Chapter II: Witherings recovers his office 27

Settlement of accounts during period of sequestration 28

Post stages in France 29

Robberies of Channel packets 30

Measures taken to resist attacks--More outrages 33

People of Calais attack the English packet boat 39

Armed packet boat, the _Speedy Post_, provided 42

Witherings' family connection 43

Stated to have been a papist, and Gentleman Harbinger to the Queen 44

Probable interest at Court--Said to have been a mercer of London--His wife--She assists in purchasing his office--Value of money in middle of seventeenth century 45

Corruption and Court favouritism 46

Inland Posts 47

Means for sending inland letters--Probable conveyance by postmasters on their own account 48

Conveyance by carriers 49

Postmasters on Western Road set up a chain of posts for letters of the public, 1630--Foot post from Barnstaple to Exeter to work into the London posts 50

Project for Inland Public Posts, 1633--Estimated number of letters then reaching London 52

Troubles with postmasters and hackneymen on Dover Road as to charges 53

Pressing of horses--Difficulties between postmasters and public 54

Stanhope interferes with the public conveyance of letters by the Western postmasters--He tries to raise the price of purchase of their offices 57

Petition of Foreign Post messengers dismissed by Witherings 59

Foot post between London and Dover--Carrying gold out of the realm 60

Speed of posts, 1633 62

Condition of roads and difficulty of travelling 63

Quality of English horses and riders 68