The Hartlib Papers

Deare freind

I went from Rotterdam on Monday after the Catecheticall exercise; the post came but the next day; since I haue beene at Leyden for to doe a seruice to some freind & here I haue stayed to keep my dore open at the Courts to bee able to doe good in due tyme; this doth make me ignorant whether yow haue written any thing or no to me; & so not able to adde any thing to my former which was written the last weeke wherin I did informe yow of the receipt of Mr. Chambers letter & of my resolutions to come if God did frame matters so as I did desire yow to cooperat therin with me. I haue many thoughts wherewith I am full fraught but cannot now utter them, in a word I haue a ground to frame a good correspondencie in spirituall matters with yowr <[men?]> so that if I bee not answered: the sinne will so apparently lye at their dore that the punishment will not certainly staye out but immediatly <follow> euen by reason of the neglect of the duetie which I shall putte them upon; which will bee an eminent aduantage if done & if not done a cleer disaduantage: now before I come I purpose to send yow the preparatories of this worke, & trye what ouvertures God will giue to proceed in it. in the meane tyme; I praye yow make waye for the worke which must bee first done in this place; to leaue the Church setled in some gouvernment before I goe; for till that bee done & I see that wee shall not bee unprouided during my absence, I cannot in conscience dispense with my self to depart: I sent yow or at least left with one to bee sent to yow fourtie Copies of the short treaties of sitting at the Lords supper, & [10 altered from 20?] of the Catechismes & foure or fiue of another treaties printed by yowr self heretofore, wherof I found a dozen of Copies by me lying; wherof I hadde no great need; & therefore I thought good to send yow some that yow might make use therof; if yow thought good. So hauing no more to adde but my prayers for yow health & prosperitie I rest

            Yowr most entire freind

              & faithfull seruant in the [leastt?] duetie

Hague this 18/8 9.ber                    Iohn Durey

     1644.

I sent yow by the last post also a letter to Doctor Gerard Boat wherby yow were to receiue the Papers which yow gaue to my sister that yow might trye what may bee recouered of the debts

Mrs Moore sayes yow told hir of a freind of yowrs who is very expert in Phisick, & shee forgot to [gaue?] yow the description of hir infirmitie; which is an indisposition of fainting & failing of the spirits without any paine at all. yet there is a suffocation about the heart & wind in the stomack & when shee recouers out of the dead sounding; the first thing wherof shee is sensible is of a great noise within hir head as if it were a falling of waters & when this hath continued a prettie while shee can heare & understand those that are about hir before shee can see them, & speeke to them; & shee hath the use of hir tongue before shee doth recouer hir sight. these are the symptomes of the first fitte: now in the following fittes, shee is thus affected; shee is reddie euer and anon to sound as beeing faint three or foure houres after; & in this tyme by fittes shee will fall into a great trembling accompanied with cold; after which sometymes shee will bee hotte: & in all this tyme there is such a shortnesse of breath oppressing hir that shee can hardly draw it; & for two or three Dayes after shee will bee dull [left margin:] & extreme sleepy. now the question is what the cause of this infirmitie is

         For his Louing freind

          Mr. Hartlieb

         at his house in

        Dukes place

         neer Algate         at

                               London