Provincial Court Proceedings, 1677/8.    245

        & foure Children are much distrest, his CreditoT8 disappointed who Liber N N
        were to be paid att my Sonns returne to New England, & in particuler
        Mr Shrimpton whose concernes are very considerable, & my selfe
        very greatly concerned which may occasion itt to be hard with me, &
        prove a great disappointmt to me now in my ancient dayes, & have
        ing now bin att five hundred pounds charge or more, which hath bin
        occasioned by this busines, all which together makes itt an extream
        suffering, especially unto us who were his neer relations, But yet I
        would hope that as itt is in yor Honors power, so you will please to
        mitigate itt, & not cause itt to be more heavy by withholding that
        which may yield some reliefe When tyme was in the minority of this
        Province, itt is not unknown I suppose to some of yor Honors what
        testimony of love & good will I exprest towards this Province &
        many of the Inhabitants, putting my selfe upon great trouble &
        charge on that account, of which the ancient Lord who then was
        did please to take notice of, & in particuler att a certaine tyme when
        as Capt Tully had invited divers Mrchants Masters of Shipps
        ifreightors &c who were concerned with this Province unto a ifeast
        his Lordpp was then pleased to take notice of me in way of good
        likeing, & to expresse itt as his pleasure, that I should have all good
        encouragemt given me for the future. I tooke itt as a gratefull ac
        knowledgemt from the ancient Lord, & held my selfe much obliged
        thereby After which tyme I did further engage my self e in the Prov
        ince, but have come off with much losse And now since itt is become
        my lott to request yor favour I hope you will not deale unkindly
        with me, but looke upon me with a benigne aspect, extending yor
        help so farr as may consist with righteousnes & Justice, the which
        will be yor Honor & interest & comfort to the Widdow & ffatherles,
        & my self e in particuler who am
        The ninth day of AprilYor Honors to comand
               1678            wherein I may
                                  John Browne
        April 13th 1678                           p. 493
         For Answer to this peticoñ the Court doe say, that as the right
        Honbte the Lord Propry of this Province is as much bound by his
        own Lawes as the meanest of his Maties Subjects resideing here
        under the protection of his said Lordpp, so itt is but just that his
        cause should be legally tryed before he be concluded. Wherefore the
        Court desired the peticonr to imploy Christopher Rousby genti,
        Geo: Parker gentt, Charles Boteler genti Nehemiah Blakiston genti
        any one or more of them now assigned him for Councell to bring the
        matter legally & Speedily to heareing before the Court, that so his
        Lorpps Attorney genll may be ordered to Answer unto them, &
        speedy & effectual Justice may be done as the meritt of the cause
        shall require