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twenty pounds to St. Paul’s, stating that if that were not accepted 
he “ would take out his orders,” and do his penance. He appeared 
again on the 11th of January, 1638, which must have been close 
upon the last-named interview, this time before the Bishop and the 
Registrar, and delivered Sir John Lambe’s letter, perhaps fearing 
to do so earlier; and clearly not knowing its contents was 
induced to give up the benefit of his appeal, saying “ I do renounce 
all appeals in this business by me formerly made, and I will never 
appeal more, I will rather do my penance.” Sir John Lambe, 
getting no answer in due course to his letter of the 20th Dec., 
1637, wrote again on the 12th February, 1638, stating that Fort 
had offered ten pounds to St. Paul’s for a commutation and would 
add ten pounds more, which he thought to be enough, as he had 
been already kept so many months excommunicated and had 
sought absolution with so much “travail and cost,” a hard 
case he considered “for any Christian.” In concluding he 
requested the Bishop to make an end of the matter, otherwise 
he could not deny the petitioner an “ Inhibition to make trial of 
the truth of his cause.” Nothing coming as usual of Fort’s 
promise, the Bishop now sent his Registrar to him, when he again 
expressed his intention to give up his appeal, and under the 
continued pressure, being ignorant of the Dean’s inclination 
towards him, he offered thirty pounds to St. Paul’s, and promised 
to go to the Bishop in a fortnight to know his decision, asserting 
as before that if that money were not accepted he would do his 
penance. Although thus gradually squeezed he chose to forget this 
promise also, and the Bishop, in answer to the Dean’s letter, wrote 
that as his Chancellor was present when the penance was enjoined, 
he could not consider it too sharp or excessive, and as Fort had 
never offered to submit, ‘‘indeed he will do nothing and is an idle 
fickle minded fellow,” he hoped the Dean would not have him 
absolved without submission or satisfaction. He concludes by 
“heseeching” the Dean to present his humble duty to “my Lord’s 
Grace,” whose commands he had fulfilled in this affair, and to 
