B. by taking him away, if our friends can help you to find out a good school for him, you may send him thither in the school vacation ; or else ray uncle may help you to an excuse, by pretending a desire to see him ; and then (as if it were his hiunor in my absence to have him better grounded before he return to such a great school) he may be sent to some other school, where there are fewer boys ; for in large schools, the masters are forced to ease themselves by laying great burdens upon their scholars' memories. But it will be very hard to find a good school. God Almighty direct you and bless him and his sisters.
October loth. Mr. Pell to Mrs. Pell. Since my last of July 16, I have received seven of yours, dsc. The fourth tells me
532 HISTORY OF THE
that you like mine of July 16th so ill, that you may well content yourself without my letters. In it you sent me a Latin letter enquiring whether he that icrote it will he a scholar or a ^prentice. Tliat question will be better answered three years hence ; they that will now judge of him may be very much mistaken iniiim; with your next, let him send me the names of the books which he now learns at school, &c.
October 2d, 1656, concerning his daughter Mary's marriage, he writes : " 1 perceive by yours, that M. hath much abated the height of her first flight. First a rich husband or none at all, then two hundred pounds a year at least; now, a younger brother, that hath no land, but some money in other men's hands, almost enough to purchase fourscore pounds a year free land.