Briefwisseling. Deel 5: 1649-1663

5380. Percy³⁾. (H.A.)

I receaved yours of the 3^d, which I give you perticuler thanks for and

3) Zie No. 5379.

[p. 225]

the more because I find it not an easy thing to procure answers from the place where you are. I am very glad, the time will not be long that wee shall know, whether there will be an agreement or noe about the sale. You have much reason to beleeve, just debts ought not to be suspended uppon the uncertainty of a bargaine, that is noething to them, whoe are to pay, as alsoe in the opinion you have, that I may oblige them - if I please - to pay by the way of justice, soe there is noething more certaine that poore people doe easily catch hold of any excuse to delay payments, and though this be farre from a good one, neverthelesse they make use of it. For the other point of bringing them to it by justice, I doubt not off; yet I must tell you, it would be very troublesome to doe that to every perticuler poore creature, when delayes of that kind are soe universall throught all France. But, Sir, this is not the maine point, nor the greatest prejudice that wee suffer by the exposing of Chateau-Renard to sale, or not determining, whether it shall be or noe, for the greatest part of that revenue is in meadowes and pasture, wherefore the more necessary to have a stock, which noebody will venter to have, not knowing whether at a dead or unseasonable time of the yeere they may not be put out, and all these stocke remaine uppon there hands, and this is soe good an argument and soo great a truth, as I beleeve little can be said against it. You are pleased to say, one of the debts is but a trifle and the other soe antient as you know noething of the grownds; neverthelesse a little summe will stopp the payment of rents as well as a greate one, and the antientnesse of this debt doth not prejudice it at all, he having as much justice granted him for the recovery of it, as if it were contracted but yesterday, and the increase of it will be beyond expectation - as my coun[s]ell tells me - if not prevented. If the officers there send any perticuler relations to the materiall concerning the burning of the barne, I shall send them to you, or anything else you desire from hence, being extreamely much ..... the 11^th Dec.^r 1654¹⁾.

1) De plaats ontbreekt.