I am deeply sorry for the news that Captain Standish and others of your colony, and my beloved friends, are bringing with them to New Plymouth, in which I suffer with you, because of the difference of my opinion from that of others who are godly and wise amongst us here, reverence for whose judgments causes me to suspect my own ignorance. But I cannot alter it until I am convinced otherwise. I did not intend to show your letter to me, but to do my best to reconcile the differences as best I could; but Captain Standish demanding an answer to it publicly in court, I was forced to produce it, which made the breach the wider, as he will tell you. I proposed to the court that they should answer the letter from Mr. Prince, your Governor; but the court ruled that it required no answer, since it was itself an answer to a former letter of ours. Pray inform Mr. Prince of this, and others whom it concerns, so that they may not impute neglect or ill manners to me on this score. The recent letters I have received from England cause me to fear[9] that some trials are likely to fall upon us shortly, and this unhappy dispute between you and us, and between you and Piscataqua, will hasten them, if God with an extraordinary hand does not help us. To reconcile this for the present will be very difficult; but time cools distempers, and a common danger approaching us both will necessitate our uniting again. I pray you therefore, Sir, set your wisdom and patience to work, and exhort others to do the same, that things may not proceed from bad to worse, making our divisions like the bars of a palace; but that a way of peace may be kept open, where the God of peace may have entrance at His own time. If you are wronged, it is to your honour to bear it patiently; but I go too far in needlessly putting you in mind of such things. God has done great things for you, and I desire His blessings may be multiplied upon you more and more. I will commit no more to writing, but commending myself to your prayers, I rest Your truly loving friend in our Lord Jesus, THOMAS DUDLEY. _June 4th, 1634._