140 EMBANKMENT OF BRADING HAVEN. PART II. 



thought that the law would not compel her unto it, and therefore 

 desired to be excused, which answer we returned to ray lord. What 

 the event will be I know not, but it seemeth to me not reasonable 

 that she should suffer for not complying with his request. If he had 

 not inned the haven this accident could never have happened ; there- 

 fore he giving the cause, that she should apply the cure I understand 

 not. But this I am sure, that Sir Bevis thinketh to recover of her 

 and her son all his charges, which he now sweareth every way to 

 be 2000?. For my part, I would wish no friend of mine to have 

 any hand in the second inning of it. Truly all the better sort of 

 the island were very sorry for Sir Bevis Thelwall, and the com- 

 moner sort were as glad as to say truly of Sir Bevis that he did 

 the country many good offices, and was ready at all times to do his 

 best for the public and for everyone. 



" Sir Hugh Myddelton took it first in, and it was proper for none 

 but him, because he had a mine of silver in Wales to maintain it. 

 It cost at the first taking of it in 4000?., then they gave 2000?. to 

 Mr. John Gibb for it, who had begged it of King James ; after- 

 wards, in building the barn and dwelling-house, and water-mill, 

 with the ditching and quick-setting, and making all the partitions, 

 it could not have cost less than 200?. more : so in the total it 

 stood them, from the time they began to take it in, until the 8th 

 of March, a loss of 7000?." 



It will thus be observed that the loss of this under- 

 taking fell upon Thelwall, and not upon Myddelton ; 

 Sir Hugh having sold out of the adventure long before 

 the sea burst through his embankment. The date of 

 his conveyance to Sir Bevis Thelwall was the 4th Sep- 

 tember, 1624, nearly six years before the final ruin of 

 the work. He had, therefore, got his capital out of 

 the adventure, most probably with his profit as con- 

 tractor, and was thus free to embark in the important 

 mining enterprise in Wales, on which we find him next 

 engaged. 



