A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

180
William Ames to John Winthrop1
Ames, William Winthrop, John

1629-12-29

To my honorable Friend, Mr. John Wintrop, with his associates for new England.
Honorable Sirs,

My dayly prayers unto God, shall bee for the good successe of the buisines yow have undertaken. And for my self, I longe to bee with yow, though I doe not see how I should satisfie the opinion and exspectation which yow have conceyved of mee.

I purpose therfor (God willing, and sending no hinderance beside what I yet know of) to come into England in sommer, and (upon the news of your safe arrivall, with good hope of prosperitie) to take the first convenient occasion of following after yow. Concerning the directions yow mention, I have nothing to write: as being ignorant of special difficulties; and supposing the general care of safetie, libertie, unitie, with puritie, to bee in all your mindes and desires. If upon further information, any thing come in my minde, I shall bee ready to communicate the same with yow.

Thus with presentation of all offices in my power, I rest Yours, W. Ames. Franek. Dec. 29. 1629
1.

W. 2. 185; 4 Collections , VI. 576–577. The writer was the Reverend William Ames, at this time professor of theology and rector of the University of Franeker in the Netherlands. He died at Rotterdam in 1633. His widow—not Priscilla Fones's sister, but his second wife, Joan (Fletcher)—came to New England in 1637 with her three children, one of whom, William, graduated from Harvard College in 1645. See Vol. I. 96, note 20 97, note 9 , and Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, XIV. 63–66; XXV. 59–83.