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Rappa. Nov. 28, 1737

Dear Sr,

It is a pleasure to me to have so early an opportunity of answering your letter of the 8th of September, that I may endeavor to convince you I had no Design to keep you out of your money, tho' Mr. Alderman Perry, by too close a confinement to the (litteral?) meaning of what my Brother and I had writ to him, might not think himself at Liberty to pay any part of your Legacy, till the Dispute could be determined & an acknowledgement made by you to give up your claim against my Father's Estate for the Expenses of your English Education and tho' I did not perhaps sufficiently consider with how much exactness Orders ought to be observed in a Mercantile Way, yet I cannot see any great occasion there was for soe much Warmth and Ill Temper since a short time would have set all things to Rights. I will not pertend to find Fault with your Penetration or those you Convers with, yet I cannot see why it should be called a wild Thought, to expect, that my Lord Chancellor, to whom I had once the Honor to be known should at Solicitation of Mr Sergeant Parker, with whom he must be very well Acquainted, read over the last Codicil of my Father's Will and say, Whether it was his Intention, that you shall (crossed out) should have Fifteen hundred pound Bank stock, or Fifteen hundred pounds cash. The Greatest Man cannot be affronted with an Opportunity of doing Good, and I will still hope, that when the Sergeant comes to Town his Opinion may be Obtained; but least it should be otherwise, I will now (crossed out) write to Mr. Alderman Perry to pay you fifteen hundred pounds sterling leaving you to dispute the rest in the Manner you think most Proper either here or in England, except in the Way of an Amicable Decree, which I do not approve of. In the meantime I desire you would recollect, whether it was my Discretion, or your own Importunity easily prevaling on a Temper always as ready to Oblige you, that sent you to England. But it seems I have been