Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3

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Priscilla Paynter to John Winthrop, Jr.

March 1635

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Sir John Clotworthy to John Winthrop, Jr.

6 March 1635

Sir John Clotworthy to John Winthrop, Jr.1

Clotworthy, John Winthrop, John, Jr.

1635-03-06

My deare freinde,

Herinclosed I send you a casement through which I thinke you may much more securely impart your minde then any other way; you will finde at euery corner of the paper a little noch of this length ——, you must cause those noches to bee iust putt on those due places on the letter I haue written; and then you may reade my secrett minde;2 the rest being 190

[PWF03fd2] 191 couered; soe when you doe write, gett paper somwhatt larger then your casement, and pinn the casement to the paper, then make your corner marks; soe shall I be able to reade itt iust as you write; I had written in the way wee agreed on, butt I fownd itt, in my iudgment, more tedious, and less secrett; you may carry your casment allwayes aboutt you in a paper booke, don vpp in an other sheete of paper, to keepe itt from breaking. I thought meete to tell you, that som off our freinds where I last saw you thinke fitter to send there ——in a ——of ther owne then trouble you; they hauing noe partners before; butt I presume to cast my selfe on your favoure; and hope allsoe you will pardon mee; I long to heare from you; and hope very shortly to be satisfied; Mr. Allen the bearer hearoff will healpe to send your Lettre to mee very safely; allsoe one Mr. Burnett a mercer at the Golden Fleece, in Lumbert-Streete, as I remember hee dwells there; he sends vsually letters to the Primate; lett yours to mee bee inclosed in a backett to his Lordship and then allsoe they will bee safely conveyed to mee; whatt other conueniencie you meet with, lay hold on; and your Lettres will bee as heartily welcom as they are earnestly expected, by your affectionate freind and seruant

Jo: De-gleba-digna Ca. March 6, 1634/35

I pray present my seruis to mr. Hall I thanke you vnfeignedly for vsing my horse, butt I take itt vnkindly (if I could doe soe, any thing that you doe) that you made not vse of the other allsoe for Mr. Hall; I pray send my coate hatt etc. by the fyrst.

W. 12. 9.

The “casement” used by Clotworthy and Winthrop is a sheet of paper 7½ inches by 11 3/8 inches, with rectangular slits of varying lengths cut in such a way that when the “casement” is superimposed on the letter, only those words constituting the message can be read through the openings. The results obtained by the use of this device can be seen from the illustration facing this page.