Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/166

the knight (Sir Thomas Canon); but at afternoon he came by my pewe ende & then salluted both the maer & me: & we walkt all together as farr as Gerrard Johnson his Inne howse, where the maer bestowed a quart of sak on him, & then we parted from him. Discourse was none with him but what was not worthy mindinge or relatinge; only he took occasion cominge out of the church to extolle your Lo'pp for the bewtifying of it; to wh. I only answered y^t befor your Lo'pp came thither this church and divers others in this county, which are now as handsome as it, were more undesent & filthye then most stables y^t I had ever bene in. Mr. Hunt & the messenger after dynner came to see me at my Inne at Mr. Markland's, the messenger & the knight beinge fallen at difference, inasmuch as he intended the next morning to have gone for London, but Mr. Hunt dissuaded him from it Mr. Hunt tolde me . . . . . . he would be carefull in mannaging this service y^t concerns your Lo'pp, & would be very circumspect & carfull y^t y^e knight, who is but equall in commission w^th himself, should not retourne anythinge whereto he would subscribe but what was materiall; and he protested befor God & to me y^t as yett he hade not anythinge at all y^t was worthy the writtinge downe. Only he told me that ther appeered a commutacon of on y^t lived in Preston (whose name I have now forgotten) that your Lo'pp commuted for either 8 or tenn pounds w^ch you had not chardged yourselfe withall. To this William Browne answers y^t y^e party gave good bond for such a some as aforsaid, but the fellowe presently after brok & ran his way out of the country & was never since heard off, neither was ever penny of the mony paid. This I acquainted Mr. Hunt with; who privatly wisht me y^t Browne should writte downe himselfe what he remembered was receaved for commutacons & what disbursd as he thought, & give it, when the knight sent to examine him, und^r his hand, & noe further answer. I have [settled] with Mr. Bridge that he see Mr. Browne doe so, & likewais that he set downe the former passidge touching the commutacon at Preston . . . . . . Reynolds is a diligent attendent, but, beying to appeer by litle & litle as he is, he openly w^th fearfull oeths avowed y^t he thought your Lo'pp was a just and honnest B'pp, & that he knew no other of your Lo'pp; & this he did openly at James Markland's howse befor Mr. Hunt, y^e messenger, Mr. Bridge, Mr. Russell & others, yett like the devill walks about to do misscheef. Mr. Hunt told me he informd the knight he was tryed by a jury of your Lo'pp's tenants to