Fifteenth Century Prose and Verse Part 46

FISHPOLE.--_Item_. Another garment, paned with } yellow, green, red, and blue } sarcenet, and lined with old } red buckram. } 8 yds. 22s.

_Item_. Another garment, for a priest } to play in, of red say. } 12 yds. 4s.

_Item._ A garment of red and green } say paned and guarded with } 12 yds. say, gold skins lined with red } and 7 yds.

buckram. } buckram 8s.

_Item._ A short garment of gold skins } and fustian, of Naples black, } and sleeved with red, green, } yellow, and blue sarcenet }

_Item_. Another garment, spangled of } blue satin of Bruges, and } 20s. it hath lined with green sarcenet } cost Rastell.

_Item_. Two old short garments, paned } of satin of Bruges, and of } sarcenet of divers colours in } the bodies } 20s.

_Item_. A woman's garment, of green } and blue sarcenet, checked and } lined with red buckram } 24s.

_Item_. Two caps, of yellow and red } sarcenet } 3s. 4d.

_Item_. Two curtains, of green and } yellow sarcenet } 20 yds. 1s.

_Item_. Two pieces of blue linen cloth } with lyre in them } 67 yds.15s.

_Item_. Three pieces of old silvered } linen cloths } 10s.

_Item_. An old remnant of red buckram, } that was in a box in my Lord } 30 yds.

Cardinal's great chamber } 6s. 8d.

_Interrogatories for Fishpole._

_Im primis_.--Whether Fishpole know any of the said garments.

_Item_. Whether Fishpole made the two long garments of sarcenet down to the ground, and one green gown to the fall of the leg, with wide sleeves of sarcenet, and whether every of them contained not 7 or 8 yards of sarcenet, and whether every of them were not better than 20s. apiece, and whether if such garments were made of new stuff, would not have cost almost twice as much money.

_Item_. Whether that Fishpole made not a woman's gown of sarcenet of small pieces, and whether it was not worth 20s. and better.

_Item._ Whether he made not two other garments with wide sleeves of small pieces, and whether they were not worth 20s. or a mark apiece.

_Item._ How long Fishpole was a-making of them, and whether he had not the while 4d. a day and meat and drink, and whether Rastell's wife hath holp him to sew them.

_Item._ Whether Walton hath not the same garments lent to him by Rastell, and whether Walton hath not continually this 4 year let them to hire for stage-plays and interludes, above 3 or 4 score times, and what he used to have for a stage-play, and what for an interlude, and how much money he hath won thereby.

_Item._ What the short spangled garment of blue satin of Bruges was worth, and what every other garment and piece was worth.

V.

_Interrogatory ex parte_ RASTELL.

_Item._ Whether about 3 or 4 years now past, about which time the King's great banquet was at Greenwich, which this deponent saw, the said garments were occupied there, some in divers stage-plays and interludes, by the letting to hire by Walton, as it was reported, and at that time they were fresh and new, and seemed little the worse for any wearing of them before.

VI.

_Depositions for the part of_ JOHN RASTELL _against_ HENRY WALTON.

[_Deposition of_ WILLIAM FISHPOLE.]

William Fishpole of London, tailor, of the age of 60 years and above, sworn and examined upon his oath, saith that he made two long gowns down to the ground, of sarcenet, one of them of blue and yellow sarcenet, lined with red tuke or red buckram, whether of the same lining he now remembereth not, and another of green sarcenet, but whether it were lined or not he remembereth not now, which gowns coming to him in pieces contained in every piece 6 ells or thereabouts. And also he saith that if he should have bought out of the mercer's shop, every ell would have cost 6s.; and he saith that every gown was worth 20s. and above. And also he saith that he made a garment for a gallant with wide sleeves, the one side of red and yellow sarcenet, and the other side blue and red lined with red tuke or red buckram, which was a costly garment, better than 20s. And if they had been bought of new stuff it would have cost much more money. And also he saith he made a woman's gown of sarcenet, blue and yellow, as he remembereth, and it was made in quarrels or lozenges, he remembereth not whether, and was a busy work, and Mistress Rastell did help to sew that, and part of the gallant's gown also. And it was lined with red tuke or buckram and garnished with gold skins, as he remembereth, and it was better than 20s. and it was worth a n.o.ble the making. And how long he was in making of them he remembereth not, but he had 4d. by the day, meat and drink. And further he saith that he hath heard say, that the said Rastell lent to Walton the said garments, and that he used them in stage-plays. And further he saith that there was a short spangled garment of blue satin of Bruges, and was lined with green sarcenet, which was better than any of the other garments; which he made not, but every one of them, one with another, were better than 20s., and more he knoweth not herein.

(Signed) per me WILLIAM FISHPOLE.

VII.

[_Deposition of_ GEORGE MAYLER.]

George Mayler of London, merchant tailor, of the age of 40 years, sworn and examined upon his oath, saith that he knew the said garments, but how many there be in number he remembereth not, for he hath occupied and played in them by the lending of Walton, and he saith they were worth 20s. apiece and better. And he saith he knoweth well that he lent them out about 20 times to stage-plays in the summer and interludes in the winter, and used to take at a stage-play for them and others, sometimes 40d., sometimes 2s., as they could agree, and at an interlude 8d. for every time. But how many times he perfectly knoweth not, but by estimation 20 times a year in interludes. And he saith that he hath seen the curtains of sarcenet, but how many ells they contained he knoweth not, but it was worth 40d. every ell, and he saith that he had buckram and tuke, but how many yards he knoweth not, but it was better than 2d.

a yard; and further he saith that the summer when the King's banquet was at Greenwich, he saw the same garments occupied in divers stage-plays, and occupied part of them himself by the lending of other players that Walton had lent them to hire, which then were fresh and little worse for the wearing; and more he knoweth not.

(Signed) per me GEORGE MAYLER.

VIII.

[_Deposition of_ GEORGE BIRCH.]

George Birch of London, carrier, of the age of 32 years or thereabouts, sworn and examined saith, that he knew well a player's garment lined with red tuke and st.i.tched with Roman letters upon it of blue and red sarcenet; another garment paned with blue and green sarcenet, lined with red buckram, and another garment paned with yellow, green, red, and blue sarcenet, lined with old red buckram; another garment spangled of blue satin of Bruges, lined with green sarcenet, and a woman's gown or garment of green and blue sarcenet, checked and lined with red buckram; in which garments this deponent and his company played in while they remained in the hands of the said Rastell. And he saith that every garment, one with another, were worth 20s., and that Walton did let out the same garments to hire to stage plays and interludes sundry times, but how many times he knoweth not. And further he saith that the common custom is at an interlude 8d. for the garments, and at a stage play as the parties can agree. And he saith if they had been made of new stuff they had been much more worth. And he saith he saw the curtains of sarcenet, but how many ells they were he knoweth not, but every ell was worth 3s. And further he saith that 3 or 4 years past, when the King's banquet was at Greenwich that summer, he saw the said garments played in 3 or 4 times, by the lending of the said Walton, and at that time they seemed fresh and good garments, and more he knoweth not.

(Signed) per me GEORGE BIRCH.

IX

[_Deposition of_ JOHN REDMAN.]

John Redman of London, stationer, of the age of 22 years, sworn and examined upon his oath, saith that he knew the said garments, but how many was of them he remembreth not; and this deponent played in the same divers times when Walton had them, but what they were worth he knoweth not, but they were little worse than new. And this deponent saith that he knoweth that the said Walton divers times lent them out, but what hire he had for them he knoweth not, neither in stage-play nor in interludes; but as to the 6 garments, that is to say 4 gowns of sarcenet, a woman's gown, and a spangled garment, they were good, fresh, and little the worse for the occupying when he knew them first in Walton's hands, and by estimation they were worth 20s. apiece, for they were lined and guarded part with gilt leather; and the curtains of silk were fresh and new; and there were garments of dornyke and saye, which he well remembereth, and more he cannot say.

per me JOHN REDMAN.

X

_The interrogatories of_ HENRY WALTON _against_ JOHN RASTELL, _whereupon witnesses to be examined_.

First, whether the said John Rastell did owe any such sum of money as within the answer of the said Walton is alleged and submitted.

_Item._--Whether the said Walton made lawful attachment of such goods as are comprised within the bill of complaint of the said John Rastell.

_Item._--Whether the said goods were indifferently appraised by indifferent persons elect and chosen by lawful officers within the City of London to be praisers there.