Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 2

Henry Jacie to John Winthrop1

Jacie, Henry Winthrop, John

1629-05-05

To the Right Worshipfull Mr. Winthrop in London these be dd.

Worthy Sir,

Mr. Gurdon2 riding towards Dedham this morning (not to return this day) cald at the house of our honest Neighbour goodman 88Kingsbury:3 and there perceiving how ill he was being in bed then, he wished them there to send for me to come thither to see, and here how it was with him, that I might write to your Worship to certify you thereof; for he had writ to you, but knew not so well how this party was.

Now these are therfore to enforme your Worship, according to his and his wives Relation to me (of whose Trueth I dare not doubt:) that he is in great weakenes, and more within this fortnight then of late, in so much that One Physition tels him he is in danger of his life, another saith he is so dangerously sick that he dare not advice him to purge, it would kill him, nor to let him blood he is so weak, and that he is in danger of a Consumption, the state of his body being changed to worse. So that now he is not able to go about his ordinary work; He endeavoured of late to have done somwhat, easily, but hath been the worse ever since, so that he hath been glad to keep his bed til noon or therabout every day this sennight: Altogether unable to travell.

Whereas he had a warrant of your Worship to attach the Bodies of his Assaulters to appear at the Assize, One that was the Constables Deputy (as he said) left word at his house as from Sir Robert,4 that they were brought before him, and he had bound one of them over to the Sessions. Now he fearing least things should not be rightly caried, (being not able to go thither, if he live so long,) desires your Worships direction what course might be thought best to be taken, and your furtherance therin, for having the cause brought to the Size, if it may be, and you think good.

As for himselfe he is nowayes able to go to London for My Lords assistance to take his oath etc. But if need be his Brother would be willing to go for him. I need not use any Motives to One that so knows the Cause, and whose heart the Lord hath sett, for him, and his, and to be with the Lord to help against the mighty.

The Lord enable your Worship still to proceed in so doing: Yea while you are for him, he will be for you, he wil not leave you nor forsake you. To whose Grace which is sufficient I desire humbly to commend you, and so I take my leave, resting Your Worships to be commaunded in him

Henrie Jacie. From his house in Asington May 5 1629.

Since the writing of the rest, Mr. Brampton Gurdon5 newly returned from Dedham, from his father further certifies me that it is his mind I should write to your Worship in behalfe of this our neighbour: but now I perceive not that himselfe hath written to you: wherby I fear least they mistook part of his words. But I know he purposed to certify you of it, to further the procurement of the Lord Cheef Justice's6 help, to bring the matter to the Assizes, notwithstanding his binding over to the Sessions,7 which his Worship thought might possibly be procured by the coming up of this our neighbours brother for him, if himself were not able, if you sent down word accordingly, that he may be directed what to do. May it please you therfore, to write down to Mr. Gurdon about it.

W. Au. 49; 4 Collections , VI. 452–54. Henry Jacie (1601–63), Puritan divine, commenced M. A., Cambridge, 1626; vicar of Aughton, co. York, 1633; ejected in 1634 “for not using the ceremonies.” He became chaplain to Sir Matthew Boynton of Barmston, and for a time thought of emigrating to New England (see 4 Collections , VI. 460). In 1637 he undertook the pastoral charge of the oldest Independent congregation in England, gathered in Southwark by Henry Jacob in 1616 and after his removal to Virginia ministered to by John Lathrop, who, in turn, emigrated to Plymouth Colony in 1634. About 1645 Jacie became a Baptist and from that time to 1660 preached at St. George's, Southwark. Many of his writings have appeared in print. He was much interested in calendars and in that class of events which Increase Mather termed “remarkables”; while so intimate was his knowledge of the Scriptures that he was termed “a living concordance.” “The original languages of the Old and New Testament were as familiar to him as his mother tongue.” Several of his letters have been printed in 3 Collections , I, 4 Collections , VI, and 1 Proceedings , XVII, and will appear in succeeding volumes of this series. D. N. B. ; Thomas Crosby, History of the English Baptists (London, 1738–40), I. 307–323; Daniel Neal, History of the Puritans, new ed. by Joshua Toulmin (London, 1793–97), IV. frontispiece (portrait), 410–413; 2 Collections , I. 165.

Brampton Gurdon of Assington, high sheriff of Suffolk in 1628 and long associated with Winthrop as a county magistrate. Jacie was a chaplain in his family at the time this letter was written. Muskett, 286, 287, 288; and passages in Vol. I.

This may be the “H. Kingsburie” mentioned by Jacie in a letter to John Winthrop, Jr., of January, 1634–35, as desiring certain devotional treatises. 1 Proceedings , XVIII. 300 (1881). Robert Charles Winthrop, Jr., suggests that Henry Kingsbury, who came over with Governor Winthrop in 1630 and was long in his service, was probably son or nephew of this “goodman Kingsbury.” Ibid., XXXIII. 60 (1899).

Sir Robert Crane, several times mentioned in Vol. I.

Son of Brampton Gurdon, the elder, by his second wife, Muriel (Sedley). He was colonel of the Suffolk Horse during the Civil War, and represented Sudbury in the Long Parliament after the death of Sir Robert Crane. The death of his half-brother of the same name, son of Brampton and Elizabeth (Barrett) Gurdon, is recorded in Vol. I. 260.

Sir Nicholas Hyde.

At this point “HK his marke” is written in the margin.

John Winthrop to Margaret Winthrop1

Winthrop, John Winthrop, Margaret

1629-05-08

The largnesse and trueth of my loue to thee makes me allwayes mindfull of thy wellfare, and settes me on to worke to beginne to write, before I heare from thee: the verye thought of thee affordes me many a kynde refreshinge, what will then the enioyinge of thy sweet societye, which I prize aboue all worldly comfortes?

Yet such is the folye and miserye of man, as he is easylye brought to 90contemne the true good he enioyes, and to neglect the best thinges which he holdes onely in hope, and bothe vpon an vngrounded desire of some seeminge good which he promiseth to himselfe: and if it be thus with vs, that are Christians, who haue a sure worde to directe vs, and the holy Faith to liue by, what is the madnesse and bondage of those who are out of Christ? O: the riches of Christ! O: the sweetnesse of the worde of Grace! it rauisheth my soule in the thought heerof, so as when I apprehende but a glimpse of the dignitye and felicitye of a Christian, I can hardly perswade my heart, to hope for so great happynesse: let men talke what they will of riches, honors pleasures etc.; let vs haue Christ crucified, and let them take all besides: for indeed, he who hath Christ hath all thinges with him, for he enioyeth an allsufficiencie which makes him abundantly riche in pouertye, honorable in the lowest abasementes, full of ioye and consolation in the sharpest Afflictions, liuinge in death, and possessinge aeternitye in this vale of miserye: therefore blesse we God, for his free and infinite mercye, in bestowinge Christ vpon vs: let vs entertaine and loue him with our whole heartes: let vs trust in him, and cleaue to him, with denyall of our selues, and all thinges besides, and account our portion the best in the world: that so beinge strengthned and comforted in his loue, we may putt forth our selues, to improue our life and meanes, to doe him seruice: there are very fewe howers lefte of this daye of our labour, then comes the night, when we shall take our rest, in the morninge we shall awake vnto glorye and immortalitye, when we shall haue no more worke to doe, no more paines or greife to endure, no more care, feare, want, reproach, or infirmitye; no more sinne, corruption or temptation.

I am forced to patch vp my lettres, heer a peece and there another. I haue now receiued thine, the kyndly fruites of thy most sweet Affection. Blessed be the Lorde for the wellfare of thy selfe and all our familye. I receiued lettres from my 2: sonnes2 with thee, remember my loue and blessinge to them, and to my daughter Winthrop 3 for whose safetye I giue the Lord thankes: I haue so many lettres to write as I cannot write to them now: our freindes heer are in reasonable health, and desire to be kindly remembered to you all. Commende me to all my good freindes, my louinge neighbours goodman Cole and his wife, to whom we are allwayes much behouldinge. I will remember Mary her gowne and petticoate, and the childrens girdles. So with my most affectionate desires of thy wellfare, and my blessinge to all our children, I kisse my sweet wife, and comende thee and 91all ours to the gratious protection of our heauenly father, and rest Thy faithfull husbande still present with thee in his most vnkinde absence

Jo: Winthrop. May 8 1629.

I am sorye for my neighbour Bluetes horse, but he shall loose nothinge by him. tell my sonne Hen: I will pay the mony he writes of.

W. 7 A. 27; Savage (1825), I. 357–358; (1853), I. 429–430; L. and L. , I. 293–294; Twichell, Puritan Love-Letters , 100–103. The salutation and beginning of this letter are missing.

Henry and Forth.

Elizabeth (Fones) Winthrop.