I am very glad to heare of your health and welfare and well likinge of the plantation; Though the tyme be soe busie with me, and that I had but a very shorte warninge of this shipps suddaine goeinge yet I chose rather to write a little, then not at all, and being tired out in writinge to your father, I was glad to haue helpe to write vnto you.2

I thanke you for your advice about my cattell. I cannot here prouide such seruants as I would of a sodaine therefore for the present I haue agreed with Mr. Dillingham to take my Cattell and keepe them winter and sommer for the third of the increase, yet with this condition the bargaine is made, that vnlesse my brother Winthrop doe approue thereof, its not to stand; and for my swyne I was to haue of Mr. Allerton, being 4 Sowes, Mr. Dillingham will fetch them and put them out, to be kept for me, for halfs. concerning myne owne particular account with my brother Winthrop, I must needs referre it to my next writinge, for I haue bin all this sommer in the Contrie and came home but iust to the Terme and did not dreame of this sodaine going of this shipp, but made account to haue had tyme to consider thereof after this terme. But concerninge my brother Winthrop’s monies receiued by me, I haue here inclosed sent you the true accompt, of the last 700li paid by Mr. Warren I directed my brother Kirby to receiue 500li because of his better leisure then myne, for the paying out of the same, accordinge to your occasions, which you may perceiue by the accompt, for a good parte of it is made by him, the rest is laid out by my selfe.

As concerninge Mr. Goffe he refuseth to receiue his monie according to my brothers last direccions, sayeing there is much more due vnto him. I praye send me ouer this acquittance signed and sealed by your father and your selfe with whome I am in parte agreed. For my sonne James I am sorrye to see 92that he writes a worse hand and more nonsence, in his last letters, then in the letters I receiued a yeare since I doubt there is noe hope of his attaininge to any learning therefore if he hath a mind to husbandry, or may be fitt to truck and playe the marchant, and his likinge stand there vnto, I would gladly knowe it, that accordingly he might spend his tyme therein, for I thinke the tyme lost that he goes to schoole, and therefore take him from schoole, and let my brother Winthrop ymploye him as his seruant as he shall thinke fitt. I sent my brother Winthrop a letter written at the Hage from the germane lately come from you3 by Mr. Humfreys conveyance. I sent my brother Winthrop a staffe with a rapier in it, and a pistoll you left behind by Mr. Winslowe.

The Plymouth trucking howse that was robbed was done not by the French but by some English theire names I knowe not;4 Concerninge the keepinge of your cattell in the winter, I suppose, had you vnderwoods as we haue in England, you should need howse none but such as you would vse about your house for milke.

I haue written to my brother Gostlyn to prouide you men and maid seruants against the springe. My brother Gostlin I suppose cannot come ouer this yeare, neither is his wife willinge vntill he hath prouided a stock of cattell.

The cloth you desire from him will not be sent vntill the springe, neither could it be made ready against this shipps going for we had scarce a weeks warninge of it.

For Newes? Sergeant Finch Recorder of London is dead and mr. Littleton in his place; Judge Haruie and Judge Whitlock are dead, and Sir Robert Bartlet and Sergeant Crawley in theire places. Sir Thomas Wentworth the president of yorke is going Deputie into Ireland where Sir Franc: Angier is lately dead, and one Mr. Ratcliff of Grayes Inn a kinsman of the Deputy is named to be Master of the Roles there; my father in Lawe Sir James Ware5 is lately dead. We haue had here a very vnseasonable cold summer, soe that the corne in the north parts did hardly ripen this yeare; about whitsontide last there was many sore Stormes, whereby many sheepe and lambes were killed. the Staffordsheire men doe very much complaine of the vsuall burninge heath growing and not cut downe in theire contrie, alledginge that it is the cause of much Raine amongst them; and if there come a parliament they intend to preferre a bill to preuent the burninge of theire contrie in that kinde.

I haue sent you some bookes of newes. I would haue sent you more but 93that by direction from the Lords, the printers were restrayned from printinge any more.

In the lowe Contries there is great hope that the states of Holland wilbe lords ouer the 17 Prouinces very shortly for diuerse Lords and Townes haue revolted from the Kinge of Spaine and joyned themselues to the States. For the Kinge of Spaine will not be able to maintaine his warre there; being depriued of his wonted passages through Germany and France.

The Kinge of Spaine, as is generally beleiued stands nowe at a lower ebb then when Queen Elizabeth dyed. his necessities hath put him vpon strainge exegents for monie. the Spanish Inquisicion hath seised vpon many rich men, and burnt them for Heritiques whereby theire Kinge hath gott all theire estate. the Kinge hath alsoe seised vpon the treasure and plate of diuerse manasteries in Spaine to support him in his warrs.

The Kinge of Sweden goes on very prosperously and carries all before him in Germany. there is newes lately come that he hath ouer throwne the duke of Fridland the Emperours Generall, which if it be true, he will make a shorte worke of the warrs in Germany.

You haue a litle bird in your contrie that makes a humminge noyse, a little bigger then a bee. I pray send me one of them ouer perfect in his fethers in a little box.

I praye excuse me for not writinge to my Cosen Dudly and thanke him for his kind letter. remember my loue to his father and mother himselfe and his wife my cosen Feaks and his wife, Mr. Pincheon, Mr. Wells, Mr. Wilson and theire wiues, and I pray tell James Downing that he writt such a scriblinge nonsence letter, that I am ashamed to answere it. Thus with my harty loue to your selfe and your good wife, I take leaue and rest Your very louinge vncle