lease, and was soe willing for ye surrender and reduceing it to 21 yeares, to ye great advantage of my Sea, what ever it be to rayselfe, yt I was willing to deale by him as I have done. Besides this way is wthout clamour, wch the strugling in Lawe and the thrusting of him out would have been full of. And the best is, in this way I have hurt noe body but myselfe, & I can easily forgive myselfe when I will. And thoe I shall never deserve the testimony wch you are lovingly pleased to give my publick services, yet I cannot but take your expressions to me very kindly, and shall not faile to make you all such returne for your love as may lye wthin my power.
I thanke you alsoe for ye care, wch I hope by this time you have taken, for securing my fine. But if I had knowne yt Cunliffe and Kenyon had been such sufficient men I would have gone noe farther for security, but have taken yem rather then younge Ashton and Standish, and if these Lrs come not to late I would you would joyne them to ye other.
Had I knowne there had been a weekly post between you and London you should have heard oftner from me then you have, but I am glad I knowe it now, yt as I have occasion, publick or private, I may be able to send Lrs to you. For Mr Griflftth I have had a great deale of expression and experience of his love to me, and in this particular I was confident he would carry it wth as much care to my profitt and my honor together as I could desire. He is now newly come to London and hath been wth me, and your Lordp may be sure I will goe noe farther forward then I am but wth his advise in ye presence of my counsell; but backe I will not goe from any thing I have agreed, what losse soever it bring me, unlesse Sr Ra. breake first wth me. And I will take all the care yt possibly I can to hamper him soe as that his neighbours, both clergy and Laye, may live quietly by him if it be not theire owne fault.
My Lo. concerning Rachdale I am soe farre from being offended as that I thanke you very heartily for both ye mocones wch you have made, and should not long deliberate farther what I did wth Rachdale but yt before your Lrs came to me I was in part engaged for the bestowing of it, and the party is this very day come to me to receive my presentation. Yet neverthelesse I like ye fitting of Manchester Coll. soe well, and am soe willing to doe ye newe Warden a good tume, if he will doe his duty to ye Church, as he hath promised, I shall be very well pleased to give him Rachdale in exchange for yt wch he hath in ye Diocesse of
