Your loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.
Jan. 17th, 1621.
Another letter was written by part of the company of the adventurers to the same purpose, and subscribed with nine of their names, of which Mr. Weston’s and Mr. Beauchamp’s were two. This inconstancy and shuffling seemed strange, and it appeared there was some mystery in the matter. So the Governor concealed these letters from the public and only imparted them to some trusted friends for advice, who agreed with him that to inform them would tend to disband and scatter them in their present necessity; and if Mr. Weston and others like-minded should come over with shipping, provisioned as his letters suggested, most of the advantage would fall to him, to the prejudice of themselves and their friends and the rest of the adventurers, from whom as yet they had heard nothing. Indeed it was doubted whether he had not sent over the people in the former ship with this idea. However, they took compassion on the seven whom this ship, fishing to the eastward, had kept till planting time was over, so that it was too late for them to set their corn, and who brought no food, for they turned them ashore without any. Nor had the salt-pan come; so they could not accomplish any of the things which Mr. Weston had mentioned, and might have starved if the plantation had not succoured them. Their wants were supplied exactly as the rest of the settlers’. The ship went down to Virginia, where they sold both ship and fish, of the proceeds of which Mr. Weston received a very slender share, it is understood.
After this came another of his ships, bringing letters dated the 10th April, from Mr. Weston, as follows.
Mr. Weston in England to Governor Bradford at New Plymouth:
Mr. Bradford, these, etc.
The Fortune has arrived, whose good news concerning you I am very glad to hear. And though she was robbed on the way by the French, yet I hope your loss will not be great, for the prospect of so great a return much encourages the adventurers, so that I hope some matter of importance will be done by them.... As for myself, I have sold my adventure and debts to them, so I am quit of you, and you of me, for that matter.... And now, though I have no position as an adventurer amongst you, I will advise you a little for your good, if you like to avail yourselves of it. I know as well as any the disposition of your adventurers, whom the hope of gain has drawn on to what they have done; but I fear that hope will not draw them much further. Besides, most of them are against sending your friends at Leyden, in whose interests this business was first begun; and some of the most religious (for instance a Mr. Greene) takes exception to them. So that my advice is (you may follow it if you please) that you forthwith break off your joint stock, which you have the right to do both in law and conscience, since the majority of the adventurers have sanctioned it in a former letter. The resources you have there, which I hope will be to some purpose by means of this spring’s trade, may, with the help of some friends here, meet the expense of transporting the Leyden contingent, and when they are with you I do not question but by God’s help you will be able to subsist of yourselves. But I leave you to your own discretion.
I requested several of the adventurers, Mr. Pierce, Mr. Greene, and others, if they had anything to send you,—such as food or letters,—to send them by these ships; and wondering that they sent not so much as a letter, I asked our passengers what letters they had, and after some hesitation one of them told me he had one, which was delivered him with great show of secrecy; and for its greater security he was told to buy a pair of new shoes, and sew it between the soles for fear of its being intercepted. I, taking the letter, wondering what mystery might be in it, broke it open and found this treacherous letter subscribed by the hands of Mr. Pickering and Mr. Greene. Had it come to your hands without comment, it might have injured, if not ruined, us all. For assuredly if you had followed their instructions, and had treated us as unkindly as they advise you to, distrusting us as enemies, etc., it might have set us together by the ears to our destruction. For I believe that in such a case, knowing the nature of past business between us, not only my brother, but others also, would have been violent and heady against you.... I meant to have settled the people I before and now send you, with or near you, for mutual security and defence and help on all occasions. But I find the adventurers so jealous and suspicious that I have altered my resolution, and have given orders to my brother and those with him to do as he and they shall find fit.
Your loving friend,
THOS. WESTON.