Colonial Williamsburg Digital Library

My letters laden onely with ill newes. like Jobs Serv^ts. follow
one upon y^e Heeles of another. This day Mr Cranfield is gone for
Pipalaqua. I hav his Company by Snatches onely. in w^ch. [hee]
told me. That severall of M^r Masons bandit^tis. in London by
lett^rs. of Atturney to their Correspondents here hav ordered them
to sue him. So that he having (as I suppose) some notice
of it. hath willingly declined Coming to Boston . & thereby o-
mitted a great oppertunity by not delivering his letter upon
his first arrivall. by which he had lost this Gov^t. without
Excuse. but should he come now they will not denye him
a Court, but he must stay till next may when their Gen^ll. Court
sitts. I find M^r Cranfeild hath told these. That altho a pro-
tection given him & his Agents from Arests during their prose-
cuting claimes to Lands etc: doth not hinder & stop the bringing
upon him an action for Debt. So that now tho' he come not
to Boston. they will arest him in his own province. upon those Gen^ll
letters of Atturney & so quite [disenath] him from prosecuting
in either place; for they seem to take the advantage that
in regard his Ma^tie. hath wrote to this Colony. not to arest. etc.
they may in modesty forbeare. but there being no perticuler
command to that purpose to M^r Cranfeild or [illegible] at Pisctg.
but[illegible] I see all [resolved] upon y^e Greatest
prejudice aginst him. I feare he will be in Goal before
I can gett theither. (being engaged to seize a Scotchman seized
there by me some tyme since , So that I can foresee nothing but
a suddaine unavoidable & irreparable ruine to my Cousin his family
& fortunes (having with great Expence of tyme & money brought
his busines (as was beleived./ to a good issue.) by those unjust procee-
dings. they putt an absolute stop hereby upon him never to appeare to
do them any prejudice by his Claimes. & is also made uncapable to satisfy
any of those debts they now bring in a body against him ^{depending soly upon his [Rents]}. I heartily
wish I may be mistaken but feare I speak upon too sure grounds & also. that no man durst appeare against my Cousin Mason
if M^r Cranfeild had kept himselfe to himselfe. this is too apparent
against my Cousin & looks like a Gen^ll. designe of this Colony
& Waldron & his [party] in the Province of N: Hampshire. I [expect]
my [illegible] next either by false informations at Courts or by in-
viting some to trouble me here. S^r. no ships from home after
this will come from here for Eng^d. till march or April next. So—
that my Cousin may starve except some directions by way of
Barbados come hither in his E[illegible]. this is absolute Barbarism
& could be expected no where but here amongst his Enemyes the
worst of men. & is propagated by ye Phannaticks in & about
London. because my Cousin hath been two free in discourse as—
well in action against this great Branch of the Gang: who
will now tryumph in this their master peece. & beleive them selves
sourrender a [New Setled] Gov^r. & Gov^t. by the King established.
by this they are Combining to putt a sham upon the whole frame^frame
& settlement of that Province ordered & Concluded ord by so long and
so deliberate advise of the Lords of his Ma^tis. Councill.
Would my Cousin take my advise. t'were better for him to make it
all over to his Ma^tie. upon some reservations. & leave them to try it
out with the King, but me thinks this the Extreamity of their Envy
& Barbarity should quicken the Quo: warr^t. which once brought. both
the Gov^r. & Lands claimed in this Colony by
M^r Mason will fall at his
Maties Feet./ Recommending all our Concerns to your favour. I am

To the Hon^ble
William Blathwayt Esq_r.
with a small Box
for his Ma^ties. service
Directed to him at ye
Plantacon Office in Whitehall
by Capt. Cary Commander of ye
ship Mary & Elizabeth of Charles Town
Q: D C./

Boston
14: Dec: 1682/3
From M^r Randolph.
No: 7 Re^d / 20 feb^r
1682/3
[illegible] M^r Mason
M^r Mason Credit^rs have
ordered their Atorneys to sue
him,