I cannot but take everie occasion of writing so that you will have manie letters by the same ship from mee, in so much as (I feare) my letters may bee burthensome unto you. But I had rather exceede in all expressions of loving remembrance of you, then fall short, and rather chuse to venture to bee blamed for the excesse, then to have you and my owne hart chide mee for the least defect. I writ unto you in several letters by mr. Peirce of my poore desires and endeavours for your supplies several 338wayes. That of Virginia is like to hold, and I hope you will have a good quantitie of Indian corne thence before May, the ship is to goe directly to Virginia about the midst of Januarie, and whereas I hoped to have had the same ship to have gone by Ireland and taken in 4 or 500 quarters of Irish corne, and so to have delivered that outward bound unto you, and after to have proceeded in the Virginia designe; I was not able, by all the meanes I could use, to get so manie to venture, as would make up this vessel a fraite of 60 or 70 tun. mr. Craddocke indeede would have stucke by mee, and (I thinke) sent and lent 20 tun to the plantation, besides him not a man (no not to save your lives and the life of the worke in you) would doe anie thing to purpose. Oh my good brother there is no depending upon men, no not those who professe themselves and wee take to bee most our freindes. For if a freind loveth at all times and a brother is borne for the day of adversitie,2 then surely among men wee have few true freindes, or else, some times the dutie of love is to bee dispenced withall (at least in the fruites thereof) or else this (wherein your lives could not but bee apprehended to lie at stake and more then that too) was not the day of adversitie. Oh it is a sweete and sure thing to have all our dependance upon the faithfulnes and kindnes of our loving, good and gracious God, but they that trust unto, or depend upon anie of the sonnes of men, they may come to the pits, but usuallie retourne ashamed.3 Yet that the lord may shew his faithfulnes in the unfaithfulnes of men, hee raiseth up stones, and maketh the barren to beare us fruits of his love, whereas they whose full breasts wee depend upon will let downe no dramme or drop of needed helpe proportionable to our necessities; or their engagements. I never saw so much of man, nor ever dreamed there was so little to bee had when so much might iustly bee expected, as now I find. The lord sanctifie our experience unto us, and teach us that wisedome that wee may neyther bee imbittered against them, nor cruel to ourselves in depending on them.

Mr. Craddocke is verie much affected with the report of an unkindnes wherein (by consent) hee heares you were all interessed, thus hee relates it. when you saw a necessitie of easing the plantation of manie eyther by sending them backe, or giving way unto them to dispose of themselves, consultation was had what was to bee done touching his servants, who were found to bee the worst, and complained of as the most burthensome of all the rest. To send manie of them backe was held to bee the best way, both for the plantations good, and his, but because there was expectation of the re­339tourne of his ships with provision and Cattle, mr. Sharpe advized that it were best to deferre this, till his ships retourned againe, least that (seeing his numbers to decrease so much, and his particular not to neede so large supplies) the plantation should loose the benefit of what helpe hee might affoord with a purpose of supplying his owne. So that this is his collection, in that this was hearkened unto, that you cared not what burthen you laide upon, or what iniurie you did unto him so that etc. If it were thus (as report gives this, as well as other thinges that will admit a like misconstruction to be worse) I feare least hereby wee should provoke not onely those whose edge is not aequallie dulde with other mens as yet, but the lord our god also who will not countenance anie uniust acts of his best servants. And trulie of all those that here are interested in the plantation there is none that retaines so lively affections unto you as himselfe, nor that is more likely, or more able to doe us real courtesies (especiallie with the state) then himselfe, and answerablie that being provoked is like to doe us more iniurie and hurt.

Mr. Goffe stoode a long while both in his owne and other mens repute in an ambiguous or rather desperate estate, but at length (by the favour and mercie of his creditours and god in them) obtaines hope of subsisting in his former calling; His debts from the plantation are transferd over to manie honest men, who (pittying his sufferings and observing how they reflected in the general acceptation upon the plantation) have promised to lend him so much monie as may set him in a way of trade againe. So that it will more then ordinarilie (not onely for iustice sake (which is the cheife) but for our owne sakes) concerne us, to take such a faire course with him, as unto the passionate expressions of his much distempered, and much to bee compassionated (though iustly to bee reproved) weakenesses of spirit, wee adde not the deeper-wounding taxations of divers of our godly freindes (who if anie are likely to be helpeful to us in future times concilio, auxilio, re), that are now interested in his cause. That which I labour to quiet him withall4 viz: mr. Goffe, and to satisfie and assure his freindes of is, that upon manifestation of the accounts as they trulie stand betweene him and anie of the plantation, such course will bee taken by giving him speedie yea immediate content thereon, (both for what was due and for the time since it was first due) as anie indiffirent men shall thinke reasonable. Now I beseech you take it so seriously to hart as wee may not staine that glorie which will bee a good defince against the stormie windes etc. as in Jobs case Samuels Jeremies and others. Though there bee a spirit in mee that (upon my sufferings from him more then anie) lusts otherwise, yet I dare not give 340way to it. I have parted with his house, and live now next Dr. Denisons5 by Kree Church, much adoe I have to carrie my selfe so towards him (being ever vindicating the plantation from his and other mens charges) as to keepe anie faire quarter. I will not trouble you to relate such shrewde collections as hee gathereth from seeing how much adoe your freindes and agents here have to supply your present necessities; what (saith hee) should I have done or would they (meaning the plantation) if more cattle had come alive, or I had gone on with my Irish voiage; he saith, they seeke evasions, not so much because hee hath not performed his part, as because they are not able to make good theirs. Otherwhiles hee will speake, and hope all good of and from the plantation but I wish there may not bee anie occasion given from whence hee or anie may blemish our godly purposes.

The Spanish peace is concluded and proclaimed as I intimated (now I remember it) in my last weekes letter. The Bishop of London6 hath silenced manie godly men of late, this last Monday mr. Archer7 is by him silenced for all England, the cause is taken from his iudgment declared in a Sermon (which I thinke you heard) that wee ought not to bow our knee at the name Jesus. The least good newes from you, is like to bring enough unto you, both men and monie; for the present wee have resolved (taking that Councel from necessitie) to leave the sollicitation of our common stocke, mr. Downing conceaving that everie pennie now (as it were by begging) received may hinder us it may bee pounds afterwards, which (when thinges are thriving) men will helpe on, though they will not helpe up when they are under foote. Cum fueris falix etc. nullus ad etc.8 Dr. Ames as great a blessing and blessing bringer (if his remove bee clearely warrantable) as wee could desire, continues his hartie affection to us. I received and sent last weeke that by which you will know ex ungue leonem. My dearest love unto you and mr. Governor with all the lovers of the Lord Jesus with you. Salute I pray you all the brethren especially mr. Dudlie mr. Nowel mr.  341Coddington mr. Broadestreete theirs and the rest of our godly freindes from your loving and deeply engaged brother