ear.[31] It might therefore be thought that
for Prideaux to be able to carry on the system, to give a despatch of
letters to all parts of the kingdom every week, and at the same time
make the proceeds of postage cover the whole cost, except for the Dover
Road, was a considerable achievement. The Commons were not, however,
altogether satisfied. The long disputes between the various patentees,
and their anxiety not to lose any part of the business of conveying
letters, made it evident that there was a profit other than the salary
paid by the King, notwithstanding that funds for the maintenance of the
posts were drawn from the Exchequer year by year. The office of Master
of the Posts was bought and sold. Witherings sold part of his wife's
estate to the value of [L]105 a year in land to obtain the office. The
deputy postmasters also bought their offices. And in 1642, by vote of
both Houses, Burlamachi had been required to give an account of the
_profits_ of the Letter Office. The Letter Office was in fact not on
the simple basis of payment by the messengers to the Master of Posts of
all receipts, payment by the Master of Posts from the receipts of the
ordinary fixed wages of the deputy postmasters (together with the cost
of special expresses) and of his own salary, and payment from the
Exchequer of the balance necessary to complete such payment. The deputy
postmasters took, and retained for their own use, the postage received
on private letters, paying a percentage to the Master of the Posts; and
they had also the monopoly, which was very lucrative, of letting horses
to travellers riding post. In view of these profits they were prepared
to purchase from the Master of the Posts the office of deputy
postmaster, and sums received from that source, together with the
percentage of the postage of private letters, constituted the emoluments
of the Master of the Posts, additional to his salary. The Commons, being
no doubt aware of this, concluded that there ought to be a net revenue
from the Office, and required Prideaux to pay the sum of [L]5,000 a
year.[32]

Witherings, who by some strange chance seems never to have been
altogether ousted from his offices, but to have retained that of Master
of the Foreign Post, died in 1651, and there were numerous claimants for
the succession to the office. The Council of State invited all persons
with claims to submit them, and in reporting on the claims, suggested
the farming of the Inland an