Documentary History of the State of New York, Vol. II

I beg you may assure Lady Warren that I esteem her too much to wish to occasion her any perplexity, & hope I may not be reduced to that necessity, and I have that respect for my Uncles reputation & memory to suppose that coolly he would never have disappointed his Relations by so Extraordinary a Legacy, but the Circumstances & manner of his death will sufficiently Justify me in supposing that he did not then advert to the nature of his Accot with me & only thought of his own against me without regard to mine against him otherwise I cannot account for his acting so Contrary to his repeated declaration in my favor, and the constant assurances I had ever since he persuaded me over to this country of sharing a part of his very large fortune, which I might have done withoutany sensible prejudice to the rest of his family, My Esteem fo-r his memory induce me to accot in this manner for his Last

SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON. 937

Will, as I really think I have been the greatest Loser by it, If a man may be said to Lose that which he was not actually possessed of. -- I imagine that a thorough knowledge of the affair will free Lady Warren from future Trouble with Sterling, & me from the necessity of taking measures which regard for Sir Peters memory & connections would induce me to avoid unless compelled of necessity to do myself Justice. -- Be assured that I am always