“I am, respectfully, Sir, your most obedient humble servant,
“James Clarke.
“The Rev. Jeremy Belknap.”
Where the writer speaks of a page being torn out, he probably means that one leaf had been torn out of the volume. Bradford may have written on one side only of the leaf in copying his letters, as he generally did in writing his History, so that one leaf would represent one page of writing.—Eds.
GOVERNOR BRADFORD’S LETTER BOOK.
[Page 339—the preceding pages wanting.]
To our beloved and right well esteemed friend Mr. William Bradford Governour these, but inscribed thus:
To our beloved friends Mr. William Bradford, Mr. Isaac Allerton, Mr. Edward Winslow, and the rest whom they think fit to acquaint therewith.
Two things (beloved friends) we have endeavoured to effect, touching Plymouth plantation, first, that the planters there might live comfortably and contentedly. 2d that some returns might be made hither for the satisfying and encouragement of the adventurers, but to neither of these two can we yet attain. Nay, if it be as some of them report which returned in the Catherine, it is almost impossible to hope for it, since, by their sayings, the slothfulness of one part of you, and the weakness of the other part, is such, that nothing can go well forward. And although we do not wholly credit these reports, yet surely, either the country is not good where you are, for habitation; or else there is something amiss amongst you; and we much fear the willing are too weak and the strong too idle. And because we will not stand upon the number of the objections made by them against you; we have sent them here enclosed, that you may see them and answer them. (These are those which are inserted and answered before in this book; namely, before Liford’s letters, where those letters should also have been placed, but they came not then to hand and I thought better to put them in, than to omit them.)