towards his servants, and humbly desire to blesse his holy name for his great mercies hithertoo. [166] The Leyden people being thus come over, and sundry of y^e generalitie seeing & hearing how great y^e charg was like to be that was that way to be expended, they begane to murmure and repine at it, notwithstanding y^e burden lay on other mens shoulders; espetially at y^e paying of y^e 3. bushells of corne a year, according to y^e former agreemente, when y^e trad was lett for y^e 6. years aforesaid. But to give them contente herein allso, it was promised them, that if they could doe it in y^e time without it, they would never demand it of them; which gave them good contente. And indeed it never was paid, as will appeare by y^e sequell. Concerning M^r. Allertons proceedings about y^e inlarging & confirming of their patent, both y^t at home & Kenebeck, will best appere by another leter of M^r. Sherleys; for though much time & money was expended aboute it, yet he left it unaccomplisht this year, and came without it. See M^r. Sherleys letter. Most worthy & loving freinds, &c. Some of your letters I received in July, & some since by M^r. Peirce, but till our maine bussines, y^e patent, was granted, I could not setle my mind nor pen to writing. M^r. Allerton was so turrmoyled about it, as verily I would not nor could not have undergone it, if I might have had a thousand pounds; but y^e Lord so blessed his labours (even beyond expectation in these evill days) as he obtained y^e love & favore of great men in repute & place. He got granted from y^e Earle of Warwick & S^r. Ferdinando Gorge all that M^r. Winslow desired in his letters to me, & more also, which I leave to him to relate. Then he sued to y^e king to confirme their grante, and to make you a corporation, and so to inable you to make & execute lawes, in such large & ample maner as y^e Massachusett plantation hath it; which y^e king graciously granted, referring it to y^e Lord Keeper to give order to y^e solisiter to draw it up, if ther were a presidente for it. So y^e Lord Keeper furthered it all he could, and allso y^e solissiter; but as Festus said to Paule, With no small sume of money obtained I this freedom; for by y^e way many ridells must be resolved, and many locks must be opened with y^e silver, ney, y^e golden key. Then it was to come to y^e Lord Treasurer, to have his warrente for freeing y^e custume for a certaine time; but be would not doe it, but refferd it to y^e Counsell table. And ther M^r. Allerton atended day by day, when they sate, but could not gett his petition read. And by reason of M^r. Peirce his staying with all y^e passengers at Bristoll, he was forct to leave y^e further prosecuting of it to a solissiter. But ther is no fear nor doubte but it will be granted, for he hath y^e cheefe of them to freind; yet it will be marvelously needfull for him to returne by