Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	great_a	part_n	time_n	3,297	5	3.1639	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A31164	The Case of the inhabitants of the town and parish of Croyden in the county of Surrey concerning the great oppressions they ly under by reason of the unparallel'd extortions and violent illegal and unwarrantable prosecutions of Doctor William Clewer, vicar of the said parish.		1673 (1673)	Wing C1092; ESTC R26442	20,131	18

July 24 1673. WE do nominate and appoint Sir Adam Brown Baronet and Sir William Haward to be the Persons to Arbitrate the matter in difference about Tithes in Arrears between Dr. Clewer and the Inhabitants of Croydon and do desire that they will undertake the trouble of ending these differences between them Gilb. Cant. Shaftsbury C. Whereupon Sir Adam Brown and Sir William Haward appointed to meet at Croydon the 5th of August 1673. where they met that day and on the 6 7 and 28th of August and on the 2d and 9th of September to hear and compose the matters in difference between the said Vicar and his Parishioners And they heard and determined about two hundred and fifty differences and made their Report in express words as followeth To his Grace the Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and the Right Honorable the Lord High Chancellor of England May it please your Lordships IN pursuance of your Lordships Reference unto us made upon the Petition of the Inhabitants of the Town of Croydon in the County of Surry dated the 24th of June last we have been several dayes upon the Place to wit on the 5th 6th 7th and 25th of August last and the 2d and 9th of September instant to endeavour to compose the matter in difference betwixt Dr. William Clewer and those of his Parish with whom he had any controversie On the 5th of August the Doctor after some delay came to us to the George-Inn where many of the Parishioners being present we examined as many of their Cases as we could before ten of the Clock at Night when the Doctor would stay no longer though a hundred of People were waiting so we adjourned to eight a Clock the next morning when the Doctor refused to come to us alledging indisposition of Body Whereupon resolving to proceed as far as we could we went to his house and continued sitting from eight in the morning till half an hour past twelve at night without any intermission to eate in which time we were sometimes told by the Doctor that we needed not to trouble our selves any farther for that he and those that were then in Arrears to him and which we had not before determined should agree But upon the importunity of the Poor we stayed and heard all Persons that the Doctor then complained against and determined every Case then before us so that we thought to have made our Report But afterwards accidentally riding through the Town and hearing fresh Complaints upon the desire of many of the Inhabitants we appointed to meet again on the 25th of August last when accordingly we came to the Town and sent for the Doctor who refused to come to us Whereupon we again went down to his House but were so delayed by him that we could not in the forenoon dispatch above eight or nine Persons He refusing to let those be called that were present and ready to pay money and calling upon others that were not there and who only owed him for Christenings and Offerings And having sat till one of the Clock we went to the George to dinner desiring the Doctors company with us offered him the convenience of a Coach because of his Lameness and left the same to bring him went our selves on foot the which we rather did because his own House was inconvenient and we were much incommoded there by the smalness of his Room and the heat occasioned by the croud of People but the Doctor would not come to us So that after sending for him several times and he refusing to come we writ to him and appointed him to meet us on the 2d of September instant Expresly desiring him to prepare us a List of the Persons names that owed him any money and how much each owed him and and for what that so we might lose no more time in searching his Books and Papers for all the men that came before us which much hindred our proceedings which done we dismist those that attended who lost that dayes work and appointed them to attend on the said second of September But on the first of September the said Doctor prevailed upon pretence that he was ill by Preaching the Sunday before to defer the meeting till the 9th of September when he promised to come to the George to us and that in the mean time the Parishioners should have notice thereof Nevertheless we loth to disappoint them come to Croydon the said 2d of September and found many of the Inhabitants waiting having had no timely notice and therefore sent to the Doctor desired him to come to us and dispatch them being informed he was well and went abroad that day but though we sent often down he refused to come and so we were forc't to dismiss them with the loss of that day also which much troubled us appointing them to appear again the 9th of September when we again attended and sent for the Doctor who at first refused to come pretending he had not promised so to do whereby he spent great part of our time insomuch that we could do nothing till after dinner when we sat and the Inhabitants being present We demanded the List aforesaid but could not prevail for the same so that most part of our time as formerly was spent in his turning over his Books Nevertheless we sat till ten at night and dispach't all that were present unless some few which the Doctor would not stay to end though he continued longer in the house then we believe would have dispatch'd them nor would he agree though we desired it to appear the next morning to end the same so that they lost their labour And we do humbly certifie that having examined about two hundred and fifty several Cases we did find that the occasion of the differences between the Doctor and them was the unreasonable demands of Tithes and other undue impositions he had endeavoured to impose upon most of them being the poorer sort of the Inhabitants who being illiterate were by undue means drawn either into exorbitant Agreements penal Bills or Judgments by Arresting and keeping them in durance till they complied with him therein whereby many Families were put to very great expence and thereby much impoverished some of them totally ruined others forced them to run from their Houses and leave their Wives and Children to the Parish by which means we conceive that he himself in some measure hath been the occasion of the non-payment of what was his just dues which otherwise might probably have been had with the Affections of the People And for ground of this our belief we take leave further to inform your good Lordships That every person that appeared before us and with whom the Doctor had any contest most willingly submitted to whatever we should determine between them whereupon we proceeded to examine his Demands and upon deliberate Consideration of what was alledged on each side found them very extravagant and not fitting to be submitted unto therefore moderated the