Proceedings of /he Council of Maryland, 1661-1675. 477

the ruinous State of these two neighbo^r Plantaons will bee
proposed as shall find in yo^w a ready embracem^t and accept-
ance.
This worthy Gentleman M^r Richard Bennett att the instance

Liber H. H.

of mee & the Councell hath taken uppon himselfe the trouble
of deliuering this to yo^w by whome if yo^w Returne yo^r accept-
ance, & that the urgency of yo^r affayres might permitt us the
honour to see your selfe att the Conference, Both J & m^r Sec-
retary unlesse hindered by the interposall of some unexpected
and pressing occasion, would come to wayte uppon yo^w att the
time & place appoynted. And in the meane time am
Hon^d S^r Yo^r most humble seru^t
William Berkeley.

The Leiut^t Grall, his answere &c:

Most Honoured S^r
I haue receiued yo^r letter by the hands of m^r Bennett &
haue acquainted his L^ps Councell here w^th yo^r desyre therein,
who are most willing to serue the Countrye, and are ready to
ioyne in anything, w^ch may conduce to the improueing our
only commodity att p^rsent, Tobaccoe, w^ch Wee as well as yo^w
are to sensible is of so meane a ualue, th^l wee can hardly
subsist by it, & this cheifly occasioned by the uast quantities
yearely planted, both in Virginia & Maryland.
Of this Wee are sufficiently satisfyed, & haue long labourd
& studyed a meanes to aduance, for w^ch if any expedient may
bee fownd, None J am certaine are more ready to embrace
then Our selues, soe much wee haue desyred it, that wee haue
only exspected yo^r ioyning w^th us, w^thout w^ch wee conceiued it
not possible to bee effected to Our aduantage.
Yo^w hauing bene pleased S^r to signify yo^r desyre towards it,
wee shall most cheerefully ioyne w^th yo^w, and I doubt not but
his Ma^ty will find as ready a Complyance from us in Obedience
to his Royall Commands, as from any other his subiects.

p. 175

His L^p in his last letters to mee gaue mee this busines in
charge according to his Sacred Ma^ties Commands to him to
signify the same unto his Gouerno^r & Councell here, this it
selfe (did not our owne necessities force us to seeke some
redresse) were more then enough to begett in us, an humble
Complyance w^th his ma^ties pleasure herein.
I shall not fayle to appoynt Commis^rs for to attend those yo^w
haue nominated, & att the time & place yo^w haue mentioned.
Where J will endeauo^r my selfe to wayte on yo^w, if other Busi-
nes of w^ch J am to giue his L^p an accompt of by this shipping
doe not disapoynt mee of th^t honour.
S^r I hope some way may then bee fownd & agreed on, by
w^ch wee may better our State & condicon, w^ch for the p^rsent

p. 176