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Brownsea Sept 30th 1676
Honour.d Sir
In making Consions of giving you trouble and knowing it more a dam’d one to be often Imperten.t & imitate the least sort of Roman Christians, who if they make theire confession but once a yeare, tis well a nough when the Rogues cannot remember the Iniquities of a single day but Crowd in their sinnes altogather the Mortall with the veniall (as Trulla doth the fragments of fatt bacon and poore John in a bagg) and thinke they deserve something too.
I must in general for the perticulars are too many but with a very gratefull memory and without the least dragm (of that fond opinion of Merritts) about mee, acknowledge Sr your most generous favours, and confess that ware I not a Cilly whelp I might in a better way (then such as exceeds not the Best natured Curr who never failes to fawne upon those that cherish and doe him good) express my thankefullness, But Sr you knowing my defects, and I knowing you are but a man (tho a very great and good one) doe believe you will be contented with a mite our saviour himselfe being satisfied with two, Therefore take the bouldness to tell you, I shall never faile to owne (though its more odds then a guilded coach to a Turnup Cart or a downe right wheel barrow) that I am never able to pay my very great obligations, or deserve the good opinion you have been please to express of me. It is a very great truth and may be sworne to by a saint that I have been stark madd with my self in parting with Newcastle, but at that tyme I had such a parcel of Love and Maggotts in my head that devowered all my braines and left mee not with enough to Know when I was well. But Sr as I had wickedness enough to sinn against soe good a master soe I have had grace enough to repent & hope for pardon professing had I believed my selfe Capable of Meritting your favour or that my servis had been at all valued by you neither Love not Maggotts had removed me.
Emeadiately after my commin to London I did ingage my selfe to Sr Robt Clayton where I must confese uf a generous sattesfaction for my tyme a genteel accommodation for my selfe and more than ordinary Kindness from my Employers be temptations I cdoul not easily thinke of quitting it but the truth is, it being an island where U live attended with many inconveniences as excessive chargeable and extremely troublesome in our Pasage back and out being a long league besides soe voyde of Sociatie that for want of convers I am afraid I shall become Barbarous and you know Sr for a Brisk fellow to be pri[sone?]d up in an island as tedious as a <Metl’d> strum[pe?]t in a Nunary. This Sr hath often made mee endeavour to leave the Place and a gratefull humor keeps me here in spight of my resolutions being Loath to disoblige Sr Robert Clayton but since I cannot resolve to Live here out my dayes I must resolve to quit it and will very shortly, at wch tyme if you are please to thinke , that all my abillityes are Capable of meriting a Living under your Obeadiance your favours have Obliged mee to leave you sooner then any gentleman in England and to bee all my life
Sr, your most obeidient and most faithful servt
F Draycott
Sr, I have not Impudence enough to trouble Sr Wm Blackett with Messages of servis but hee will please to give me leave to say I have the most profound respect for squire Blackett squire Medford and my dear Sisters and am there Obedient servant
Draycott might, in this letter, have declared himself determined to leave Brownsea Island, where he was employed as Clayton’s agent, but 14 years later he was a “widower of Brownsea, Dorset” (TNA PROB 11/401/427
