666 ON THE COST OF CARRIAGE. 



how general and copious were the communications entered into 

 between the insurgents of 1381. Paper was scarce in the first 

 half of the fourteenth century, though sufficiently common for 

 all required objects afterwards. But parchment, though not 

 very cheap, was quite within the common use of most persons 

 of any substance. The letter was written on a slip of this 

 material, a narrow piece being cut half-way through at the 

 bottom, to which the seal was annexed, and the whole rolled 

 round and tied with thread, or in some cases silk. When 

 paper came into use the letter was folded into a very small 

 compass and sealed at the fold, or in some cases wafered and 

 stamped with the writer's seal. 



But of course emergencies arose, continually with some 

 persons, which needed special correspondence. In such a case 

 a messenger was sent with the scroll. Thus in 1278 the 

 bailiff of Waleton sends letters to London for Roger Bigod, 

 and is put to the charge of is. 6d. in the expenses of his 

 messenger. In 1347 the Farley bailiff sends a letter from 

 this manor in Surrey to Merton College, at the cost of is. 

 We are not informed what were the occasions on which these 

 extraordinary communications were made. On another occa- 

 sion, in 1332, the Gamlingay bailiff sends a boy to Oxford 

 cc to ask counsel of the masters about the taking of corn for 

 the king's use," and pays 6d. charges. All that we can gather 

 from this entry is that we have a case of the grievance 

 of purveyance, and perhaps a hint that there were supposed 

 to be some means by which the inconvenience might be 

 resisted, or more likely be avoided by a bribe; for in the 

 Middle Ages, (as indeed in all times,) unjust or capricious 

 taxation was averted, when possible, either by force, or by 

 corruption ; by secrecy, or by fraud. 



