Yours of the 29 of June, the 4 of August, and the 24 of 8ber I haue received this yeare, and paide all your bills except mr. Harts who is dead, and his executours haue not yet demaunded the monie. mr. Lucy who imployed mr. Hart sent to me for the monie. my answeare was that if mr. Lucy would give me his bond to dischardge you from Harts executours I would 370then pay yt to him. the messenger said, I should haue yt, but I never heard more of him; I haue hereinclosed sent your account, whereas you write that you entend to sell of my oxen and some other male catle, I pray sell what you please and pay your selfe for my childrens being with you;

My Ant Branch is lately dead.

I hartilye thank you for your lardge Information of the state of the plantation; I was thother day with Secretarie Coke who told me that there hath not ben a word of your plantacion at Councell board these manie moneths past;

the 4th of 9ber last at night here was great thunder and lightning with soe terrible a storme that manie steeples and Churches were beaten downe and verie manie howses and trees blowne vp by the rootes, in divers parts of this kingdome;

The Archbishops officers are now in visitation in Essex, on Friday last they began at Brentwood, where yt was declared to the ministers that eurie on must reade the Kings declaration concerning the Saboth days recreations, or, at the moneths end, be deprived.

The Lord Maior sent his officers to most of the cheife familyes of the Citty to give them warning to kepe the Fasts, Lent Ember weeks, and the vigills;

I was at mr. Rogers of Dedham his funerall, where there were more people than 3 such Churches could hold; the gallery was soe over loaden with people that yt sunck and crackt and in the midle where yt was Joynted the tymbers gaped and parted on from an other soe that there was a great Cry in the Church; they vnder the gallery fearing to be smothered, those that were vpon yt hasted of, some one way some an other and some leaped downe among the people into the Church; those in the body of the Church seing the tymbers gape were sore afrighted, but yt pleased God to honour that good man departed with a miracle at his death, for the gallerie stood and the people went on againe, though not so manie as before; had yt fain as blackfryars did vnder the popishe assembly, yt would haue ben a great wound to our religion. Our freinds in Suffolke Essex and London are all in health.

The name of a Colledge in your plantation would much advantadge yt considering the present distast against our vniversityes. you need not stay till you haue Colledges to lodge schollars, for if you could but make a Combination of some few able men, ministers, or others to read certeyne lectures, and that yt were knowne here amongst honest men, you would soone haue students, hence, and Incouradgement to proceed further therein; what great burthen would yt be to a Minister for the present (till you haue meanes and be better supplyed with schollars) once a week for a moneth in eurie quarter to reade a logick, greke or hebrew lecture or the like.

thus with my love to your selfe my sister and all yours etc. of my freinds in the plantation, with my dayly prayers for you and yours with the prosperity of the wholl plantation I rest your assured loving brother