By his Excellency horatio sharpe, Esq., Governor
and Commander in Chief in and over the Province of
maryland.

A BRIEF.

It having been represented to me, by his Majesty's Gov-
ernor of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England, That on the
20th of March last, a Fire broke out in the Town of Boston, in
such Manner as to elude all Means for suppressing the same,
until it had (according to the best Information that could be
obtained) destroyed 174 Dwelling-Houses, and as many
Warehouses, Shops, and other Buildings, which, with the
Furniture and other Goods therein, amount, at a moderate
Computation, to 100,000 l. Sterling ; and that, by this unhappy
Accident, 220 Families were turned out of Doors, the greatest
Part of whom, being by this Misfortune rendered incapable
of subsisting themselves, were become proper Objects of
Charity.
And that although he had sent Briefs throughout that
Province to procure Relief for the unhappy Sufferers, the
Calamity is so great and extensive, that the Means of Relief
from amongst themselves, and the Contributions of their own
Inhabitants, must be greatly inadequate to the Loss.
His Excellency therefore desires me to recommend it to
the People of this Province, to assist in Relieving their dis-
tressed Fellow-Subjects, and that I would cause what may be
collected on this Occasion, to be remitted to the Select-men
and Overseers of the Poor of the Town of Boston, with whom
will be lodged the Collections made in that Government, to
be distributed amongst the Sufferers, as they, in their Discre-
tion, shall judge proper.
I do therefore hereby most earnestly recommend to the
Benevolence and Charity of the good People of this Province,
the calamitous and ruined Condition of those unhappy Suf-
ferers ; not doubting, but as all are subject to the like Calami-
ties, and under like Misfortunes would hope and expect the
Assistance of their Fellow-Subjects and Fellow-Christians,
that every Person amongst us will contribute on this Occa-
sion, towards alleviating the Miseries of the unhappy Suffer-
ers, in Proportion to the Means wherewith GOD hath severally
blessed us.

Printed Bill.