read to them and Mr. Ashurst
every word of the instructions the Commissioners have; and they all
confessed that his Majesty could not expresse more grace and goodness
for that his plantation, nor put it more out of their power in any
degree to invade the liberties and privileges granted to you by your
Charter; and therefore wee were all equally amazed to find that you
demand a revokation of the Commission and Commissioners, without laying
the least matter to their charge of crymes or exorbitances. What sense
the King hath of your addresse to him, you will, I presume, heare from
himself, or by his direction. I shall only tell you that as you had long
cause to expect that the King would send Commissioners thither, so that
it was absolutely necessary he should do so, to compose the differences
amongst yourselves of which he received complaint, and to do justice to
your neighbours, which they demand from his royall hands. I know not
what you mean by saying, the Commissioners have power to exercise
government there altogether inconsistent with your Charter and
privileges, since I am sure their commission is to see and provide for
the due and full observation of the Charter, and that all the privileges
granted by that Charter may be equally enjoyed by all his Majesty's
subjects there. I know they are expressly inhibited from intermeddling
with or obstructing the administration of justice, according to the
formes observed there; but if in truth, in any extraordinary case, the
proceedings there have been irregular, and against the rules of justice,
as some particular cases particularily recommended to them by his
Majesty, seeme to be, it cannot be presumed that his Majesty hath or
will leave his subjects of New England without hope of redresse by any
appeale to him, which his subjects of all his other kingdoms have free
liberty to make. I can say no more to you but that it is in your owne
power to be very happy, and to enjoy all that hath been granted to you;
but it will be absolutely necessary that you perform and pay all that
reverence and obedience which is due from subjects to their king, and
which his Majesty will exact from you, and doubts not but to find from
the best of that colony both in quality and in number. I have no more to
add but that I am,

"Gentlemen,

"Your affectionate servant,

"CLARENDON, C.

"Worcester House, 15 March, 1665."

To Lord Clarendon's letter I will add the letter of the Honourable
Rober