was that he swore to, and though, God forgive me, I could
have been almost naturally willing to have let him ignorantly have sworn
to something that was not of itself very certain, either or no, yet out
of his own conscience and care he altered the words himself so as
to make them very safe for him to swear. This I carrying to my clerk
Wilkinson, and telling him how I heard matters to stand, he, like a
conceited fellow, made nothing of it but advised me to offer Trice's
clerks the cost of the dismission, viz., 46s. 8d., which I did, but they
would not take it without his client. Immediately thereupon we parted,
and met T. Trice coming into the room, and he came to me and served me
with a subpoena for these very costs, so I paid it him, but Lord! to see
his resolution, and indeed discretion, in the wording of his receipt,
he would have it most express to my greatest disadvantage that could be,
yet so as I could not deny to give it him. That being paid, my clerke,
and then his began to ask why we could not think, being friends, of
referring it, or stating it, first ourselves, and then put it to some
good lawyer to judge in it. From one word to more we were resolved to
try, and to that end to step to the Pope's Head Taverne, and there
he and his Clerke and Attorney and I and my Clerke, and sent for Mr.
Smallwood, and by and by comes Mr. Clerke, my Solicitor, and after I had
privately discoursed with my men and seen how doubtfully they talked,
and what future certain charge and trouble it would be, with a doubtful
victory, I resolved to condescend very low, and after some talke all
together Trice and I retired, and he came to L150 the lowest, and I bid
him L80. So broke off and then went to our company, and they putting us
to a second private discourse, at last I was contented to give him L100,
he to spend 40s. of it among this good company that was with us. So we
went to our company, both seeming well pleased that we were come to an
end, and indeed I am in the respects above said, though it be a great
sum for us to part with. I am to pay him by giving him leave to buy
about L40 worth of Piggott's land and to strike off so much of Piggott's
debt, and the other to give him bond to pay him in 12 months after
without interest, only giving him a power to buy more land of Piggott
and paying him that way as he did for the other, which I am well enough
contented with, or at least to take the land at that price and give him
the mone