We receaued from London a letter from my worthy Sister your mother that came well to our hands, and another from your kinde selfe which was soe washed and the writing scoured oute that the greatest parte of it was soe white and cleane with the salte water (as I suppose) where the lynes had bene, as if it had not bene written vpon: but that some few lynes and endes of lines and words in some places appeared whereby we perceiued in parte that you wrote of your good health and your well beinge. It seemeth to come in that ship which was cast away (as we heare) and to beare date in October.2 Neither I nor my wife had time at present to write vnto you and your good mother and our beloued daughters as we desire but I hope shall shortely performe it. We are full of ioy to heare of your health and the goodnes of the Lord our gracious God towards you all, and the good successe of that hopefull plantation. I desire you to take notice of Mr. Cogan and Mr. Hill and Mr. Pinny our pious and louing neighbors and good friends that now come vnto you, and to shew them loue for our sakes. they haue bene kinde vnto vs, and they are worthy of respecte and welcome for theire religion and other good partes and abilityes, whereby you will find them I doubt not very industrious and profitable members of the plantation.

In my letter to your honoured Father is incloased one from a godly gentlewoman and a deere frinde of my wifes, concerning some goods of Captaine Levet her deceased husband due vnto her and her children. And boath my selfe and my wife doe earnestely intreate you to put him in minde therof in meete oportunityes solliciting him to call for Captayne Endicotte and Mr. Conant to examine them aboute it and to doe for her what he can to helpe her to her right. I doubte not but you may alsoe doe her good and further this busines; If you shall write vnto vs what is done herein we shall be very thankefull vnto you. The sooner it is gone aboute the more hope of findinge it out.

This letter commeth vnto you by James Woodyeates and his Wife who boath were sometime our seruantes. Elizabeth Webbe knoweth them well. they can informe you of our affayres. Sam: Fones and John Sherman are like 110to proue good schollers etc. You shall heare from us more hereafter God willinge. How glad should we be to see each others face once agayne in this life, if it might be the will of God. Pray for us, as we doe for you publikely and priuately. Remember our seruice to my worthy sister, and our dearest loue to my good daughters, your beloued and her sister Feake. litle know you how much your and theire louing lines doe glad the heartes of vs boath which are intirely affected towards you all. The Lord our God keepe your heartes vnto himselfe and prosper you, as your soules prosper, and grante you peace all the dayes of your life: and cease not to pray for Your louing father

Your lettres by mr. Allerton and mr. Pierse I receiued; as for the Cement I knowe none as yet worth sending the receipt vnto you. the lettre I receiued by mr. Pierse was so rinsed with sea water I had much adoe to reed it; I thanke you hartilie for them; and that in the midest of your greate ymployments you willbe pleased to remember your poore and vnworthie frind. Sir I am glad and exceedingly reioyce at your prosperitie, and the prosperitie of the whole Collonie, and that it hath pleased god (to shewe his pouer and mercie vpon you all, in a wonderfull manner, beyond the expectation of the great ons of this land) in deliueringe you not from a Spanish pouder plott, nor an accounted invincible Armado; but from a Spanish like French Infection,2 which was like to haue tainted the haylest and best man amongst you yea all of you, as may appeare by the writtings and lettres written with myne owne hand, and sent to your father my honored frind; In briefe I hope herein the Diuell hath vented all or most of his mallice against your state; Oh the goodnes of our Lord god that hath wrought such 111goodnes as you shall enioye, out of soe apparent evills as you had like to haue felt; but I leaue to comment vpon this subiect (though I could a longe tyme) leaueinge it for you whoe I knowe will not spare whole dayes and nights to meditate thereof. Sir I am the more sensible hereof, in regard I was a daylie and houerly auditor and spectation of all the passages, which hath caused me to take it into consideration; that your plantation hath need of some hartie and able frinds to back you vpon all occasions, which must remaine here; and haue frinds at Courte;3 I though not soe able as I could wish (if God sawe it good) yet as hartie as the best, consideringe mr. Humfries preparation for departure, and my masters desire and resolution to be with you, haue betaken my selfe now at last to the studie of the Lawes, and to that purpose haue admitted myselfe as a studient of Cliffords Inn by St. Dunstans Church in fleete streete, and am about to purchase a chamber there; not that I meane absolutely or presently to leaue my master but to enable my selfe to liue when he is gone, and to retire my selfe in the vacation tyme to my studie which shall euer tend to the vtmost of my poore abillitie to the good and welfare of your plantation and state.

I haue since heard, that some of your noble and best frinds desire, that you might haue a Councell here established of some choyce frinds; to stand and answere for you vpon all occasions It becomes you nowe to knowe your selues to be statesmen; and to studie state pollicie, which constists principally in Prevention of euills and inconveniencies; if it please you to pervse any bookes of that subiect, I shall endevour to fitt your turne; and send them by the next ship.4

I haue heard by mr. higinbothom and others that your ministers preach one against anothers doctrine; which I conceiue to be a great scandall to your societies, and if not reformed in tyme, may proue as fatall as the Congregations of Ainsworth and Johnson,5 which in theire owne dayes begann, flourisht, and came to nothinge; but I am perswaded better things of you; and hope your differences are but ceremoniall matters; I beseich you sir to excuse me if out of the aboundance of my hartie affections for your welfares, I transgresse the bounds of ordinary matter. You knowe God is a Jealous God; and desires integritie of harte; he is a spirit, and wilbe worshipt in spirit and 112truth; I would have you feare nothinge more then securitie, and carnall confidence; I meane the most parte of you.

I haue heard of many of your collony, that saye with the Pharasie Stana further off I am more holy then thou; Gardiners relation hath too much, but not all that I haue heard, they cannot be content to talke largely, but write6 to their vtter Ruine (if they take not heed) for tyme to come, for let them be assured, theire letters will come to light that write against our state ciuill or ecclesiasticall, and the Starchamber hath punishments for such lybellers, and a longe arme to reach them, and god will not defend them that resist the higher powers;7 Sir I verilie perswade my selfe you haue many of weake Judgments amongst you, on whome it were good your ministers took a little paines, that they might be rectified; I sawe lately a sentence of your owne writinge vizt Canis dum captat etc.8 which may not vnfitly be applyed to them, whoe medlinge with shadowes to them, other mens matters; nay state matters; loose theire substances; and sometymes drowne themselues irrecouerablie; As the Dog did; I haue not heard from Mr. Eustace9 the Germaine since he went hence. I feare much he is slayne in the last great Battell with the King of Sweden. I shewed him many kindnesses to win him to retorne but he said he would not retorne except he sawe a letter from the Gouernors owne hand, with promise of increase of his wages; I haue sent Mr. Samford the Instrument and sight ruler the Germaine bespoke for him; together with a booke to teach the vse thereof, namely Smyths Arte of Gunnery at folio 5810 there the same Instrument is to be seene; I haue likewise sent him Nortons Practise of Artillerie11 chosen by the german for him; and alsoe diuerse platformes of the latest invented forts and fortifications; for new bookes I writt to you of Dr. fludds works and sent you a cattalogue of them by Mr. Hetherley; there is a booke lately come out of mathematicall conclusion and recreations12 which I bought purposely for you but mr. Saltonstall hath borrowed it, and is now at mr. Gurdons to marrie mrs. Merriall;13 albeit I haue sent you two 113other bookes vizt. Malthus Fireworks,14 and the Horizantall Quadrant15 full of new devices; which I present to your kind acceptance; and because I knowe you are tam Marte quam Mercurio; I haue sent you a short weapon you make call it an Irish Skeyne or knife or what you will; together with a small sawe and steele hammer, and a bodkyn and a forke all in one Case.16 the vsefull applycation of each I leaue to your discretion.

Mr. Arkisden is at Mr. Gurdons he presents his seruice to you but hath written soe lately to you and being constrained to be very studious at this tyme he desires excuse; yet I haue made bold to send you here inclosed his last letter written to me that you may perceiue he is both well and thriues in his studies etc.

We keepe the strictest Lent that euer was; we haue not one bitt of flesh in the house as your cosen Mary Downing can informe you. I thought good to advertise you of a discourse I lately heard, that the Leprosie is caused by eating too much fish; for in Scotland where they eate much fish there is more Leapers then in all Europ besides; as it is said.

We haue a Mountebank does strainge feates and cures here openly on Tower hill vpon a stage, and in Comon Garden, and in St. Bartholmews I bought xs worth of his stuffs for the master of the wards; and alsoe a paper or two more for your good father vizt his antidotes against poyson etc. which you shall receiue of your cosen Mary.17 I pray present them vnto him as a small testimonie of my humble seruice and willing mind to appeare before him in a greater good; as god shall fitt and enable me Remember my humble seruice likewise to Mrs. Winthrop your good mother; Mr. Audley of the Courte of Wards desired me to remember him to Mr. Gouernor Winthrop and often asketh me howe he doth; I should be glad to bringe the old Batchelor to bestowe 1000li or 2 on your plantation for he can very well spare it; I perceiue he hath a mind to doe good, but it must be in a course wherein he may haue some certaine proffitt in recompence of his costs; Mr. Fabian Mr. Paise and Mr. Windouer, alsoe desire to be remembred and aske me often howe your father and his companie thriues; generally all that knowes him wishes him well; and the most prophanest that I heare speake of 114him, doe but pittie him; for selling soe good an estate here; for want and penurie in N:E:18

It is the opinion of all straingers that knowe you not that the most of you are starued, and the rest are cominge home againe;

I haue my mothers good will nowe to goe ouer when I will;19 My father and she and my sisters desires to haue theire kindest Loues remembred vnto you and to your good wife and sister Feaks soe doth the scribe, as alsoe to your sister Dudley and her husband your two Brothers and mr. James Downing and all other my louinge Frinds I committ you to the Lord almighties tuition and rest Yours euer assured