I forgot to acquainte your honour that m' Deane and m Gibbs sett out one priuate man of warr wch tooke two prizes, and my self & friends another that took two more, und' comission of this Collony, which its possible they apply to the Collony: But indeed my Lord it was but four or fiue of us, and we are in much trouble by reason here is not the Comission's deputys allowed of by the Courte: I haue not farther to add, but that I am as before: Yo's to serue THO: BREEDON. To the Right Honnorab Edward Earle p Hope Bendall Commander of ye Ship: Trijall [DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING LETTER.] I pray call for these Coppies from M: Rawson. The declaracōn of the Gen!! Court with sound of trumpett and the Commissioners reply therevnto. John Porters petition and the Commissioners order there vpon. The Messachusetts Commission to M: Symonds and m Danfort June 2d 1665. The Messachusetts warrant to the Constable of Portsmouth and their letter to the Kings Commissioners and their reply. A warrant for summoning a speciall Gennerall Court to be held Augt 1st and the order of that Court. The summons for M: Corbett to appeare at the gennerall Court at Boston October 11th 1666. his sentence at that Court with the Mittymus to y Jaylor, and the warrant from the gennerall Court to the Marshalls of Dover and Portsmouth for aprehending of M: Corbett. To the Ilonoured Generall Courte now assembled In Boston. MAY IT PLEASE THIS HONED COURTE Yo' humble pettition's being informed that lett's are lately sente from his majesty to y° Gouourn' & Councell, Expressiue of his ill resentment of ye proceedings of this collony wth his Comission's, lately sente hyther & requiring also some principle persons therein, wth comande vpon theire allegiance to attend his majtys pleasure in order to a finall determination of such differences & debats as haue hapned between his majtys said Commission's and ye Gouernm' here, and wth declaration of his majtys your pettition's looking at as a matter of the greatest importance justly calling for most serious consideration, that they might neither be wanting to your selfs in wh houlding any incoragem that theire concurance might aforde in so arduous a matt", nor to themselfes and to ye Country in being inuolued by their silence in y° dangerous mistake of (otherwise well minded persons) inclining to disloyall principalls they desire they may haue liberty without ofence to propose some of theire thoughts & feares aboute this matt' unto yo' more serious deliberation your petition's humbly conceiue that those who liue in this age of ye world are no less than oth's concerned in that aduise of ye wise man; to keep y° Kings commandm1 because of yo oath of god, and not to be hasty to goe out of his sight that doth whatsoeu' pleaseth him, wherefore they desire that seeing his maj' hath already taken no littell displeasure against us, as if we disowned his majtys jurisdiction ouer us; efectuall care may be taken least by refuseing to attend his majts ord for ye clearing of our pretences unto right and fauor in that particuler, we should plunge our selfs into greater disfauour: And danger; our receiuing a Charter from his majtys Royall predecesso's for ye planting this Collony, with a confirmation of ye same from his royall person by ye late addres sufficiently declares this place to be parte of his dominions and our selfs his subjects in testimony of wch also y° first Gouorn' m' mathew Craddock stands recorded Juratus de fide et obedientia, before one of ye mast's of Chauncery, whence it is Euident yt if any proceedings of this Collony haue giuen any occasion to his majty to say that we beleiue he hath noe Jurisdiction ouer us, what efectuall course had need be taken to free our selfs from y° incuring his majtys further displeasure by Continuance in so dangerous an offence, and to giue his maj's all due sattisfaction in that pointe, such an assertion would be no less distractiue to our welfaire then derogating to his majus honour, the doubtfull interpretation of ye words of a pattent, web there can be no reason to hope they should euer be Construed y° diuesting a Souoraigne prince of his Regall power ouer his naturall subj & Leige people is to fraile a foundation to build such a transendent Imunity & preuiledge vpon: Yo" pettion's shall Euer be willing to acknowledge to yo Vtmost how much they are bounde to your selfs & others in ye like Capasity for your aboundant care & paines in Carrying on ye gouernment of ye Collony & indeauoring to vphould ye libertys thereof & should not be unwilling to run any hazard wth yow for y regular defence & ye security of ye same & would be most unwilling to reflect upon y persons of them they so much honour & respt by an unnessisary disenting from them in some things wherein they could not approoue y reason of ye proceedings, but in matter of so greate concernm ye matter now in agietation wherein ye honour of god & ye credit of religion as well as y° interest of their owne persons & estates are all concerned they earnestly desire that no party will so irresistably carry on any designe of so dangerous a consequence as to nessessitate theire brethren equally engaged with them in y° same undertakeing, to make theire perticuler addres to his majty and declaration to ye world to cleare themselues from the least imputation of so scandelous an Euell as y apearance of disafection or disloyalty to ye person and Gouernm' of theire lawfull prince & Souoraine, would be; Wherefore your petitioners do here humbly entreate that if any occasion hath been giuen to his maj, so to is resente any of our former actions as is in his last letters held forth that nothing of that nature be farther proceeded in, but contrarywise that aplycation be made to his maj' by mecte persons imediately to be sente for that end to cleare the transactions of them that gouerne this Collony from any such construction, Least otherwise that weh duely improoued might haue been as a cloude of yo latter raine be turned into that weh in conclusion may be founde more terrible then y° roaring of a Lyon: thus craueing your fauorable interpretation of what is here humbly presented: Your Petitioners shall euer be oblidged to thankfulnes NICHOLAS PAGE JOHN WOODMANSEY RICHARD PATTESHALL ffrom Ipswith subscribed this pettition 73: 36 ffrom Hingham most parte of ye towne, but their deputy did not deliuer it: hundreds more might haue been had XLII. H. M. COMMISS FOR N. ENGLAND TO THE Gov2 & COUNCIL OF THE MASSACHUSETTS. GENTLEMEN Although we were credibly informed before your ties Generall Court sate in September last, and by divers circumstances were alarmn'd that the Significacon of his maties pleasure to your selves, under his Maties Signe manuall, & subscribed by S William Morice principall Secretary of State, would not meet with a full complyance in your Generall Court: Yet wee gave very litle credit to reports so derogatory to your dutifull Submission to his Maties commands: and haveing seene the copy of an humble addresse to your Generall Court, under the hands of many considerable persons, eminent for loyalty, and estates within your Jurisdiction, wherein the Peticôners did with a modest importunity, offer to their Representatives, their deep sense of the calamities, which may ensue, if his Mas just displeasure should be kindled against the disobedient. Wee were full of hopes that the Generall Court would have given his Mati due satisfaction to his commandes, & particular thankes to those Gentlemen the petitioners; But being fully informed, that yo' resolucōns are neither to send M: Richard Bellingham your present Governo', with Major Hawthorne, who are expresly required upon their allegiance to attend his Matie nor to make your choice of two, or three other persons, as his Mate is pleased to direct you: and further that you have not only discountenanced, but laid heavie charges against those loyall, & dutyfull petitioners, We conceive ourselves, at last, highly obliged (as Commissioners from his Mate) solemnly to manifest, declare, and protest, in the name, & behalf of his Matie 1. ffirst, That his Maties significacōn of his pleasure to his Colony of the Massachusets, is an originall signed by his Matic Subsigned by S Wm Morice Principall Secretary of State, which ought to be received for authentick in all his Maties dominions; & is so entertained in all the other his Maties Colonies in New-England, to their joy, & satisfaction, though with some blot upon record in your Scutcheon. 2. Secondly, That, his Mate will be justly displeased with your resolution against sending the persons nominated in the Signification, with such others as you are |