Shakespeare and his London Associates I 1 



[8] 



ANSWER. 



Tertio die febrnarij A° Rcgni Regis Jacobi 

 Angliae &c nono, et Scotiae xlv°./ 



The Answeare of Christopher Mountioy to the Bill 

 of Complainte of Stephen Belott Compl 1 



This defendante All advantages of exception to the Insufficiencie 

 and Incertainty of the sayd Bill nowe and at all times saved vnto 

 him for answeare thervnto and for the manifest declaration of the 

 truth saith That about ten yeares last past the defendante was 

 Contentented [sic] at the Entreaty of the sayd Complainauntes 

 friends to accept of the Complainaunte to serve him as a prentise 

 to learne his trade being a Tyremaker his said frends promis- 

 singe to finde him Convenient apparrell while he shoulde so 

 Continue in this deffendaunts service, and the said Complain- 

 aunte did serve this defendaunte as a Prentice to learne his trade 

 the space of six yeares or thereabouts But dueringe all the time 

 of his sayd service neither the Complaynaunte nor any of his 

 friends did according to theire promise fynde him any apparrell 

 att all savinge Linen but this Defendaunte was enforced to finde 

 him all the Residue of his apparrell duering all the sayd time 

 neither had the Complainaunte duering all the sayd time of six 

 yeares any further or other releefe or oth r maintenaunce from 

 any of his friends but was duering all the saide time wholy and 

 solye mayntayned by this Defendaunte And after the said Com- 

 plainaunt had served this Defendaunte as aforesayd the said 

 time of six yeares then the said Complainaunte was desierus to 

 travell into spaine and this Defendaunte did furnish him w th 

 mony and other necessaryes for the Iorney to the vallue of six 

 pounds or therabouts after which time the sayd Complaynaunte 

 returned from his travell vnto this Defendaunte againe and was a 

 suter vnto this Defendaunts daughter to marry her and to that 

 purpose did move this Defendaunte and his then wife for theire 

 Concents for the marriage which this Defendaunte and his sayd 

 wyfe being poore and able to bestowe lyttle or nothinge w th their 



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