Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 3

Sir John Clotworthy to John Winthrop, Jr.1

Clotworthy, John Winthrop, John, Jr.

1635-03-06

My deare freinde,

Herinclosed I send you a casement through which I thinke you may much more securely impart your minde then any other way; you will finde at euery corner of the paper a little noch of this length ——, you must cause those noches to bee iust putt on those due places on the letter I haue written; and then you may reade my secrett minde;2 the rest being 190

[PWF03fd2] 191 couered; soe when you doe write, gett paper somwhatt larger then your casement, and pinn the casement to the paper, then make your corner marks; soe shall I be able to reade itt iust as you write; I had written in the way wee agreed on, butt I fownd itt, in my iudgment, more tedious, and less secrett; you may carry your casment allwayes aboutt you in a paper booke, don vpp in an other sheete of paper, to keepe itt from breaking. I thought meete to tell you, that som off our freinds where I last saw you thinke fitter to send there ——in a ——of ther owne then trouble you; they hauing noe partners before; butt I presume to cast my selfe on your favoure; and hope allsoe you will pardon mee; I long to heare from you; and hope very shortly to be satisfied; Mr. Allen the bearer hearoff will healpe to send your Lettre to mee very safely; allsoe one Mr. Burnett a mercer at the Golden Fleece, in Lumbert-Streete, as I remember hee dwells there; he sends vsually letters to the Primate; lett yours to mee bee inclosed in a backett to his Lordship and then allsoe they will bee safely conveyed to mee; whatt other conueniencie you meet with, lay hold on; and your Lettres will bee as heartily welcom as they are earnestly expected, by your affectionate freind and seruant

Jo: De-gleba-digna Ca. March 6, 1634/35

I pray present my seruis to mr. Hall I thanke you vnfeignedly for vsing my horse, butt I take itt vnkindly (if I could doe soe, any thing that you doe) that you made not vse of the other allsoe for Mr. Hall; I pray send my coate hatt etc. by the fyrst.

W. 12. 9.

The “casement” used by Clotworthy and Winthrop is a sheet of paper 7½ inches by 11 3/8 inches, with rectangular slits of varying lengths cut in such a way that when the “casement” is superimposed on the letter, only those words constituting the message can be read through the openings. The results obtained by the use of this device can be seen from the illustration facing this page.

Sir John Clotworthy to John Winthrop, Jr.1

Clotworthy, John Winthrop, John, Jr.

1635-03-06

Reade this side fyrst.2 Dublin 6 Martij 1634/1635

I now hauing fully enformed my selfe off that particuler which wee mainly douptd off; doe now herby geiue you notice, that wee are enabled to 192send off that chattle you most off all neede, and ass you geiue notice shall by Gods healpe vse spedy dylygence for the prouiding off such a quantity ass you shall send shipping for; Geiue timous warning and full dyrections for euery particuler otherwise our endevours though neuer soe serious, may proue little healpfull.

I thinke itt best if you send one that hath skill in preparing sheepe for such a voyage hee shall not want for any prouition the country affordeth, and wee will allsoe contribute our best skill. I must geiue you notice, that the storme wee haue had hath much impourished all chattell; and spent most, if hott all of our fodder, soe ass the new hay will bee the prouition of the sort you must trust vnto now Sir nott to trouble you with whatt hath formerly past betwixt vss I desire you to send for me fower Cowes and commaund som off your seruants to keepe them. I shall bee thankfull to them for there care, and paines; I presume you remember whatt discourse wee had of the mares twoe off a principall breede for my selfe. lett the same course you take for your selfe bee for mee. I wholly remitt my selfe to your disposition, beeing fully confident of your favour and good furtheranse in this designe. I gladly would heare of your safe coming to london and whatt you can say of that ship which was att or nere Leith in Scotland.

I am a sharer in that wee are building, yett willingly wowld I haue a part in that greate ship soe bee you resolue conserning hir. of this I exspect to heare by the fyrst. ass for those fyshing boats wheroff one of our friends gaue you a memorandum, I gladly will be a partaker in that way allsoe soe bee you send a ship this sommer into Ireland for the sheepe by whom I may send seruants, to imploy in whateuer shall bee most nedfull. of these I can write butt a word, and more were needless, to such an one as yourselfe: I desire to heare from you and if you resolue to send hyther this sommer, if then you will com and sett forth hence; it will bee noe small furthering of the proiect. Letts bee instant with the Lord in begging his councell, and then we may the more resolutely goe on, in hope of a blessing; I forbeare to send ouer money vnto you, vntill I heare whither you will sett vss on worke here, if nott, ther shall bee present payment made to you there. I expect from you a word of whatt is amongst you there and shall inuite you to itt, by geiuing a tast of our procedings 3 this greate 3 butt 3 itt pleaseth soe 193ass those who are nott strong in frinds had neede walke very streightly, for thers nothing falls to the grownd the church heere is tenderly prouided for, and hath fine new clothes wee want no addition that the witt of man can inuent, to make the worship off God pompous in outward butt penurious in the inward part; In a word, all things further a calling; remember vss, soe shall we you.

Jo: Deglebadigna

You will receiue the casement wherby you may reade this letter, from Mr. Allen an honest Goldsmith, dwelling ouer against St. Dunstons church Fleet streete.

Endorsed by John Winthrop, Jr.: Sir John Clotworthy to be read by the casement which is in it.

W. 4. 75; 5 Collections , I. 206–208.

This letter and the one on pages 195–196 were written to be read with the use of the “casement” mentioned in the letter from Clotworthy immediately preceding. In the printed version given here, only the words which appear through the openings have been retained. However, to give the full flavor of the original, there is quoted here the first sentence as it stands in the original, those portions which are covered by the bars of the “casement” being printed in italics:

“Ass I intend now hauing my minde fully enlarged and con formed my serious pel fering surly off that partuler which I heard wee mainly disputing her douptd off: doe ass her can now herby see butt fyrst geiue you notice, the snowfall that wee are enabtricated to bled to the booke which send off that chatmarntle and stockins you most off all gett a pedding neede, and musterd ass you geiue nothing to entice, hir when shee shall by Gods heede and healpe vse hast make spedy dylyght for that gence for which you say her ans the prouiding off a capers such a quandary butt tity ass itt clen you shall send the anchor shipwrack kept such a pupping for.”

Obliterated.