“They have, and often before now have been found burdensome enough, butbargains must be kept, and we have never complained. But bad years or good, thesum has never been raised. And it falls very hard on a town so pressed as weare now, to lose three days of trade, and the best tolls of the year. Lastsummer, as you must know, though you were not then among us, Shrewsbury wasunder siege above a month, and stormed at last with great damage to the townwalls, and great neglect of the streets, and for all our efforts there’s stillgreat need of work on them, and it’s costly labour, after all last summer’slosses. Not the half of the dilapidations are yet put right, and in thesetroublous times, who knows when we may again be under attack? The very trafficof your fair will be passing through our streets and adding to the wear, whilewe get nothing to help make good the damage.”

“Come to the point, Master Provost,” said the abbot in the same tranquiltone. “You are come to make some demand of us. Speak it out plainly.”

“Father Abbot, so I will! We think—and I speak for the whole guild merchantand borough gathering of Shrewsbury—that in such a year we have the bestpossible case for asking that the abbey should either pay a higher fee for thefair, or, better by far, set aside a proportion of the fair tolls on goods,whether by horse-load or cart or boat, to be handed over to the town, and spenton restoring the walls. You benefit by the protection the town affords you; youought, we think, to bear a part with us in maintaining its defences. A tenthshare of the profits would be welcomed, and we should thank you heartily forit. It is not a demand, with respect, it is an appeal. But we believe the grantof a tenth would be nothing more than justice.”