Boston January 17th. 1753 Kind Sr.,

According to yr. desire, I apply'd to Mr. Brown1 for a Wheel, who took it hard that you should send Brass to buy one, expressing that you were welcome to 20 times as much. He hapned to be casting, & so he cast a Wheel of the dimensions desired & took the pains to mark the Number 50 on his Machine before he could cut it. He sends his Love & Service to you all, & wishes your Prosperity heartily.

Mr. Williams2 & myself had a tolerable Passage to Boston, Considering the prospect, tho' we were oblig'd to walk some part of the way. I arrived safe with My Dog Watch, alias Neptune, who on the next day being Sunday Accompanied me to meeting, to Mr. Cooper's,3 before I was aware, & attended very decently in the Pew, but coming out in the Croud he lost me, & I have seen Nothing of him since.

We are all well & I have but little Time to write but should be glad to hear from you Every Opportunity.

Greet all hands round in My Name And whenver you drink Phlip4 think of your Freind & humble Servant,

ROBERT-TREAT PAINE

I imagine the reason of my Dog's leaving me was, that Mr. Mather5 preacht & he was not willing &c.

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Richard Cranch Card Maker at German Town P favr. Mr. Misner"; endorsed.

1.

Gawen Brown.

2.

Jonathan Williams (1719–1796), a Boston merchant, and RTP had gone to Germantown by sleigh on Jan. 11. but on their return to Boston on Jan. 13 found the snow had largely melted, forcing them to walk much of the way.

3.

Samuel Cooper (1725–1783), second minister of the Brattle Street Church, a noted orator and Whig politician (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 11:192–213).

4.

Flip: "A mixture of beer and spirit sweetened with sugar and heated with a hot iron" (OED).

5.

Samuel Mather (1706–1785), the youngest son of the famous Cotton Mather, was for a long time minister of the Bennett Street Church, Boston. Although possessed of great learning, he was, judging from contemporary accounts, a remarkably dull speaker (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 7:216-238).