Yours of the 16th of March last, this day I received per Mr. Kirbie, and am sorrie to vnderstand by you and him, that the vnfaithfull steward hath mett with you or your fathers estate; I could wish my selfe with you (till the storme here be ouer) but I doubt I should be in the stewards case, though not vnfaithfull yet vnprofitable, for I cannot digg and to begg I shalbe ashamed, nor howe to ymproue that little God hath lent me, if I were with you for Lawyers and Phisitians haue noe gaine with you, and I thinke Clergie men as little, vnlesse they be such as shall speake and doe to please men, hauinge an excellent forme of Godlikenes, but denye the power thereof. But my good frind; the word saith; Godlienes is greate gaine, if a man be content with that which he hath; tis to you I write this, as to a frind whome I entirely Loue. As for the Magneticall instrument you writt of; it is alsoe sympatheticall and therefore magneticall; we vse to say good witts iumpe, though heads touch not; many can say soe, some find it soe, but fewe enquire into the true reason whie it is soe. I haue sent you a booke by Jo: Tinker that will sett your witts on wollgatheringe, or rather to shew you howe some mens witts runne a wollgatheringe, vntill like the Astronomer gazing vpwards doe fall into the pitt of Death. I know the gentleman one Mr. Wilkins of Maudlin Hall in Oxon made the Booke;2 and he pretends to haue the perpetuall motion, and the magneticall Alphabet, sed cui commodum in tempore confusionis. I allwayes forbeare to contradict the wilfull, tis to reproue the scornefull, and to cast pearles to swyne. But to our sympatheticall busines whereby we may communicate our minds one to an other, though the Diameter of the Earth interpose. Diana non est Centrum omnium. I would haue you soe good a Geometritian as to knowe your owne Center. Did you euer yet measure your euerlasting selfe; the length of your life; the breadth of your Loue; the depth of your wisdome; and the hight of your light; Let Truth be your Center and you may doe it otherwayes not. I could wish you would nowe begin to leaue off being altogether an outward man; that is but Casa Regentis; the Ruler can drawe you straight lynes from your Center to the confines of an infinite Circumference, by which you may passe from any parte of the Circumference to an other, without obstacle of Earth 242or secation of lynes if you obserue and keepe but one and the true and only Center, to passe by it, from it, and to it. me thinkes I nowe see you intus et extra, and talke to you, but you mind me not, because you are from home, you are not within, you looke as if you were carelesse of your selfe, your hand and your voyce differ, tis my frinds hand, I knowe it well: but the voyce is your enemies; O my frind, if you loue me, gett you home, gett you in: you haue a frind at home, as well as an enemie; know them by theire voyces, the one is still driuing or enticing you out, the other would haue you stay within. Be within, and keepe within, and all that are within, and keepe within shall you see, knowe, and communicate with, to the full, and shall not neede to straine your outward sences to see and heare that which is like themselues vncertaine, and too too often, false, but abidinge for euer within, in the Center of Truth, from thence you may behold conceiue and understand the inumerable diuerse emanation within the Circumference; and still within; for without are falcities, lyes, vntruths, doggs, etc.

I sent you lettres and 2 bookes by Mr. Kirbies sonne I hope ere this they are come to your hands. I pray present my vnfeigned Loue and humble seruice to your honored father and mother alsoe to Mr. Downing and your good aunt; and tell her I hope we shall doe some good for her this terme in Cheneys Busines. I desire to knowe what became of my lettres to Jo: Sandford and to the rest, what you knowe thereof send me word, for I would not haue the persons of men perish, for theire sinnes sake, if possiblie I could preuent the same. My wife and I haue noe Child yet, my father and mother are both liuinge and hartie, I thanke God; and as longe as they liue looke not for me, the word is gonne out of my mouth and I cannot recall it; yet assure your selfe I am present with you in prayer, hartie good wishes, and other thoughts for your reall welfare and safety. my loue is soe to you I am loath to parte; yet being alsoe loath to be troublesome and frinds must sometymes parte, that they may againe renew theire frindshipp. Salute your wife for me, and wish well to Tuissimum