copy of it, although the Director has frequently promised and
we have frequently applied for it.

<1> December, 1648.

As the Company had now been waited upon a long while in vain,
promising amendment from time to time but going on worse, a
determined resolution was taken by the commons-men to send
some person. They made their intention known to the Director,
and requested that they might confer with the commonalty; but
their proposition was not well received, and they obtained in
reply to their written petition a very long apostil, to the
effect, that consultation must be had with the Director, and
his instructions followed, with many other things which did
not agree with out object, and were impracticable, as we think.
For various reasons which we set down in writing, we thought it
was not advisable to consult with him, but we represented to
his Honor that he should proceed; we would not send anything to
the Fatherland without his having a copy of it. If he could
then justify himself, we should be glad he should; but to be
expected to follow his directions in this matter was not, we
thought, founded in reason, but directly antagonistic to the
welfare of the country. We had also never promised or agreed
to do so; and were bound by an oath to seek the prosperity of
the country, as, according to our best knowledge, we are
always inclined to do.

In the above mentioned apostil it says, if we read rightly,
that we should inquire what approbation the commonalty were
willing to give to this business, and how the expense should