March 4: 16S9: in fort William

Honoble Sir -- ^Yours of the 4*^ January & one of M*" Andrew Abington of the first of ffebruary I have lately well received, but that other you mention I never had, I am sorry to understand the sad murder of M^ John paine by our insatiable enemies the papists, & though your papish rebellious grandees have sheltered themselves in Virginia, I assure you I shall take all possible care &

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apprehend any such persones coming from your government in this province without your pass -- I perceive that your papists are very insolent & couragious, so it was with ours, & that at a distance I have of late catched a messinger bound from hence to Boston & opened his letters, by which I have discovered severall hellish designes, upon which discofery I catched Coll: Bayard & the attorney william Nicholls -- Coll: Dongan, Major Brockhouse Stephannus Van Cortland Major willet, daniell whitehead, doctor Reid, Mathew plowman the late Collector, have absconded themselves out of this government to pensilvania or Maryland wee humbly desire your honor to take all convenient care to apprehend all such persons coming from hence to your government without passes that they may be prevented to bring to pass their wicked designe hereinclosed is a coppy of a letter received from Barbadoes wherein you will see how I have apprehended suspected and sent 2 Irish rebellious traiters in a pensilvania Bark but were conveyed ashore to goe to Maryland, the s^ letter will informe you the state of those Islands, for newes of England wee have non but old, I received a gracious letter from his ma% directed to the Liev* Governor ffrancis Nicholls &, in his absence to sucb as for the tyme being take care to preserve the peace & administer the lawes in the province of Newyork having Commission from the Committies of the s^ province so to doe, I received the s** gracious letter In which I was ordered to take upon me the government and to take to my assistance soe many of the prin^^ Inhabitants freeholders as I thought lilt & to doe all things which to the place of his ma^ies Lievt.