and my very good, and loveinge freind in the Lo: whome I blesse for my acquaintance with you; if it had bin his good pleasure, I would that had bin continued without any commerce, soe should love have bin continued without any breache therof.

The 21th of this instant of May 1 Received a lettre from you, which hath relation to a lettre sent to your woorship by mr. Featherstoans handes at his request, which I was loath to deny him, beinge soe likely to be my landlord if therby I have done him a kindnesse and your woorship the least wronge I am sorry for it. It was far from my intent: For I conceived that that at that season could doe noe hurt because longe before he had your price of it. I am sorry for that you take it vnkindly: but much more that you once conceipt that I have done you the least wronge but most of all that I have done you 200 li. worth of wronge in the sale of Stewardes, surely if I were conscious to my self that euer I had done any man 5 li. worth of wronge to further my self I li. I should think the worse of my self soe longe as I live, much more my lovinge, and respected freind above any beinge that I know to further a meere stranger, and one so farre as I know or yet can heare from whome more may come then I expecte. I pray (Sir) weighe in the equall ballance of your iudgment what I shall write and I hope I shall make a sufficient apologie for my self. Sir the greatest complaynt that euer I made agaynst your woorship was in the lettre you excepte agaynst: I must needes say I thought you had greater respecte to him then to me: seeinge he dwelt vnder you but 2 yeares, and I 12 that he (which had deserved as litle at your handes as I) should Receive that in 2 which I could not in 12 or above. give me leave sir to answer in love as you obiecte in love, for which I most heartily thank you as allso for your redynes to doe me good and I assure you (sir) I shall be allwayes willinge 397to lay my handes vnder your or any of yours feete to doe you good, and them allso: but your self sayth we must follow the old, and good Rule Charity must begin at home. Sir I pray pardon me you mistake your mansion howse when I entred was not in repayre it rayned in in many places from the peeke end of the greene chamber many Tyles were blowen of, it rayned in in the backhowse, the seller then stood with water, all which I mended presently after my comminge, and certeyne glazeinge I did which cost me at one tyme full xx s.: further the stable wanted ground selleinge the barne, and outhowses thatchinge. I doe not see but a matter of iij li. vi s. viij d. will make all the howses in as good case as when I entered. mr. Fetherstoane takes notice of euery small matter not soe much but of the sealinge in the chambers, and the bowinge of the sparres in the backhowse roofe theise thinges were thus before my enterance, and for the sealinge of the green chamber I mended it once since I came, but agayne it is fallen downe for my promise duringe my beinge in it I was carefull to keepe the howse and howses in good repayre and I dare say when I left it xx s. would have performed my promise. Sir it is true I put in mr. Welles and as I thought for your woorship benefitte because you should have your full rent for it, as you valewed it to me: For I could get noe man else to take it soe, and for the first yeare as you know you would not releasse me I thank god that is paid, Sir I doe not fynd fault with you for abateinge mr. Welles his 2 yeares quit rent for it were a fault in me, if because your eye is good myne should be evill, but the reason why I spoke of it I have mentioned above. the reasons of your abatement to him and not to me I cannot remember, for first I might take it at myne owne price, and yet ouer take it: for it was the first howse and land that euer I toke I have paid well for my experience. I am sure sir I toke it at the price you rated it to me at, and I doe not beleeve that any man would euer have given more. I neuer heard that euer it was let for more. I told you within a yeare of my beinge in it, that it was too deare by the quit rent, and I remember the answer very well you gave me which I omit, if any man would have given but xx d. a yeare more for it, I would he had had it. for I will not bragge of my gettinges. 2 though I plowed the land much there was as good reason it should be in heart still by reason of the cost and manure I bestowed vppon it. when I left it it was not driven soe lowe but I could have made good vse of it with manuringe as I was constrayned to doe from the first, your selfe before I entered, had plowed vp the 2 best feildes it was all the good mr. Welles did to the land by lettinge it wast and yet he plowed within 20 acres as much as euer I plowed, accordinge to the proportion I would I had had the like 398abatement conditionally that I had neuer plowed 1 foot of it you think he spared wood because he lopped but litle, the first yeare he was well provided by my loppinge, and my tubbes staves for which I would not have taken 20 s. fetched out of the backhowse lofte spared a litle. the 2d yeare he lopped 2 better loppes then euer I did in the 12, and all the headge neare the howse saved him a loppinge and sir I think all the wast rent you haue soe farre as I know vnlesse it be that in Lavinders hand who is sufficient to pay it, I have bin instant with him for it he putes me of somtymes with ill wordes, and sometymes with good, and as I am told he gives forth to some that he cares not what you can doe for it is more then you could doe to make your owne bond. I have here inclosed sent you his bond seinge I cannot by all meanes I can vse perswade him to payment, if you please to send downe a warit he shalbe arrested speedily. Good (Sir) give me leave it was neyther the plowinge nor the want of the reparations, that caused you to loose neare 200 li. in the sale of your land but your owne withstandinge by perswasion your first markit and chapman and your ouer hasty condiscendinge to the 2d peradventure he that once could say it is thus and thus bad can now say it is thus and thus good marcheantes that can trade for gayne beyond the seas know how to trade at home. Admitt the howse wantes 50 li. worth of reparations, as he would have it the ground hath bin plowed. The howse is here still in soe good fashion that he cannot sample it as it is for 2 of his 100 li. the wood and Tymber is here still worth 100 li. if it be all taken of the land is here still which if it were good may be good agayne 35 li. rent per annum he may have for it if he will have more I hope God (if I live) will provide a howse for me. I am glad theise thinges be mentioned though I am sorry for the occasiones In myne owne conscience I have bin as carefull to further your profit in the sale of this land as possibly I could All that you can challenge me for is that I refused vppon their demand to continue it at above 35 li. per annum, and yet vppon mr. Featherstoanes vrging of me I told him for 2 yeares I would give him 40tie In regard I had other groundes neare it, but neyther then or now doe I think it worth more. vppon your good conceipt of it (if it pleased your woorship) you might have taken a leasse of it for 21 yeares at 40ty per annum, and soe advanced your sale and soe have let it to some sufficient man. Let any man winter it, and summer it, and hath noe other meanes to make his rent but his stocke vppon it and then let him tell me what it is worth At this presente I am offered a farme havinge some 240ty acres of land as good as this at 6 s. the acre I dare not take it. I must needes say the howse is worse. I am not at all greived that mr. Babington had it not: but I am 399sorry you had not his 700 li. for it. mr. Babington is noe more to me then an other man but in common curtesie, but I dare vndertake for all his runninge, and fallinge from his word if you had but pased vntill I had come to towne I would have soe prevayled with him that by this you should have had 700 li. in your purse for it: but as you say that which is past cannot be recalled. much good may it doe him that hath it he knowes he hath a good penniworth of it: For the stuffe I cannot soe suddeinly send a noate of it my wife beinge abroade your half yeares rent (God willinge) I will send vp about midsummer which I take to be the tyme appoynted. from Jo: Easte I have noe certeyne answere, and thus suddeynly I cannot speake with him. the last tyme I spake with him I told him I did expect you in the country about this tyme, and then he told me he would give you satisfaction. I have made bould thus with large writeinge to hinder your greater imploymentes by reading. I would Sir you did but know how much greived I am at your vnkind if not vniust challenge if it had bin myne owne land I could have done noe more to improve it then I have done I would I had dwelt out of it at this tyme for then should I not have bin thus hardly censured I am perswaded in my conscience without cause, if it shalbe iudged by any wise vnderstandinge men that I have done you the wronge you speake of eyther directly or indirectly if my whole estate will doe it, I will make satisfaction, and for my parte I will willingly referre it. In the meane tyme and for euer let love, I pray (Sir) continue and be renewed and soe longe as I live here or in any other place vouchsafe me soe much good will sometymes (specially when occasion serveth) to see me and lodge with me, of purpose I dare not be bold to request at any tyme you, and yours soe longe as I am able to keepe any hospitality, shalbe welcome vnto me And thus with my best love vnto you to Mrs. Wintrop mr. Jo: and all the rest of yours I euer rest your euer loving freind though you deeme the contrary