184 



Widfhall and the Seymours. 



that, as alrcdy I can make no more with these men I have, about the carriage 

 and re-carriage of earth. Furthermore I would fayne know my lorde's grace's 

 pleasure for the well in the base court, whether it is to be round or square, and 

 how muoh bur. Thus desiring your Mastership to pardon the rudeness of my 

 letter because I write in haste, for if I be absent the tyme of the writing of 

 this letter ther wyl be almost nothing done among the workmen, but yet I weed 

 the loyterers out now so fast that the resydue be in fear of the same punishment. 

 From my lord's grace's works on the hill 7th June. 



7. — The Same to the Same. 



1549. June 14. I have made inquisition for the mossy stone from whence 

 it came and so far as I can learn it came from Shalborne Hill : yet some doth 

 say it was fetched from Easton, but from Shalborne is the more likelihood, for 

 that quar hath been serehed to the bottom and so hath none of the resydew nor 

 none in all the contreye and there is much stone hereabout which abydeth very 

 well and semeth to come from thence, as the place where I had the same which. 

 I sent is builded with same stone, and as much thereof as lyeth 3 foot ahove 

 the ground is mossy after that sort, and better, besydes that it is an end of a 

 wall whose coynestones is of the same which is a good proof. 



As touching the hard stone of Shalborne I have already written thereof : the 

 quantity thereof is not so great as I wold it had been, and Arthur Rodes hath 

 I understand declared before this the whole state thereof. It doth appear above 

 to be very good stuff and to be store thereof, but it provith not so benethe, yet 

 nevertheless I think there will be gathern enough for the ashlour under the 

 grastable* for there is much of the same occupied in dyvers places hearabout, 

 and though my Lord's Grace myndeth to make his utter (outer) walls thereof, 

 I think it were better of flint; for I am sure there will aryse above 500 load 

 of flints out of the dykes and other places which come free-cost, and the charges 

 for dygging of the other stone and the carriage, skapling and others, wyll be 

 very great, and the flint cost very little. 



As touching th'old stone (whearof your mastershippe hath written that I have 

 written Borne Hill, I dyd but wryte Shalborn Hill), which is urne (ours) but 

 therewith the carriage ; the same is well seasoned and wyll abyde all wethers, 

 and I can perceyve none of that quarr that ever fayled which came out of the 

 bottom thereof, where lyeth the best stone in every quar of this stone. In 

 Burbage Church, though the grete (grit) be sumwhat rougher than Wylton 

 stone, yet as the nature of all these quarrs heare is, the lower the rougher 

 grete, so is it lyk that the same stone which is in Burbage Church wall (where 

 is abundance) to come out of the bottom of Shalbourn quarr, or els of Eston, 

 but whence so ever it came it abydeth very well and gathered a great moss and 

 is I am sure of one of these quarrs. 



The stone of Topnam ryseth yet as it was wont to do which is because the 

 bottom of the pitt is so narrow that they wrest the stone in pieces and how it 

 will prove when they work deep, I think as my Lord's grace thinketh therein : 

 but if Grod send fayr wether, as hitherto we have none but always extremity of 



*i,e., grass-table, or earth-table : the lowest course of stone that is seen in a building, level with 

 the earth. (Halliwell's Archaic. Diet,) 



