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Tho' our present distance from One another is greater than ever,
yet, since my Condition seems now to be more fixt than hitherto has been,
I may reasonably expect a more certain entrecourse of Letters, & y^e happiness
of a frequenter Correspndence; w^ch I think ought not to be neglected by those
two very Persons who are both the most Desirous & y^e most likely to revive
the Name of the Spotswoods. Whatever Omission has heretofore hapned on
my part I heartily ask pardon for, promising for y^e future y^t no Opportunity
shall offer here without my writing to you, & hoping that you will likewise
upon all Occasions favour me with a Line or two. If you meet not in
your parts with Ships bound hither, you may send your Letters for Me
enclosed to M^r Micajay Perry Merchant in London , who will always take
care to transmit 'em hither.

And now supposing this Preliminary of a due Correspondence on both sides
is fully agreed on, I shall proceed to give you some Account of my present
Condition; & tho' my past life has been sufficiently in the Ages of y^e World,
yet since our Lotts have been all along so separate from one another, phaps
it may not be impertinent to run back a little & inform you of y^e Occasions
of my coming hither. I shall begin no higher than at the first
Campaign of this War, when I enter'd upon a most active & Considerable
Employment, tho' not by my own Solicitation for it, but by being pitckt
upon as one of the properest Officers in the Army to supply that Post.
The prospect I then had of advancing my Fortunes was a fair One, espe-
cially considering the fine Promises made me: but these prov'd nothing
better than a Will of the Wisp, w^ch I follow'd during my last eight Campaigns
through most excessive Labours & numerous Dangers, till at length
quite tired out & sufficiently undeceiv'd how vainly a Man of Conscience
& honest Principles pretends to thrive immediately under Those who
think nought a Crime that works their Ends, I was provok'd soon after
the Battle of Taisniere to throw up my Comissions & to tell them plainly
that their continual breach of Promises was no longer to be endured.
But a Man of my Business was not so readily to be spar'd, & therefore
they endeavored with fresh Assurances of Preferrment to reengage me; but I insisted upon immediate Performances, & protested that I would no more,
trust to their Promises. It would be too tedious to relate to you several parti-
culars; how generally this Step of mine was approv'd of by the Chief Officers
of our Army, how a Forreign Prince made me a private Invitation to enter
into his life of Service, & many other passages: I shall therefore pass over three or
four months, & come to the time of obtaining this Government, which was
granted me when the War was judg'd at its last period.

My Lord Orkney has for some years past been Governour of this Colony, but
not with an intention ever to come & Rule here, but only to reap the
benefit of 1200 Pounds p Ann as one half of the income of this Governm^t,
the other half being allotted to the Person who is comissionated by Her Maty
to command in his Absence.

I arriv'd here last June, & have kept my health as perfectly as ever I
enjoyed it elsewhere: my Mind is also very much at ease by the good
Agreement w^ch is between these People & My Self. I have already past through
the main Tryal, w^ch is that of an Assembly ([it's] the Parliament of this Colony)
& had the good fortune to keep that meeting in better temper then the neighbour-
ing Governours have been able to keep theirs; & have ended One Session
so much to the Satisfaction of our Council & Burgesses, that both Houses
surpriz'd me just before their breaking up with Addresses, not only to My Self,
but also to Her Majesty; wherein they express the Contentment they enjoy
under my Administration, & are pleased to pass several Compliments upon
Me. But I should not rest prefectly satisfyed, were I not persuaded y^t both
the Laws I have pass'd, & y^e Journal of our Proceedings (w^ch I'm oblig'd to trans-
mit over to Her Maty) will demonstrate that I have neither purchas'd these
Encomiums, nor contributed to their Ease, by any undue Compliance, which
may seem prejudicial to the Service of the Crown, or to the Interest of
Great Britiain.

The Life I lead here is neither in a Crowd of company, nor in a Throng
of Business, but rather after a quiet Country manner: & now I am suffi-
ciently amused w^th planting Orchard & Gardens, & with finishing a large House
w^ch is design'd (at the Country's Charge) for the reception of their Governours.

A little before I left London I was in such an excessive hurry of Business,
& Sacheverel's Tryal at the same time made it so difficult to find Gentlemen
at home, that I was disappointed of the sight of that Memorial your Letter
mention'd to be lodg'd with the D. of Queensborough's Secretary; wherefore I hope by your next you'll favour me with a Copy thereof, & what other Matters relate
to the Advancement of a Family, w^ch I am so desirous & so indispensably bound to
interest my Self in.

Captⁿ Stevenson, Commander of y^e Lion of Lieth, is the Bearer hereof; to whom I shall
referr you for any farther particulars you may be desirous to learn concerning my
Government;

To
M^r John Spotswood Advocate
To the care of M^r Vallenge Bookseller
In
Edinburgh

Coll. Spotswood.
Governour of Virginia.
March. 20. 1711.