| Title: | Letter, John Dury To [Hartlib] |
|---|---|
| Dating: | 27 October 1646 |
| Ref: | 3/3/45A-45B |
[3/3/45A]
Deare freind
I make no doubt yow haue before this come to yowr hand receiued the letters which Mr Ellis hath brought yow: this inclosed preface to the Office of Addresse could not bee reddie yesterday when he went, but now I send it: & haue not stood in it upon the point of shewing that by the nationall Couenant our Reformation will not bee compleated because I thought it would bee needlesse to prooue that matter to such as this draught is to bee imparted unto, & for the others <to> whom the other draught is to bee offered, it is I suppose sufficiently made out unto them: therefore I thought good in this discourse not once to mention it. I doe not well understand the last clause of yowr letter concerning the Office of Addresse when yow saye that yow must tell nothing of it yet; tyme will discouer all hidden secrets, & God will shew us how wee should apply our selues to doe our duetie at all tymes: let us but stand upon our watch tower: I belieue Sr Cheyney sayes true that the Parliament doth not alwayes desire to heare Reasons, but will doe what it thinkes Iust; the Lord direct it to doe all thinges well, & wee shall fare the better for it, whether wee come to oxford or not.
the sadde case of yowr son doth perplex my thoughts for yowr sake; nor know I what to aduise which doth increase my grief: surely a trade will bee the best course hee can bee employed in, but what kind to pitch upon is not in my uiew: there bee some Manufactures which keep men continually in action & take them of from obiects of pleasure & occasions of stealing: the wayes of merchandising trades furnish such occasions abundantly nay & lead men to the trickes of lying & stealing; so that if they bee not conscionable; they will hardly escape the snares, which Couetousnes will teach them: mercury is the Idoll of merchands & of theeues because hardly can these two bee separate: therefore to take him off from the obiects which may feed his wicked inclination I would aduise yow to put him to some laborious waye of Manufacture; hee is full of action & spirit, let his strenth bee spent in such employments as will not suffer him to bee idle & take tyme to entertaine his lusts; & I suppose hee being now 15. yeares it will cost yow less to bind him to a Master of such a trade then to put him to a merchand: enquire then for a trade of Manufactures which is not difficult to bee learned & will require much labour & strenth of Body I suppose that would bee most fit to Daunt him; I will think further upon this, & praye to God with yow to find addresse. I wonder that yowr friends who haue undertaken yowr relief leaue yow thus in the midst of their undertaking, me thinkes for their [catchword: owne credit]
[3/3/45B]
owne credit they should desire to make an ende of their worke & for the public good hasten to set yow a worke: our meanes here comes in so slowly, that wee are from hand to mouth; yesterday wee receiued ten pound; when wee hadde scarce a penny to go to market withall it came seasonably: but the receiuing of it by dribblets is a tedious & hurtfull thing because wee cannot make use of it for any aduantage; nor shall wee euer bee able to come out of debt this waye or bee able to helpe any of our freinds. yow haue not let me know what the price of the Catechismes is; but Mr Ellis will transact that matter with the Printer. I pray remember to bid him remember to bring with him for me a copy of the Grand oracle he himself told me of it; it is a booke which Mr Rous hath made in opposition to Arminianisme a brief tract: if yow meet with it before hee go; yow may send it by him, for hee will no doubt forget it beeing full of busines: but if yow light not conveniently upon it, yow need not trouble yowr self to seeke it out; for there is no haste to haue it.
if I hadde gotten any Competent summe from our paye masters, who owe me a quarter and a half I would haue made ouer to Appelius something to paye Serrurier that which I owe him, but now I must differre it & therefore doe not yet write to him; I praye intimate this to Mr Rulice that hee may let him know upon occasion that I am not unmindfull of him although I am silent. I must now go to our Catecheticall exercise nor haue I any great matter more to write at this tyme the Grace of God bee with yow & yowrs I rest
Yowr most assured & deuouted
freind in Christ
Winton this Iohn Dury
27. Octob.
1646.