_Two letters from Thomas Dudley at Newtown to William Bradford at New Plymouth_: Good Sir, I have received your letter through Captain Standish, and am unfeignedly glad of God’s mercy towards you in the steady recovery of your health. Concerning the matter you write of, I thought I would send a word or two in answer to yourself, leaving your Governor’s letter to be answered by our court, to which with myself it is directed. I presume, until I hear further, that your patent may warrant your resistance of any Englishmen trading at Kennebec, and that the blood of Hocking and the man he slew will be required, elsewhere, at his hands. But with yourself and others I grieve for their deaths. I think, also, that your general letters will satisfy our courts, and make them cease from meddling further in the matter. Upon that same letter I have liberated Mr. Alden, with his sureties; but that I may not seem to neglect the opinion of our court, I have bound Captain Standish to appear on June 3rd at our next court, to make affidavit for the copy of the patent and to testify to the circumstances of Hocking’s provocations, both of which will tend to prove your innocence. If any offence has been taken at what we have done, let it be better considered, I pray you; and I hope the more you think of it, the less blame you will impute to us. At least you ought to be just in distinguishing between those whose opinions concur with your own, and others—though I can truly say I have spoken with no one on the subject, even those who blame you most, who had not always heretofore declared their good-will towards your colony. Referring you further to the report you have from Captain Standish and Mr. Alden, I leave you for the present with God’s blessing, wishing you perfect recovery of your health and long continuance of it. I desire to be lovingly remembered to Mr. Prince—your Governor, Mr. Winslow, and Mr. Brewster, whom I would see if I could. The Lord keep you all. Amen. Your very loving friend in our Lord Jesus, THOMAS DUDLEY. _Newtown, May 22nd, 1634._ Sir,