William Frizell and Thomas Witherings succeed the De Questers 8 Letters for the public carried by the Foreign Postmasters--Delays of the posts 11 Philip Burlamachi, subsequently Acting Postmaster--Who he was 13 Orders for the Foreign Posts drawn up by Secretary Coke 14 Witherings visits the Continent 15 Posts by estafette, or fixed stages, established--Dover packet 16 Quarrels between Witherings and others--Witherings suspended from office 17 Witherings and Frizell contend for possession of the office 19 Sir John Coke, Witherings' patron 21 Conflicting opinions of Witherings 22 Merchants petition in favour of Witherings 23 Attempts to set up rival posts 24 CHAPTER II Witherings recovers his office 27 Settlement of accounts during period of sequestration 28 Post stages in France 29 Robberies of Channel packets 30 Measures taken to resist attacks--More outrages 33 People of Calais attack the English packet boat 39 Armed packet boat, the _Speedy Post_, provided 42 Witherings' family connection 43 Stated to have been a papist, and Gentleman Harbinger to the Queen 44 Probable interest at Court--Said to have been a mercer of London--His wife--She assists in purchasing his office--Value of money in middle of seventeenth century 45 Corruption and Court favouritism 46 Inland Posts 47 Means for sending inland letters--Probable conveyance by postmasters on their own account 48 Conveyance by carriers 49 Postmasters on Western Road set up a chain of posts for letters of the public, 1630--Foot post from Barnstaple to Exeter to work into the London posts 50 Project for Inland Public Posts, 1633--Estimated number of letters then reaching London 52