Right humbly beseecheth unto your lordship your Orator William Elryngton of Durham, mercer, that whereas he now 4 years past and more had for a stock of one Richard Elryngton the sum of 30l., wherefore your said Orator was by his obligation bounden unto the said Richard in 40l. and odd silver; which sum of 30l. your said Orator should have to be employed in merchandise, during the space of 7 years, yielding yearly unto the said Richard, for the loan thereof 4l. of lawful money of England, and at the 7 years' end to yield whole unto the said Richard the said sum of 30l.; whereupon your said Suppliant occupied the said sum by the space of 2 years, and paid yearly unto the said Richard 4l.; and after that your said Orator, remembering in his conscience that that bargain was not godly nor profitable, intended and proffered the said Richard his said sum of 30l. again, which to do he refused, but would that your said Orator should perform his bargain. Nevertheless, the said Richard was afterward caused, and in manner compelled, by spiritual men to take again the said 30l., whereupon before sufficient record the said Richard faithfully promised that the said obligation of 40l. and covenants should be cancelled and delivered unto your said Orator, as reason is. Now it is so that the said Richard oweth and is indebted by his obligation in a great sum of money to one John Saumpill, which is now Mayor of Newcastle, wherefore now late the said Richard, by the mean of the said mayor, caused an action of debt upon the said obligation of 40l. to be affirmed before the mayor and sheriff of the said Town of Newcastle, and there by the space almost of 12 months hath sued your said Orator, to his great cost, and this against all truth and conscience, by the mighty favour of the said mayor, by cause he would the rather attain unto his duty, purposeth now by subtle means, to cast and condemn wrongfully your said Orator in the said sum of 40l., to his great hurt and undoing, without your special lordship be unto him shewed in this behalf, wherefore please it your said lordship to consider the premise, thereupon to grant a _certiorari_, direct unto the Mayor and Sheriff of the said Town, to bring up before you the cause, that it may be there examined and ruled as conscience requireth, for the love of God and in way of charity. [Footnote 245: Printed in Abram's _Social England_, 215.] SECTION VII TAXATION CUSTOMS AND CURRENCY [For feudal taxation see Section II.] 1. Form of the taxation of a fifteenth and tenth, 1336--2. Disposition of a subsidy of tonnage and poundage, 1382--3. The king's prise of wines, 1320--4. The custom on wool, 1275--5. The custom on wine, 1302--6. The custom on general imports, 1303--7. Administration of the search, 1303--8. Provision for the currency and the search, 1335--9. Opinions on the state of English money, 1381-2.