English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485 -- Sources
After whose coming home your said orator demanded of the
said Walton relivery of the said stuff and goods, to whom the said
Walton answered and said that he would bring him home the said goods and
stuff, yet that notwithstanding he brought to him no part thereof, but
drove him forth from time to time, by the space of two or three weeks,
during which time the said Walton, unknown to your said orator, which
was every day continually in the said city, and constantly in company
with the said Walton, craftily, falsely, by the subtle advice and
counsel of a clerk of the Mayor's Court in the City of London, and by a
Sergeant of the same Court, entered a false feigned plaint, put in bill
in the said Court, against your said orator, supposing that your said
orator should owe to the said Walton 40 shillings stirling, wherein
indeed your said orator owed him never a penny, and by the custom of the
said City made attachment of the said goods and stuff being in his own
hands, and caused that one John Wilkinson, plasterer, and one Thomas
Curtis, were assigned to be pricers; which Wilkinson, at the request and
desire of the said Henry, priced the said goods and stuff but to the
value of 35s. 9d., which goods and stuff at that time were well worth 20
marks and above. Upon which pricement the said Henry had judgement to
recover the said goods and stuff, for the which your said orator can
never have remedy by course of the common law; and though your said
orator within the year did put in surety to answer to the said plaint
and bill, and to disprove the said action, yet your said orator could
never, nor shall never by the order of the common law, there recover
again the said stuff and goods, but shall recover no more for them but
only the sum wherefor they were priced, which is but 35s. 9d. as is
before said; and so hath and shall, by such falsehood, subtlety, and
design of the said Walton, and of the said Wilkinson and Curtis which
were pricers, lose 11 or 12 pounds or above, and is without remedy
therefore for ever, except your gracious Highness be showed to him in
this behalf. In consideration whereof it may please your Grace and your
most honourable Council to command one of your officers of arms to go to
the said Henry Walton and to the said John Wilkinson and Thomas Curtis,
and to command them in your name to appear before your Grace and your
honourable Council at Westminster, there to answer to the premises and
there to be directed according to right and good conscience; and your
said orator and subject shall daily pray for the preservation of your
Royal estate, long to endure.
(Signed) JOHANNES RASTELL.
II
_The answer of_ HENRY WALTON _to the Bill of Complaint of_ JOHN RASTELL
_gentleman_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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