reports, authenticated in our presence and that of the Council, that the Hon''''^ Company was bankrupt -- that your High Mightinesses had spoken very contemptuously of the Board of Directors, as being unworthy or unfit to govern your High Mightinesses' possessions that -- the supreme and secret Council of Brazil were imprisoned and had sent little bags with thousands of pistoles to this one and that of your High Mightinesses-- these and similar disparaging, insulting acts and expressions, seen and heard by myself and many others, give a semblance of truth to the public reports and advices from New England. In order to avoid wearying your High Mightinesses' patience by an unreasonably long letter, we shall not enlarge any further upon this point, the more especially as it hath little or no reference to the subject matter and reported sentence. It is not brought forward with that design, but merely in order to exhibit to your High Mightinesses the aforesaid person's disposition, and how mischievous [he is] in so rude a province. Right Honorable, High and Mighty Lords. In all humble reverence, it had been more advantageous and honorable for me never to have been favored with your High Mightinesses' Commission, or never to have sworn before your High Mightinesses to administer both criminal and civil law and justice, than pending your High Mightinesses' Commission and our recorded oath, to be, on a simple petition, so disparaged by neighbors and subjects, and so disavowed to the degradation of justice, of authority, and of our granted Commission, even before parties had argued, much less concluded the case before your High Mightinesses. We submit ourselves in humble obedience to your High Mightinesses' righteous judgment and strict justice, in all