. in Xpo

My very good Lo:

Your L^rs of the 7^th of Decemb. were delivered safely to me by your Sonne. In y^em I understood you had received a resignation of the Vicaredge of Rachedale, and y^t you were now able to make it good y^t there are divers leases of the gleabe land of the Rectory of Whaley unexpired w^ch I am very glad to heare from you; because if S^r Ralph should flye off from y^e agreement, I am the readier for him, but as he hath not reason soe I presume he will not; and I gave those your Lord^ps L^rs little or noe answere because much about y^e time y^t I received y^em I sent you L^rs by Kenyon signifying to your Lo^p my agreement.

Now I have received other L^rs from yo^r Lo^p of w^ch you shall heere receive y^e answere, and for w I give you a great deale of thankes. It is true y^t in my agreement w^th Sir Ralphe I have augmented y^e poor ministers' stipend £64 per annum, and if I live to another renewing I am like to make another augmentation (but of that I pray say nothing). And for y^e Fine w^ch I have agreed to take of S^r Ra. I am of y^e same opinion w^th your Lord^p and some others there, namely y^t I have fallen farre short of y^t Benefitt w^th I might have made. But the truth is, S^r Ralph made such pittifull moane to me, w^th deep protestacons of his being in debt, and y^e charge of 10 children, beside y^t sonne upon whom the best of his estate is settled, and almost nothing left him but this

1. Original letter inter Family Evidences.