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I have received a letter from Road Island with the inclosd
direction but under a private Seal: So that Some of the [Cheife]
of the Island fearing tis but a Cheat & evasion. have desired
me first to Speak with the Gen:^l before I send it: I find there
is a great difference betwixt them: the Inhabitants fearing
they shall all be Laid to N: york: which will be the utter
ruine of this whole Country. I go from thence to Connec-
ticott: where Coll: Dungan. has Sent before hand to
invite them under his Gom:^t

wee have very Seldome Councills & then little done besides
quarelling: & agree in nothing but Sharing y^e Country
amongst themselves & Laying out Larg tracts of Lands.
I can gett nothing to passe as yet about ye Acts of trade
Mr Stoughton & the presid.^t cannot agree. at least they
seem openly & in Councill very often to quarrell: the
presid^t assumes to him Selfe the whole Gom:^t I am forcd
to Say little in regard wee have but a very thin Councill
Severall living remote are unwilling to meet at Boston:
& I feare they will throw all up: Wee have had 4 Shipps
seized 3 tryed: the Presid:^t most ungratefully (thinking
I can do him no further Service) letts Cap.^t Georg into the
profitts of my Seizures: I have one ship to try which I
Shall have Condemnd: She is worth about 400:[#]

there is great necessity that S.^r Edmund Andros make hast over
for wee are in great Confusion: the Councill Suppose as the
Gom.^t is in them So they ought with the president to have a
Share with him in all ye Seizures: but he will keep his third part.

S^r I am called Register. but no man Comes & records
their deeds at my Office. his Ma:^tie may if he please raise
a Great [illegible] here. for not make one Grant of Lands
in this town or Colony is passd under the Seat of ye Colony
if wee Seize but a Ship or two more the Interlopers will
be quite [ruined]: I have Severall boats out & hope
yet to meet with them: but the Presid.^t & Cap.^t Georg en-
deavour to putt me out of all busines here. & they agree
very well in dividing their Shares. & discourage all Such
whom I have Sett out to Sea; to Seize prohibited goods.
the President very much countenances our Non Conformist Mi-
nisters and to their Great Satisfaction leaves Mr Ratcliffe
a worthy Saler man to depend upon 12 or 14 persons [Gent].
who are his hearers for a maintainance. & [report] the Charge
will make us give over: pray [more] That Lords That all
persons Coming from Eng.^d Scotland etc: into these parts may
give an account of their names to the Secry: & the place of
their last residence in England ^{to be transmitted quarterly to their Lordshipps}. wee have 30 passengers Come
over Some from ye west of Eng:^d & a very fine Gent. whom
I have not Seen: I have reason to Suspect them because
none of them come to Our Church. And that no minister—
coming to us from Eng.^d etc, be admitted to preach in publick
unlesse he produces a Testimoniall from my lord of London:
I intreat your favor & assistance in these difficultyes made
me by my extraordinary kindnes & relying upon the
Greatest hypocrite in the World: he thinks he cannot bee
safe in his projects So long as Mr Mason & my Selfe are
of the Councill: I feare my Cousin Mason will find the
ill efforts of his too much depending upon ye Loyalty of
the presid.^t who will admitt of ye Great Turk for advantage.

S.^r Since they will not allow our minister a Church or
any mainttainance: be pleased to move that he may have
20:^[illegible] a weeke paid him ou out of the Contribution money
collected in ye 3 meeting houses in Boston: which 3[^#] weekly
will Support him & in upon that fund raise money to
build us a Church.

To the Hon.^d
William Blathwayt Esqr.

Boston 12 July 86
From M^r Randolph
Rec^d 6 Sep^r 86