Abington Jany. 25th. 1758 Sr.,

I have forwarded the Letters you Committed to my care Except the Inclos'd who neither does nor ever did Live in Abington. Ive seen Mr. Brown1 who says he'll look up the rect. & shew me and Settle the accot. Soon. Wm. Tirrell2 says he'll get the rect. from Capt. Nash &75 insists upon its That the note is pd. Has Comsin3 Sail'd? I found on my arival at home I had not dld. you all my papers & had no opertunity 'till Last week to send them when I miss'd them to Mr. How wth. whom you may find 'em. Inclos'd I send a Letter from yr. Aunt Hunt4 and am yrs. &c.

J. GREENLEAF

P.S. Eunice is well & so we are all. Mr. Dodge desires to know what o'Clock it is. The Bearer Mr. Gloyd you may find at Mr. Coffin's waiting for my Rum. Please to lend an old Rug or Blanket to Cover the Desk we cannot do without it & have wrote Mr. How to send it done or not.

RC ; addressed: "To Mr. Robt. Treat Paine Boston To be left at Mr. Joseph How's near the Mill Bridge"; endorsed.

1.

Woodbridge Brown (1714–1783), town clerk of Abington, Mass., for 27 years and a holder of other public offices (Abington and the Revolution [Abington, Mass., 1975] 89).

2.

Capt. William Tirrell (1714–1777) of Abington. This supposed debt probably relates to the settlement of the estate of Thomas Paine.

3.

Joseph Greenleaf on Jan. 4 wrote by Capt. Comsin to Richard Thomas Witter, a merchant in Jamaica, concerning a note against Witter. RTP wrote a cover letter to Comsin concerning this transaction, Jan. 20. Copies of both are in RTP's letterbook.

4.

Experience Paine Hunt to Robert Treat Paine, Norton, Jan. 5, 1758, see above.

Scituate Jany. 28.1758 Sir,

I recd. yr. Favr.1 per our Rep. & excuse my mistake by the want of due Distinctions in yr. Lettr. between Attachments & originals & as I kept by me chiefly the Latter which best suit our County where no Bankrupts appear nor Commissions issue, I imagined they would Suit your affirs too, till I recollected, that the Executorship was concerned with antiquated & worn out Ship Carpenters, Boatmen & Runnaways.

But as I hinted I've not attmts. by me that I can spare you, but will endeavour to get you some seasonably enough. Rather than alter those originals you have better send 'em back by the Newbury Gent.; for they'll do you no Good unless you receive Summons's for them; & If I have any opportunity to get & send you in Season, I'll send you sufficient which wont want alteration. As to your detaining from me the late Piece of Law, entitled, Cushing upon Wood I cant think the Excuse you make to be the real one; for tho' the innuendo in yr. Letter viz. that76 you have a high opinion of it be not ill founded, yet you could not Suppose that a Deacon, an Esquire, & a Rep is a "Common Conveyance." I rather therefore apprehend the true Reason to be that when once it fell into that Infinity of Rubbish which lies in the Chamber held of an old Maid by Certain Services to her to be performed, which we may easily guess at but need not name (which Chamber may well be liked to the primitive Chaos) I say, when once it fell in, twas no easy matter to distinguish & reduce it from that State of Confusion. I am, Sir, Sinc. Friend & H: Servt.,

WM. CUSHING

RC ; endorsed.

1. Not located.