taken up in the discovery and prosecution of a popish Plott, and yet there appears little prospect of any Speedy leisure for entring upon such Regulation in yo' affaires as is certainly necessary, not only in respect of Our dignity, but of your owne perfect settlement. But it is very probable, that if either yo' said Agents had brought Commission to intermeddle in such Regulation (which they have disowned) or that you had sent such Commission after them, when from time to time intimations were given them of what Wee did expect, and what Wee were thereupon willing to Grant neither their stay had been thus long, nor had the matter been now undetermined, Wee must therefore attend a further opportunity for this work. And in order thereunto Our will and pleasure is That you choose out such other fitt person or persons duly instructed by you, and send them over in Six moneths after the receipt of these Our Letters that they may here attend Us in the prosecution of the Same, ffor since the Charter by its frame and constitution was originally to be Executed in this Kingdome, and not in New England, otherwise then by Deputation (as is accordingly practised in all other Charters of like nature) it is not possible to establish that perfect Settlement Wee soe much desire, untill these things are better understood.

In the meantime Wee doubt not but the Bearers hereof, who have demeaned themselves during their attendance here with good care and discretion, will from their own observations acquaint you, with many important things which may be of Such use and advertisement to you, that Wee might well hope to be prevented by yo applications in what is expected or desired by Us, so much it is yo interest to propose and intercede for the same, ffor Wee are graciously inclined to have all past errors and mistakes forgotten, and that yo' condition might be soe amended as that neither yo' Settlement, or the minds of Our good Subjects there, should be liable to be shaken and disquieted upon every Complaint. Wee have heard with satisfaction of the great readyness. wherewith Our good Subjects there have lately offered themselves to the taking of the oath of Allegiance, which is a cleer manifestation to Us, That the unanswerable defect in that particular was but the fault of a very few in power, who for soe long a time obstructed what the

Charter and Our Express Commands obliged them unto, as will appear in Our Gracious Letters of the 28th June in the ffourteenth year of Our Reign, And Wee shall henceforth expect, that there wilbe a sutable obedience. in other particulars of the said Letter, as namely in respect of ffreedome and liberty of Conscience, soe as these who desire to serve God in the way of the Church of England, be not thereby made obnoxious or discountenanced from their sharing in the Government, much less that either they or any other of Our good Subjects (not being papists) who doe not agree in the Congregationall way, be by Law Subjected to ffines or fforfeitures or other incapacities for the same, which is a Severity the more to be wondred at, when as Liberty of Conscience was made one principal motive for yo' ffirst transportation into those parts.

Nor doe Wee think it fitt, that any other distinction be observed in the making of ffreemeu, then that they be men of competent estates rateable at Tenn shillings according to the Rules of the place, and that such in their Turns be also capable of the Magistracy, and all Laws made void that obstruct the same, And because Wee have not observed any fruits or advantage by the dispentation granted by Us in Our said Lett's of June in the ffourteenth year of Our Reign, whereby the Number of Assistants setled by the Charter to be Eighteen might be reduced unto the Number of Tenn Our will and pleasure is that the ancient number of Eighteen be henceforth observed according to the Letter of the Charter And Our further will and pleasure is that all persons coming to any privilege Trust or Office in that Colony be first enjoined to take the Oath of Allegiance, And that all the Military Commissions as well as the proceedings of Justice may run in Our Royall Name/.

Wee are informed that you have lately made some good provision for observing the Acts of Trade and Navigation, which is well pleasing unto Us, and as Wee doubt not and doe expect that you will abolish all Laws that are repugnant to, and inconsistent with the Laws of Trade with Us, Wee have appointed Our Trusty and wellbeloved Subject Edward Randolph Esq to be Our Collector Surveyor and Searcher, not only for that Colony, but for all other Our Colonies in New England, constituting him by the Broad Seal of this Our Kingdome to

the said Imployments, and therefore recommending him to yo' help and assistance in all things that may be requisite in the discharge of his Trust./

There is one thing which Wee cannot omitt to lett you know Wee are Surprised att, which is That during the time Wee had the Complaints of Mr Gorges under Our consideration, you should presume without asking Our Royall permission to purchase his Interest in the province of Maine, the Truth whereof is but lately owned by yo1 said Agents, when allmost at the same time Wee come to heare of some Effects of a Severe hand laid by you on Our Subjects there, in consequence therof, And whereas yo Agents declare you have paid to Mr Gorges the Summ of Twelve hundred pounds for the said province, Wee doe Expect upon Our Reimboursement of what it shall appear you have paid for the Same That there be a Surrender of all Deeds and Writings therof made into Our hands, and that your future Agents doe bring them over, for as much as Wee were sometime in treaty for the said province, and doe disapprove what you have done therin. And as for that part of the province of Newhampshire lying Three miles Northward of Merrimack River, which was granted unto Mr Mason, and wherof the Government remains still vested in Us, you are not to expect (according to the desire of yo' Agents) that the same should be annexed to yo' Government, ffor Wee have it under Our consideration, how to establish such method there as may be of most benefitt and satisfaction to Our good Subjects of that place, And therefore Our will and pleasure is that you doe recall all Commissions granted by you for Governing within that province, which Wee doe hereby declare to be void, and doe require that you doe in all things for the future conforme yo' selves unto the Resolution which Wee have taken in this behalf. And soe not doubting of yo' Duty and Obedience herein Wee bid you ffarewell Given at Our Court at Whitehall the ffour and Twentieth day of July 1679 in the One and Thirtieth year of Our Reigne/.

To Our Trusty and wellbeloved the Governor and Company of the Massachusets Bay in New England/.

By his Majts Command

Sunderland

"Mr Gorges Selling the Province of Maine to ye Massachusetts & overtures to Mr Mason from y' Colony for New Hampshire," March, 1679-80, State Papers, Vol. 17, p. 538.

Petition of Robert Mason, received Aug. 6, 1680, State Papers, Vol. 17, p. 540.

[Letter from the King to the Massachusetts Government, Sept. 30,

1680.]

[From manuscript volume in possession of the Maine Historical Society, p. 53.]

30 Sept 80

32 Car, 2

Charles R.

Trusty and Wellbeloved Wee greet you well. When by Our Royall Letters bearing date the 24th day of July in the One and Thirtieth year of Our Reign. Wee signified unto you Our gracious inclination to have all past errors forgotten, setting before you the means whereby you might deserve Our pardon, and commanding yo' ready obedience to Severall particulars therein contained, requiring with all a speedy complyance with the intimations of your duty given to yo' late Agents during their attendanee here, all which Wee esteem essentiall to yo' quiett settlement and naturall obedience due unto Us, Wee then little thought those marks of Our Grace and favour should have found no better acceptance among you, but that before all other things you should have given preference to the Execution of all Our Commands, when after soe many moneths Wee come to understand by a Letter from you to One of Our principal Secretaries of State dated the 21th of May last, that very few of Our directions had been pursued by yo' Generall Court, the further consideration of the remaining particulars having been putt off upon insufficient pretences, and even wholly neglecting your appointment of other Agents, which were required to be sent over unto Us within Six moneths after the receipt of Our said Letters with full Instructions to attend Our Royall pleasure here in relation to that Our Government. Wee have also received the petition of Our Trusty and Welbeloved Robert Mason Esq, whose Ancestors obtained diverse Grants and made

large purchases of Land in New England, humbly laying before Us the State of his further pretensions to the propriety of Soyle in a Tract of Land lying between Merrimack and Naumkeck Rivers by virtue of a Grant bearing date in the Nineteenth year of the Reign of Our Royall Grandfather. In the Examination whereof the Lords of Our Committee of fforreign plantations had made such a progress, that the right of Our Subjects had allready been therupon setled, without the humble intreaty of yo' said Agents, and consent of the said Robert Mason, That in regard of their suddain departure, and want of powers in that behalf, the determination thereof might be suspended until the arrival of other Agents to be appointed, according to the limitation of Our said Letters, as yo' Agents were able to informe you. And although the vindication of Our Authority and the demand of Justice from one of Our Subjects might have well induced Us to the most Speedy means of redress by doing Us and Our Subjects right, Wee have nevertheless continued Our Royall Clemency towards you and thought fitt to give you further opportunity of bearing evidence of yor duty towards Us, soe as no further occasion of complaint may be offered in respect of yo' behaviour. Wee doe therefore by these Our Letters strictly command and require you, as you tender yo' allegiance unto Us, and will deserve, the effects of Our Grace and favour (which Wee are inclined to afford you) seriously to reflect upon Our Commands contained in Our said Letters and other directions at several times intimated unto yo late Agents, while they were yett attending Our Councill, and particularly Wee doe hereby command you to send over, within Three moneths after the receipt thereof, such other person or persons as you shall think fitt to choose, and that you give them sufficient Instructions to attend the regulation and Settlement of that Our Government, and to answer yo' proceedings therein. And that the matter of Complaint of the said Robert Mason may be then determined, Wee expect that yo' Agent or Agents be not onely prepared to lay before Us such Evidences of Right, as you may have to the propriety of Soyle in that Tract of Land claimed by him, but Wee direct you also to make a publick signification of Our pleasure unto all the Inhabitants and Tertenants thereof, that they