Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

A little while agoe, I recd yo^rs of the 19^th & I'm really sorry that I have been obliged to give you
so much trouble of this kind; but I hope in God sometimes or other I may be able to make you amends,—
What Mad^m Page & M^r Berkley said about the death of their Mother M^rs Man I have heard before, and
likewise that she told her Son that tho he would not submitt himself to me before he was marryed yet he ought to
do it afterwards & that he would bring her gray hair with sorrow to y^e Grave ^{or words to that effect}. if I should fancy that y^e old
Gentlewoman dyed for Love of me, I think it would be as untrue & ridiculous as a great many things that hath
been sworne & attested ag^t me, & I should be as vain, silly & ridiculous, malicious & ill natured as her D^r whose
opinion in the Case of Mad^m Man's death I take to be one of his Chimerical notions & fancys, as if Mad^m
Berkley had been & is still in love with him, nay, I have heard him talk as if M^rs Edwards had been in y^e
same condition, and that she hardly enjoyed her health after she was marryed till she dyed. I confess I have
never laugh'd so since I came into this Country as I did one night where there were sev^ll others when he told the
Story of his Love & Courtship to M^rs Lucy Burwell w^ch I think he has told me 2 or 3 times since & he doth
it very often, he told me of an odd sort of a lett^r w^ch he wrote to Major Burwell concerning that affair. and
sometime this Fall in his own Chamber when the Rev^d M^r Em: Jones & Coll^l Quary were there, we had a very good
diversion with him not only on that subject but likewise on his fancying Mad^m Page to be in love with him & he with
her. I put it as a Case of conscience to M^r Jones; As in case the D^r marryed Mad^m Page & M if she should dy & Mr
Berkley too whether or no he might not marry M^rs Berkley & whether the Laws of Consanguinity & affinity
would was not a bar to it, I think M^r Jones & we were of opinion it did not but y^t D^r was a little scrupulous
We found that the D^r had not unbosom'd himself to Mad^m Page upon y^e subject of Love, another reason he said was
that it was not fair for him or her passions^{in his circumstances} & the [sick], to take her at that disadvantage, & I think he explain One of his
reasons was because if she should deny him [illegible] & favour &c. how far the Diabolical man might force [illegible] him in that Case as I find it hath in the other I can not tell, for I have heard that he hath reported
that I was the Cause of M^rs's Man's death &c +^c

I desire that you would ask Major Burwell ab^t it tho he was not there when M^ris saw not M^ris Man
in her sickness, as likewise whether I was in any ways Instrumental in the death of his wife. I desire you also to ask
him whether he can prove all or any thing contained in the peticon & Mem^{ll agt me &c} he presumed to her most sacred Majesty
and I think by M^r Blair & his father in Law Collo Ludwell &c or the Affadavits sworne ag^t me. I suppose he knows
very well who it was that Signd the peticon & Mem^ll as likewise the six swearing Affadavit sp[illegible], and I suppose he
hath seen the peticon Affadavits &c If he can prove them either by himself or others if he desires it I will give him
power to have them sworne, and I would know of him whether he hath any thing to accuse me of as for himself or
others, and upon his request he shal have the same power. And I want to know of him whether he gave M^r Fouace
M^r Blair, M^r Wallace, Coll^o Ludwell, Capt Moodie Esq^r Luke or any others any power either by writing or word of mouth
to complain &c agt me to her most sacred Majesty or to the Rt hon.^ble the Lords Comen^rs for trade & plantacons, or whether
he lives unsafe under my Government & therefore intends to quitt this Country & go to some other. You may please to
show him this lett^r & tell him I expect a full answer to it.

I desire you likewise to ask Mad^m Page whether or no
I was any way instrumental in y^e death of her husband & I desire her answer to y^e other questions as likewise
M^r Berkleys & his wifes. I do it this way that it may be the easiest to them. for if I cannot have a satisfactory
answer I must take the method w^ch the R^t hon^ble the Lords Comm^rs for trade & plantacons have empowered me
to do Viz to take such Affadavits & other Evidences upon Oath as I shal think necessary for the Justification of
him who is

I desire that you would do this as soon as possible & let an answer be
sent to
[illegible]

I must confess that the fellows talking so odly of Md^m Berkley &c put me into a great passion & may be had it not been
[tearing] Jones & Col^o Quary I had caned him & I charged him never to speak of that Gentlewoman again when I was present &c & I think
[tearing] it in that way if I [tearing] I will call him to an acco^t for it