I blesse God for your Christian acceptance of my simple expression: He haue all the glory therof, and ourselues incouragement to deale vprightly in any the like cases, yea in all. Your iudgment concerning consultation with the Elders in waighty cases, is sounde and according to the worde; and though you shoulde gett little else but prayer, it woulde be 282no losse. Godly wisdome shoulde teach vs, both not to intermeddle where we haue no call, and to knowe what respect belongs to Christian Magistrates. If they and we shalbe taught of God to ioine together in all things with loue and consent, it wilbe no small pledge of Gods being among vs; I tremble to adde the contrary; quod Deus noster auertat. Touching the buisinesse of the Bounds, which we haue now in agitation; I haue thought, that a good fence helpeth to keepe peace betweene neighbours; but let vs take heede that we make not a high stone wall, to keepe vs from meeting.

Wheras you speake of clearing your selfe in publique, I shoulde desire (if you pléase) to speake with you first: which I hope to doe before the Generall Court. So with my respects and loue, I committ you to God, and shalbe glad if in any thing you will vse or commande Your poore freinde

I am willinge still that the Cow may be looked vpon and prised as shee might be worth at the time shee came too me as for bullocke of Salem I know not: but this I know that there is diverse euen for your mris. sake is apt to bid more and alsoe to giue more for a commodytye than it is worth: for my selfe2 I haue not as yit found hir to equallise much lesse to exceed any Cow that I haue: which Cowes I prised at 20 pounde a yeere before the time that your Cow came to me: yit I say I am willing that any should prise hir as she was worth when shee came too me: and wher as you writ of your takeing offence and the Cause which you say was my takeinge interest for my money: first I say that which your man borrowed of me in your name was most of my estate: out of which I had a familye to meanteine, that I am to take care for in a way of the lord: againe when I told you that he did owe me money; I did not tell you of the interest that I was to haue for it my reason was that I did thinke that you were priuye to all his doeinges: and as for the quantitye of money that I was to haue for the interest of a sume of a 170 pounds od money, was but 24 pounds accordinge as Corne ruled about the time that he had the money of me: the time that he had the money of me was nye a yeare and a halfe: soe that I know no grounde that 283you should take offence att: and besides I suppose that you are not ignorant what rate the country hath alwayes giuen for the interest of a 100 pound for a yeare: which is now 20 pound a yeare; it was sore against my mind that he had my money soe long as he had.

I doe belieue that if any one had gained no more by him then my selfe I thinke your estate would not haue beene impayred by him: soe that I hope there is noe just cause why you should be offended: my necessitye of my money putts me on exceedingly for to writ vnto you for it the want of it in regard of my present necessitye is no small trouble too me: in that it came not by goodman Swane was one meanes that did stay me for goinge with Mr. Goose: I am loth to vrge you: but this I must say that my want was neuer soe much as now, considering what a matter lyes vpon the haueing of it: Sir I am but a stranger in the land; and therfor cannot doe as others may: soe that my hope for the present for the accomplishment of this bussiness comfortably relyes upon you therfor my desire is that you would send it by this bearer: thus in illegible haist I rest Yours to vse in what hee may