Orders were given to the postmen in 1603 that they should not delay the mails more than fifteen minutes at each stage and that they should travel at the rate of seven miles an hour in summer and five in winter.[376] This was an ideal but seldom realized. Complaints continued to come in pretty constantly during the first thirty-five years of the seventeenth century.[377] Secretary Conway wrote to Secretary Coke that the posts must be punished for their tardiness.[378] Even those from London to Dover were reprimanded and they had hitherto given the best satisfaction. The postmaster at Dover was threatened with imprisonment unless he mended his ways.[379] Letters were either not delivered at all or were needlessly delayed on the road. Some of the postmasters, who held lucrative positions, were themselves absentees and their work was performed by their agents, who were often incompetent, and this sort of thing was connived at by the Postmaster-General, from whom their positions were bought. The postmen themselves acknowledged their tardiness but said that they were able to do no better, since they had received no wages for several years.[380] One had been paid nothing for over two years,[6] another had received no wages for seven years,[381] and finally in 1628 a petition was presented to the Privy Council from "all the posts in England, being in number ninety-nine poor men." This petition prays for their arrears, due since 1621, the amount unpaid being £22,626, "notwithstanding the great charge they are at in the keeping of many servants and horses to do His Majesty's service."[382] The Council did not grant their petition, for two years later £25,000 were still due them.[383] [376] _Rep. Com._, 1844, xiv, app., pp. 38-40 (28). [377] Six days from London to Holyrood House (_Cal. S. P. D._, 1611-18, p. 44). Five hours from Sittingbourne to Canterbury (12 miles) (_ibid._, 1619-23, p. 610). Nine hours from Sittingbourne to Dover (_ibid._, 1625-26, p. 256). [378] _Cal. S. P. D._, 1619-23, p. 564. [379] _Ibid._, 1625-26, pp. 43, 168. [380] _Ibid._, 1627-28, p. 307. [381] _Ibid._, 1623-25, p. 141; 1627-28, p. 307. [382] _Ibid._, 1628-29, p. 184. [383] _Ibid._, 1629-31, p. 379.