ls attached to or composing the Royal Court. These Messengers,
so attached to the Court, became the foundation of the establishment,
which about the time of Henry VIII, or somewhat earlier, assumed the
form of the regular establishment of the Post; and the information
connected with them is important, as showing that the institution was
intimately connected with the person of the sovereign, and that, in the
first instance, it was his convenience that was sought. Those servants
who, by usage, were more particularly employed on State affairs,
probably became those who are now specially termed the 'Queen's
Messengers.'"--_Report from Secret Committee on the Post Office_
(_Commons_), 1844, Appx., p. 21.

(iii) WITHERINGS' SCHEME FOR THE REFORM OF THE POSTS, 1635.

A Proposition for setling of Staffets or pacquet posts betwixt
London and all parts of his Maiesties dominions, for the carrying
and recarrying of his subiects l[~r]es. The cleere proffitt whereof
to goe towards the payment of the Postm^{rs} of y^{e} Roades of
England, for w^{ch} his Ma^{tie} is now chardged w^{th} 3400_l._ p
a[~n]m.

In the first place, a certen office or compting house to be by his
Ma^{tie} appointed w^{th}in the cittie of London, of purpose for
carrying out & receiving in of all L[~r]es to be conveyed from y^{e}
cittie of London into all p^{ts} w^{th}in his Ma^{ts} dominions &
answers thereof retorned to the said Cittie of London, according as
occasion shall serve.

Inprimis, for the Northerne and Scotland roade, All l[~r]es to be put
into one Portmantle that shalbe directed to Edenburgh in Scotland, and
for all places of the s^{d} roade, or neere the s^{d} roade, to be
accordinglie put into y^{e} s^{d} Portmantle, w^{th} [p=]ticuler baggs
directed to such Postm^{rs} as live upon the Road neere unto any Cittie
or Towne Corporate.

_As for Example_--

One Bagge to be directed to Cambridge w^{th} such l[~r]es therein as
shalbe directed to that place or neere thereunto; to take port for them
as is now p[~d] to the Carriers, w^{ch} is Two pence a single l[~r]e,
and so accordinglie as they shalbe in bignes. At Cambridge a footpost to
be provided, w^{th} a knowne badge of his Ma^{ts} Armes, whome upon the
markett daies is to goe to all Townes w^{th}in 6: 8: or 10 miles, there
to receive & deliver all such l[~r]es as shalbe directed to those
places. The l[~r]es that the s^{d} footpost shall then and there
receiv