I received your letter with the thinges you sente, I doe praise God for the continuance of your health and welfeare: For my selfe, my hande is soe ille, as I know not when I shall be able to travell. it hath pleased God to make it a sharpe affliction to me, I hope he will dispose it for my Goode and in his due time sende me deliverance. For your Iourney entended, seeinge you haue a resolution to goe to sea I know not wheare you should goe with such religious company and vnder such hope of blessinge, onely I am loth you should thinke of settlinge there, as yet, but to be goinge and comminge awhile and afterward to doe as god shall offer occasion. you may adventure somewhat in the plantacion at the present, and heereafter more, as God shall giue enlargment: if Mr. Featherstone will not deale I will looke no further, but your vncle Fones shall haue it, and the odde 50 poundes may be for your occasiones: Commend me hartily to all your Vncles and auntes. desire them to be mindfull of me in theare praieres, thank your Aunte Downinge for her kinde letter, tell her I see she now meanes to worke vpon the advantage in settinge me vpon the score for letters when I wante my hande to free my selfe: Put your vncle Downinge in minde againe of my chamber and tell him that this day My Brother Gostlinge and another shall goe about the businesse he did write of: tell him alsoe that Peter Alston is deade:2 commend me to Edward and desire him to get me out a privy seale against John Carver clarke, and Eliza: his wife at the sute of Mr. Atourney on the behalf of Thomas Foule:3 In the businesse conserninge your voiage I pray be advised by your vncle and other your worthy freindes who are experienced in these affaires: but aboue all seek direction and blessinge from God and soe beinge forsed to vse anothers penne, soe as I am not at that freedome to write as I would I ende, and with your Grandmothers and Mothers salutation, and blessinges vnto you, I commend you to the gracious providence, direction, and rich blessinge of the allmighty. Farewell. your lovinge Father

The sodaine goinge of your messenger, as alsoe my beinge my fathers Clerke to you makes me be more breefe then other wise I should be. you haue (I thanke you) bought the stuffe accordinge to my minde. I shall desire you to send me downe you sic a payre of Spurres. I haue bine very troublesome to you since I came to Groton but if any occasion shall be offered I shall shew my selfe noe lesse thankefull to you in any service which you shall at any time employ me in then I am or can be in verball compliments: I haue founde out as I thinke the booke you did write for which here I haue sent you: If any of the bookes that Mr. Sandes gaue me which you haue seene may doe you any pleasure you may send for them and vse them at your pleasure as your owne. Thus with my loue to you, desiringe Commendations to my Uncles and Auntes and love to my Cosens and to Edward Houes in haste I reste Your ever louinge Brother

My duty remembered vnto you, I am very sory to heare that your hand continueth so ill, but I hope, by godes providence, you shall finde helpe by those thinges I have sent you, which I receyved from a woman that is very scilfull, and much sought vnto for these thinges, she is sister to Mr. 387Waterhouse the linnen draper in Cheape side, by whose meanes, I was brought to her, she told me, if you were at London she made noe doubt but to cure it quicly, but because you cannot come vp she therefore gave me these plaisters to send to you, and said that if it were not Gangreend she would warrant them by godes helpe to doe you present good, the vse of them is as followeth Take the Yellow plaister, as much as will cover your sore finger all over to the next Ioynt below the sore, and on the rest of your finger whereon this plaister doth not ly, lay as much of the blake plaister as will cover it all over, this must be done twice a day morning, and evening till it beginneth to grow well, and then once a day. The other blacke plaister you must lay all over your hand, and that you must shift once in 2 or 3 dayes. You must not wash it nor lay any other thing to it. this will draw out the thorne if any be in and heale it both. she will take nothing for it, and therfore I doe the rather credit hir, for she doth it only for freindes etc. I pray therfore vse it, and leave of any other course of surgery. I wish you were here at london where she might dresse it her selfe for newes I cannot write so good as the last this bearer will fully satisfy you of all proceedinges, which every day alter and change sometyme like to be good, by and by crosse againe.

for my voyage to new England2 I doe not resolve (especially following my vncle Downinges advice) except I misse of the Straightes, but I will stay till you have sold the land though I misse of both, thus with my duty Remembred againe to your selfe with my grandmother and mother and my love to my brothers and sister and the rest of our freindes I commend you to godes protection and rest Your obedient son