Further holograph draft of MINT00076 (Mint 19/1/223)
To the Rt Honble the L|E|arl of Oxford and Ea{l}|r|l Mortimer, Lord H. Treasurer of great Britain.
May it please yo{illeg}|u|r Lordp
The Smith of the Mint being my servant by the ancient constitution of the Mint, & being paid by me after the rate of {illeg}|o|ne penny per pound weight of gold coined & one farthing pr pound weight of silver coined, & having also a salary of 50 pounds per an appointed by the Indenture of ye Mint: the last Smith for the sake of that salary was imposed upon |me| & behaved \himself/ to me with great insolence. Whereupon a clause was inserted into the Schedule of Salaries at ye end of the Indenture of the Mint, for the ceasing of that salary upon the next voidance of the place, & the place becoming void before last Christmas, the salary is now ceased in order to a new settlement. I humbly p{illeg}|r|ay therefore that such a ne{illeg}|w| salary may be setled as your Lordp shall think \fit/ & in such a manner that I may turn him away if he \have power over |t|hi|e|m &|s|mith as my servant for carrying on the coinage {illeg}|&| dismis him if he be not of good {abearring} according to the maning {sic} of the Indenture of the Mint/ deserves it: {sic} Which may be done by appointing the salary to me for a Smith.
All wch is most humbly submitted to yor Lordps great
Wisdome
I. N.