Three London Theatres of Shakespeare's Time 41 



vnto him or any assigne of his any such tinsell stuffs or other 

 stuffs, but such as he bought for himself or his Children, for 

 which he allwayes payd ready money ; Nor did ever promise 

 vnto the Complaynant, or any other to paye the sayd some of 

 ffortye six pounds five shillings eight pence mentioned in the 

 said bill, nor any parte thereof; Neither did the said Comp. 1 

 Deliver any such stuffs vnto the said Defendant, nor any other 

 by his appointment, nor (as farr as he knowes) to his vse, as in 

 the sayd bill is vntruly alledged/ And further saith, that he this 

 Def 1 , Did never make agreement with the sayd Complaynant to 

 paye the sayd somrne of xlvj. 1 v. s viij d , or any other sonwne or 

 somes of moneyes, for the said stuffs; Neyther Did the sayd 

 Defendant Beeston p^rvse the sayd Complaynants books of 

 accompte, nor did by that meanes, or any other, vnder- 

 stand that any such somme or somes of money were due 

 vnto him (other then what he the sayd Defendaunt paid 

 ready money for, as is aforesaid/ Nor Did he the sayd De- 

 fendant ever promise to make vnto the said Complaynant, any 

 payment or satisfacc/on for the said stuffy Nor did Combine 

 with the rest of the defendants or any of them, to defraud the 

 sayd Complaynaunt of the said moneyes, nor any part thereof; 

 Neither Did he the sayd Defendant direct any, to give out that 

 the sayd moneyes were formerly payd vnto the Complaynant, as 

 is vntruly laid downe in the said bill./ And further he the sayd 

 Defendant Denyeth that ever he enticed away the sayd Thomas 

 Chambers mencfoned in the sayd bill to be the Complaynants 

 servant/ Whereby he should forsake his sayd Maister, or absent 

 himself (of purpose) to Disable or disarme him of meanes to 

 proove the matter in demaund nor for any other purpose whatso- 

 ever, for that (to this Defendants remembrance) he never 

 knewe the said Chambers in all his liefe; All which things are 

 vntruely informed in the sayd bill of Complaint, without that, 

 that any other matter materiall in the sayd bill to be answered 

 vnto, and not Confessed nor avoyded, traversed or denied, is 

 true; All which he this Defendant is ready to averr and proove, 

 as this honorable Court shall award ; And therefore humbly 



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