I haue been too longe silente to you, consideringe mine owne consciousnesse of that great debt, which I owe you for your loue and much kindnesse to me and mine: but I assure you, it is not through want of good will to you, but hauinge many lettres to write weekly, I take my ease, to include you in my brothers. I partake with you in that Affliction, which it pleaseth the Lorde still to exercise you and my good brother in: I knowe God hath so fitted and disposed your minde to beare troubles, as your freindes may take the lesse care for you in them, he shewes you more 78loue, in enablinge you to beare them comfortably, then you could apprehende in the freedome from them: Goe on cheerfully (my good sister) let experience add more confidence still to your patience: peace shall come, there wilbe a bedd to rest in, large and easy enough for you both, it is preparinge in the lodginge appointed for you in your fathers howse: he, that vouchsaffed to wipe the sweat from his disciples feet, will not disdaine to wipe the teares from those tender affectionate eyes: because you haue been one of his mourners, in the howse of tribulation, you shall drinke of the cupp of ioye, and be clothed with the garment of gladnesse in the kingdome of his glorye: the former thinges and euill will soone be passed, but the good to come shall neither ende nor change: neuer man sawe heauen, but would haue passed through hell to come at it. Let this suffice as a test of my true loue to you, and of the account I make of the happinesse of your condition: I commende you to his good grace, who is Allsufficient: and so with my mothers my wiues and mine owne salutation to your selfe and my good brother and all my cosins, I rest Your louinge brother

I did not write last week being so lame I could not feed my self with any hand nor stir out of my chamber and am still very weak so that though I have much to write I have litle ability of Body or Mind being overwhelmed with trobles and aflictiones on all sydes and Increased exceedingly by those from whom I have deserved better but Memo-ratio beneficiorum est exprobatio2 but yet thus far my desire to keep my Nephew your sonne3 from much expence and rioutous company made me for your sake most and in him as a member of yow to giue him entertaynment to lodge and diet in my howse when I had no small troble with him and such as he brought dayly so that yf he were within my howse was like 79an Inne and I lodged and dieted a man he entertayned a papist till iij dayes since perceaving him to have accese to a priest in newgate I durst give him no longer Intertaynment but will yow know the Issue and the requitall of my kindnes your sonne hath wooed and wonne my daughter Besse4 for a wyfe and they both pretend to have proceeded so far that there is no recalling of yt at least promise of Mariage and all without my knowledg or consent what grief this is to me I leaue yt to your consideracion being no fitt mach for ether of them. I will not multiply argumentes agaynst my Nephew being your sonne but his hart I see is much to bigg for his estates: he hath now made him a skarlet suit and cloke which is lined through with plush which I believe he owes for besydes what more so that I doubt the fiue pownd yow wrote me to deliver him had illegible and therfore I have yet done nothing but paid xx s. my daughter borrowed for him when I could come by no mony my wyfe being not within: for his other affayres I know no certainty of any thing but I think he will write and for publick busines my mind is so Laden with my own and I so bad a writer I cannot Informe yow only I desier yow to receaue my rent of Haxall and yf Gage retorne not mine to London of him likewise and let me heare your Judgment in the matter before written what wee shall do and now being very weary of wrighting and having not heard of yow this weeke I conclude with my harty loue remembred to yow and yours not forgetting my good Mother and shall remayne your Loving brother