LETTER TO SIR EDWIN SANDYS.
Righte Wor^pl:
Our humble duties remembered, in our owne, our messengers, and our churches name, with all thankfull acknowledgmente of your singuler love, expressing itselfe, as otherwise, so more spetially in your great care and earnest endeavor of our good in this weightie bussines aboute Virginia, which ye less able we are to requite, we shall thinke our selves the more bound to comend in our prayers unto God for recompense; whom as for y^e presente you rightly behould in our indeavors, so shall we not be wanting on our parts (the same God assisting us) to returne all answerable fruite, and respecte unto y^e labour of your love bestowed upon us. We have with y^e best speed and consideration withall that we could, sett downe our requests in writing, subscribed, as you willed, w^th the hands of y^e greatest parte of our congregation, and have sente y^e same unto y^e Counsell by our agente, & a deacon of our church, John Carver, unto whom we have also requested a gentleman of our company to adyone him selfe; to the care & discretion of which two, we doe referr y^e prosecuting of y^e bussines. Now we perswade our selves Right Wor^pp: that we need not provoke your godly & loving minde to any further or more tender care of us, since you have pleased so farr to interest us in your selfe, that, under God, above all persons and things in the world, we relye upon you, expecting the care of your love, counsell of your wisdome, & the help & countenance of your authority. Notwithstanding, for your encouragmente in y^e worke, so farr as probabilities may leade, we will not forbeare to mention these instances of indusmente.
1. We veryly beleeve & trust y^e Lord is with us, unto whom & whose service we have given our selves in many trialls; and that he will graciously prosper our indeavours according to y^e simplicitie of our harts therin.
2^ly. We are well weaned from y^e delicate milke of our mother countrie, and enured to y^e difficulties of a strange and hard land, which yet in a great parte we have by patience overcome.
3^ly. The people are for the body of them, industrious, & frugall, we thinke we may safly say, as any company of people in the world.
4^ly. We are knite togeather as a body in a most stricte & sacred bond and covenante of the Lord, of the violation whereof we make great conscience, and by vertue whereof we doe hould our selves straitly tied to all care of each others good, and of y^e whole by every one and so mutually.
5. Lastly, it is not with us as with other men, whom small things can discourage, or small discontentments cause to wish them selves at home againe. We knowe our entertainmente in England, and in Holland; we shall much prejudice both our arts & means by removall who, if we should be driven to returne, we should not hope to recover our present helps and comforts, neither indeed looke ever, for our selves, to attaine unto y^e like in any other place during our lives, w^ch are now drawing towards their periods.
These motives we have been bould to tender unto you, which you in your wisdome may also imparte to any other our wor^pp freinds of y^e Counsell with you; of all whose godly dispossition and loving towards our despised persons, we are most glad, and shall not faile by all good means to continue & increase y^e same. We will not be further troublesome, but doe, with y^e renewed remembrance of our humble duties to your Wor^pp: and (so farr as in modestie we may be bould) to any other of our wellwillers of the Counsell with you, we take our leaves, commiting your persons and counsels to y^e guidance and direction of the Almighty.
Yours much bounden in all duty,
Leyden, Desem: 15.
John Robinson,
An^o: 1617.
William Brewster.