Yours of the 21 (1) 43 I received and haue imparted it to my partner mr. Collier. And perceiue we are like to haue some trowble about the controversie between Hartfort and the Dutch.2 The letters from the 453Swedes and Dutch3 I received and haue perused them, and according to your desire haue returned them with such advice as the Lord enableth me for answere. And first for the Dutch I obserue he writeth with great haughtines of spirit, full of confidence (as you say) yet marvell that a gentleman so well bread so great a traveller and governor of so great experience should not be more moderate in writing especially in so publike a way, witnes his uncivill termes towards mr. Hopkins, etc. whom we all know to be a man that makes conscience of his words as well as his actions.4 To many of the passages by him heer related I can say nothing, onely they agree too well with common Fame and I feare our brethren of Hartford will be found faulty in them whosoever shall haue the hearing of it. yet am ready to make good every particle of that Relacion which I gaue upon the solemn request first of your general Court, and then of the Commissioners, in regard of my experimentall knowledge of the first beginnings of them and us in Coneetacut. to which also I added certaine things which I had from Liuetenant Holmes who was over our people there. For his answer to what I affirme by that generall which he bringeth (if I should grant all he saith) how short it weare you may easily judge who to my best remembrance meddle not at all with any passages between them after they came to clash together. He saith June the 6th 1638 that I would not defend the Hartford mens cawse for they had hitherto (or thus long) wronged the Dutch. That I spake somewhat tending thereunto I acknowledge. For mr. Whiting and myselfe being at dinner with him at his table. He flew out upon me (tho' unseasonably being courteous both before and after to me) and charged me to be the man had more wronged the Dutch then any other by giving the first commission to the English (being then Governor of Plym.) to disturbe them at Coneetacutt who were possessed before us etc. But when I had taken off this charge and returned the wrong upon themselues and called Capt. Curlo being one of those fiue at dinner with us to witnes many things. Capt C. replied:

The truth is what mr. Winslow saith Sir is true nor haue we that cawse to complaine of them as of others, nay they haue as much cawse to complaine of Winsor as we haue of Hartford, for looke how the one dealeth with us so doe the other with them, etc. whereupon he turneth againe to me with Violence But will you justefie Hartford men (briefely charging them with many of the things in his letter) nay saith5 he there sits the man next to you whose howse 454stands upon our ground and hath thus and thus abused us etc. To which I replied No Sir I will not justefie Hartford men Tis sufficient I can justefie our own proceedings. But Mr. Whiting is of age let him speak for himselfe. And this I added further to it that not onely my selfe but many English did conceiue the Dutch had hard measure from them in sundry particulars if things were true that were reported. And this was all I spake to the utmost of my remembrance. And these were my words the occasion beginning and end of them. But what is this to answ. that I affirme. That I had a place given (and the place we after possessed) the yeare before the Dutch began in the River. That the Dutch came in by way of prevention and stept in between us and our purpose etc. That this was done without special order From either the States or their masters the West India Company and so confessed by C. Curlo. That the River was not Vacuum domicilium. but inhabited the yeare before etc. That they bought of Tatobam, whose title to the River was by conquest. That I brought in Attawanyut and there left him where he lived and died vpon the ground whom Tatobam the Tyrant had before exspelled by war. That this Attawanyut by the relacion of Liuetenant Holmes if he would haue given way to it would haue cut off the Dutch becawse they entred by Tatobam. I cannot remember all the particulars of that I gaue under my owne hand writing but one thing more of great consequence I call to minde That Tatobam for so we termed him after he had chid me for bringing in his mortall enemy and countenancing him as I did would haue had me (when indeed hee durst not attempt againe vpon him) to haue given him but a knife or but an awle blade for his consent to what I had don which I utterly refused, etc. Now good Sir I pray consider what contradiccion is heer between my testimony given at your request etc. and either my words as they were by me spoken, or as he pens them and would haue them. But the truth is I could say more about their entrance and the unworthines of it if I would bring our Governor on the stage but will not Write it under hand without his leaue. I perceiue there is no likelihood of Arbiterment heer because he conceiues no Abitracion faire unles it be between some Royall persons or invested with supreame authority, otherwise I should advise he might haue notice of our meeting next at Coneetacut where they haue a Fort to receiue him as he terms it. But if the States favor the Parliament, it may easily be either there ended or such Commission procured either to informe them, there, or heer end the controversie as hee demandeth. I suppose the late deputed Commissioners notwithstanding their weighty occasions in Engl. would be brought to do somewhat in it, nay how easie were it for mr. Peeters to goe furnished with Commission to end it in Holland. 455As for the controversie between Mr. Lamberton and them,6 we heare their yea and his nay. nor doe I know how we can right our Friends of New Haven in any other way then already by the Commission you gaue them, unles he would giue meeting as before which I conceiue he neither can nor will.

The Swedish Letter I haue also perused and conceiue it not the worst way to defer answere till you either heare againe from New Haven or understand what force your Commission hath in those parts. For I suppose its in use ere now.

I thank you for your large and painefull relacion of the State of Engl. at present. The Lord in mercy look vpon his people and help forward his owne cawse. Thus saluting your selfe and Mr. Dudley etc. in the Lord Jesus with my due respects to both of you and all yours humbly take leaue and remaine Yours till death

I humblie and heartilie thanck you for your last lettre of newes and for the trees you sent mee. I receaued your lettre lately and the trees I cannot yet heare of, but I hope I shall. I haue sent 2 or 3 tymes about them, and I cannot yet heare of them, The messenger you sent them by being gon to sea. I haue not sent you any trees because I heard not from you. But I haue trees for you, If you please to accept of them whensoeuer you shall send. I thinck it is to late to sett or remoue. I could wish you to remoue in the latter end of the yeare your trees, and I pray you send mee what you want, and I will supply what I can. My Children burnt mee at least 500 trees this spring by setting the ground on fire neere them I cannot send you any newes, but that your Sister is recouering a pace out of her sicknes as Mrs. Gott who kept her told mee yesterday. I shall I hope see her this day my selfe againe. I heard you were not verie well. I desire the Lord to strenghthen you to the worke hee hath called you vnto and to restore you to your health. I 456vnderstand that Mr. Otely hath a suite with our deacons for some goods that Morecruft left with Mr. Peters which Otely sais Mr. Humfry bought of him, but I thinck it will appeare that Mr. Peters hath bought them and paid for them: If you please therefore to stay the suite till Mr. Peter come ouer, who we hope will be heere this spring, I thinck it will not be amisse, For Mr. Otely is upon going away, and is turning euery stone to get something, For hee is poore and is like to be poorer in the courses hee is in. We haue heere diuers that are taken with Gortons opinions, which is a great griefe vnto vs, and Mr. Norrice is verie much troubled. There is one of them that hath reviled Mr. Norrice and spoken euill of the Church. I thought good to aduize with you whither it were not best to bynde the partie ouer to Boston Court, to make such a one exemplarie, that others might feare, For assuredly both with you and with vs and in other places, that heresie doeth spread which at length may proue dangerous. The Lord in mercie keepe you to whose grace I commend you and rest Yours euer to be commanded

Memorandum by Governor Winthrop: Jo Bibble victualler for Natascut.