Document: Petition of Thomas Willett to be allowed to commute for the duties payable by him

[several lines lost] The undersigned, your honors’ obedient servant [ Tomas Willett ] shows with [ due reverence how ] he has been coming to this city with his bark for some consecutive years now, and has [ brought ] wheat, meat, bacon, and a little English merchandise in order to trade it here, as he did previously with you or the community, for other wares and merchandise that he needs. And having noticed that according to the custom here, it is neither very well possible for the petitioner to declare the brought merchandise (of which he also has to send a batch to Groen Wits)[i] nor to report its true value in detail, because there are many little things among them with hardly a name that were bought along with other goods or as part of a larger quantity; the petitioner, for all the good in the world is also not inclined to burden his mind by concealing or smuggling any of the wares he brought along; although, despite the close attention that may be taken in this regard, plenty of ways can be discovered for the last, namely the illicit trade, for those who want to try to do that. However, he can understand very well that a nation cannot survive without income, and that therefore recognition fees should be paid, but as said before, because it is not very well possible for him to report the goods he brought along one by one, he requests with due reverence that the petitioner be consented (as happened in the past and also last year with the consent of your honors or those who had their orders thereto, to [

] over the recognition fees of [ the goods ] he brought in and will bring in [several lines lost] honors’ subjects, who might [ maintain ] similar or other business [ and ] let [ them ] enjoy [ ] neighborly, friendly, and civil treatment, and to continue to be and remain, as he always has been, not just a friend of the Dutch nation in general, but especially (lower stood) your honors’ willing servant, (was signed) Tho: Willett.