Document: Translation of a letter from gov. Endecott into Dutch

Translation of the letter above.[i]

[ ? ]

sioners [

My lord

Three of your honors’ neighbors came to us here when we gathered at Boston, namely Mr. Jan Cuts, Richard Cuts, and Hendrick Woolcot, informing us of a matter in which they had suffered and made a loss [several lines lost] [ an inhabitant or free ] Manhatoes presenting the [ with severitie ] and in a manner [ unknown ] to the burghers of that [ ] as they say) in which they— considering [ our ] interest of neighborly correspondence, applied in an amicable manner of mediation to your honors, who might be of some help for their release—have requested these, our letters concerning their business, and so far as their innocence may appear they brought about that we write on their behalf. They say the case to be the seizing of a parcel of beavers in the hands of their agent Jan Laurens, because it was carried from one burgher’s house at the Manhattans to another being a small distance away from the other, without the boundary set for the confiscation of beavers to prevent the defrauding of the customs or recognition fee. By this procedure (the aforesaid beavers being held as a fine, your honors were pleased to levy the sum of 25 pont upon their aforesaid agent) they pretend to suffer great loss and request your honors’ just favor to cancel this, and also that their friend and agent Jan Laurens, being an Englishman, may not suffer merely because of failing an exact observation of some circumstance or subdivision in your law because they had honestly ordered Mr. Steenwijck, one of your own magistrates, obliging him to pay the customs. The truth is sir, we [ neather know ijour lawes nor the equitable grounds upon which they are made nor desire to intermeddle with your executions of the[m ] but to request that with favour to the inno[ cent ] acts and] intention[ s of honest Englishmen ijow would please to review and consider whither the cariage off ijour fiscael in this businis maij ] not be mixed [ with more regidnes ] toward Englishmen to [ ] your nation in our area, which [ if your ] honors will have done, we have [ no ] doubt that the matter will succeed successfully to mutual satisfaction and as may be favorable between neighborly republics, on which assumption we stop bothering your honors any longer and remain, My lord, your honors’very dear friends, the ambassadors of the United Colonies,

John Endecot president Simon Bradstreate Tho: Prence

Jos: Winslew John Winthrop John Talbott Francis Newman William Leete

Boston, Sept: 15th, anno 1658

Rights: This translation is provided for education and research purposes, courtesy of the  New York State Library Manuscripts and Special Collections, Mutual Cultural Heritage Project. Rights may be reserved. Responsibility for securing permissions to distribute, publish, reproduce or other use rest with the user. For additional information see our Copyright and Use Statement Source: New York State Archives. New Netherland. Council. Dutch colonial council minutes, 1638-1665. Series A1809. Volume 8.