& waue any aduantage by my new Articles made in London. Since I was vnhapily engaged with these men, or knew the stratagems of merchants; which is about seauen years. I have payd them. betwixt 30. or forty thousand pounds reserving to my selfe but 200 a yeare, and I believe I can make it a peare that for most of their goods I have payd a hundred in the hundred aduance. Besydes. the Commodity I payd them in was in furrs. which as I am informed they haue many tymes doubled. by which yr Lo? may iudge they may well render any one insolvent as they terme it. I and my friends are really out vpon this Country. 5000 & they never a penny. except y° goods they receaue aduantage by. good my Lord: pardon this trouble I am forced to giue you and if I doe not proue every word I have writ to be true & all thiers falce, be pleasd my Lord not only to take away my Comission but punish me wth death. I am My ever honored Lord Your most humble & most obedient seruant Boston. August the 22th 1663. T. TEMPLE. XXII. SAMUEL MAVERICK TO THE EARL OF CLARENDON. RIGHT HONORABLE May it please yo" since I spoke with your Lordship, we haue received Intelligence from New England, of what daylie and ernest expectation there is (by the loyall ptie there) for the arrivall of his Maties Comissioners, who may free them, from the bondage, they haue so long lyen vnder, they also informe, that very littell or nothinge is pformed, of what was promised before you' Lord' by the Mesachusets agents last yeare, they also lett vs know that there are many hundreds this yeare arrived there from hence generally disaffected to his Matics Gouerm both civill and ecclesiasticall, And from the Manhatas we heare the dutch Gouerno hath sent for a supply of men and ammunition, and that they intend wth all expedition to build a fort on Niott poynt, wch who euer hath, will inioy, that braue riuer, and the rich trade there in: I therefore must humbly beseech your Lord to be pleased wth all conuenient speede to dispatch away the Comissioners. Collonell Griffith is goinge downe to Cornebury to kisse yo' hand, and to p'sent to yo" seuerall proposalls many of wch we humbly conceive will (being granted) proue vsefull, for the better settlement of those Collonyes, And to wayte on him there goes to psons wch I am well assured may (wth yo Lord approbation) be very vsefull. the one Cap' Jn Manninge who hath for many yeares beene a Commander vnder Maio' generall Morgan, who hath given him a large and ample Certificate, weh he will shew you, many more he might have had if desired, he is well knowne and beloued in New England, and will be fitt for any imploym* in the Militia. he is very desirous to goe, and hath wayted for this imployment aboue 18 monethes, The other pson is M Mathias Nicholes who hath beene bred a scholar, and a studient in Lincolnes Inne, and a good proficient as by many I haue beene informed, and had he had now tyme, he could haue brought Certificates from some sariants at law and other eminent psons) by what I haue heard and seene, I (most humbly Conceive he may be fitt for a secretary to the Comissioners, and I hope after your Lord hath had some discourse with him, approue of him so to be. My Lord I leaue all to your LordP Consideration, Craving pardon for my bouldnes, I shall euer Remayne S' your Lordp most humble seruant Septemb! 1th 1663. SAMUELL MAVERICKE. To the right honorable Edward Earle of Clarendon Lord high Chancellor of England these most humbly be p'sented. XXIII. JOHN WINTHROP TO THE EARL OF CLARENDON. RIGHT HONORABLE Vpon the happy arrivall of his Maiesties Comissioners I had the high favour of your Lordships letter: Duty and affection inforceth me humbly to acknowledge your lordships accumulate goodnesse to your servant, & this Colony of Coñecticut and all New-England: Your Lordships Comañds, for reception of the Honorable Comissioners, shalbe attended wth all imaginable indeavours, according to the capacity of this our wildernesse condition, and with all dutifull observance. I have been to waite vpon their hon" at their first coming to the West End of Long Iland, and continued that service, till, vpon the 28th of August last, I saw yo towne vpon the Manatos Iland reduced to the obedience of our Soveraigne Lord the Kinge, Wherby there is way made for the inlargment of his Maties Dominions, by filling yt vacant wildernesse, in tyme, wth plantatios of his Maties subiects, and we hope also it wilbe a meanes of y future peace, & good of these his Maties adioyning Colonies. I humbly beseech Your Lordship; be pleased still to favour these plantations, wth the continued extention of y goodnesse, wch hath appeared thus farre over this vast Ocean: And yt the Lord of Heaven would multiply your Lordships yeares, wih all abounding fœlicities, wilbe their continuall supplications, together w his, who is ever devoted to be, My Lord your Lordships most dutifull Humble Hartford in New-England Sept. 25, 1664. JOHN WINTHROP. For the Right Honorable Edward Earle of Clarendon Lord High Chancellor of England. XXIV. THE COURT OF NEW PLYMOUTH TO H. M. COMMISSIONERS. The Courts answear to the propositions made by his Majes ties commissioners. 1. To the first we consent; it having been the practice of this Court in the first place to insert in the oath of fidelity required of every houshoulder, To be truly loyall to our Souveraigne Lord the King, his heires and successors. As also to administer all acts of justice in his Majtle name. 2. To the second we also consent, it having been our constant practice to admit men of competent estates, & civil conversations, though of different judgements. yet being otherwise orthodox, to be freemen, and to haue liberty to chose, & be chosen officers both civil & military. 3. To the 3 We cannot but acknowledge it to be a high favour from God, & from our Souveraign, yt we may enjoy our consciences, in point of Gods worship, the mayn end of transplanting our selues into these remote corners of the earth; & should most heartily rejoyce, yt all our neighbours so qualifyed as in that proposition would adjoyn them selues to our societies, according to the order of the gospell for enjoyment of the sacraments to themselues & theirs. But if through different perswasions respecting church government, it cannot be obtained, we would not deny a liberty to any according to the proposition that are truly consciencious although differing from us, especially where his Majesty commands it, they maintaining an able preaching minister for the carrying on of publick Sabboth worship, wch we doubt not is his Majesties intent, & withdraw not from paying their due proportions of maintenance to such ministers as are orderly setled in the places where they liue, untill they have one of their own; & yt in such places as are capable of mayntaining the worship of God in 2 distinct congregations. Wee being greatly encouraged by his Maties gracious expressions in his letter to us, & your honors further assurance of his Royall purpose to continue our liberties, that where places, by reason of our paucity, & poverty are uncapable of two, it is not entended that such congregations as are already in being should be rooted out, but their liberties preserved, there being other places to accomodate men of different perswasions, in societies by themselues wh by our known experience tends most to the preservation of peace & charity 4. To the 4th we consent, y' all lawes & expressions in lawes derogatory to his Majesty, if any such be found amongst us, wh at present we are not conscious of, shalbe repealed, altered, & taken of the file. The league between the 4 colonies was not (with any intent y ever we heard of) to cast of our dependance upon England; A thing wh we utterly abhor intreating your honors to belieue us, for we speak as in the presence of God. The Court doth order Mr Constant Southworth Treasurer to present these to his Maj. commissioners at Boston withall convenient speed. By order of the Gen" court for the jurisdiction of New plimouth. NATHA. MORTON secret. New plymouth, May 4, 1665. Endorsed "The Court of New Plymouths answear to 4 propositions &c. 4 May, 1665." XXV. GOVERNOR BELLINGHAM TO THE EARL OF CLARENDON. RIGHT HONORABLE * May it please yo' Lordship this Court having had ye honor of perusing yor Lordships letter of March 15. 64. directed to the Governour & Council of this his *[Printed in Hutchinson's Mass. Vol. I. Appx. XVII.] |