Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 4.djvu/161

 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS. 143 to his vintner, for wine on credit. The noble wisely reminds the tradesman that he had been often indel)ted to him, and had always fully paid him at the appointed time ; therefore he the more confidently relies on him in his present urgent necessity, and earnestly begs he will let him have five tuns of wine, viz., two of Gascony, and three of Anjou, each at the price of twenty shillings, until Palm Sunday, assuring him that the money will be duly ])aid at the day named, and begging that he will so conduct himself in this matter that he may be entitled to the earl's thanks. Comes mandat creditori suo id mittat sibi vinum. A. comes Glovernie dilecto sibi A. vinetario de C. salutem et dilectionem. Quum quicquid vobis de vino creditorio multociens debuimus, ad diem vestrum semper plenarie per- solvimus, et nichil est in rcragio, audacius in hoc stanti nego- cio confuginnis attencius rogantes quatinus v. dolea vini, s. duo Gasconiensis et tria Andegaven^e, quodlibet ad pretium XX. s. usque ad Pasca floridum nobis acomodetis. Scituri quod denarios vestros ad diem nominatum omni occasione et dilacione remota persolvemus : tantum ergo faciatis ut vobis ad gratiarum teneamur acciones. Valete. The form prescribed for the vintner's answer to this com- munication, reciting the earl's request, and the fact that he had always paid his bills, concludes, " at present I consent to your entreaty, and accommodate you with five tuns, trusting that at the day named you will pay me my debt, according to your custom." But if the customer, on the other hand, was a bad paymaster, the tradesman is advised, the recital being preserved, to make this significant variation in the con- cluding terms of his epistle ; "I trust you with the five tuns demanded, particularly requesting that you will pay me the old debt which is in arrear, together with this ncAv debt, at the said day." In the next example the same imaginary earl writes to his woollen-draper in London -. premising that he scarcely deserves credit, he bei>;s that he mav be trusted with twentv ells of scarlet, as many oipers, or blue cloth, and an equal quantity of another, at as low a price as possible, until Easter-close, " without a pledge, if you please ;" but, as he seems to have entertained a suspicion that the tradesman would like secu-