Boston Novr. 27 1749 My dear Son,

My dear Son, I rec'd your Letter & very kindly Resent your Reluctancy at my going abroad by sea & humbly Hope that God in whom I trust will give us a hapy meeting again in the spring. My Case is this Health has been so wanting to me this summer & fall that I cant attend my Business & My own ship must go to sea in a short Time & my friends urge me to go in her as I shall there be the best accommodated for Room attendence & Reputation & shall be in my own Business & may doubtless make a great advantage of it if God shall give success. The Proposed voiage is to Maryland or Carolina And thence to the Westindies or Europe or wherever the Prospect appears best & to come home in the Spring. If my Courage dont fail me I shall sail very soon. And now my Son, I urgently recommend to you a Life of the most Carefull Piety & to be humble Minded & very Prayerful are the best tokens of it. Let those Texts be your Guide in all Cases Civil & Religious Ps.25.91 & Math.1.28.29.22 Let our Prayers Meet every Morning & Evning at the Throne of Grace. Your affectionate Father.

THOMAS PAINE

RC ; addressed: To Mr. Robert-Treat Paine Schoolmaster at Luningburg"; endorsed.

1.

The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

2.

Come unto me, all ye that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Nov. 28, 1749

Know all men by These Presents, That I Thomas Paine of Boston in New England merchant For and in Consideration of Five hundred Pounds old Tenor To me in hand paid by Mrs. Abigail Treat of sd. Boston Deceased, to be paid by me To her Grandchild Robert Treat Paine, my Son. I do by these Presents Sell, Convey, & Confirm unto him the said Robert Treat Paine all my Books,1 and such a part of my plate as he has in Pesession, to have and to hold to him the said Robert Treat Paine his heirs and assigns for ever. Witness my Hand and Seal Boston Novr. 28th. 1749.2

THOMAS PAINE 80 Sign'd Seal'd and Deliv'd In Presents of Barnabas Hedge3 James Freeman

MS ; endorsed: "Deed to Robert."

1.

Catalogues of the books owned by RTP are in the Paine Papers. See John D. Cushing, ed., "Catalogue Librorum: The Library of Thomas Paine of Boston (1694–1757)," in Proceedings of the Massachusetts Historical Society 100(1988):100–127.

2.

A similar deed to Abigail Paine Greenleaf and Eunice Paine on the same day gave them "my Negro Cato and all my houshold Stuff of one kind or other, Clothing Beds; and what Plate they each of them have in Posession to have and to hold ... in Equal halves ... Reserving Cato to me my life time." (RTP Papers).

These deeds were signed one day before Thomas Paine's intended departure on an extended voyage.

An unwitnessed deed, dated Mar. 9, 1748/9, divided into thirds all the property mentioned in these two separate deeds (see above).

3.

Barnabas Hedge (1705–1762) graduated from Harvard in 1724 and settled at Plymouth where he was a mariner (Sibley's Harvard Graduates, 7:356).