The Hartlib Papers

Title:Letter, Nicholas Stoughton To Hartlib
Dating:2 November 1641
Ref:46/12/9A-10B: 9B, 10A BLANK
[46/12/9A]

Worthy Sir
          you cannot more long for my presence, then I do hartily desire to bee with you, if I could conveniently; But my wife continuing still weake & ill is very loth I should go from her, especially to London where shee hears the sickenesse still continues & disperses it selfe much yea among diuers persons in diuers places whither I cannot well avoid resort if I bee in Town; Shee is therfore extremely vnwilling I should as yeat go vp, & considering her weaknes, I cannot chuse but giue way to her feares rather then mine owne desires; I thank you very kindly & so doth shee for the preseruatiue receit you sent mee, testifying your great care of my safety, but shee cannot haue that confidence of any preseruatiue, though neuer so soueraigne as to trust mee there as yeat vpon itt; I am the rather sorry that I cannot yeat come, for that by this meanes (I doubt) I shall misse this opportunity of being acquainted with worthy Mr Dury, who I suppose about this time, is to take his iourney with my Lord of Lecester now ready (as I heare) to depart for Ireland, I should bee glad to haue any occasion of expressing both my respect vnto his person, & my affection to his worthy work; wherin I wish him all happy successe; which I hope to see well aduanced, though I doubt, the condition of our state & church is such at present, that wee are scarce ripe as yeat for the transacting of such a negotiation, & I pray God they bee in any better case in Scotland: where I am glad to heare, they are so willing to giue furtherance therto: God grant withall that those good premonitions, concerning the palatine cause, may bee throughly laid to hart, by those who are most concerned therin: The specimen, you sent mee, though it bee not such, as was desired yeat for the method may bee I suppose very conducible, to the end desired; I cannot esteem of itt otherwise then as of a iewell, of a faire diamond wherin solidity & perspicuity striue to exceed each other; I perceaue both by your words & by the work it self, that it is a part of a larger tract which I would not haue dismembred, and therfore so soon as I cann haue itt transcribed, I will returne it very safely to you, as I likewise desire to do in any other of the pieces which you haue formerly sent mee, if you please to send word (as I desire you would) which pieces they bee which you would haue returned; For it is favour enough if not to much for mee, to haue the liberty of transcribing them & not to keep the copies, which may bee auailable for you to [left margin:] impart to other friends without multiplying copies, So my kind respects vnto you, & your two worthy Friends remembred, I recommend you & your worthy enterprises to the Almighties good guidance & assistance & I rest
               Your affectionate Friend to serue you,
Stoughton. Nou. 2.1641                    Ni: Stoughton/
[46/12/10B]

          To my much respected Friend
            Mr Samuel Hartlib
              at the great open Court
                in Dukes place
                   London
                      these.
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