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The Capital and the Bay: Narratives of Washington and the Chesapeake Bay Region, ca. 1600-1925
The Calvert papers, Vol INo. 12. CECILIUS, LORD BALTIMORE, TO GOVERNOR LEONARD CALVERT.
[Indorsement.]
21th & 23th of Nouemb:
1642
Copie of the Lord Baltemore
L?? to Mr Leonard Caluert.
Good Brother
By Mr Ingles Shipp wch is now in the Downes I sent a large dispatch to you as you will find by a note inclosed. I forgott in my former letters to glue you thankes wch I now doe, for yor kindness shewen to Jo: Langford, wch, by his letters to me, he sayes hath been very much: I take it very kindly from you, and I pray continue it; for he will deserue it I make no doubt from you, and I shall requite it in due
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time to you: the like I must and do say concerning Mr Robert Euelin, who deserues to be well esteemed by me; and I find by his letters, that you receiue contentment in one another, of wch I am very gladd. In my dispatch by Mr Ingles Shipp wherein one Mr Gilmett comes reco??ended from me to you: I desired you to take care for his soiourning some where there to his contentment, wch I desire may be wth yor selfe for many reasons, but I forgott to mention his Boy that wayted vpon him wch must also soiourne wth him for he cannot be decently wth out such an attendance; wherefore I pray take order for him they haue all necessaries of Bedding &c: prouided and sent wth them, and I writt then to you to take care also for the sojourning of Mr Will Territt who comes herewth to you being a Companion of Mr Gilmetts both whom I reco?end in those l??s and do now againe very hartily reco?end them to yor care: for they are both Ile assure you men of high esteeme heere; and worthy to be cherished and valued by you, in wch you shall extreamely much oblige me. Take care therefore also I pray to acco?odate the said Mr Territt wth a convenient place to sojourne in there: and I shall, as I formerly wrote, pay the charge of it, when I know what it is if it can not be done otherwise; wch I hope by your endeavours it may, and I shall take it very kindly from you: howsoeuer you will I hope husband my expence herein the best you can, and I shall pay what is necessary for the sojourning of the aforesaid persons by Bill of exchange hither. The Shipp wherein this letter comes, is sett out by one Mr Douty a very honest and free-hearted Gentleman, the Master is called Edward More and one of his Mates Tho: Tilson whom you know, as I wrote in some of my other l??s. but I am desired by this againe to reco?end this Shipp to yor care for the getting all the freight you can for her there,
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whereby Mr Douty may be encouraged to adventure thither againe in that way: for he is like to be much a looser Outward bound: and for to gaine yor good will and furtherance, Mr Douty tells me that he meanes by this Shipp to send you a Teirce of good sack. I pray hasten the designe you wrote vnto me of this yeare, of bringing all the Indians of that province to surrender their interest and right to me, for I vnderstood lately from a member of that Body politique, whom you call those of the Hill there that Mr White had a great deale of Land giuen him at Pascattoway not long since by Kittamaquund, before his death wch he told me by accident, not conceiuing that that place was wthin my Province, or that I had any thing to doe wth it, for so he sayd that he had been informed and I had some difficulty to satisfy him that it was wthin my Province, By this you may daily perceiue what waves these men goe, and of what dangerous consequence their proceedings are to me. I pray do not forgett also to prosecute effectually the busines of the tribute from the Indians and the discouery of the redd earth, and to send me the quantity I desired of it wth speed. Me thinkes the Indians who are christened, if their conversion be reall, might be brought to assist in their labours, and contributions of Beauer, peake &c. for the building of the New Chappell: endeavour I pray what you can to effect this.
The Colony of Virginea hath this yeare by their petitions hither, desired seuerall things of the King, wch moue but slowly heere for their new Agent Sr John Berkeley, is no very good Soliciter, and regards litle but his owne subsistence, in wch he finds imployment enough for his thoughts; his fortune being very necessitous. I beleeue that I could stand them in some steed heere in their busines, if they would deserue it of me: but it seemes I haue been soe disobliged this yeare by
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them; that I haue little reason to trouble myselfe in their behalf. I haue deserued better of them, for they had long since I dare say been reduced vnder that Company (wch it seemes by their late protestation they so much abhor to come vnder, had it not been for me. You may tell Mr Kemp by letter from you, or otherwise, that if a Declaration may be obtained from the generall Assembly in Virginea this next yeare, wch may import a settlement of friendship between me & that Colony and an allowance & approbation of my Pattent, and a Disclaime from all petitions deliuered here agt me and my Colony, in their names: and a condemnation of Cleybornes proceedings in the Ile of Kent and elsewhere towards me, and that I and my Colony may haue free trade for, and leaue to transport anything we buy in Virginea, without exception; and that they will make a league offensiue & defensiue wth me in such a way as you shall see cause: then I shall be willing to imploy my best endeauours in their affaires here, and I am confident I could find a way to effect those things they desire aboue mentioned to their contentment: but vnless all those things aforesaid concerning me be first clone by them: I will not trouble myself wth them. Soe expecting to heare from you concerning this business wherein I would not haue you negligent, I rest,
Yor most affectionate loving
Brother
London
Brother 21 Nou. 1642.
My wife sent an Adventure by Mr Robert Euelin the last yeare, to be putt off in Virginea for her, at the best aduantage he could, of which he hath by his letters this yeare faithfully promised to send the next yeare to her, a good returne, and a iust account thereof. I haue giuen my Wife satisfaction for
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the said aduenture; and I do bestow the one halfe of it vpon you, and the other half vpon the said Mr Euelin to make yor best benefits of it, without any farther account to me or my wife for it; and I haue herein enclosed sent you a Note of the pticulars of that aduenture vnder Mr Ro. Euelins hand wth the prices wch they cost in England; wch I suppose wilbe doubled there, to the end you may know how to demand yor halfe from Mr Euelin, and being satisfied therein, to deliuer him the said Note againe.
I pray take order that in the next yeares account of my neate cattle there, those wch you haue of mine and also those wch are in Kent, together wth the increase of both those parts of my stocke; be truly inserted in the said account, for in Mr Lewgers last yeares account, they were both omitted, and I pray send Mr Kemp word that I do not like his way of paymt of the 100?? wch by his own agreemt he acknowledgeth receiued from me, and for wch he was to deliuer me Sheep &c. whither I could haue liberty to transport them or no into Maryland of wch there was no mention in the said agreemt as may appeare by the copy thereof wch Mr Lewger hath, therefore vrge him to deale fairer wth me then so, by letting me haue so many sheep as that money comes vnto, to be sold by yor direction for me in Virginea, and turned into Neat-cattle or els that Mr Kemp will pay me in Neat-cattle to be transported into Maryland, for I will not accept of the other paymt and I pray do you endeauour my satisfaction herein wth expedition, and giue me an account thereof.
I wonder why you gaue such kind entertainment as I understand you did to certaine Dutch, who came it seemes to St Maries the last yeare being some of those who are planted in Delaware bay wth in my prouince. I understand that diuers
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poore Planters are much preiudic'd by the Indians killing their hogges, and that the Indians vpon pretence of their being made Christians are conniued at, by the gouernmt there, in this iniury done by them to the planters, to the vndoing of diuers of them, who vpon complaint made, can haue no remedy against the said Indians nor are pmitted to right themselues. I pray if this be true, do not faile to see it timely redressed. I pray haue a speciall care of my ordnance there & send me a pticulr note of them the next yeare & an information in what condition they are. I did expect by yor l??s this yeare to haue had yor opinion concrning a pposition of setting vp an Iron Work in those pts according to my desire to you last yeare, a copy of wch pposition I then sent you but you do vsually omitt to giue me satisfaction in diurs things, wch I write vnto you about, wherein you do not well: and I haue told you often of.
Good Brother
Iust now I vnderstand that notwthstanding my prohibition to the contrarie another member of those of the Hill there, hath by a slight gott aboard Mr Ingle's shipp in the Downes to take his passage for Maryland wch for diuers respects I haue reason to ressent as a high affront vnto mee wherein if you doe not that right vnto mee as I require from you in my Instructions dat 20 Octobr last: I shall haue iust cause to thinke, that I haue putt my honor there in trust to ill hands who betray mee to all the infamous contempts that may bee Laid vpon mee. This Gentleman the bearer hereof Mr Territt will acquaint you more pticulerly wth my mind herein and wth the opinion and sence wch diuers pious and Learned men here haue to this odious and impudent iniurie offred vnto mee, and wth what is Lawfull and most necessarie to bee done in it as
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well for the vindication of my honor as in time to pruent a growing mischeife vpon mee, vnto whome wherefore I pray giue creditt. Mr Gilmett will I know concurr in opinion wth him, for vpon diuers consults had here (before hee went) hee was well satisfied what might and ought to bee done vpon such an occasion. In case the man aboue men??ned who goes thither in contempt of my prohibition: should bee disposed off in some place out of my province before you can lay hold of him for they are so full of shiftes and deuises as I beleeue they may perhapps send him to Pattomack towne thinking by that meanes to auoid yor power of sending him back into those parts, and yett the affront to mee remaine and the danger of priudice also bee the same, for (whatsoeur you may conceiue of them who haue no reason vpon my knowledge to loue them verie much if you knew as much as I doe concerning their speeches and actions here towards you) I am (vpon very good reason) satisfied in my iudgmt that they doe designe my destruction and I haue too good cause to suspect, that if they cannot make or mainteine a partie by degrees among the English, to bring their ends about they will endeauour to doe it by the Indians wthin a verie short time by arming them &c. against all those that shall oppose them and all vnder pretence of God's honor and the propagacon of the Christian faith, wch shalbee the maske and vizard to hide their other designes wthall. If all things that Clergie men should doe vpon these prtences should bee accounted iust and to proceed from God, Laymen were the basest slaues and most wretched creatures vpon the earth. And if the greatest saint vpon earth should intrude himselfe into my howse against my will and in despite of mee wth intention to saue the soules of all my family, but wth all giue mee iust cause to suspect that bee likewise designes my temporall destruction, or that being
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already in my howse doth actuallie practise it, although wth all hee doe perhaps manie spirituall goods, yet certeinlie I may and ought to prsecrue myselfe by the expulsion of such an enemy and by prouideing others to performe the spirituall good hee did, who shall not haue anie intention of mischeife towards mee, for the Law of nature teacheth this, that it is lawfull for eurie man in his owne lust defence, vim vi repellere those that wilbee impudent must bee as impudently dealt wthall. In case I say that the parte aboue men??ned should escape yor hands by the meanes afore said (wch by all meanes pruent if possibly you can) then I praie doe not faile to send Mr Copley away from thence by the next shipping to those parts; vnless hee will bring the other new comes into yor power to send back againe, and this I am satisfied here that I may for diuers reasons cause to bee done, as the said Mr. Territt and Mr Gilmett will more fullie satisfie you and I am resolued to haue it done accordinglie. The princes of Italie who are now vpp in Armes against the Pope (although they bee Romane Catholiquues) doe not make anie scruple of Conscience by force of Armes to vindicate the Iniurie wch they conceiue hee would haue done vnto the Duke of Parma; bye wresting a braue Pallace, not farr from Rome called Capreroly wth a little Territory about it, from the said Duke for one of the Popes Nephewes: nor doe they much esteeme his excommunications or Bulls (both the pope hath made vse off) in that busines for they beleeue them to bee vniustly grounded, and therefore of no validity: although they continue notwthstanding Romane Catholiques, and these are: the Duke of fflorence the state of Venice, the Duke of Parma and the duke of Modena Reggio: who are ioined in league and haue now an Armie of aboue 40000 men raised against the pope, and hee neer as many against them vpon the quarrell aboue men??ned,
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insomuch as it is generallie conceiued here that Rome is sacked by this time, or els that the pope hath giuen full satisfaction to the aforesaid princes, for hee is thought too weake for them. In fine if you doe not wth a constant resolution and faithfull affection to mee, executed what I haue here directed (whatsoeur inconvenience come off it) and according to what you shall vnderstand to bee my mind herein more perticulerlie by word of mouth from the said Mr Territt you will as I said betray mee to the greatest dishonor and priudice that euer one Brother did another: But you must bee verie carefull that Mr Territt receiue no priudice by his communicating my mind to you, or by his zealous affection and fidelity to mee in doeing his best endeauours wth you to see my desire herein accomplished. Nor Likewise Mr Gilmett wch I am confident yor owne iudgmt and discretion will incline you to preuent although I had not men??ned it. I vnderstand that notwthstanding my prohibition the Last yeare you did passe Grants vnder my scale here to those of the Hill of St Inegoes and other Lands at St Maryes and also of 100 Acres of land at Pascattoway some of wch as I am informed you conceiued in iustice due vnto them and therefore thought yor selfe obliged to grant them although it were contrarie to my directions wch to mee seemes verie strange, for certeinly I haue power to reuoke anie authoritie I haue giuen you here either in whole or in part, and if I had thought fitt to haue totally reuoked yor power of granting anie Lands there at all in my name certeinly no man that is disinterested could thinke that you were bound neuertheless in conscience to vsurpe such an authoritie against my will, because in Justice diuers planters ought to haue grants from mee: for when I haue reuoked the power I gaue you for that purpose anie man els may as well as you vndertake to passe grants in my name,
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and haue as much obligation also in Conscience to doe it, and how ridiculous that were for anie man to doe I leaue it to you to iudge when I did giue directions to you not to grant anie more Lands to those of the bill there, vpon anie prtence whatsoeuer I did so farr as concern'd them reuoke that power I formerlie gaue you of granting of lands there, and it was a great breach of trust in you to doe the contrarie for I beleeue you would take it verie ill, and wth good reason you might, if anie man whome you should trust wth the keeping of yor scale, should affix it to anie thing contrary to yor direction although you were bound perhapps in future to cause it to bee done yor selfe; if those psons had had anie iust cause of complaint by haueing grants refused them, it had been yor part onlie to haue referred them vnto me, who knew best my owne reasons why I gaue the aforesaid Directions, for you are but meetly instrumentall in those things to doe what I direct, and not to compel mee to doe what you thinke fitting: And for ought you know some accident might haue hapned here that it was no iniustice in mee to refuse them grants of anie Land at all, and that by reason of some Act of this state it might haue endangered my life and fortune to haue permitted them to haue had anie grants at all, wch I doe not Ile assure you mention wthout good ground. I shall earnestlie therefore desire you to bee more obseruant hereafter of my directions, and not expect that I should satisfie yor iudgmt by acquainting you still wth my reasons why I direct anie thing: for then my power there were no more then anie mans else, who may wth reasons perswade you to doe or forbeare any thing as well as I. And I doe once more strictly require you not to suffer anie grants of anie Lands for the future to pass my Seale here to anie Member of the Hill there nor to anie other person in trust for them vpon anie prtence or claime whatsoeur wthout
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especiall Warrant vnder my hand and Seale to bee hereafter obteyned from mee for that purpose. So I rest
Yor most affectionate loueing Brother,
London 23th Nouemb: 1642.
I pray commend my kind respects to Mrs Traughton and thanke her from mee for the letter shee sent mee this yeare in answeare of another wch I had sent vnto her the yeare before.
The Maisters here of those of the Hill there did diuers waies importune mee to pmitt some of theirs to goe this yeare thither, insomuch as they haue God forgiue them for it caused a bitter falling out between my sister Peasely and mee, and some discontentmt also betweene mee and her husband about it, because I would not by anie meanes giue way to the goeing of anie of the aforesaid psons.
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