Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

Never any person in y^e World had so many^more just reasons ^of to acknowledge gratitude to y^r
Lordp yⁿ. [gives] my self: which makes me in a Labyrn'nth which way to acknowledge
ym, as I am in duty bound: But this I firmly determine with my self; y^t (God
willing). I with, what in me lies, ^to endeavor so to behave my self, yt yo^r Lordp may
have no reason to wish yt You had not multiplyed yo^r favors to me. And I hope
yt God allmighty will be pleased to enable and to discharge my duty to him, his Majesty,
and yo^r Lord^p. in general, to y^e Royal College of Wm and Mary (of which yo^r Lordp is
y^e most worthy Chancellour and patron) and to yo^r Lord^ps Clergy in particular:
And In doing of these things, suppose I shall answer yo^r Lord^ps designs of promoting
me to this Government. For yo^r Lord^ps Comissary and P^rsidt M^r Blayer did by
writing, and since verbally give me a full Account ^with what great wisdom & reso-
lution yo^r Lord^p managed our Affairs, & what mighty and power full opposition
your lord ship met with, [deleted] before You had accomplished ym. But what
could be expected less from yo^r Lord^p who is of so very noble and ancient a family, &
famous for all heroic Vertues; of which yo^r Lord^p hath been one of y^e chief [rubbing]
patterns in all reports.

I ^herebyhumbly beg leave to return yo^r Lord^p y^e humblest of my dutifull Thanks for
not only getting me this Government, but condescending so far, as to give me
wise and so led yo^r most wise and Paternal Directions and Advice not only how
how to manage both it, & my self: which You were pleased to doe by yo^{r
[illegible]} Letters to me of August y^e 5 ^th & October y^e 10^th y^e 5th of August, & y^e 10^th
of October last, and which I esteem as a great hono^r and happiness.

M^r Commissary Blayer and M^r Rector Fouace told me y^t they would give yo^r
Lord^p a full account of y^e College, and other Affairs; particularly [illegible]
my predecessour, and one Mr Dudley [damage] Diggs: (and in [faded]
what I have and I presume with this, to send yo^r Lord^p a Copy of what I have
written to my Friend M^r Secretary Vernon ^{and of his two letters to mee.} ing y^m relating to ym, and
other Affairs, both concerning this place, and Maryland, [damage] ^{and I have done ye same to ye Lords of ye Comissn for trade} I here with send yo^r Lord^p
Copys of y^e Account, by which it will appear, yt when I enterd upon this Government
Sr Edmund left a Debt of 4600—4633 4633^£—14—02. And those
of y^e quitrents in Bank but 4405^£—69—00. No doubt Sr Edm^d. will
[deleted] and M^r Auditor Bird, will endeavour to have this Amount [damage]
allowed out of y^e quit-rents, and I suppose they will make up of their former
Orators y^t aren't at Lambeth: but I hope they will have y^e like [illegible] for there are y^e same reasons yt they should. And I herewith send yo^r Lordp
an abstract taken out of y^e several Accompts: and with submission, I think yt
they can not justify any of ye Articles: for y^e crusing Sloops are imployed upon ano-
ther fort, than what her Late Majesty had ordered. And what hath been expended
upon y^e fortifications, I think no captn General in y^e World can justify: and they
are now useless. The 200 and odd pounds sent to New York, was more yⁿ what
his Majesty did allow of. I have sent copies of this Abstract to y^e Lords of ye Coun-
cil for Trade [illegible] y^e Secretary of State, and y^e Lords of y^e Treasury: so suppose
notice will be taken thereof Besides ^this 1455^£—18—11. tthey He got all
He (with y help of y^e Plantation - offcer) I think got gott above 600^£ allowed out of
quitrent, for powder and Gunners [illegible] for y^e 2 Batterys. I herewith send your
Lord^p Copies how they procured y^e Allowance out of the quitrents: by all
what Your Lord^p may see y^e contrivances w^ch they had, to frustrate his Matys
gratious Intention of appropriating some part of quitrents for y^e sup-
port of y^e Clergy yo^r Lordps poor clergy Lords. I have been thus particular about y^e Accounts) because I see yt yo^r Lord^p was pleased to mention it in y^e
representation to his Majesty: and if yo^r Lord^p should want authentick proof for wh[faded]
you were pleased to doe therein, here is a Cloud of Witnesses, besides Records to prove
ym, and many other ill things too.

Tho Sr Edm^d. by his by his friend resignd the government to his Majesty; all else
know any thing of yt Matter were sensible yt y^e true reason was because nei-
ther they, nor he could clear him clear him of what yo^r lord^p layd to his charge.
When Before and when I delivert up his Matys govermt of Maryld to Govr
[Blakiston]; I recommended y^e Church and School Affairs to him, and gave him
a full account in what conditon, and under what Circumstances they
were, what persons he might rely upon to affect him therein, &
who were their enimys both publick and private. He promised &
assured me yt he would do all yt in him lay for y^e promoting
ym: and I hope in God, yt he will be as good as his Word, For
I have not y^e least reason in y^e World to suspect any thing to the
contrary, and I hope yo^r Lord^ps Commissary Mr Blayer. will give You
some Account of what he sent to him concerning Church affairs.
Supposing yt it will not be unnacceptable to yo^r Lordp to be assured
of our friendly correspondence (which I pray God continue for his
glory in general, ye good of y^e Church & School, in particular and his Matys
service) I presumed to send your Lordp a Copy of his letter to me: and I
design (God willing) to go and give him a Credit ⁱⁿ March: as allso to
see how y^e Church's hwo and School goeth for us and at Annapolis

I allso presume to send yo^r Lordp a Copy of y^e [Erl of Bel
lmonts] letter to me; by which yo^r Lord^p may please to see what
a friendly correspondence (thak God) I have with his Matys two
other ^only immedeate Govenors in this continent.

I did my self y^e honour to write to yo^r Lord^p of writeng to yo^{r Lordp} [illegible] ^th
of August; and y^e 11^th. of your last. And I hope in G^d, yt before this
your Lord^p has has rcd ym both: and yt y^e affairs ^of y^e Church and School in
Philadelphia, are fully settled by yo^r Lordps means

I find yt we are in great want at least of twelve good Clergymen:
and I heartily wish yt yo^r [rubbing] Lordp could supply us with some. I
hope that Mr Commissary Blayer hath written to yo^{r Lordp} about
this Affair. I suppose yt within a year & half, there will be [illegible]-
[illegible] a professor to read to ym yt are grammer scholars now
Logick, Mathematecks, & Philosophy &c. in y^e College. yo^r Lordps
College: By which time I hope in God, it will be fit to live in:
M^r President Blayer, and Mr Rector Fouace, will, I hope to [rubbing]
to their duty, give yo^r Lord^p an account of his Majestys Royal College
Yo^r College. About this professour, we shall (God willing) write more fully
to your Lordp, at ye meeting of y^e Trustees & Govern^rs, which is designed
to be y^e 24^th instant.

I am now humbly to ask yor Lordps reseon for ye prolixity of that letter: but y^e rea-
son of it is, because I think it my bounden duty to give yt as good and full an Account
of our Affairs, as possible, should be given to yo^r Lord^p by him, who humbly awaits yo^r
Lord^ps blessing, & leave to subscribe him self yo^r Lord^ps most obliged and obedient faithfull
humble Servant.

What your Lord^p is so generously pleased to write about [illegible] Articles, makes me P^rsume to send yo^r
Lordship Copys concerning my self when I was in Maryland: which I hope in God, will much outballance
yt Mans Artecles. But he and. [Cood] are so well known, yt I hope I need doe no more to
vindicate & justify my Innocence. But if necessary, I thank God, I could answer all their Articles
after y^e same manner, or by y^e oaths of Persons:

With some talking to Robert Hason, he is now about making a Collection of plants, &c. and I
hope yt he may get some fit to send to yo^r Lord^p. which would be acceptable to and yt,
they may ^{hope they may} be worthy your Lord^ps Acceptance, in order to be put in to [deleted] and and send thô but
found inferior plants, amongst your Lordps many choice varities both Domestick — [ecolick],
in yor Lordps paradise at Fullham, is y^e [damage]earnest desire of

I allso here with p^rsume to send yo^r Lord^p a Copy of what I was forced to doe with Sr Edmd, which is y^e it is y^e
paper which N^o. e. which is mentioned to M^r Secretary Vernon by whom S^r Edmd, made a Counsellor: and y^e Cheif reason, tis gen-
erally thought, yt induced S^r Edmd to make him one, was his [illegible]
been a great enimy to y^e College And if he should but now be left out
would be a terror to others: but if put in again, an incouragement to
enimys

Letter to the Bishop of
London February 4^th
1698

and I have done y^e same to y^e Lords of y^e Council for trade &c.
I doubt but yt S^r Edm^d I suppose Sr Edmd will use all his Interest to have
him made a Counsellour; which God forbid: or yt he should have any more to doe
with Virginia. For if either of ym should happen; I dare affirm yt it will
be every way prejudicial to his Majestys Interest Service; but especially to y^e
yor Lordps Clergy and College here; When yo^r Lordp. hath disappointed Sr Ed^md
[illegible] but be for himself and his creative [Dutys]; I hope in God, yt we
shall have no [reason] to give yo^r Lordp any further trouble in these Affairs
— I am heartily sorry to find y^t neither of yo^r Lordps Commissarys are in ye
Council here and in Maryd. Tis a very great blow to y^e Clergy; And I cordially wish
yt no ill use may be made [illegible] of ye prejudices of y^e Clergy in both prvinces; of y^e College
[illegible] and y^e school there. For y^e people generally in those pts of y^e world, if
people will be apt to judge of affairs by their outward Appearance; as allso
to follow and espouse y^t Religion [rubbing]to which they think hath y^e
greater power in old England. And I pray God grant yt neither y^e pa-
pists [deleted] the Quakers, nor other Dissent^rs may make ym believe yt y^e In-
terest of y^e Church of Engld is weakening. But I hope yt by yo^r Gr Lordps.
means, they will be disappointed and yt Mr Blayer will be of y^e Council here: for one
of [damage] viz. Mr John Armistead; hath been dead some while: and so Tho: Lan-
[damage] yo^r Lordp about ye request of my self, and his Majestys Coun-
[cil in] Maryland, for having above 12 in y^e Council; and yt we desired D^r Bray
[damaged] and. Articles now, I think y^e Clergy here, and in Maryld are under worse
circumstances than y^e people, who have their Representatives. So yt one of y^e Estates
[damaged] give those [illegible] Tho his Majesty is graciously pleased, both by his
[damaged] Commissions and Instructions, to command to follow y^e laws laws, and
customs of Egld, so nigh as possible. & no ways repugnant to you.