and Gaiole deliverye before my coming home from Circuit, S'. Edward Hobbye came to Canterburye and there procured some one or ij other Justices of the Peace unlearned in the lawe to bayle Manwaringe, and so a notoriouse theife ys escaped from his deserved pvnishment, a manifeste contempt againste Justice for Justices of Peace to bayle a prysoner (repryed without bayle by Justices of Assize aud gaole deliverye): and because a Justice of Peace who had travelled in thexamynacion of Manwarings offence, and, declaringe to St. Edward Hobbye the Repry of the Justices of Assize and Gaole deliverye, would not ioyne in bayle of Manwaringe, therefore with reproachfull speeches, the sayde St. Edward Hobbye grewe in offence withe the same Justice: whiche Manwaring and the sayd Curtall weare great famyllyars.

Afterwards the Customer of Sandwiche with his men rydinge in the hye waye betwene Chatham downe and Syttingborne this Curtall came by one horsebacke swyftelye vuinge and crying aloude zaghe, zaghe, after a Frenche manner, in suche wyse as the Customer and his man became in some dismaye, and then one other horseman, a ffamyliar of Curtalls and knowne to the Customer, told the Customer he shoulde not neade to feare; The Customer asked who that man was that so ranne by a horsebacke cryinge zagh, zagh, and he told him it was Curtall, who was commonly called Justice Grey Bearde, but sayde that the Customer should have no hurte, and so the Customer passed to Syttingborne.

After all these aforesayde circumstances declared to me, I finding the Robberyes to be suche and so manye as the contrye was grevyd and greatly annoyed, and against the malefactors suspected no Justice of peace durst proceade, and finding that Manwaring, a notoriouse theife was contemptuosely sett at libertye by Sir Edward Hobbye, and being at libertye was like to doe muche mischeife, and that this Curtall and Manwaring kepte themselves aboute S'. Edward Hobbyes howse in the Isle of Sheppey, where no Constable or any like officer from the partes about Canterburye durste there entermedle, and finding that the over nomber of typling howses did muche harbor and encrease malefactors, for some reformacion of those ij myscheiffes thought good withe advise of some other of the Justices of peace learned in the lawe to hold a speciall Sessions for inquirye and reformacion of those ij matters; At which Sessions vppon dewe sommons weare eight or ix Justices of peace; and I geving a brief chardge gave one note for reformacion of those inordynate robberyes that persons by common fame suspected to lyve havnting Innes and ryding in the hye wayes from place to place with apparell and expences farr exceadinge their knowne lyvings and abilyties weare moste lyke to bee the malefactors, of which sorte I declared what circumstances to me had bene confessed touching Curtall, and Manwaringe, and shewed a purse with a horne whistle for a call

amonge theves dispersed in a woode, by myselfe taken vppon one Zachfeild after a robbery at Gadeshill att begininge of mychaelmas terme And I did give an other noate for suppressinge of vnnessessarye typling howses with the names of them also, wheruppon the Jurye more of their owne knowledge, lying in the Contry, all the wynter, than of my knowledge lying in London, did endyte Curtall and Manwaringe, and presented dyverse of the typling howses, and no man of myne was any of the Jurye, after which specyall Sessions an other robberye of one Hall in the Queenes highe waye was done at Elham fayre by iiij." or v. horsemen theves, and by myne Examynacion and searche I found John Essex, a lyke myspender of his thrifte and lyving as Curtall ys, to bee one of that companye, And theruppon I rode to Maydstone Quarter Sessions, and there, upon my Chardge and Notes shewed the sayde Essex was also indited, and so by meanes the said iiij. malefactors be indyted, viz. Zachfield, Manwaring, Curtall, and Essex, iij. of them beinge yet at lardge and cannot be apprehended howbeyt this my begininge of proceadinge against them hathe shattered the Nestes and Companyes, so that Robberyes hathe not vsually bene done since as weare before to the good quiett and comforte of the Contrye which was the cause I did only seeke without malice to any person as God shall be my judge. And for the mystakinge of the daye and tyme of the robberye layde in thendytment or super hominem Ignotum, that ys in lawe not materyall, so as uppon evidence at th'araignment the facte may be proved to be done uppon any man at another daye, and to aggravate any evydence at th'arraignment at Thassizes I will not yf Manwaring and Curtall his famyliar will appeare at the Assizes, and if Curtall will declare truly the names of those iiij. or v. of his swifte rydinge companyons who did overtake Mr. Fyneux, Mr. Smythe, Mr. Pryse, and Mr. Hadds, at Gaddeshill after thend of laste Mychaelmas terme, wherbye the havntinge robberyes in the hye waye ceasse, and not be frequent as they have bene. HENRY ELLIS."