Now if you be of y^e mind y^t these men are, deale plainly with us, & we will seeke our residence els-wher. If you are as freindly as we have thought you to be, give us y^e entertainment of freinds, and we will take nothing from you, neither meat, drinke, nor lodging, but what we will, in one kind or other, pay you for, &c. I shall leave in y^e countrie _a litle ship_ (if God send her safe thither) with mariners & fisher-men to stay ther, who shall coast, & trad with y^e savages, & y^e old plantation. It may be we shall be as helpfull to you, as you will be to us. I thinke I shall see you y^e next spring; and so I comend you to y^e protection of God, who ever keep you.
[78] Thus all ther hops in regard of M^r. Weston were layed in y^e dust, and all his promised helpe turned into an empttie advice, which they apprehended was nether lawfull nor profitable for them to follow. And they were not only thus left destitute of help in their extreme wants, haveing neither vitails, nor any thing to trade with, but others prepared & ready to glean up what y^e cuntrie might have afforded for their releefe. As for those harsh censures & susspitions intimated in y^e former and following leters, they desired to judg as charitably and wisly of them as they could, waighing them in y^e ballance of love and reason; and though they (in parte) came from godly & loveing freinds, yet they conceived many things might arise from over deepe jealocie and fear, togeather with unmeete provocations, though they well saw M^r. Weston pursued his owne ends, and was imbittered in spirite. For after the receit of y^e former leters, the Gov^r received one from M^r. Cushman, who went home in y^e ship, and was allway intimate with M^r. Weston, (as former passages declare), and it was much marveled that nothing was heard from him, all this while. But it should seeme it was y^e difficulty of sending, for this leter was directed as y^e leter of a wife to her husband, who was here, and brought by him to y^e Gov^r. It was as followeth.
Beloved S^r: I hartily salute you, with trust of your health, and many thanks for your love. By Gods providence we got well home y^e 17. _of Feb_. Being robbed by y^e French-men by y^e way, and carried by them into France, and were kepte ther 15. days, and lost all y^t we had that was worth taking; but thanks be to God, we escaped with our lives & ship. I see not y^t it worketh any discouragment hear. I purpose by Gods grace _to see you_ shortly, _I hope in June nexte, or before_. In y^e mean space know these things, and I pray you be advertised a litle. M^r. Weston hath quite broken of from our company, through some discontents y^t arose betwext him and some of our adventurers, & hath sould all his adventurs, & _hath now sent 3. smale ships for his perticuler plantation_. The _greatest_ wherof, _being 100. tune_, M^r. Reynolds goeth m^r. and he with y^e rest purposeth to come him selfe; for what end I know not.