I am heartily sorry, sir, for your own sake, as well as that of the public, that the King's representative should be moved to so great a degree of warmth, as appears by this answer, which I Ihink would proceed from no other reason but by giving my opinion in a court of which I was a judge, upon a point of law that came before me, and in which I might be innocently enough mistaken ; (though I think I am not ;) for judges are no more infallible than their superiors are impeccable. ]5ut if judges are to be intimidated so as not to dare to give any opinion but what is pleasing to a governor, and agreeable to his private views, the people of this province, who are very much concerned both with respect to their lives and fortunes in the freedom and independency of those who are to judge of them, may possibly not think themselves so secure in either of them, as the laws and his Majesty intend they should be.

T never had the honor to be above six times in your company in my life ; --

PiiiitiiijT liis arfrunieut and letter.

COUNTY OF WESTCHESTER. 309

one of those times was when I delivered the public seals of the province of New Jersey to you on your coming to that government ; another, on one of the public days, to drink the King's health ; a third, at your desire, to wait on my Lord Augustus Fitz Roy, with the body of the laws, to tell him we were glad to see him at New York ; and except the first time, I never was above a quarter of an hour together in your company at any one time ; and all the words I ever spoke to you, except at the first time, may be contained on a quarto side of paper.