Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3
1632-11-01
Yours of the 19 of September I receiued this euening, and could not let slipp to giue you intelligence of the receipt, though this be the third by this ship vnto you, my loue is soe intire vnto you that all the tyme I bestowe for you I thinke too little; I thanke you for your resolucion concerninge the silke wormes; Mr. Wigens whome I thinke you knowe, hath fullie resolued me thereof. as for your Cement it is a rare and a strainge request, but shall not be thought impossible, by me to be answered. I haue here sent a very necessary instrument for great ordnance2 for John Samford. if you please to bestowe a little looking thereon you may quickly informe him in the vse thereof. the notches shewe the diametre of the bores, W. P. the weight of the pouder due to euery piece. L. L. the length of the ladle B. L. the weight of the bullett etc. the other side shewes the seuerall names of the ordnance.
I pray thanke James for his letter of the 18th of Sept. last, and for his 91wiuinge instruccions. Thus with my loue remembred to you your wife sisters brothers and all our frinds I committ you to Gods protection and rest Tuus dum suus
W. 2. 164; 4
Collections
, VI. 479–480.
In the margin: “6d price.”
1632-11-21
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 Winthli 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 Winthr
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 Gostl
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 M
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 Q
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 D
Mall remembers her to you and your wife, and her cosen Feaks, and her cosen Dudly, and his wife; soe doth the scribe.
W. 2. 19; 4
Collections
, VI. 40a–40e.
This letter is in the handwriting of Edward Howes.
I.e, Jost Weillust. See above, page 87,
n. 2.
See William Bradford, History of Plymouth Plantation, 1620–1647 (Boston, 1912), II. 134–135.
See 4
Collections
, VI. 40d.