your health wished to Gods glory and the good of his people. Sir I am enforced at this time to crave your audience and judgement in a cause which nearely concernes mee, and wherein I haue no where to fly for right but to your selfe. And truly considering the many and weighty affaires which possesse you, I should be much discouraged to trouble you herein, were it not that your singular favour and clemency, the loue you beare vnto the truth, and the nature of the cause, being such as it is, haue emboldened mee out of measure. The case is this: By the prouidence of God and the Counsell of freinds, I haue lately marryed Mary daughter of Mr. Tho: Lewis of Saco, which marriage was thought a fitt meanes for the closing of differences and setling an order both for religion and goverment in these Plantations: Howbeit, so it is for the present, that some troublous spirits, out of missaffection, others, as is supposed, for hire, haue cast an aspersion upon her, and generally avouch, that shee so behaved her selfe in the shipp which brought her from England hither some 2 yeares agoe, that the block was reaved at the mayne yard to have duckt her, and that shee was kept close in the ships Cabin 48 houres for shelter and rescue, which tends to her vtter infamy, the greif of her freinds and my great infamy and hinderance: which matter was once a particular iniury, and is now like to proue a generall quarrell:

My humble suite vnto your Worshipp is: that (for the truthes sake vnto which wee are all bound to minister, for the publique peace, and the rescue of the Innocent, who is els like to suffer perpetually:) that you would please to call before you George Burdett2 of Boston shoemaker, Anne his wife, and others whom they can name which came over in the ship with her, and examine them of these things whereof shee is accused, and I humbly entreat that you would giue a Testimoniall of these exacions: I married the mayd upon long demurres by advize of freinds, and if these imputations be iustly charged upon her, I shall reverence gods afflicting hand, and possesse my selfe in patience vnder Gods chastiseing. If false, both shee and many shall haue cause to blesse god for you, and for that goverment which shineth from you to us, and in that great day, there shall be many beare witnesse to the uprightnes, care, and godly zeale in which you spend your selfe amongst gods people. 97I had not stayed here so long, but that I was sent hither by a singular providence, upon engagement of time not yett expired, and for that it reigneth in my hart, that god hath here some worke for mee yett to doe. Well, I pray pardon my to much boldnes with you, And God almighty blesse you and guide you with his eye, that you may long and long go in and out as a burning and shineing light amongst your people. Your Worshipps ready to be commaunded

Whereas there is one Walter Allen brother in law to mr. Cutting Come ouer From berrye in old England hether this yeere being lisenced by your Worshipp to live in this Jurisdiccon; and hath bought a lott of one in our towne; the men deputed by our freemen to order theire affaires hearing of some scandalous reports of him and that he had no lisence to recyde heere wee sent for him to know, whether those reports were true or no viz. whether within Five yeeres past he had two bastards the one by a mayd the other by another woman acording to the report of his brother in lawe Goodman Warde of Layford and who affirmed to a brother of our Church that so he had and that he Came ouer hether becawse he Could no longer abide in berrye: he Confessed that he had one bastard but denyed the other afirming that he hoped he had made his peace with god therefore and doughted not but he Could give sufficient of testimony of his Conversacon since that time answerable to such profession of Repentance by mr. Ayres of Watertowne; the towne therefore remembring the law made in may 1637: and Considering the godly intents thereof which was as well to keepe out such whose Lives were publickely prophane and scandalous as those whose iudgements were Corrupt Least by the one the Comfortable societye of godes people might be disturbed and by the other the iudgements of god procured for the preventing of which it pleased the Lord to moove your hartes to enact this Lawe, the towne therefore Considering the premises desired me to signifye vnto your worshipp what they knew in this particuler thereby mani­98festing their faithfullnes in discouering of any thing which as they Conceave might tend to the nullifying of such a wholesome Lawe as also to desire your worshipp by a word or two at your Leisure and pleasure, that they may vnderstand thereby what satisfaccion your Worshipp hath or may receave herein of mr. Ayres For encouragement to receave him or elce For our orderly reieccon of him. Thus with the remembrance of myne and my wifes humble services remembred vnto your worshipp as also vnto your wife with our many humble thankes For all the manifestacons of your Love vnto vs desiring the Lord of heaven to encrease in yow such abillityes as whereby yow may be enabled to dischardge the place whereto he hath Called yow, to the Comforting of yourselfe and the people ouer whom the Lord hath sett yow Committing yow to his holy proteccon and remaine Your Worshipps Lovinge freind to thvtmost of his poore power to be Commanded