dship directs the sale of it to others; only
we humbly pray for some preferment in the opportunity of the place
where the woods lie, and in the quantity, as it may answer in some
portion to our wants. Herein, if your lordship will be pleased to
favour us, then we humbly pray your lordship to direct us to some
such persons as your Lordship resolves to employ in the business.
And as we humbly take our leaves of your lordship,

"Your lordship's humbly at command.

"London."

What success attended this application, or the enterprise which it was
intended to promote, does not appear. Wealth flowed in from other
quarters, so that the great philosopher was relieved from the necessity
of trying to make money by making iron. Tyntern, however, and also
Whitebrook, have ever since been connected with that kind of manufacture.

A third "bargayne," and corresponding with the two previous ones, was
agreed to on the 3rd May, 1615, with Sir Basil Brook, from whom rent in
kind was thus retained:--"iron, 320 tons p. annum, wch att xiill xs the
tonn, cometh to 4000 per an.: the rent reserved to be payd in iron by 40
tonns p. month, wch cometh to 500ll every month; so in toto yearelye
4000ll."

A proviso was added that--"The workes already buylt, onlye grantted wth
no power to remove them, but bound to mayntayne and leave them in good
case and repayre, wth all stock of hammers, anvils, and other necessarys
received att the pattentees' intyre," as also that "libertye for myne and
synders for supplying of the workes onlye, to be taken by delivery of the
miners att the price agreed uppon."

Great confidence was reposed in Sir Basil Brook, since he, with Robert
Chaldecott, obtained a contemporary grant of the office of clerk or
overseer of the iron works in the Forest for fifteen years. {31a} But so
much did they abuse it, that ere three years had elapsed, a commission
was issued, 17 July, 1618, to Sir Thos. Brudnell, Sir John Tracy, Sir
William Cooke, and others, {31b} "to survey and examine the wastes made
in the Forest of Dean by Sir Basil Brooke and others, farmers of iron
works there." In their report, one item states that "His Majestie, since
the erecting the iron works, had received a greater revenue than
formerly." They were to proceed on interrogatories prepared by Sir Wm.
Throgmorton, Bart., who was himself engaged in the like manufacture,
{31c} being asso