To my deare wife Mrs. Martha Winthrop deliver In Boston
My sweete and deare wife,
I doe much long to see the and inioy thy sweete company it would be a great comfort to me if I could but heare from the how thou doest in the meane time I pray for the that our gratious father would preserue the in body and soule and giue the the holy spirit of comfort: I prithe dere loue as thou louest me and desirest the health of the body yea and the comfort of the soul take heede of being malencoly for sathan taketh that as a special instrument to disturb the peace and quiet and comfort of the soule: but take al occations to be merry and resolue to be uery chereful prethe2 send the peices by william Sargeant and send Johns shirts for he wanteth them very much, and if it be the latter end of next weeke before he commeth then send your maide the Girle and Elzabeth Stratton, for the winter wilbe so neere now and the wether could that it wilbe tedious for them to come by water: but then send a hogshead of meale and a sacke of samp corne ready grond if he can bring them if not then a sacke of meale and make some more sackes and some for our vse and heere and send some bedding with them: if he cannot bring them then the weeke after next send them with John Gallop and speake to him before hand to come to bringe the maids and lade him with such things as you have ready my Chests, and such meale as I wrote to my father for as is ready, and all your Chests, and things you can spare also pray my father to send me a sow of lead by william Sergeant: so I commend you to the protection of God and rest thy loving husband
John Winthrop
Agawam Octob: 24, 1633
remember my duty to my father and mother and my love to all our freinds in hast farewell