Rec. 26 January 1618.

Petition of Sir Thomas Dale^ and the Order thereupon. [ From the Original in the Eoyal ArchiTes at the Hague ; File entitled Zoopende. ]

To the Noble, High and Mighty Lords, the Lords the States General of the United Netherlands.

S'' Thomas Dad, Knight, Captain of a Company in Your High Mightinesses' service, most respectfully represents -- That he, the Petitioner, having served this country about thirty Vol. I. 3

18 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS.

years, first as a Soldier and last as Caplain, Henry Prince of Wales of glorious Memory, wrote some years ago both to Your Higli Mightinesses and to Ambassador Winwood,i to obtain leave of absence for the petitioner, which having obtained from Your High Mightinesses, he sailed, with Commission from the Most Noble Prince, to Virginia in the West Indies, to introduce and plant there the Christian Religion and God's Word, also to establish a firm market there for the benefit and increase of trade, he, the petitioner, leaving here his Company which be received when burdened with great debts and expenses, and departed in the firm confidence that he might pay some of those debts with his allowance during his absence. But the petitioner having continued some time in Virginia, in his aforesaid employment, intending to return here again to his service, the Most Noble Prince came to die. Whereupon his Royal iNIajesty himself, noting the petitioner's faithful duty performed in the aforesaid Country for the propagation of God's Word and the promotion of trade, wrote repeatedly to him, commanding that he should continue in his undertaken work until the last year, sixteen hundred and seventeen, wiien he, the petitioner, was first released with his Royal Majesty's consent, from his charge, and immediately repaired hither with letters of recommendation from his Royal Majesty to his Ambassador here, to be aiding to the petitioner in his request to your High Mightinesses.