Your Majesty's most humble slave and dog,
Steenie.
Madrid,
25 April, 1623.
Sir, four Asses I have sent you, two he's and two she's; five camels, two he's, two she's, with a young one; and one Elephant, which is worth your seeing. These I have impudently begged for you. There is a Barbary horse comes with them, I think from Watt Aston. My Lord Bristow says he will send you more Camels. When we come ourselves we will bring you horses and asses enough. If I may know whether you desire Mules or not, I will bring them, or Deer of this country either. And I will lay wait for all the rare-coloured birds that can be heard of. But if you do not send your baby jewels enough, I'll stop all other presents. Therefore look to it.
[A VINDICATION OF NEW ENGLAND (1624).]
Source.—Bradford, History of the Plymouth Plantation. Book II.
With the former letter written by Mr. Shirley there were sent sundry objections ... made by some of those that came over on their own account and were returned home. I shall set them down here, with the answers then made unto them and sent over at the return of this ship, which did so confound the objectors as some confessed their fault and others denied what they had said and ate their words, and some others of them have since come over again and here lived.
The first objection was diversity about Religion. Answer: We know no such matter, for here was never any controversy or opposition (either public or private) (to our knowledge,) since we came.
2 ob. Neglect of family duties, on the Lord's Day. Ans.: We allow no such thing, but blame it in ourselves and others; and they that thus report it, would have showed their Christian love the more if they had told the offenders of it, rather than thus to reproach them behind their backs. But (to say no more) we wish themselves had given better example.
3 ob. Want of both Sacraments. Ans.: The more is our grief that our pastor is kept from us, by whom we might enjoy them; for we used to have the Lord's Supper every Sabbath, and baptism as often as there was occasion of children to baptize.