Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

You that know my bad health & some part of my
bussinesse in Town will I doubt not pardon the slownesse of my return
to your letter of February last especially since it contained noe thing of
business to be donne: But Gratefull reflections on what had been donne, with
an overgreat opinion, expressd of that service w^ch: y^u imagin y^u had from my
hand in the doeing of it. I shall not undertake to answer all the
great compliments y^u make me on this occasion. I take them, as I ought, to be
the language of y^r civility. But this give me leave to say that if I have
been any way instrumentall in procureing any good to the county, y^u are in, I am
as much pleased with it as y^u can be. The flourishing of the plantations under
their due & just regulations being that w^ch I doe & shall always aim at—
whilst I have the honour to sit at the board I now doe.

I hope the College grows & flourishes under y^r care. I would be glad
to know whether y^u caried over with y^u a Baroscope & Thermoscope from hence
when y^u went over last. For I think; a constant register of the air kept there
would not be only of generall use to the improveme^t of natural philosophie
but might be of particular advantage to the plantation it self, by observations
to be made on the changes of the air.

I know y^r county has many natural curiosities, such of them as come in y^r
way & are of noe difficult transportation I should receive as an obligation from
y^u, more particularly all seeds of all strange & curious plants, with an account
of the soyles they grow in, & the best seasons y^u observe there for sowing of them.
Amongst other things y^u will doe me a favour to send me a plentifull stock
of peach stoans of your best sorts of peaches.

For M^r Commissary Blair at the Colledge
in
Virginia

M^r Locke
1699