Middlebro' Jan. 3. 1771 Sir!

I am informed the Press will stand still for want of your Pleadings in the Trial of the Soldiers. His Honour1 was here last Monday & did design to have wrote to you upon it but was prevented. He thinks it would be a Disadvantage to you to omit it. Mr. Fleming has wrote to you & waits. I am Sir yr. hume. Servant,

PETER OLIVER

RC ; addressed: "To Robt. Treat Paine Esqr. in Taunton."

1.

Presumably Thomas Hutchinson, who was still chief justice and was soon to be sworn in as governor.

Taunton Jany. 7 1771 Dear Sr.,

I recd. yr. kind Epistle & how much ever I rejoice at yr. Notice, I was sorry to see the purport of it. It was a peculiar disadvantage to me that my poor Effort were not taken down from my mouth, wch. would have saved me much trouble in collecting it. I had thrown up all thoughts of any such thing till I recd. a line from Judge Oliver just before I recd. yrs. had if I had If timely notice had been given me it would have been prepared before now, but unluckily the call came on me wn. I was very sick & encumbered with other concerns, but I have attended to it & drawn a rough Draught but I am totally at loss how they have modelled the other arguments & of what length they are I wd. feign have mine in of the same modell. If therefore it be not too late (wch. I hope it is) I shall come to Boston as soon as forthwith I purpose to sat out to Day or to morrow morning at farthest. You'll there p to consult the Printer on the subject a day or two will make no odds I hope ready by that time mean while yr. in &c

R.T. PAINE

Dft .; no address or endorsement; case notes on verso. The ellipses in this letter indicate missing text due to holes in the page.