Loving freind, I have received from you some letters, full of affection & complaints, & what it is you would have of me I know not; for your crieing out, Negligence, negligence, negligence, I marvell why so negligente a man was used in ye bussines: Yet know you yt all that I have power to doe hear, shall not be one hower behind, I warent you. You have reference to Mr. Weston to help us with money, more then his adventure; wher he protesteth but for his promise, he would not have done any thing. He saith we take a heady course, and is offended yt our provissions are made so farr of; as also that he was not made aquainted with our quantitie of things; and saith yt in now being in 3. places, so farr remote, (i.e. Leyden, London, and Southampton) we will, with going up & downe, and wrangling & expostulating, pass over ye sourer before we will goe. And to speake ye trueth, they is fallen already amongst us a flatt schisme; and we are redier to goe to dispute, then to sett forwarde a vaiage. I have received from Leyden since you wente (to Southampton) 3. or 4. letters directed to you, though they only conscerne me. I will not trouble you with them. I always feared ye event of ye Amsterdamers (members of Rev. Henry Ainsworth’s church there) striking in with us. I trow you must excomunicate me, or els you must goe without their companie, or we shall wante no quareling; but let them pass.
We have reckoned, it should seeme, without our host;
and, count upon a 150. persons, ther cannot be founde
above 1200li. & odd moneys of all ye venturs you can
reckone, besids some cloath, stockings, & shoes, which
are not counted; so we shall come shorte at least 3.
or 400li. I would have had some thing shortened
at first of beare (beer) & other provissions in hope
of other adventurs, & now we could have, both in Amsterd
& Kente, beere inough to serve our turne, but now we
cannot accept it without prejudice. You fear
we have begune to build & and shall not be able to
make an end; indeed, our courses were never established
by counsell, we may therfore justly fear their standing.
Yea, then was a schisme amongst us 3. at ye first.
You wrote to Mr. Martin, to prevente ye making of
ye provissions in Kente, which he did, and sett downe
his resolution how much he would have of every thing,
without respecte to any counsell or exception.
Surely he yt is in a societie & yet regards not counsell,
may better be a king then a consorte. To be
short, if then be not some other dispossition setled
unto then yet is, we yt should be partners of humilitie
and peace, shall be examples of jangling & insulting.
Yet your money which you ther [Southampton] must
have, we will get provided for you instantly. 500li.
you say will serve; for ye rest which hear & in Holand
is to be used, we may goe scratch for it. For
Mr. Crabe, of whom you write, he hath promised to
goe with us, yet I tell you I shall not be without
feare till I see him shipped, for he [i.e. his going]
is much opposed, yet I hope he will not faile.
Thinke ye best of all, and bear with patience what
is wanting, and ye Lord guid us all.
Your
loving freind,
Robart
Cushman.
London June 10. Ano: 1620.