I receiued your louing letter with many and heartye thankes for your remembrance of mee; it is 226no small comfort to mee that I haue a roome in your thoughtes, and that my welfare should bee so much desired and regarded by you, as your letter intimates. for the Corne which your worship haue procured mee, I am sorry I should put you to trouble, but humbly thankefull that you will doe it, and that you haue answered my bold request: what price it carry, your worship mention not, yet I suppose it will bee as cheape as any. I thanke the Lord I haue louinge freinds who doe supply my necessitie, and doe send in beyond my thoughtes. for your counsell about my remouinge into the Bay, I doe not sett light by it, consideringe from whom it come, hauinge a deeper reach then my selfe: onely for matter of imployment, I haue as much heere as I desire, and loue my plantinge more then it, onely the highest ambition of my thoughtes and desires are to bee vsefull and seruiceable heere in a common way. Freinds I haue verie louinge ones and mr. Rogers ministry very searchinge: yet if your worship shall please to lend mee your thoughtes, I shall receiue them thankefully, and veiw them well: Wee haue diuers very ill: and Fluxes and Feuers, I obserue are very dangerous. My hast is much onely I shall waite for your arguments, and in the mean time with my best seruice and due respects presented to your selfe and second selfe desiringe the Lord to answere all your loue I rest: your worships vnworthy kinsman

in the Desire I was bold to present yow with my humble servise, and to aquaint yow with such newse as I then knew, the greate good also that god hath donne both for my inward and outward man in those lines I also notifyed to yow, and as then so now I most heartyly and humbly begge your prayers to the almighty for his assistance against the strength of temptation, in all sorts.

on Monday last beeing the 13th of Apr. our Parliament began. the King with the Parliament and such of his nobility as the vast land-floods would suffer to come to London rid from Whitehall in greate magnificence to Westminster. his Majesty made a longe speech, and drew forth out of his pocket a letter sent by the Scotch Lords to the French King for aide to invade 227Engla. tendering their best servises to that effect. this the King intercepted, and thervpon imprisoned the Commitioners of Scotland in the Towre whose handes were to the letter, amongst which the Lord Lowden was one, reputed a man of extraordinary partes, all which as tis thought will scarsely save his head. they presse soldiers in all partes of England, some say 30000 foote and 7000 horse, others adde to this number few or none substract, the preparations are greate of all sorts of amunition. the Earl of Northumberland is cheife generall, and my Lord Conoway commands the horse, there are in the army very able soldiers from France Spaine and the Netherlands, especially of the Irish who in their last Parliament held some 5 weekes sinse have freely given the King 4 Subsidys, with promise of a farther suply if hee shall have ocation. 8000 foote are levyed there and 2000 horse. in Germany the 2 greate armys are parted without fighting almost, and on both sides forage what they can. the turke makes greate preparations but against whom none knowes. there arived heere lately a Spannish Ambasador in greate state and magnificence with such gorgeous Aparrel as from Spaine would scarsely bee expected. what his businesse is I know not, but it is generally voted that hee comes to intreate the Lady Mary for his Majestys eldest sonne and to offer the Emperors daughter for the Prince. this Spanniard return'd in bills of exchange (as tis sayd) 4000li for gold lase which his foote men wore. The Prince Palatine some reporte is at liberty the certeinty of that newse I know not. sure I am that hee is not in England. in France there is very greate provision against Spaine, and so e contra. their exactions are so greate as the Normans are scarsely yet in quiet both there and in Ireland and heere too so much raine is fallen as a greate dearth is generally feared. this is all the newse I have at this time I shall heere therefore end in all humblenesse begging your prayers for mee, and resting Your servant to the vtmost of my strength