Page:The History of the Church & Manor of Wigan part 2.djvu/170

Rh upon 15th day of this instant ffebr.; so nothing doubting of your accomplishmt hereof wee rest your very loving frends Upon the 14 of ffeb. hearing Sr Thom. Canon was in ye Towne of Warrington I went to him in the evening & sent up his Tickett by Mr. Massey's daughter, upon wch he sent downe to me & invited me to supper: after supper, wee being in private, I requested to knowe for what purpose he directed his lre unto mee: to which he answered his Matie was informed ye my lord of Chester had in his hands £11,000 of commuta$\overline{c}$on monyes wch, being intended for pious uses, ye King having a royall purpose charitablie to bestowe it did now demand an account how ye B'pp had disburst the same, yt if ther wer any overplus it might be rendered up to his Matie. Sr Tho. Canon spoke very nobly of my lord; he protested he wisht no ill to hime; he acknowledged it was lawfull for him to commute; he only wished ye if my lord had anythinge in his hands not belonging to him he would exonerate himself thereof. But ye his Matie might ye better knowe (if the B'pp would not acknowledge ye he had so much commuta$\overline{c}$on monie by him) what somes ye B'pp had yet undisbursed, ye he ye sd Sr Tho. & ye other gents, wth him had dire$\overline{c}$cons from his Matie to inquire from them whoe were most likely to knowe (in whose nūber he was informed I might doe extraordinary service) what somes of that nature ye countrie took notice ye B'pp had receaved. I answered I was tyed to this service in a double respect, both as a subject to my dread sov'aigne and as a pentioner to my gratious master; but the [they] erred ye gave intelligence concerning mee in this matter; the informa$\overline{c}$on arising, perhaps, because the supposed some discontent betwixt his lo'p and mee, and, thinking to work upon my weaknis, imagined out of a revengeful distast I would not stik to bee a liberall informer; whereas the trueth was I knewe noething at all concerning any such buesnis, neither could give him any dire$\overline{c}$cons of whom he could enquire, and therefor requested him to accept of this answer, and spare my next daye's apearance; Sr Tho. wisht me to consider of it ye night & come to him next mominge; I came to him the next morning by 8 of the clok to Mr. Massie's, but he being gone to Wigan befor I came, having receaved back the tickett I sent, I willfullie defailed my appearance at Wigan, and would followe him no further."

The following extraordinary depositions respecting the life and character of this man, who was thus summoned to give evidence