Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

I do with no small Eagerness lay hold on this opportunity to
write to you on severall accounts. And First I am to Let you know that Gover^r:
Blackistone—arrivd with the Fleet about a foarthnight since by whom I—
received yors of July 22. & of July 28. And am sorry to find you where so very—
much Indisposed as that of July 22 informs me. But out of pure friendship, &
true Sincere zeal for yo^r: service am most of all troubled at the accounts which—
Come from all hands of the much worse state of yo^r: Mind, which should it
be to half so bad as is here said on the exchange and at Coffeehouses, it is bad—
enough in severall respects. I should be much wanting to my Character both as
a Friend, and as a Minister, should I conceal from you what is so absolutely necessarie
to be made known to you for yo^r: good, and indeed yo^r Safety. And therefore I will fairly
lay before you the Whole.

First it is here said & sweard at by the meanest of those who have
lately Come in, that you do still prosecute your Amours without the least hopes of
Successe; and it is in truth not a little trouble to us that have a Value for you, to find—
how much it lessens you to make such a Rout about this Matter.

Secondly it is said that the Slights that you have received on this
account have so Enraged you towards the Ladies Friends that you swear you will
Cutt their Throats, not Sparing her Fathers. And that you use such furious Threatenings
as render you odious and Hatefull to all.

Thirdly it is added to the charge that as yo^r Passions are very furious,
so they are very frequent, that you are wont in them to swear & Curse
most horribly, and at best high Vociferations are your Ordinarie Language.
Nor is this all, but first I Conjure you Dear Sir Mistake me not, I am not Speaking
my Own Sentiments of you, but what I do frequently hear from Others Concerning
you, Suffer me therefore to proceed.

Fourthly it is now in Very many Peoples Mouths that you are
abandoned to Lewdness, and some stick not to say to an Instance thereof not to be
named. And

Fifthly on the account of the Premises it is aggravated as a high scandal
that Notwithstanding such dreadfull habits of sin, you are Constant at Prayers,—
which they Can not but think on the forementioned Accounts must be a Sacrifice
that is an Abomination to the Lord. And indeed when these Charges shall come to
be more known here, it will be inconceivable what an aversion they will raise to you
with those good men amongst us, who have been hitherto wrought into an admiration
of You.

Sixthly pure Animosity w^th: M^r: Commissary Blair, M^r: Harrison
and M^r: Fouace begins to make you hated even amongst those who know not
the Persons. For almost every body here knowning w^th: what indefatigable industry they
laboured y^e: promotion, and indeed that they were the great instruments of it, It is
observed upon this Carriage of yours towards them that nothing is more Dangerous
then to put too great Obligations upon some men in Power, because when they
find more service is done them than they have a Mind to reward, as so much as acknowledge,
they will then in a sort of Justifications of themselves become Injurious
even to the ruin of those who have been their friends, That they might not be thought
to have been Obliged. This indeed has been often observed in History, as the Temper
and Method of Tyrants, and to make you appear so in your Nature.

Seventhly it is said, that you forbear not to tell even the Council that—
you have been among the Moors, and that they ought to be Govern'd as such,—
meaning as Slaves. and it is thought a high Imputation here y^t: you speak so much
of y^e: Prerogative, and so little of y^e: law, and in truth the course might be steered
now very evenly between Prerogative and Property, and w^th: a due respect to y^e:
latter, as well as the former, or our English Parliments, such sure is the Universal
Disposition of the Nation, will Vent their Indignation. And Englishmen
I Dare say will never more become very apt to make a Complyment of their—
Princes Prerogative of their English Libertys. This between Friends.

Eightly it is said by yo^r: rough and Naballike Treatment of both—
Councill & Assemblies you have lost all Interest in them, and that this has already
appeard in that you Could not get them to comply with the Instructions
about New-York. It is observed that Gover^r: Blackiston by his human &
artificial way of treating his Assembly brought them to Comply, but they—
say that yo^r: proposing it will alone hinder it. And when it is found that your
Interest is gone in your Government, you will soon be blown up. And in truth my—
Lord of London told me but today, that he Verily believed a great man in plantation
affaires lyes at lurch for some such Occasion to ^do your business.

Ninthly it does you a world of mischief in this City and among
the Merchants, on the occasion of M^r: Presidents Funeral Oration, you speak
despitefully and slightly of y^e: Late King in many respects. For the City, and
the Merchants generally Love, and do greatly honour the Memory of that
Prince, and there are not very many that can hear reflections against Him.

Lastly I shall Conclude w^th: acquainting you, that your Methods of Calling—
together the whole Country at the proclamation and upon all publick occasions, is—
Censured by many very much. And this is done upon severall grounds. In the Country
it is said to have given great disgust that the Militia were called from all the parts of
the Province to Williamsburgh in the height of the Tobacco season. and so highly—
dissatisfied they are said here to have been universally, that they Cursed you for it, w^th:
the Meal and Drink you entertained them with all, in their Mouths; so that it was
a Five Hundred pound Charge to you absolutely thrown away. And yo^r: neighbour's Conduct
in Causing it to be done in severall Counties, by putting himself at Annopolis
to the charge onely of a Bottle or two of Wine, and a Boule of Punch, is much—
better approved by the Governours Friends both here & there. It is much regrated
by all who wish you well, and would be sorry to see you unable to support
yo^r: Character when divested of Goverm^tt:y upon many Such Occasions you—
Squander away as they say, Abundance of Money, to no other purpose but to—
Create a disesteem for you in those who Value their Money at another Rate.—
By good People it is thought a Method tending much to Debauchery, & to corrupt
the Manners of a Country, to assemble and to call together y^e: People in y^t: Manner.
And in truth I lately heard a Person, where I dined in y^e: City declare that he saw
five hundred drunk for one Sober, and stood to his asserness with great stifness, and
yet without any seeming designs to reflect upon yo^r: Excellency. And if I may interpose
my own Opinion the Common People are never more innocent and usefull
than when asunder, & when Assembled in a Mob, are wicked and Mad. And that—
they are but very few And these wise men, who despare not the worse for being
in much Company.

Thus Dear Sir I have adventured to display towards yo^r: Excellency the—
truest part of Friedship in the world, which is to let you know what People say
of you. And God forbid but that you should take it as such, and not in the least
a miss in me who design nothing therein but to give you such a light that you—
may know the better how to steer yo^r: Course which appears to us very dangerous.
I do assure you y^t: I have invented Nothing herein of my own head but repeat to
you what we begin to hear of you from all sorts of People Comeing from these—
Parts. For my own part I do what I can to avoid all occasions of Hearing. But
M^r: Perry tells me the change rings so of you y^t it puts him to much Uneasiness.
And from what I at so much distance hear I am fully perswaded he has—
reason for what he says.

And now give me Leave to add something of my own. And that I seem to believe—
so hard of you, as all the fore going particulars wold import? But from what is obvious
and evident give me Leave to Impart to you the best advice I can.

And first w^th: Reference to your Amours I shall say but little, having—
spoke my Mind sufficiently in my two last.

However I must not forbear to advice you as to the relations and Friends of that—
Lady to give them no further Molestation. In truth if you will Consider with what
tragical Language, and in what fire and fury you have vented yo^r: self towards
them, you are not in y^e: least to blame y^m: that they have Conceived an Aversion instead
of an Esteem and Love for you. In the nature of things it must so fall
out, & you Cannot blame them that they cannot stifle Nature. It is not here
as in some Barbarous Countries, where the tender Ladie is often drag'd into
the sultans arms just reaking in the blood of her nearest relations, and
yet must strongly Dissemble her aversion. But English women (you know)
are the Freest in the world, and will not be won by Constraint but hate—
them who Use them, or theirs roughly. Well yo^r: ends, as to that Ladie cannot
be obtained and you must submit to yo^r: Fate and y^e: natural Issue of an
Unhappy Conduct. But it would be a Noble and Heroick Part in you,—
could you first, throwing off all thoughts of designes on that Person, and—
carrying it for the future with a perfect Indifference to her, Could you show
yo^r:self perfectly reconciled to her Father, her family, & all others with whom
you have been att odds on her account. This will be such a Conquest over your
self, as will soon recover you in y^e: Esteem of all those with whom you have
much lessened yo^r:self on that Score. But I must go further with you, &, urge
this upon you from more Christian Considerations. It grieves me to y^e: heart—
to hear so many undeniable evidences of your being transported into such
degrees of malice, & revenge as will more than hazard yo^r: salvation, and—
do att present turn yo^r: Prayers into sin For your own souls sake therefore—
Let me Conjure you to be Perfectly reconciled to them: and to treat them
with the Humanity, Affability and Curtesy which becomes a Christian.—

Secondly, when you shall have totally subdued yo^r: Passions, and—
Resentments, it will be Nedless I hope to advertise you against swearing &
Vociferation so much noted in you of Late. However being of little personally
Concerned in this Part of your Amendment, pardon me if I lay before you
a Consideration respecting my self, your Excellency may please to know
I have not taken a Little Pains to Exalt your Character for Religion
amongst the Gentlemen of the societys here in England, so that you have been
brought into their highest Esteem: and now if they should Come to hear what I do—
daily hear now of yo^r: Swearing not to speak of your Other Immoralitys, with what
confusion think you must I look them in the face, and how contemnibly will—
they look upon me as not knowing how to make aright judgment of men: w^ch:
I assure you is reckoned a great Unqualification for Business. And here I must
not forbear to let you hear a very Material Passage betwixt my Lord of London
& my self relating to this very thing. A little before Co^ll: Quarry arrived his Lordship
had received from Merchants and others, an account as of the Phantastical
Conduct of your Amours, and the Violent, treating the Councill and Assembly
man, & y^e: best of the Province, so of the horribly manner of your swearing,
nay of something of that w^ch: is mentioned in the Third article above.
He sent for me to tell me this, and to consider what was to be said or done in—
Reference to you. And what think you was his advice in y^e: matter? Why
truely to own that you are become distracted and down right Mad, for y^t:—
a better Apology could not be made for you, as well in yo^r: own Excuse as of
yo^r Friends here, who have taken so much pains to support you, & in order to
y^t to trumpet out yo^r: Praises. I had written this Passage to you in my Lett^r:
by Coll: Quarry, but that worthy Gentleman hoped it would be Needless to—
give you so much sorenes of Mind as this account would Create in you, he—
designing to be very plain with you himself in his Informations. But
now upon hearing the same things repeated by this last shipping, I—
think it Necessary to let you ^know to what Desperable Streights and Difficultys
you have brought yo^r: best Friends to Apologize for you.

Thirdly Pardon me if out of y^e sincerest and truest Friendship in
the World to you I step a little out of my way as a Divine to give you my
thoughts as to yo^r: way of treating yo^r: Gentlemen, or any of y^e subjects of yo^r:
Goverment. It is very easie to conceive how natural fire and Heat of
temper added to that conversation you heretofore had w^th: a Nation &
Government where Violence and Arbitrariness are the sole Methods of
Government may have too deeply imprinted in you such ideas of Government,
as are not so agreeable to the most freeborn People, and—
the most impatient of servitude in y^e: world. True it is, a more Violent
Treatment would not only have been endured even by Englishmen, but
perhaps would have been well enough approved of in former Reigns.
But the Case is quite altered now. and does more everyday day alter since
y^e: Revolution. And should arbitrarines alone become yo^r: accusation in an English Parliament,
It is not all your former Merits, nor all the friends you have created—
to your self by them, will be able to save you. And I am sure and Positive in—
this judgment.

But I do not know why I may't also here Interpose as a Divine, and it is positively
my opinion that an Arbitrary and Violent treatment of subjects
savours altogether of a Barbarity, w^ch: is fittest for the Heathen or Mahometan
Nations, & agrees not in the least w^th: y^e: spirit of Christianity y^t it—
should take place among Christian Powers. I am sure the great Author—
of our Salvation was Characterized (and we cannot approach too near to
his temper & conduct in all our Capacitys, as well ^Publick as Private I say our Saviour)
and be it known to you he was a King) was signalized for a Quite con
trary Disposition & Conduct w^th: Mankind. He shall not strive nore Cry—
is [repaired] — non vociferabitur, He shall not use Vociferations, neither shall
any man hear his voice in y^e: streets. Math: 12.59. and indeed if it were—
but with reguard to own Tranquility and Peace of mind, We should
learn of him to be thus—meek or Mild, and Humble, for by this alone
we shall find rest unto our Souls. Enjoy Peace and Quiet both within us—
& without us; and believe me y^e Government of y^e: Universe is not worth
the having upon other Terms.

Now I must Conclude w^th: entreating you to reflect upon this narrative
in such a manner as to give yo^r: friends no Uneasiness in yo^r: good
offices they have, or shall do for you. I beseech you do not force us to hang
our Tails as yo^r: friend M^r Perry termns it, but let yo^r: reconciliation—
w^th: those you think your Enemys be Perfect, and yo^r: Conduct in yo^r: Country
fair and state, and yo^r: whole management with Prudence and in so doing
you may yet secure yo^rself, and our Credit, who gave our words—
and Promises for you as Particularly he does, who is

Letter
1702