my best and truest loue being remembred unto your selfe with my good Sister your wife being exseding glad to heare of your good healthes which I besetch the almighty god long to contineue for his owne glory and the good of his Church: good brother I receiued your most Cristian and louing letter whar in you shewe your great loue in desiring that the bond of our Cristian frinship should not growe could my earnest desire is likewise the same and I hope it shall neuer growe could betwixt ous so long as wee liue: for good brother I bles the lord your swett Cristian lettars doe so cheare up my hart and make my dull Affectinons to behould the goodnes of my good god who although he hath laied his hand heauie apon me with his many Afflictions yett in the midest of them all giues me shuch comfort out of his blesed word that I 248may well saie with the profitt dauid that his rodd and his staff doth com­forth me for indeed continuall aflictions is Ircksom to the flesh did not the Anchor of our faith and hope staie our affections from rouing on the things of this life which is so transitory And makes ous contemplat on the etarnell Joyes which is prepared In heauen for those that loue and feare the lord the consideration of which Joyes makes ous acount our light Afflictions to be nothing in respect of that Etarnall hapines for who would not wilingly indure a feare of Crosies to injoy an euir lasting Crowne of Glorye which our blesed lord and Sauour hath by his Sufrings purched for ous and if our lord and mastar hath suffred for ous when we ware his enimies oh how much mor ought we to sufar any Affliction which he shall plese to laie upon ous now being he hath now made ous his frindes and seaseth not to make Intersetion to god his father for ous and tharfor the Apostle said that all the Afflictions heare war not worthy of the Joyes which should be reueled heare Aftar the lord tharfor strenthen ous so with faith and pacience that we may fighte a good fight and so finish our corrse that at the Ende we maie receiue the etarnall crowne of wrightiounes which the lord hath laid up for those that loue him which I besetch him for our blesed lord and sauour Jesus Cristes sake to giue unto ous Amen Amen deare brother I ame sorye I ame so ouer Tedious but I hope you will pardon me and so being loth to trouble you any firder desiring to bee remembred most kindlye unto my good father and youres and to my sweet sister your wife doe for presant most kindlye take my leaue and comit you and all youres to the gracious and heuenly providence of the lord who I besetch to kepe ous in his feare that we may die in his fauour—farwell my good brother I shall long to hear how you all doe. Your vnfained louing Sister

John Winthrop. seal.

In the name of God Amen this tenth day of May in the yeare of our Lord God 1620, and in the eighteenth yeare of the reigne of our sovereign Lord King James of England etc. and of Scotland the 53. I, John Winthrop of Groton in the County of Suffolk Esquire, beinge (I prayse God) of sound minde and memorye, and in good health of bodye (vpon searious consideration of the frailety and vncertainety of this momentary life, occasioned by the Lordes watchworde, and frequent examples of such as I have observed, to have been snatched away suddainly and in their best health and strength) doe make and declare by these presentes my last will and Testament in maner followinge.

First I commende my soule into the handes of God, who made me, and redeemed me and hath renued me into the Image of Christ Jesus, by whom onely I am washed from my sinnes, and adopted to be the childe of God, and an heire of euerlastinge life, and that of the meere and free fauour of God, who hath elected me to be a vessell of glorye for the onely manifestation of his Infinite mercie, and accordingly hath called me, out­wardly by his worde, and inwardly and effectually by his holye spirit, into this Grace wherein now I stand, and reioyce vnder the Hope of the Glory to come. My Body I yeild to the earth,2 there to be decently bestowed, as waytinge for the hope of the resurrection of the Just. Now for such tem­porall goodes as I shall leaue behinde me I doe committ them to the care and disposition of Margaret my wife [Mr. Adam Winthrop my father Anne Winthrop my mother3] and John Winthrop my sonne whom I doe make and ordaine executors of this my last will and testament to this ende 250and vpon this confident persuation, that they will have a mutuall Love and due regard each to other, and to all the rest of our familye, and that they will faithfull performe this my last will and testament. Item I give vnto my said wife all those my landes and tenementes which I lately purchased of William Forthe of Neyland gent: viz the two tenementes and sixe acres of lande lyinge by Leven heathe in the occupation of blank Coker and ten acres of woodland lyinge neere the same tenementes, which land and woodes are called by the severall names of Mastermans Crosse Master­mans Grove, Stubbins Cross Stubbins Grove and Honylies Grove, or by what other names soever. And allso one close of pasture ground called little pond field conteininge about eight acres lyinge at the ende of Neyland towne towardes Buers: And also three acres of meadowe lyinge in Lowes meadowe in the parishe of Assington iust by the said ende of Neyland towne: All which said parcels of Land meadowe and wood are more particularly expressed in a certaine deed of feoffment from the said William Forthe to me made, bearinge date the 27th day of Julye 1617: To have and to hold the said tenementes land meadowes pastures and woodes vnto my said wife for terme of hir Life, and after hir decease to remaine to Adam my sonne and to his heires. Item I give vnto my said sonne John all that messuage wherein I now dwell, together with all the appurtenances, and all that Indenture of Lease or terme of years which I have in the same and in certaine acres of land therewith lett beinge now in my occupation scituate in Groton aforesaid, and beinge parcel of the Rectorye of the same parishe. Item, whereas I have one parcell of land called Upper Crabtree­went containinge about twelue acres, lyinge in Groton aforesaid and now in the occupation of Philip Gostlin thelder, which I have lefte out of former conveyances to this end that I might laye it vnto the parsonage of Groton, in satisfaction of the like quantitye of land which I have of the same, I doe heerby admonish my said sonne, and streightly charge him before the Lorde, that he so dispose heerof as may be best to Godes glory, the peace of his owne conscience, and the due recompence of the faith­full incumbent: as my self purpose to doe if God spare me life to a fit opportunitye.

Item for Mary my daughter I will that my executors shall paye hir grandfather Forthe his legacie of 240 li. to be paid hir at hir age of eighteen yeares: and withall I doe committ hir to the care of my Executors to be well and Christianly educated with such goodes as I shall leave vnto them. [4Item I will that my said Executors shall paye vnto Luce Win­251throp my sister one hundred and twentye poundes, one C whereof is due to hir vpon an agreement between my father and me vpon the settinge over his whole estate vnto me. Item I will that they shall paye vnto Ezechiell Bonde threescore poundes and blank that which is behinde and due to him of suche legacies as my said father was to paye vnto him.] Item I will that my sonne [s Henry and] Forthe shalbe brought vp and disposed of by my Executors, in learning [or els in some honest callinge such as they shall prove most fitt for], out of the rentes and profites of such landes as they are to have by the will and testament of their said grandfather Mr. Forthe, when they shall attaine to certaine ages as in the said will is expressed. my other 2 sonnes Stephen and Adam I commende to the care of their mother to be brought vp in the feare of God by the helpe of suche landes and goodes as I shall leave vnto hir Item I will that my executors shall paye my sonne Henry xiij li. vj s. viij d. yearlye out of those landes which should fall to him by his grandfather Forthes will at his age of 24 years. Item I make my loving wife and John my sonne executors of this my last will and Testament, intreatinge and charginge them that they will provide that all my debtes may be truely paid and satisfied out of suche landes and goodes as I shall leave vnto them, for performance whereof I doe give vnto my said sonne John the lease of the house I dwell in with the landes therevnto belonging and therewith occupied.