My humbel Seruis presented to your worship Returning many thankes for all your louing respectes shewed mee and my felowes with mee. You may iustly chaling mee for ingratitude becaues I seeme to haue neglected to write to your worship but now hauing an oppertunity I thinke it my deuty to writ and there with allso to manefest the Caues of this delay. Retourning home in saftey from your Courte2 wee did acquint our gouerner and neighboueres with the pleasur of your honred Court and after som agitationes wee with diueres otheres of our naighboueres to the number of 29 consented vnto your Articeles and determined to send forth with for mr. Broadstreet and a mesenger was nominated and apointed to that end to accompaney mr. knowles3 to ipsich according to your order to haue conferred with the elderes of the Church and otheres, who weare prepared accordingly to set forwardes on the second day following but that which leted was A scruple springing vp in the Consience of our gouernor which as hee saied much troubled him soe that hee had no Rest in his spiret where upon the peopel at his Commaund was willed to meet againe the 5 day folowing and mr. knowles and the mesenger stayed from their apointed Journey and A strict Charge was giuen by the gouerner him selef that noe man within our Jurisdicktion should write into the bay thereby to giue intelegence of the buesnes in Agetation and mr. helmes stricktly questined by him vpon suspition that hee had writen somthinge into the bay which strict Charge was the Caues that I did not write to you before now, wherefoure I prayou do not take it ill from mee neither impute it to me as neglect If I had had liberty as I haue had oportunetey you should haue Read my lynes eare now may it pleas your worship therfore to vnderstand that the 5 day aforesaide the peopel meeting according as the weare comanded held a court purpouesly about the 186saide buesnes which being set our gouerner makeing a speech to the peopel conserning the saide Artickeles which wee brought from youre Generall Couert and presed them with thees Artickeles folowing 1 how it could stand with their Alegence to their kinge to giue them selues and theires to the State of the masatewsetes for euer to becom one bodey polytick withe them. Their answer was that the state of the masatusetes being the kinges loyall subiectes and for ought the knew the best that hee had the thought it noe breach of theire Alegence to subiect them selues and thereres to be laufully gouerned by them vnder his magestey 2 qu. in as much as it was expected that pouer from the king by Comision might ere longe com to establish gouerment in the Riuer and for ought the know this yeare, how could the answer this their Act of dispouesing of them selues and thereres vnder another Jureyesdicktion without his Consent And not breake theier Alegence which at the first somwhat feared the peopel. But answer was made that such A pouer had beene long expected from his magestey by som, but in as much as his magestey did not Answer their expectationes but Rather seemed to neglect them the might therefouer the thought lawfully take the best Cource to liue vnder such A gouerment as was authoriesed by his magestey without feare of being called to acounte by him for breach of their Alegence.

But if pouer did com indeed from his magestey to settel gouerment heare in this Riuer and by vertew there of the peopel shall be comanded to be subiect to that Authoretey then how will the keepe theier Alegence with his magestey and there league with the masatewsetes their answer was that if the could not haue leaue to com of from theier voluntuarey Subiecktion to the masatewsetes to liue vnder the poure and Athoratey that his magestey shall be pleased to sett vp in the Riuer according to god which the hoped would not be denied, then the could sell their estates and houses heare and Remooue to the masatewsetes without breach of theire Alegence soe long as the obayed in doing or sufering and not breakeing Couenant or league made with the state of the masatewsetes. And here vpon it was Replyed that if his magestey doe indeed send and establish gouerment in thees northerne pertes or but in this whole Riuer, Comaunding all his faithfull and loyall servantes to be subiect to that his authoratey soe estableshed then in Case the State of the masetewsetes will not as here is no Claues binding them in thes there Articeles so to doe, giue the peopel leaue to fall of from theier gouerment and to be subiect to the kinges Authoratey then heare established, the must eaither breake theier Alegence with the king or theier league with the masatewsetes or at least sell theier houses and soe tourne theier backes of the king and his Authoratey. This the peopel could not for the present tell how to deney but desired som 187further Consederation before the gaue a full answere, whearevpon at last it was conclewded that the buesnes should be demured and time was giuen by an unanemoues Consent of all the peopel to demur deliberate and consider there of vntill our next generall Couerte which was the 1 day of the 11 month And it was then allso agreed and ordered that the gouerner should forth with write to mr. Broadestreet to acquinte youer state or Couensell with this demur about your first Articell which leter was sente to exeter to be sente to goe by the firest opertewnitey. this leter being sent our gouerner being vpon som occasion at Agamenticus mr. hooke toulde him that his father4 certefyed in a leter out of ingland that there was Comision granted and gone out from his magestey for the gouerment of thees northerne partes. Allso mr. wanerton had Receued as the said leteres from a ship and with them A box with a comission in it as was suposed directed to mr. Vines wherevpon our gouerner haueing some Conferance there, was advised to perswade the peopel to confirme there owne Combination least those to whome the king had granted his Comision finding them vnsetled should setel such A gouerment among vs or Joyne vs to such a gouerment wee should not like of And the gouerner to efect this caled a couert to that end which being asembled and he haueing propounded the same thinges to the peopel and the being suddenley afected with it yellded presentely to his proposition and propounded 6 of the freemen to be chosen assistentes to our Gouerner whereof 2 Refused and 4 weare elected magestrates with him After which election the gouerner and asistante as I heard haue writen to your honored Councel of the state a full and finall answer to the Artickeles you sent but what is therein contained I am alltogether ignorant of it being sent before the Court held the 1 of the 11 month was the Reason. I thinke your Aticele weare not mentioned at all then as was before intended Reuerend Sir this is the som of all paseues so neare as I can Relate them I am sorey that youre artickeles weare not Receued of our peopel yet I hope still that the lord will one waye or another bring it to pas and I doe think5 that It might yet be efected if one thinge would be granted which is libertey of Consience in one pointe which is the sptorn the first euedence not that I am an enemy to the graces of god or to those that euedence there estates that way. Right worshipfull I would I might beg 2 or 3 lines from youre worship I should thinke my selef muchonored by you I haue a great desire that this Riuer might be youeres and could be glad if the lord would be pleased to use mee as an unworthey instrewment of doing anithing that 188way therfore Sir make vse of mee and by godes help you shall finde mee faithfull. soe with my prayeres to god for you and youers I take leaue beging pardon for my Rewdnes I am no Scoler. Youer worshipes seruant in the lord

What construction you may put vpon my silence I dare not conclude, but I hope the best. The wise man saith that a Friend loueth at all tymes, and a Brother is borne for aduersitie. And heere is my griefe, That I cannot shew my selfe either, as I desire or as my dutie binds me. I cannot excuse my not writinge (though not out of neglect). But the present want of a more reall comfort and effectuall expression of my loue and seruice hath hither vnto hindred mee. If I should say I doe not truelie and heartilie reverence and loue you and yours, I should speake against my conscience. Yet I cannot satisfie my selfe with sole verball expressions But I desire to waite vppon God who will in his tyme bring all our matters to passe, and work all our works for vs. I haue had many sad thoughts about your affliccion yet I neuer doubted to this howre of your comfortable deliuerauce. I ame thinking sometimes that the Lord is trying of the whole Countrie, not but that hee knowes their hearts etc. well enough, but hee will haue you to see their loues and affeccions towards you also. Sometimes I ame thincking hee is vppon the tryall of your selfe in the exercise of your faith and patience and other graces: That as you haue bene beneficiall and helpfull all your tyme since you came over, in the course hee had sett you, now hee will make you beneficiall another way to vs all in an exemplarie cheerefull vndergoinge of Gods afflicting hand in wisdom and patience. Sir let mee say thus much to you. That your last Sicknes did you not good alone, but many others also obseruinge the lords guidinge of your spiritt vnder it: I blesse the Lord I can truely say I gayned by it, and I know some others that exprest the same. This I ame confident in The Lord is now louinge of you deerely. And his corrections are the corrections of a louing Father. If hee will haue you to be 189poore for a little while It is to make you richer hereafter, not onelie heere as hee did Job, but for euer heereafter to all eternitie. I ame glad to heere you are chierfull. Yet I know (in respect of others) your cares cannot be a few and I feare griefs also. The lord our good God in mercie cary you through them to his praise and your true comfort. I should haue bene with you at Court, but I ame aduised by all my friends to stay at home this tyme. And I was the more easilie drawen vnto it, because I finde my selfe worse and worse within this senight then I haue bene this moneth: my cold which I haue had this moneth or 5 weekes increasing vpon mee and head out of order vpon euery little wett in my feete. I therefore shall desire you good Sir to excuse mee to the Deputie and the rest of the Court, beseeching the lord in mercie to sitt amongest you and to guide you all in his feare to doe his will. To whose blessed protection I committ you, And rest Your Worshipps truelie and vnfeagned whiles I ame