Troubles with postmasters and hackneymen on Dover Road as to charges 53 Pressing of horses--Difficulties between postmasters and public 54 Stanhope interferes with the public conveyance of letters by the Western postmasters--He tries to raise the price of purchase of their offices 57 Petition of Foreign Post messengers dismissed by Witherings 59 Foot post between London and Dover--Carrying gold out of the realm 60 Speed of posts, 1633 62 Condition of roads and difficulty of travelling 63 Quality of English horses and riders 68 CHAPTER III Witherings propounds a scheme of Inland Posts for use of public, 1635 69 Proclamation issued for giving effect to his proposals 75 Probable difficulties of working 77 Deputy postmasters unable to supply fit horses 78 Arrears of deputies' pay 80 Stanhope's removal from office, 1637 85 He petitions for arrears of pay 86 Reasons for his removal suggested 88 The manner of his removal 90 Patent granted to Witherings for Foreign Letter Office 91 Stanhope's place granted to Secretaries Coke and Windebank 92 Witherings appointed their Deputy--Claim to Stanhope's late office by Endymion Porter 93 Servile language of the period 96 William Lake applies for some benefit in the Post Office 100 Deputy Postmaster of the Court 101 Scale of wages allowed to deputy postmasters 104 Direct courses of old roads 107 New regulations for the posts, July 1637 108 The king's troubles in Scotland 121 The mails run _thick_ 122 Women oppose the introduction of the Service-Book 122 Plague at Hull, 1637 125 Method of disinfecting letters 126 CHAPTER IV The Secretaries consider as to the removal of Witherings--Reasons for proposed removal 127