My Loue and seruice presented to you yours of the 8 8th I haue Receiued by my Cussen Cooke by which and other relacions I fynd my selfe still grow deep Indebted vnto you, which I wish it lay in my power to requite. I was lateley caled vppon by mr. Mutyes Clarke of the Counsell for answere to the Letter sent you, but I Replyed I had received none2 and sence heard noe more thereof from him. The Writts for a parlaiment are nowe abroad I heare there hath beene great adoe at Westminster theise 2 dayes about there burgesses and not yeet agreed on. One tuesday next the burgesses of London are to bee chosen beeing the 4 March. god in mercy dyrect them and the whole kingdome in their Choise that this parlament may produce good to the Realme, approching Euills being much to bee Feared great preparacions are in hand against the skotts as Is doubted. god in mercy graunt all may bee Concluded in pease. some 3 dayes past this Inclosed was and still Contynues to bee openley sould and are exceedingley bowght vp. In pervsing of it you will be able to Judge more yf you shall thinke of owght fitt to bee mooued in parlament Consider seriousley of it with the Court there to whome I pray you tender my best seruice with all dewe Respects and vppon nottice of your desires I doubt not but to fynd meanes to furder the same, wherein my best Indeuours shall at leastwise not bee wanting. I ame behoulding to the Court and I harteley thanke them for Easing me in the Cuntrey rates this last yeere.3 Truley as I once delyuered at a full boord at Counsell tabell, so I haue great Cause to accknowledge gods goodness and mercy to me in Inabling me to vndergoe what I haue and doe suffer by N. E. and as I spake then openley so I profess sincereley yf my heart deceyue me not, I Joye more in the exspectacion of that good shall Come to others there when I shalbee dead and gone then I greyue for my owne Losses thowgh they haue beene verry heauey and greate seeing God hath Inabled me to beare them; I vnderstand there Is voluntary contribucions towrds a Colledge in Cambridge which I must Confess Is a worthey worke. I pray your worship bee pleased to mooue the Court to Cleere that debtt 208dewe to me by the Cuntry, out of which money I ame Content and doe Freeley geeue Fyftey pounds to the sayd Colledge and for the aduansment thereof; I shall not troble you further at present but wish some serious course might be thought of howe Returnes may bee prouided whereby trade may bee Incoraged I speake not for aney partyculer end of my owne but for the publique good and ame of opynion to cherish a Magazine for Fish to bee the oneley way by Gods assistance The well ordering of it Is all and noe better meanes I thinke then that some beginning bee made without exspectacion of present proffitt oneley that the Fishermen may be assured the Fish shalbee taken of there hands as Fast as they take it. this by degrees will drawe Fishermen to plant themselues there and some must bee dealt withall to begin to plant and to haue incoragment herein but I submit to grauer Judgments of your selfe and those there who are better able to Judge what may bee done next heerevnto pipestaues if the tymber be fytt when well sesened would be thought vppon. I Craue Leaue and with tender of my seruice and best Respects shall euer Rest Your worships to be Comaunded

I received your lovinge Lettre, for which and all other fruits of your Love I kindly thanke you, especially for your prayers, which (I hope) shall not be lost vpon me. mr. Nelson and mr. Carlton have been with me, and I have given them what satisfaction I can for the present: I prayse God, it dothe not greive me to departe with any thinge, to pay my debts. yet there is somethinge troubles me a little, that some of my Christian frends should take advantage of my servants vnfaithfullnesse, to gett suche bargaines, as some of them have (vpon better con­209sideration) been sorrye for, and have released them, and withall holpen to ease my burden, by lendinge me freely: but others call strictly and hastyly for the like, which thoughe I looke at it as an Iniury yet I have not complained of it to any, nor doe I intende to doe, being perswaded that they are suche as doe abhorre all oppressinge practizes, (thoughe a good man may steppe aside that waye vnawares especially in N: E:) and knowinge your wisdome and integritye, I will make you Iudge in the case: it may be you will not meet with the like (all circumstances weyed) and thus it stands: some of them let my servant have monye, without my desire or privitye, till they come to me for their security and they acquaint me with it in suche manner, as I could apprehende no other, but that they lent it freely to doe me a Courtesye; (havinge then no present occasion to make vse of it themselves) so now they have engaged me to requite this kindnesse some other waye, but withall, they privately contracte with my servant, for large interest, and take a bill of him for deliuery of so muche Corne at an vnder rate, but no mention for what Consideration: nor was I ever like to have knowne it either from them or from my servant, had not a stranger (greivinge (as he sayd) to see how my estate went awaye) given me notice thereof, lately, wherevpon I examined my servant, who then confessed it to me: otherwise I had payd interest for mony, and yet been engaged to them for that, which it seemes now they lent for their owne advantage: for why would they not els have acquainted me with the Interest as well as the principall? except they held it either not to be so lawfull, or not of so good reporte to take interest, as to lende monye. thus my Corne that I had provided for the food of my famyly is sould awaye without my privitye (thoughe I was neere enoughe to have been spoken with) some at 2s the bushell vnder the market, some 12d some more some lesse, whereas if they had tould me when they tooke securitye for their mony, that I must have payd suche rates for it, I could have served my occasions otherwise, and could as well have made vse of my frends or other means then for 2 or 300li as I am forced now to doe to paye their principall and vse withall: Now thoughe my purpose be (God inabling me) to satisfie all so fast as I can raise mony and provide Corne, yet I thinke it but reasonable that suche as have bargained for Corne at such vnder rates, should staye till others (whose bargains are more equall) be first satisfied, so I leaue this matter to yourselfe to iudge off. For your owne debt, I suppose you intended me a Courtesye in offeringe to accept a heifer for your 2 Calves and 4li and accordingly I desired mr. Carlton to choose one for you: and I thinke if you value your Calves viz: a Bull and Cowe Calfe of a weeke old at 5 or 6li (which is the most they can be worth) and my heifer 210(as I sould her fellowes before winter) at 13li you will finde yourselfe mistaken, but that is a small matter between yourselfe and me.