Letters – Michael Blackett to Peter Bar – 20 May 1681

Mr Peter Bar								Newctl may the 20th 1681

Sr 

      I have received yors of the 14th the same have p[er]used as allsoe mr Marcade wch according to yor desire I Inclosed returne you, but really sr I must needs tell you tht I now feare tht he is scandalised by our m[er]chnts wth a matter of truth, his letter being noe way satisfactory unto me, In the first place he p[re]tends a Journey in the Country hindered him from answering yor two letters sooner, I will not say much to the contrary, but I feare he has beene <Hedgeing> all the time how to make out his business aright, secondly he seemes to be surprised tht I should write you tht my <adversarye>, refuses to pay the money, saying tht he had paid nothing to mr <Redder>, I hope you will believe me tht ths is true soe farrr, for I thinke he is a foole if he should pay the money, and I have nothing to show for itt, I thinke the paper in yor Custody will make appeare tht I have onely to <depositt> the money Into the Court till <pedder> made good his title and certainely In my opinion he could never be such a foole as to pay the money wthout takeing on the bill of saile he writes further tht if wt papers he sent be not sufficient he would rather send you Ch: Blacketts receips who was there arrested, and to whome he accounted the same sume but he believes he has sent you itt allready, I suppose the next will say he has lost itt, for If ever he paid one farthing to C.B or C.B see one farthing of the money Ile give you my <necke> for <2d>, and seeing he sais he will give you all the satisfaction Imaginable, pray Lett him give itt you In ths p[ar]ticular, Sr I <finde> in short except you stand my friend I shall loose my money for I can easily make itt appeare, and has itt to show from the Admirallty In Dunkirke tht not a farthing was paid soe long as Pedder lived, soe how itt could be paid afterwards, I leave itt to yor discretion –

      Ch: Blacketts obligation to pay to Mr Marcade or his m[aster] the money ordered by <asenticue> I confesse wth, but he haveing <made> the same sume In <sp...e> to pay to Mr Pedder I utterly deny for as I said before Mr Mercade gave onelye security In the Court, ths is wt C. Blackett can <say> to yor objection and you say further why shall not these <be sufficient> to recover of yor m[er]cht of whome you bought & resell, wth I doe not att all understand for I  have nothing In the world to show for itt but onely tht I have paid you the money, wch is in noe way satisfactory to my adversary, I shall heartily desire yor assistance In ths businesse, otherwise I sweare I feare I shall be cheated – I have another bad debt wch I must needs trouble you wthall, wch the Commissioner for the Navye office, who are owne me nigh hand £100:= <S> and I have Employed Mr Richd Hutchinson ths two yeares about itt, from whome cannot have a line not above once in 6/m [6 months] about itt Inclosed is an order for him to communicate the businesse unto you, and I desire you, you will please to give me yor advise in itt, If you thinke I shall order the papers to be delivered unto you, sr I heartily begg yor <excuse> for the trouble, hopeing you generosity will easily dispence wth itt soe kissing yor hands I remaine

	MB

If you have a desire to buy a purchase i will sell itt a pennyworth





Mr Richard Hutchinson						Do

Sr 

I wonder I have not heard from you ths 6/m I doe earnestly desire if you to lett me be acquainted how you proceede in my businesse once a month, and I doe hereby request itt of you to communicate my whole concerne to my very good friend Mr Peter Bar who shall deliver you the <pkt> and who (if can doe me any kindenesse in the same) I question not his utmost Endeavours soe desiring you  to lett me know how far you have proceeded, and to Confess wth him for the future I remaine

	MB