I hope and believe the}^ will never meet with such trials ; and, if they should, I am persuaded they will be more polite than to copy after so coarse a pattern. I onlj- meant to help out your next paper with a strange and wonderful occurrauce, which may perhaps amuse your gentle readers as effectually as the accounts they have sometimes of hard frosts a/ul huge tc/iaks, though they never see such things in these parts.

I am yours, <fcc., LXDL'S.

To his Excellency, William Cosby, Esq., Captain-General and Govemor-in-Chief of the Province of New York. New Jersies and territories thereon deneiidiug in America, Vice Admiral of the same, and Colonel iu his Majesty's ai-niy, &c.

May it please your Excellency : --

In obedience to your commands by F. M., Esq., deputy secretar}-, to send you a copy of what I read in the Supreme Court concerning its having a jurisdiction to determine cau.ses in a Court of Equit}', and a second message from him to give it under my hand; I send you not only what I read, but what I said on that head, as far as I can charge my memory. Wljat was said, was spoken before a numrrous auditory, among which were the grand jury for the City and County

a Dunlap'3 Hist. N. Y., vol. 1, 29."

47 6 HISTORY OF THE COUN'Ti' OF WESTCHESTER.

of Now York, and several other persons of distinction. I chose" this pn!,lio met_h:)d to prevent, as much as I could, any misappreheusion ; and what I ea,d is as follows, viz : --