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Appeales & proceeded to sumon the Gouerno & Company being Assembled in generall Court with some others in such wise as their writting expresseth to appeare before them that they might heare & determine such complaints as should be exhibbited against us,

1. And vpon the Question put to them by a Comittee (at their request) appointed by the Court to conferr wth them about these matters, first by what lawes they would proceed in Judgment they answered by the lawes of England

2ly. Secondly whither they would haue a Jury to passe on such cases as they tooke cognizance of, they answered no

Now hoño'd S the premises considered be pleased to give us leaue to propose first whither our Submission to such their Comands would haue rendered us to his Maj" fitt persons to be betrusted with the administration of Justice here for the punishment of Malefacto's, & maintenance of ciuil right, wherein the honour of God & his Majesty is so much concerned.

And whither such a submission be consisting with the priuiledges of Englishmen especially for a whole Colony of his Majestjes subjects, that haue purchased their libertjes, by planting his Majesty a Colony at so great a distance from all civil Nations, & at so deare a rate as wee haue done: As also the necessity we were put vpon (after their refusall of so many tenders as is aboue-recited, together with their manifest Interposing with the authority here in such wise as we haue done) to declare our non compljance with them in their proceedings, for the timely preventing of great danger that might haue acrewed therevpon & the mantenance of his Majestjes peace here, according to the constitution of our charter to all which we stand obliedged by our oathes to God to his Maj' & to his good Subjects of this colony.

Wee doubt not but his Majty will receaue full information by his aboue said commision" of the falsnes of many of the complaints & misreports made concerning vs as to the great diuicons of the people here & their

disaffectednes to the Gouernment according to our present constitution, that it is not groune to so great a heigth as represented to his Maje by the petition of Mr Samuell Mauericke, (& by his Majesty referred to the Honoble Comissioners of forreigne plantations the 5th of August 1663) boldly therein affirming that our diuissions were groune to such a heigth that we were ready to rise in Armes one against another, or remooue to the dutch or other places, and wee hope in the Issue our Innocency will further appeare touching those cases where of ou enemjes haue so greatly aspersed us to our Lord the King

S if to all your favo" yo' hono" will be pleased to Add this to pardon our boldnes in giving your hono" so great a trouble you will thereby the more obliege vs dayly to pray to God to fill your hon wth such guifts & graces of his holy spirit as may fitt & enable you to discharge the duty of so great a place & trust to wch he hath called you whilst you are here, that when you are to be no more he may take you to himself in Glory wch is the praje's of S

Your Honors most Humble Servants

RI BELLINGHAM GOV

In the name & by order of the generall
Court of y Massachusets.

Boston in New England, 31th of May 1665.

These For the Honorble Robert Boyle Esq' Gouerno of the Corporation for the proppogation of the Gospell amongst the Indians In New Eng land present

Endorsed" Colony of the Massachusetts to Mr Boyle, May 31. 1665."

[* The original petition was stolen out of the Secretary's Office in Whitehall by one Capt. John Scott and delivered to the magistrates at Boston. Letter of Colonel Nicolls in N. Y. Col. MSS: III. 136.]

XXVII.

THOMAS DEANE TO THE EARL OF CLARENDON.

MY LORD

Boston the 22th June 1665.

I was honoured with yours of the 16th March for which I most humbly returne your Lordsp my most hearty thankes, the enclosed I deliuered accordinge to

directions.

Yo! Lords Comaunds vppon me to giue a free relation of all that passes, putt me on a great Streight, beinge fearfull to incurr your Lordships displeasure either by silence, or writeinge what I vnderstand not, the truth is my Lord the transactions of his Majestys Comissio and the General Court of this Collony, were all priuate and wee Catch Nothing but by the Ecco, Exceptinge thus, The Comissio were pleased to Lay the Stresse of what followed on my case, which if it might haue been without disseruice to his Majesty I could haue wished had been otherwise and not the first Case as I acquainted them, but their Wisdome saw other caus and I submitted thereto, His Majestys Comissi went into the Genal Court and Summoned the Gouern' and Compie to appeare before them next morninge at the hous of Capt Breedons which Sumons insteed of beinge obayed occationed the publishinge of a Declaration by order of the Gen Court next morninge by sound of Trumpett in seuerall places of the towne, the Last whereof was vnder the window of Capt Breedons hous where the Comiss were then mett, vppon which the Comiss gaue vp, I doubt not but yo! Lordship hath seene the Courts Declaration, and there by will sufficiently see their Speritts. The next day after this Coll: Nicholls repaired to his Comaund at New Yorke the others since gone Eastward, vppon this after two days the Gen Court Comaunded me and Thomes Kellond (a merchant concerned with my selfe in

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the Seizure) to appeare and offerred a tryall before them to which my Answere was, that in regard we appealed to the Kings Comiss wee could not thinke it be came our Duty so well (since they pmitted not the Tryall to be before so equall Judges) to haue it tryed there. Therefore with seuerall other psons (who seeme to haue iust caus of Complaint) and were thus hindred from the iustice they expected to be done them) wee must wait with patience vntill his Majestys further pleasure be Knowne. It cannot but be troublesome to yo1 Lords! for me to giue my sence of thes people's disposition, you will better peeiue it in the Papers they Answere the Comiss with, and the requitall they haue made for his Majestys Royall grace and fauour towards them. Butt my Lord you may be assured and wilbe informed, his Majesty hath many Loyall Subjects here which I hope wilbe so considered, as not concerned in this Courts proceedings

MY LORD

I'me here for some yeares setled, and am obliged for my owne security as well as I can to temporize. If heareafter I may be made happy with your Comaunds you will conferr the greatest honour Imaginable vppon My Lord yo hono's most humble Seruant THO. DEANE. To the Right honoable Edward Earle of Clarendon Lord high Chanceller of England & one of his Majstys most honoua priuie Councle humbly present

Endorsed-"Tho' Deane from Boston (in America) to the L' Chan June 22

1665. R."

XXVIII.

SAMUEL MAVERICK TO THE EARL OF CLARENDON.

RIGHT HONOBLE

May it please your Lord by Capt Harrison I hope you have received two letters from me, one by the Capt

owne hands, the other from the hands of Mr John Breedon brother to Cap Breedon.

In one of which I gave your Lord! a breife accoumpt of what passed at the court of Election: what kinde of persons were chosen into office; who amongst the whole Court of Magistrates, & Deputies I conceive to be loyall, & honest: who otherwise: How that the Major part, not the wisest disowned his Majesties authority over them, & in effect proclaimed it by sound of trumpet, forbidding us to act any more (within their jurisdiction) on his Majesties Commission, to us granted.

In the other, I presumed to declare to your Lord? my opinion, how these people may most speedily, & with more safety to the innocent be reduced, As by seizing on some of their estates in England, I named a ship now in the King's service, belonging most part of her (if no fraudelent coveighances have been lately made) unto persons of this place, & none of his Majesties best subjects, her name the Society Christopher Clark Commander, untill shee was pressed into his Majesties service. An other way I propounded was the prohibiting of all trading with any of his Majties Colony's in America or into any part of Ewrope, without Certificat first had, & obteined from such as his Majte shall here authorize to give such Certificates, that they belong to such or such a Colony who are in obedience to his Majic or to such or such a person in any other Colony who are knowne to be loyall Subjects to his Majestie. A third way which I presumed to propound was, the keeping of two small vessells, on this coast, who may probably hinder all commerce with the Massachusets.

Since which time I have met with some able, & honest men, who are of opinion, that, the ordering of two, or three (of the most refractory persons) to be sent for England, will soone do the work. but there must be force to backe it, The fittest psons for p'sent to be sent for are Richard Bellingham Gou' Daniell Gookin, Will: Hathorne Rich: Waldron or Walden James Oliuer.

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