I. Mr. Henry Dunster of Balehoult, Lancashire, England, to his Son, Rev. Mr. Henry Dunster, President of Harvard College, at Cambridge, New England.* Grace mercy and peace bee multiplyed in Christ Jesus vppon you Amen Kind and Louinge Sonns I am very glad of your wellfare and good psperity I haue receiued 4 letters from you since you Ariued in new England the first dated the 17th of August by Robte Haworth of Boulton the second dated the 21th of August both wch came to my hands in seauen weekes after you sent them the Redd wheat I receiued but ye Indian wampempegs weare lost out of your letter the third was dated ye 29th of 8ber wch I receiued on christms eue wth a letter of Richards inclosed in the same the last dated the 12th of 8ber, wch I receiued of one Millns that had beene wth you in new England who lodged wth me about mid January but it seemes it should haue come by Colier your Sisters remember theire loues vnto you both but you must not expect them so longe as your mother and I do liue your brother Thomas remembers his loue and hath sent you 2 dozen of Almanacks but now he is a widdower for both wyffe and chyln are deade since michaellms I pray god he take good wayes I do not know of any that you sent for that entend to come as yett Touchinge Richard I would aduise him not to come over againe as yett for what soeuer is his due shall bee left in the hands of his sisters for I haue taken a generall aquitance of Robte so that Richard and his sisters may haue what wee two ould folke leaue and wee shall make no willfull wast now concerninge our England since you went ouer wee haue beene sore troubled for the Scotts came into Engand a month afore michaellms and came to Tyne watter where some of our Troupers laye the Scotts proffered to come ouer and our *This letter was probably addressed to President Dunster, but was also intended for his brother Richard. men whstood them for a while but ours beinge but 500 weare not able to withstand 30 Thousand but fledd amaine insomuch as one Cunstable a gentleman of a company cryed to his band Ryde theeues Ryde for your lyues and he himselfe for his pte Ridd so fast y' he lost his capp and mist it not of rydinge two myles Then the Scotts came pedentim towards newcastle in some 203 [2 or 3?] dayes where yR yealded the towne immediatly Then was England in a fright for the did not knowe what to doe but att last all the freehoulders and trayned bande weare caled togather euery Hundred by itselfe and trayned for a fortnight togather also all betwixt 16 and 60 weare caled togather so that vpon the 8th of 7ber beinge Bury fayre there was at Burye 40 Thousand wth such weapons as y could gett and those that had no better tooke euery one a great clubb and it was caled Club fayre att Burye and all the prouision for the fayre was eaten vpp that daye So that ye 800 which trayned there weare scanted for a fornight after of vituals the Buchers and Allewyues made a gayne of them Then great troups of Souldiers weare sent into yorkeshire and it was thought that there would haue beene some Batayle speedely Butt the Lord turned all to peace and a Parliment was caled which began the third of 9ber and the goe on very Joyffully god bee praysed for the same And the Scotts are to remoue from newcastle before the 25th of march and the must receiue 300 Thousand pounds to bringe them whome againe Now for our great men of England the most of them are proued traytors first lord deputy of Ireland and the Archbishopp of canterbury and the great Judges the rest of the Bishops are found in a premunire except the bishopp of Lincolne who is suffered to bee in the parliment house all the rest are Excluded finch ye lord keeper is fledd wyndebancke the kings cheeffe secretary is fledd the Bishopp wrenn had thought to haue flowen but his wings weare to short All non conformists are ssuffred to preach and our Altars are some of them puld vpp Surplusses and communion books some torne the communion tabls brought downe into the bodye of the church: Burton and Preen are brought into the Parliment house with great respect and weare mett out of the citye wth 200 couches in triumphe so that ye kinge did take it somwhat harshly and said so many did not meete him when he came from Yorke from quietinge the Scotts many peticions are p'fered into the Parliment against Idle dronken ministers and against double beneficed parson[s] and suite made that all Chappells shall be reliued out of church Liuings your sister Elizabeth is turned scribe and can do very well of 3 weeks tyme I pray you giue Richard good counssell and bee the meanes to trayne him vpp in goodnes and make much of each other for it repenteth mee very sore of my lyffe heretofore spent in Idle company and I thanke god hartelye that plonged my lyffe to see my erors and foly The ould Lady Ashton and M' Rawsthorns heire dyed wthin 2 howers togather vpon wednessday afore candlms and weare buried att burye both in one graue vpon the monday folowinge The papists had conspired wth ye deputye of Ireland to sett fightinge in the north pts that yo might haue begun in the south where the should haue had ayde out of Ireland and the spaniard laye watchinge vppon the seas likewise to haue Ayded them but the Holanders meetinge with them gaue them a great shake and scattered them sore so that wee may well say that man purposseth but god disposseth my lord saye and my lord Brooke are sworne of the kings priuy Counssell whose lyves ye byshops had ment to haue taken away not long since your ould freind doctor Cossins for his honesty is put in the cage to see if he can singe well or no All the monepolies for lycencesses are disanulled so that euery man may buye and sell att theire pleasure wthout controule we haue gotten ould Mr Horocks to bee lecturer att Burye euery thursday he begun afore christms and hath promised for a tweueluemonth if god spare him health and abilitie M1 Ashton of Midleton is one of our knights for the Parliment who hath with him for aduise and counssell your freind ould Mr Rathband who hath beene wth him since it began The Scotts assone as the came to new castle sange the 74th psalme: why art thou lord so longe from vs* &c many great men are thought to bee faulty as I writt 4TH S. - * Sternhold and Hopkins's version. - VOL. II. afore Thus committinge you bothe to the ptection of the Richard Saltonstall to President Dunster. For the Reverend my very worthy freind Mr Dunster, President of the College at Cambridge New-England. Worthily endeared Sr. Give mee leave to tell Mr President that I make noe conscience of writing a very short letter to him; when I want time as at this present I doe exceedingly; being vpon a journey into Scotland by an invitation from my Lord Generall; to some occasions there which are of a civill nature. This enclosed booke I must entreate you to accept insteade of such lines as I should have added. What soever I have presented Mr Cotton with which himselfe shall judge comunicable; I desire that yourselfe may have the seacond sight of: Provided always that in the seacond place you present this enclosed to Mr Cotton. Sr If this little bee not somthing better then just nothing I pray you lett mee vnderstand by your next. My best respects to good Mrs Dunster. I pray you tell worthy Mr Buckley that his sonn John whome I saw lately knowing my occasions hath vndertaken to excuse my not writing to him at this time Helpe him to what newes you can. & lett mee have your prayers. I may truly tell you; you are written in my Catalog with greate letters. Mercy & truth bee with you & all yours. Yours most vnfainedly in all christean respects. [Memorandum, in President Dunster's handwriting, "Mr Saltonstalls by Mr Sanders or Mr Greens Received about 15 of May 51 answered by Mr Willougby."] III. William Cutter to President Dunster. ffor Mr Henry Dunster President off Haruert Colledge in Cambridge these dd in New England. Loueing St I know I am ingaged to write as often as I can to yo'selfe and other ffreinds: butt the late warrs with holland did much discourage vs when we heard w' shipps wer taken and losse not only off writeings [?] butt other goods now it hath pleased the Lord to cause the hollanders to seeke peace and y' seuerall tymes: no quest: much against there hye spirritts: butt necessity hath no law: seuerall diurnalls I haue sent to seuerall freinds wch I dyrect to Mr Corlett: and some in ptic to yo'selff we are here blessed with peace butt espetially with a Godly magistracy & ministry 3 Independ 3 presbitter: I meane att newcastle butt in the Countyes adioyneing: a sect called quakers and others to popery doe much increase rayleing much att the ministry and refuseing to sho any reuerence to maiestrates we hope they wilbe confounded & ashamed off there Tenetts: butt I could desire: thatt some stricter course were taken then is: Now in June next we are to chose a new parlyament & many Annababtists hope that this present peace well not contineu: butt most Godly & wisemen yt I know are off another mynd: the Rebells in Scotland doe contineu lurking in woods and mountaines & boggs & dare scarce eu' ingage: it is hoped now since the peace concluded with holland y' this sumer will putt an end to these distractions: itt is very like that y will haue much tradeing into NE [New England] ere long ffor E [Old England] neu' was so ffull off shiping as now: Itts reported yt we haue taken & sunk in all off the hollanders aboutt 2200 ships: & we haue lost aboutt 800 in all: many good vessells being sold for small rates: and therffor merchants are contriuing much how to trade into forraine pts: because the Lord hath blessed th[is] natyon with such plenty thatt this halfe yeare good wheatt is sould for eight shillings the |