Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

WE His Majesty's most dutiful and loyal Subjects the Council of Vir-
ginia, now met in General Assembly, return your Honor our most
sincere and hearty Thanks for your kind and affectionate Speech at the Open-
ing of this Session.

As we are very deeply affected with your Honor's honest and most expres-
sive Representation of the present Exigency ; and no less sensible of the
real Concern, which your Honor has fully manifested for the Prosperity,
Happiness, and Safety of this Dominion, We beg Leave to present you,
Sir, with such unfeigned and zealous Acknowledgements, as ought to be
the Result, and must necessarily flow from the most grateful Sense of such
vigilant and beneficent Care of our dearest Interests.

The ambitious Views of the French, their open Contempt and Violation
of Treaties, and their unjust Invasions of His Majesty's Territories, make
our Hearts burn with Resentment : And we assure your Honor, that we
look upon ourselves as bound by every Tie of Loyalty, Gratitude, and Hu-
manity, cheerfully to concur in every Measure that will most effectually con-
duce to support the Dignity of the Crown, Secure the Lives and Properties
of our Fellow-Subjects, and repel the Force of those perfidious People and
Enemies of Mankind.

Inspired by these Thoughts, our Counsels at this perilous Time shall be
directed with all the Unanimity, Deliberation and Dispatch, which is due to
the Importance of the Subject, Duty to the best of Kings, and true Patrio-
tism for the Defence of our Country.

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Your Honor's Journey to Winchester, which was undertaken with a View
to cultivate the Friendship of the Indians, and thereby to strengthen our West-
ern Frontier, could not but be attended with much more Fatigue and Trouble:
We therefore beg Leave to return your Honor our Thanks for this Instance
of your unwearied Diligence in promoting the true Interest and Prosperity
of this Colony.

We cannot but conclude with adding our most fervent Prayers to the Al-
mighty Arbiter of Peace and War, that he would direct your Honor's Con-
sulatations, prosper your Endeavours, give Peace and Prosperity to this Domi-
nion, and, in Order to that, long continue your Honor an Ornament, and
an Happiness to us.

I RETURN you my sincere and hearty Thanks for your kind and affec-
tionate Address. It gives me much Pleasure and Satisfaction to find your
strong Intentions to concur with me in defeating the unwarrantable Designs
of the French, which requires the utmost Vigor and Dispatch.

I do assure you, Gentlemen, that I shall never think any Fatigue too much
in the service of my King, or that my tend to the Prosperity, and Safety,
of this Dominion: and it is great Joy to me, to have Gentlemen of your Pro-
bity and good Sense to consult with on all Occasions, and that my Transac-
tions meet with your Approbation.

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