Frizell and Thomas Witherings (in
reversion) to the sole management of the foreign post-office. And at this
date it seems a regular home post was also carried on, as appears by the
following entry from the Corporation Books of Great Yarmouth:--"1631.
Agreed, June 6, with the Postmaster of Ipswich to have Quarterly 20s. paid
him for carrying and bringing letters to and from London to Yarmouth for
the vse of the Towne."

In 1635, Charles I. issued a proclamation for the establishment of "a
running post or two, to {267} run night and day between Edinburgh and
Scotland and the City of London, to go thither and come back again in six
days:" branch posts were also to be established with all the principal
towns on the road: the rates of postage were fixed at 2d. under 80 miles;
4d. for 140 miles; 6d. beyond; and 8d. to Scotland. This is conclusive
evidence that a regular post-office establishment existed nearly ten years
_before Prideaux had anything to do with the post-office_.

In 1640, a proclamation was issued by the Long Parliament, by which the
offices of Foreign and Inland Postmaster (then held by Witherings) were
sequestrated into the hands of one Philip Burlamachy, a city merchant. Soon
after this we find a Committee of the Commons, with "Master Edmund
Prideaux" for chairman, inquiring into the matter.

In 1644, a resolution of the Commons declared that "Edmund Prideaux, Esq.,
a member of the House," was "constituted master of the posts, messengers,
and couriers."

In 1649 Prideaux established a weekly conveyance to every part of the
kingdom; and also appears to have introduced other judicious reforms and
improvements,--indeed he seems to have been the Rowland Hill of those days;
but he has not the slightest claim to be considered as the "Inventor of the
Post-office." The mistake may have arisen from a misapprehension of the
following statement frown Blackstone: "Prideaux first established a weekly
conveyance of letters into all parts of the nation, _thereby saving to the
public the charge of maintaining postmasters_, to the amount of 7000l. per
annum."

I have not been able to obtain any particulars of Prideaux's personal
history.

MERCURII.

Jememutha Magna.

_Edmund Prideaux and the First Post-office._--See the Appendix to the
Report of the Secret Committee of the House of Commons on the Detaining and
Opening of Letters at the Post-Office, 1844, which contains copies of
numerous documents furnished by Mr