Boston Decr. 26. 1766

I Suppose the very bad Traveling since you last per Mr. Tisdall has prevented my hearing from you on Rt. Caldwell:s Affair. I fully Intended this Inferiour Court to Call Mr. Nathl. Rogers to accot. for my Interest in Brig: Nancy, wch: I attach't as Security towards my Debt against Rt. Hellon, but Mr. Auchmuty thought it most adviseable he shd. see you first & desires me to write to you to bring down with you the next oppy. here, all papers relateing what has been done in them affairs that are necessary for him to make a begining with, the Copy of Rogers & Blanchard's obligation to Coll. Richmond to Indemnifie him to Delivering them the Brig: Fancy I have got here, so you need not procure it. I shall be glad you'l send for Jona: Perry Ship builder & know of him how it came about that he gave sd: Rogers & Blanchard a Bill of Sale wth. Mr. Hellon for sd. Brig. while in the Yard & unfinished, wch: s: Rogers pretend was done 15th June 1764 when I taulk'd wth. sd. Perry (after that time) he told380me that he could set aside the obligation he gave sd. Rogers & Blanchard as they deceved him, perhaps you may be examing him thoroughly on that head, make some discovery in my favr. (tho' I don't think any obligation given by sd. Perry is of much Consiquence as he sd. Perry was to hold no part of sd: Brig. but was Employ'd by Hellon as a Labourer) if you find that sd: Perry can serve me in the case of this Brig: you may Engage wth. him in my be half, that if I hold Recover the Brig: as Hellons property I will pay him all his Demand on her in hard Dollars, shd. it not amount to more than Two hundred Dollars, when I taulkt last wth. him & propos'd makeing good his Demand on sd: Brig: he told me he could Discover Sufficient to prove the Brig: was Hellons & not Rogers & Blanchard. I shall take it as a favr. you'l make a point to Inform your Self of every Circumstance relating the Bill Sale given by sd. Perry as well as by R. Hellon, when I was last at yr. House I spoke to sd. Hellon on this Affair, he told me positively that he had given sd: Rogers & Blchchard no leave either in writing or by word of mouth to send away sd. Brig that sd. Rogers as well as his young Man had at different times given him a Rect. or Instrumt. of writing wherein it was Inserted that the sd. Brig was understood to be the property of him & Hellon & the differt. bills of Sale only given as Security, try all you can to get Mr. Hellon to let you take a Copy of sd: writings & if he has any Letters from sd: Rogers & Blanchard respecting: sd: Brig. to get the Sight of them, & for his Encouragmt. to giveing you & me all the Insight he can into this Affair of the Brign: you may assure him that I will give him a full Discharge for his Ballnce. so that he may be safe in any other province or Country whatever from being molested by me or my heirs, & on Failiour of this Reasonable Request I will not Sign wth. his other Creditors, notwithstanding a Statue of Bankrupcy is taken out against him, I am not obligd to come in with his other Creditrs. unless I chuse so to do, tho know I can't come on him within this province. Upon secd. thought I here Inclose you the Copy Coll. Richmond gave me of Rogers & Blanchard's Indemnification for sd. Brig. wch. may be necessary for you to see before you come down here but return it me again. I am with Respect Sr. Your most hble. Servt.

GILBT. DEBLOIS

Pray send the Inclos'd to Mr. Hood at Jno. Adam's House.

RC ; addressed: "To Robt. Treat Paine Esqr. In Taunton per favr. Capt. Cobb."

381

Dighton Saturday PM 1767? Sr.,

Inclos'd is a Note of hand of Mr. Ebenr: Stetson in favo. of B & E Davis for £734.1.11 Lawfull Mony. I shall be much oblig'd to you youl Imediately fill a Writt for the same for Boston July Coart or for the next Taunton Coart, as you may think best. My design is to Secure said Debt till Monday, when I expect Mr. Stetson will give Security by Mortgaging his Real Estate &ca. I shall take it as a favour you will be kind Enough to meet me at Mr. Stetsons house Monday morning Eight aClock to take the proper Securitys for me, & I will satisfy you for your Trouble. I have sent Mr. Stetson word I shall Breakfast with him Monday morning as he is not now at home. Youl please keep this matter an Intire Secret as I woud not by any means hurt Mr. Stetson in his Business. Your compliance herewith will much oblige Sr. your most hum. Servt.

BENJA: DAVIS

This comes by Mr. Richmond to whom youl please to Deliver the Writt, & by him shall be oblig'd for your Answer.

RC ; superscripted: "Mr. Robt. Treat Paine."

Taunton January 5th. 1767 Dear Eunice,

After wishing you a happy New Year, at the begginning of which I hope you did not freeze up, I inform you that I recd. yrs. of 17th ult.1Not having heard from you for an intollerable while before, I cant now tell you in what a scituation it found me, & what I thought of some of it. Had we been together, we should have had one good Laugh at least. You mistake me if you think I would not have you write because of the Danger of Miscarriage, tho' it is best not to write what we would not have seen. From Mr. Laughton's Letters generally come safe, & if instead of signing a Name we should put a No. at the Bottom as by way of example I intend to here it would prevent the knowledge of the writer & serve to shew if any Letters were missing. I intended to have seen you before this Time, but Business, Cold, Perplexitys &c. hinders. The Substance of yr. Letters raises unpleasant Commotions in my mind, because I can't do for you what lays next my heart respecting you. When382you think you are strong enough to know the grounds of my conduct let me know it & I'll tell you. Depend upon it towards you I am actuated by the tenderest care. You're welcome to all my Happiness; but I would keep you from my Vexations. Don't let this alarm you, 'tis not all worth a T—. 'Tis our misfortune to be born with thin Skins or rather None. Read the 120th Psalm. I believe David lived a while at—.2 You wonder if I ever think of you. If I say yes, you'll wonder if it be any time but when I read yr. Letters. On the other Hand I wonder how it would seem to live without thinking of you; Thinking of you has hurt us both, (what escapes thus is always true). Were it not for yr. Pattern that has haunted my mind, 'ere this I had married some dull daughter of Earth. How would that have help'd us? Why we had then had a home where you would have been unhappy & I miserable. O beatifick! Of these two Evils then which is the greatest; but I dont think of you to purpose, I dont plan for you, direct & steer you thro' yr. difficulty! A bright figure I should make a steering you, me poor Mortal can't plan for myself. I do try incessantly to plan for you & behave in it just as you describe your self, but they say people plan for others better than they do for themselves. I believe we must change Work. In short, not being able to do for you what would fully answer yr. Comfort I feell diffident of doing any thing; tho' I wished you had proposed to me some of yr. Schemes that I might try my possibles at consultation. Especially I want to know what those Temptations are that attack you so feircely as to make you take notice of an Escape. Upon the whole I'm dispos'd & desirous to make yr. Life as Comfortable as in me lays & if you Comunicate freely you'll have at least the Ease to yr. mind that arises from Communication & perhaps some chance benefit from my observations on them; the Best way is as far as we can to follow the Stoical Rule, to let nothing affect us that we cant help. Perhaps an agreeable change may soon come. I'm in greater Extremitys than you are, but I consider that adversity is the School of Heroism, & perhaps that Heroism is the most valuable if of the right sort, which is least known here. I purpose to send by the Bearer hereof two 1/2 Johannes to Mr. Elliots which you'll recieve by sending for. which Wishing your Rationality may afford you the same Happiness which others derive from a thick Skin, strong Nerve & Slugglish Blood I subscribe yr. affectionate

No. 1

P:S. If you are at a loss to know who this comes from, you may impanell383a Jury in the Old Colony. Yesterday D. Leonard & A. White were publish'd.3

RC ; addressed: "To Miss Eunice Paine at Boston. To be left at Mr. Bracketts"; endorsed.

1.

Not located.

2.

The 120th Psalm ("In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me.") says that David sojourned at Mesech.

3.

Daniel Leonard and Anna White published their intentions of marriage at Norton, Mass., Jan. 3, 1767. According to Davol, Two Men of Taunton (p. 159), the wedding took place at Taunton on Apr. 2, although town records there do not record the marriage or intentions.

Daniel Leonard (1740–1829), a friend of RTP who as a loyalist later became chief justice of Bermuda. Leonard was the author of the articles defending Crown policies which appeared in the Massachusetts Gazette in 1774–1775 under the pseudonym "Massachusettensis." John Adams published articles in rebuttal under the pseudonym "Novanglus" (DAB).