g. 3. An^o: 1620.

Beloved freinds, sory we are that ther should be occasion of writing
at all unto you, partly because we ever expected to see y^e most of
you hear, but espetially because ther should any differance at all be
conceived betweene us. But seing it faleth out that we cannot conferr
togeather, we thinke it meete (though brefly) to show you y^e just
cause & reason of our differing from those articles last made by
Robart Cushman, without our comission or knowledg. And though he might
propound good ends to himselfe, yet it no way justifies his doing it.
Our maine diference is in y^e 5. & 9. article, concerning y^e deviding
or holding of house and lands; the injoying wherof some of your selves
well know, was one spetiall motive, amongst many other, to provoke us
to goe. This was thought so reasonable, y^t when y^e greatest of you
in adventure (whom we have much cause to respecte), when he
propounded conditions to us freely of his owne accorde, he set this
downe for one; a coppy wherof we have sent unto you, with some
additions then added by us; which being liked on both sids, and a day
set for y^e paimente of moneys, those of Holland paid in theirs. After
y^t, Robart Cushman, M^r. Peirce, & M^r. Martine, brought them into a
better forme, & write them in a booke now extante; and upon Robarts
shewing them and delivering M^r. Mullins a coppy therof under his hand
(which we have), he payd in his money. And we of Holland had never
seen other before our coming to Hamton, but only as one got for him
selfe a private coppy of them; upon sight wherof we manyfested uter
dislike, but had put of our estats & were ready to come, and therfore
was too late to rejecte y^e vioage. Judge therfore we beseech you
indiferently of things, and if a faulte have bene co[=m]ited, lay it
wher it is, & not upon us, who have more cause to stand for y^e one,
then you have for y^e other. We never gave Robart Cushman comission to
make any one article for us, but only sent him to receive moneys upon
articles before agreed on, and to further y^e provissions till John
Carver came, and to assiste him in it. Yet since you conceive your
selves wronged as well as we, we thought meete to add a branch to y^e
end of our 9. article, as will allmost heale that wound of it selfe,
which you conceive to be in it. But that it may appeare to all men y^t
we are not lovers of our selves only, bu