The Hartlib Papers

                            Amsterdam August 27/17 1649

Dearest Mr Durey

It is well that I have to deale with some that have more wisedome then my selfe, for if I had not, I scarse should know how to proceed further in our Busynesse of virginia./   And truly if I have so ill favouredly, & darkly delivered my selfe, as that you have vndertaken more on my behalfe, then I can be able to in all circumstances [deletion] to bring to passe/ I shall repute my selfe very <very> vnfortunate./ for it is most true, that both then, & since, there are some Merchants are willing to subscribe, a stocke, for to send to virginia, & to imploy or transport civill honest men that are in want: and that part of it, shall be ventured in Tryalls, for planting & introducing of new commodityes, such as I named in my letter to you, or for setting vp of manufactures; or for erecting of ware=houses, & furnishing some the most necessary comodityes that are required in the Country, at better Rates then vsually they have beene affoorded. But this they did not vndertake, in the manner or nature that Monsieur Provost formerly offerd nor propounded in the first place of all to be considered./ or as the^. a matter to be exacted fortwith, from them, in such & such summes:/ But as a secondary motive, a good <&> certayne yssue, or consequent which would follow, if the Parliament would please in altering that <present> Governe which ment (which did concerne them for their owne Interest) so to alter it, as the Country & <or> Plantation, might be satisfyed with it; & <the> thing peaceably changed;/ so also as that publicke minded [word deleted] civill [word deleted] or good men, might have some power or Interest vpon it. And that suc they should be willing to hearken vnto, or take such orders, as might be for the good of the Planter, & securing the debts of the Adventurer./

Nor Sir can I for my life call to Remembrance, that in my letter to Mr sadler, that of the 27^th to you, or of Aug: 3^d to mr Hartlyb, I ever spoke of making further proposalls from the Merchants; till the Goverment was first passed to Comissioners./   for Sir though it is true in mine of the 20^th: to Mr Hartlyb; & that of the 27^th to you, I sayd, that I desired only, that they would passe those votes: & I should come over or <else heere> propose something further/ That did mainely tend still, to the forme or manner of Governement, how it might be clearely settled with content, & satisfaction on all sides, with most quiet, & liking to the Country./ with most security to the Parlaiment./ & vpon the best ground for the flourishing of the Plantation./   The perticulars of which I gave more fully in mine to Mr Hartlib of Aug: 3^d to witt.

First having in many perticulars shewed the very ill consequences, that would follow if the present Goverment were continewd. wee proposed.

For the maintaing the honour, & Right of the Parlaiment, that the Goverment be settled in Comissioners of Parliament appoynted, & established by Authority of Parlaiment wherby the Parliaments <Power & Right remaines visible.>

2^dly To preserve the liberty of the Country, to obleige & satisfy them./ That the power of immediate Acting, or executing of things, There:/ be transferred to Gentlemen of the Country; nominated of Course by the Comissioners, & allowed or approved by the Countrey; or nominated & chosen by the Country, and after allowed by the Comissioners of Parlayment: which is the great thing, the cheifest & most powerfull of the Countrey, (who have heere beene consulted with) & do desire. And both those 2 being done, The Plantation may be settled with all quiett, & satisfaction for the present, & the Goverment altered without the least stirr./

3^dly to prevent any disturbance for the future, by any discontented that are now going, or shall hereafter goe over; wee propounded severall clauses, to be inserted for <in> the Act of Parliament for Authorizing the Goverment, in Comissioners./ In perticular./ to demand, & take security of all masters of shyps, and all passengers, vpon good Bonds given./ That the master shall take in no passenger, without a lycence from the Commissioners . 2^dly That all masters of shyps shall be subiect to the Parliaments Comands for the maintenance of the Right & Authority of <the> Parlaiment, or to the Comands of those Authorized vnder them/ And both these vpon the forfeyture of the sayd Bonds./   The Passengers also to give in good Bonds, & security (I speake not of servants) thay shall not Act There, or ayd, abett, or assist Any Acting to the disturbance of the peace of the Country, of the Right of Parlaiment, or of the Goverment settled by the Authority of Parlaiment./ vpon forfeyture of their security or Bonds./   [left margin:]

And because that many familyes were about goe over, & of them most discontented, with the present Goverment <of England>: least they might hinder or disturbe any<thing>/ wee into humbly mooved that the rather the busynese should be considered, Comissioners chosen, & the Act hastned that all mischeif (if any were intended) might in the hatching be stifled./ These 3 things wee conceived, had litle to be obiected Against, nor much difficulty in them to be effected   And because it is generally thought fitt, that they that serve the Publicke, should be served <& in some measure thanked> by the Publicke. Because also the Comissioners could not well

And having thus proposed, as wee thought a cleere, easy, practicable way, <such> as wee certainely knew would be most satisfactory to the Country; most for the mainteyning & assuring the Right of the Parlaiment; for a further incouragement to our privat freinds, to stirr in it; And that wee might not seeme to propose, to such as wee knew wished well to the publicke, a meere Bribe or Hyre of 500^li sterling revenue (though wee in this also thought our selves faythfull in serving them) wee also tooke liberty to shew or intimate to them, what good to mankind & to the Comon wealth, would follow there vpon./ First for the incouragement & Releefe of good <& civill> men that were before banished, & not suffred to live in the Plantation, and which were ready in numbers to come out of summers Island & new England. to inhabitt a plant there.   2^dly. subscriptions which some honest privat men, heere, are willing to begin; and further to stirr with their freinds, and ingage <In>/ if they see things thus settle and <and> publiquely carried on./   And the <necessary> Adiuncts to this; Introduction of other Comodityes, setting vp of manufactures, Increase of Trading, [to?] the Comon wealth, & of knowledge among the Indians./

And give me leave Deare frieind to say, that in all my letters fist to Mr sadler afterward to your selfe & to Mr in all to Mr Hartlyb (since I writt of perticulars) I still insisted vpon it, that our freinds should ingage themselves as for themselves, nor did I thinke otherwise, but they without proposing it to the Counsell of state, might have carried it./ I meane Mr Trenchard, & Mr sadler, to whose wisedome, & yours; with the faithfullnesse of our freind H: I comitted the whole thing./ Nor can I say the subscriptions, were at all so much as mentioned, Till after some discourse, & some willingnesse & affection, I showed of those Countrees and of accepting a fayre Call, or Imployment there, if fitt for it, which they were at least pleased to adiudge me./ And this it was impossible for me to incourage them In:/ if the Comissioners were such, as I could not certainely promise my selfe any Interest In./ [word deleted] Therefore my great labor, & endeavour, was, & is: That the Commissioners (for whose sake we have brought all these motives of the cleernesse peaceablenesse, & facility of the way, of the certainty, & considerablenesse of the profitt, & of the consequences of publick good) should be those, that wee might have a sufficient

[left margin:] Repose & Confidence In./ which wee still desire if it may Be./   I conclude that wee heare thought, almost our selves to be freinds to the Publicke in advising & informing our selves with some of the Cheife of the Country, [letter deleted] in the first place, submitting such a way to be thought as will be very practicable & to all sides advantagious & satisfactory, And Although wee may <be> slow in promising perticulars further, till wee see how the Goverment is, or will be settled, yett others things being performed, The matter on our parts will not Rest./   I could also say I should have no small power as well as share in carying on That my selfe.

Sir I write thus largely: Because though, if the thing were in the power, & hands of our [word deleted] friends, I should be satisfyed see a Providence in it; and Bend my selfe to it, with a fitt & sufficient Assistant, for things wherein I may not be Read./ And though I cannot see also how our freind Hartlib may sooner in a handsomer, fitter, or more plentifull way be Provided for./ Yett seing there will be expected vpon my coming <over> by the most that know me, & some that I am specially obleiged to; That I should give some Account of my selfe, what I intend to do: & wherein to settle./ The Refusall of giving, a cleere, positive, well grounded Answer, to which, will be inconsistent with my Creditt/ seeing also The taking of my Degree will (by Reason of the time that must be spent) scarse be permitted without neglect to this Busynesse./ and that consequently I cannot pretend a purpose when I come over of settling in That./ seing further that our metallical busynesse (though certaine materiall & considerable so farr as I have Related, & the more There being certainly a <proper?> mine of Antimony in England) yett cannot be made profitable, if not wholly followed, & intended, & Experiments made; which will require <yet more> expence of time, & charge; which I see no way of my selfe to defray As nor any likelyhood of a Publicke place in the stannaries & mines. (All which I most humbly begg, & beseech you, to consider with your selfe, & with our freinds, & to be Indulgent to me In)   Therefore It is I say, that I cannot but yet still insist vpon your plaine, & further positive Assurance, That if I do come over, I shall not scruple, what I propose for my owne perticular Provision, nor of the successe of the Busynesse./

you may please also to Acquaint the Lord President (if with the Rest) with those perticular Comodityes, & wayes intended for the Raising of the Plantation, which I writt to you/ and lett him not doubt, that in that Perticular, I shall give him a Rationall satisfaction. But <though> as yett <I> desire to be excused to bring things more vpon the stage./ If also he desire to have any Testimony of me, Mr strickland doth in some measure know me./ as to my generall qualifications <to>/ whom if he thinke good he may write (But this as from your selfe)

Sir I have beene Tedious with you/ & the more; Because I cannot but wish to have things as cleere to my selfe, as I love to propound them to others;/ Being naturally Timorous of all things where I see no cleare light./ Because also Till I have your further Answer, & Direction, I cannot & dare not resolve vpon my Iourney over./ Notwithstanding I desire much to be with you/ Lett your Answer be not vntill you please, but when it comes, positive & to the settling of the mind & Resolutions of=    Sir

              Your true & affectionate freind & servant

                                       Ben: Worsley.