6d. fleming.  Item, I have made you over by exchange in like wise with Jacob van de Base 89 nobles and 6s. sterling, payable at London at usuance in like wise; I delivered it at 11s. 2d. fleming for every noble sterling; it amounteth fl.—­L50 fleming and the rest of your L300 remains still by me, for I can make you over no more at this season, for here is no more that will take any money as yet.  And money goeth now upon the bourse at 11s. 3-1/2d. the noble and none other money but Nimueguen groats, crowns, Andrew guilders and Rhenish guilders, and the exchange goeth ever the longer worse and worse.  Item, sir, I send you enclosed in this said letter, the two first letters of the payment of the exchange above written.  Benynge Decasonn’s letter is directed to Gabriel Defuye and Peter Sanly, Genoese, and Jacob van de Base’s is directed to Anthony Carsy and Marcy Strossy, Spaniards; in Lombard Street ye shall hear of them.[69]

A week later he writes: 

I understand your masterships hath taken up by exchange of John Raynold, mercer, L60 sterling, payable the 25th day of the month and of Deago Decastron [Diego da Castro, a Spaniard] other L60 sterling, payable the 26th day of the same month, the which shall be both content at the day; and as for master Lewis More, Lombard, [he] is paid and I have the bill; his attorney is a wrangling fellow—­he would none other money but Nimueguen groats.[70]

Many a letter such as this must Thomas Betson have written at his lodgings, sitting so late over his work that he must needs write to his friends when he ought to be sleeping and date his letters:  ’At London, on our Lady day in the night, when I deem ye were in your bed, for mine eyne smarted, so God help me.’[71] And when he came to make up his annual accounts he had the hardest work of all to do.  Here is a portrait of him at his labours: 

The thridde day this marchant up ariseth,
And on his nedes sadly hym avyseth,
And up into his countour-hous gooth he,
To rekene with hymself, as wel may be,
Of thilke yeer, how that it with hymn stood,
And how that he despended hadde his good,
And if that he encressed were or noon. 
His bookes and his bagges, many oon,
He leith biform hymn on his countyng-bord. 
Ful riche was his tresor and his hord,
For which ful faste his countour dore he shette;
And eek he nolde that no man sholde hymn lette
Of his accountes, for the meene tyme;
And thus he sit til it was passed pry me.[72]

Thus was passed the life of a Merchant of the Staple:  in riding to the Cotswold farms for wool; in business at the counting-houses in Marks Lane; in sailing from London to Calais and from Calais to London again; in dealing with merchant strangers at the mart in Calais, or riding to the marts of Flanders in fair time.  The great company sheltered him, arranged his lodging, kept a sharp eye on the quality of his wool, made