The Master's answer concerning the rating of the potte

Diu^erse cases that the warden is not to ou^erse m^rers meltinge

^{[Editorial Note 1]}My{ni} matters

<1r>

The m^rs answer concerninge the ratinge of the potte /

Whereas the m^r is challenged for ratinge y^e potte as semeth best to him self

He anwereth

|{In n^ll endent^ure & afo^re forms ram^t if put pro rate.}|That neither his indenture nor any form^er Indenture hathe Lymitted any forme or man^er howe the potte sholde be rated but the m^r hathe alwaies been at fre libertie to rate his potte at his pleasure because he made the moneyes at his oune will and when the moneyes were made tryed & founde to be in |{y^e m^r ferra bn a son will./}|suche suete as thyndenture lymitted the m^r was no furder charged nor challenged

Wherfore the nowe m^r findeth him self muche {inired} and greiued by the sclanderous sketches of his adu^{ersaries whose reposte is that the mr by putting copy to the bullion at his plesure maketh the moneyes coueste thew he ought to doe a thinge verry odious in the eares of the unskilfull people wherfore he hathe thought good to shewe howe of necessitie there must be copper put to the bullion wherby the ratinge of the potte is required and used & howe that in puttinge copper to the bullion the mr dothe no wronge neither to the matie} nor to the Subriette

First the bullion brought into the Tower is in diu^erse greate Ingotts of diu^erse quallities and of diU^se finesses some of xi^oz ij ch weight fine some xj oz iiij ch wght fine some more some less / and when a masse of these bullions is layed to gether to be molten in one pott and that the warden according to his office hathe entred the wght and finesse of the same / First in his ledger booke and after in his meltinge booke The m^r of necessitie must make his computacon and put to the bullion suche quantitie of copy as is nedeful to be put into the potte w^th the same masse to reduce if by meltinge to suche state of finesse as that he maye make moneyes therof accordinge to his Indenture for otherwise it is not possible to make moneyes in order

This is the ratinge of the potte wherein no man ought to deale but by y^e masters appointtemente bicause the moneyes are made at his onely will/

|{y^e man^er dassaye}| Howe when the same masse is thus by the m^r com̄ized and molten before it be caste oute the warden and saie m^r firste take assaie thereof to se whether it be sufficiente to make moneyes or no / And then being caste oute of y^e potte in smale ingotts the warden and saie m^r taketh one of the same Ingotts and maketh a nother assaie and tryall of the finesse thereof w^ch done the whole masse is rated and accompted to be of suche finesse as that ingott beareth / As if the Ingott be founde to be of xj^oz j^ch wght fine the whole masse is likewise accompted to be of xj^oz j^ch wght fyne This tryall is called by thindenture the pott assaie Artcile / 20 / And hereby y^e wardens curious desire to see the ratinge of the pott and meltinge of the bullion maye appere verry vaine For he hauinge entred the wght and |If y^e leger gaue {dee} w^tt & finesse {illeg} melting & if tassay {apb pt} bn w rong qt {de ropp} & an larg.| finesse of the masse into his Ledger boke and meltinge booke as before is saide and nowe seinge what finesse it bereth at the potte assaie maye easelie finde what copy is in the masse molten & howe muche is due to her ma^tie for the finesse thereof for accordinge to y^t finesse w^ch is founde of eu^ery masse by the potte assaie her ma^tie is to be answered her eī remedie in finesse and not otherwise And albe it the m^r as laufull it it {sic} is for hum to doe dothe rate eu^ery potte put to meltinge at xj^oz fine pr under yett ys the masse molten in the same pott be founde by the pott assaie to be of xjoz ich wght fine it is no reason to recon that masse to be but of xjoz fine as the warden p^retendeth For if that be reason then if by the potte assaie the masse were founde to be xj^oz ij^d wght fine or ii^d wght fine it sholde also be reported but at xjoz fine and so the m^r sholde alwaies answer her ma^tie oute of his purse the vallue of her eī remedie in finesse when notw^thstanding there is a grete deale more finesse in her moneyes then sholde be and so the m^r sholde susteine A doble or treble charge w^ch were conrarye to all reason and equitie/

<1v>

Moreou^er when the potte is rated but at xj^oz fine to the fier the bullion nu^erthelesse dothe continuallie rise at xj^oz j^d wght fine from the fier/

Yf it be rated at xj^oz j^d wght fine to the fier the bullion wolde com̄onlie rise at xjoz ijs wght fine from the fier/

Beside all other his charge not yet spoken of/

And so it is to be noted that when the m^rs heretofore were bounde to make theire moneyes full standerd vix at xj^oz ij^d wght fine yet they were neu^er bounde to rathe there potte at xjoz ij^d wght fine neither was it of necesssitie or colde theye so doe excepte they wolde haue undone them selves biceause y^t by suche ratinge of the potte they sholde haue ben continuall losers by the ou^erplusse in finesse as is afore saide foe that by the forme of there Indentures they were not to be allowed for any ou^erpluasse in finesse excepte so muche lacke of finesse sholde happen at a nother tyme w^ch in suche ratinge wolde new haue ben/

Comeinge the odde greiues The m^r saithe

Neither dothe the m^r knowe when any odde greiues is in the Ingotte & therefore he new ratess his potte better or worse in {respecte} of the odde greiues but accordinge to thassaies reporte of the Ingott w^ch reporte is awaies made w^thoute any odde greiues

Againe the Subiecte Ingotts are often tymes verry deceiptefullye molten and are formde to be finer at y^e one eande then at thother & yett neu^erthelesse moste tymes thassai^ers reporteth the whole Ingott accordinge to the fynesse of the better eande & so the m^r loseth not onelye the odde greiues but often tymes a whole / 0£ wght oz j^d wght in eu^ery pounde wght of the same Ingott /

It is further to be noted that if no odde greuies at all fall oute to be in the subiecte bullion at thassaie of their Ingott yett if by the potte assaie there rise v. odde greiues in the whole masse as often tymes there fothe those v. odde greiues the m^r loseth for meltinge bicause they are now reported for the m^r but doe ronne into the moneyes to the prince benefitt onelie / By the losse of w^ch v. odde greiues in the whole masse at y^e potte assaie the m^r loseth more at one meltinge then he geineth in tenne meltinge by thodde greiues in the Subiecte bullion/

<2r>

againe yf the saie m^r reporte thassaie of some of y^e subiecte Ingotts C £ wght j^d. ij^d. iij^d oz iiij^d wght in eu^ry pounde wght better then it is as diu^rese tymes he hathe don then bothe the moneyes & y^e m^r loseth more by the missereporte of one suche Ingott then they get by the odde greives in xl. Ingotts /

Here it maye be obiected that as the saie m^r maye some tymes reporte the Subiecte bullion better then it is wherby the m^r maye be a loser so maye he some tymes reporte it worse then it is wherby the m^r maye be a gainer and then the one beinge sett againste thother y^e m^r can be no Loser /

The m^r Answereth

That it is nothinge so for the Subiecte com̄onlie knoweth the finesse of his bullion before he bringeth it into the mynte So y^t if thassaier make the assaie thereof better then it is to the Subiecte gaine y^e subiecte taketh it w^th silence but of thassaier make the same assaie worse then indede it is the subiecte knowinge the finesse of his silu^er before hande will have his saye made againe till it rise as good as he thinketh it to be / And if it will not rise so good then he will saye his silu^er is not well molten and therfore will haue it home againe to melte it better / So that the subiecte is sire neu^er to lose but many tymes to gaine by the missereporte of the finesse of his Ingotts and thus bothe the moneyes and the m^r is many tymes gretelye {dampenefied} /

Item the m^r hathe diu^erse tymes founde half an ounce or iij.  ^fes of an ounce of water in an Ingott w^ch if he had not founde he sholde haue answered so muche wght in silu^er for it /

And many other defaults and deceiptes have ben and maye be founde in the Subiecte Ingotte to the m^rs grete hindraunce /

So that the odde greiues supposed to be gotten by the Subiecte bullion beinge well considered and counternailed w^th the m^rs losse that hapeneth by the seu^erall meanes aforesaide they will not mounte to one score of all the thousande {outrewlie} reported by the Audit^ers and warden to be gotten by the master /