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more, and proportionably to their respective industry and fidelity.
Some indeed who have been imposed upon me (I suppose as Spies) and have been always treacherous, lazie, negligent, and debauched, I have sometimes kept strictly to their Agreements; but yet still allowing them according to the Letter and Equity of their Articles, though perhaps not according to the extent of their own self-conceits concerning the meaning of them, nor according to that opinion which themselves had of their bladder-blown performances; in so much as that I never had any Suit at Law with any of them, but one onely complaint before the Council, which also came to nothing, except the Complainants shame; and but one Arbitration, the award whereof I voluntarily exceeded in favour of my mistaken Adversary.
As for Compositions and Retrenchments, I made but few; Such as were made, had their rise from unexpected alterations, in performing the respective works whereunto they related. 2. From extraordinary helps I gave to the persons concerned. 3. From taking off part of their la-
