dear friend, I must tell you I have long since had an epistle for you which I convey'd another way, even by that hand by which all greatness, power, victory, riches, and honours find their passage to us, and every thing that has a tendency to make mankind happy. And I now come to you in this way, only to congratulate you, and all our friends with you, upon the mighty things that have been lately done for us, and to unite with you in ascribing to God the glory of all that success which he has favour'd us with.

Now therefore let us raise our hearts in thankfulness to God, and give the glory of all to his Divine Majesty ; and let us implore His Grace to enable us to walk before him with a perfect heart, and to maintain a constant course of obedience to his holy commandments, that so, by doing things acceptable in his sight, he may be pleas'd for the sake of our Blessed Master to confer on us all those favours which may render us a happy people.

My good friend, my heart has been and is still much affected with this astonishing instance of God's kindness to the poor sinful people of New England. May a grateful sense of it abide on our minds. The subject is very pleasant and I could dwell upon it, but I fear tiring your patience, and therefore break off, with recommending you all to the protection of a good God and his blessing, which if we have what signify all the designs of men against us? and remain

Your sincere friend and most humble servant.

FRA. FOXCROFT.

P. S. If his Excellcy our good Governour be not on his voyage hither (which I desire, whenever he undertakes it, may be safe and prosperous) pray give my duty to him and to our brave, good, and useful friend Admiral. Warren, as also to all our N. E. friends, whom God hath

much honored in making so eminently instrumental for promoting the interest of our most gracious King (to whom I pray God our hearts may be more and more firmly attach'd) and his Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects of America in particular and the English nation in general. May God always send you such supplies as may be necessary for your support and comfort.

Yours as above.

Sir WILLIAM PEPPERIL

ANDREW BELCHER * TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL.

HONBLE SR, I shoud have done myself the honour of congratulating your success in the reduction of the important garrison of Louisbourgh & its dependancies. As no one was more sensibly affected with this happy event than myself, & especially as it pleased God to honour you with being the instrument of accomplishing this great atchievement, but being in the country soon after the joyfull news arrived & fearing I had lapsed the time for paying my complemts to you on this glorious occasion, I must therefore now ask your pardon for that omission, & beg leave heartily to congratulate you not only upon the reduction of Cape Breton, but upon his Majesty's approbation of the extraordinary services you have had the honour to render him & your country, which includes everything an Englishman can desire. Sir, the ancient friendship commenc'd between your honble father & my honble grandfather, & always continued in an agreeable harmony to the last period of life, which was afterwards cultivated between your Honour & my hond father, together with your kind letter of 15th Janu last to me, wherein you are pleased in a most obliging manner to

*Eldest son of Governor Belcher. He was born Nov. 17, 1706, graduated at Harvard College in 1724, married, April 4, 1754, his father's step-daughter, Elizabeth Teale, and died at Milton, Mass., Jan. 24, 1771. — EDS.

you

say you shoud at any time be ready to serve me or any
friend of mine; these considerations, Sr., have em-
bolden'd me humbly to ask the favour of
you that
woud please to be so kind for the sake of the family
friendship as to cast a compassionate eye upon my broth"
Byfield Lyde, Esq, who by being removed from his
office is obliged with his numerous family to retire into
the country. This gentleman's melancholy situation in
life (if he was not a descendant of the late worthy Col
Byfield) woud excite compassion in every humane
breast, but especially do the circumstances which attend
him heighten his misfortunes. I must therefore most
earnestly intreat you woud, agreeable to your native
goodness & generosity, be so kind as to make some pro-
vision for him at Cape Breton agreeable to the character
he has sustained in life, thô it be only the command of a
company in
your regiment. I hope for the reasons I
have mentioned, that my unfortunate bro will find
favour with your Honour, and I beg your answer, because
if Mr Lyde is so happy as to have your smiles, he will
pay his duty to you this fall, & with your leave will
apply home to my father & some other friends to procure
with your interest a further advancem', a capt's comiss"
being but a bare support, and I would submit it to your
Honour, whether as Admiral Warren is a good friend to
my hond father, some civil post can't be obtained for Mr
Lyde. Your favour in this affair will be very gratefully
acknowledged by my father & all his friends, and espe-
cially by, Honble Sr,

Your Honour's most obliged & most humble servant.
ANDREW BELCHER.

BOSTON, Oct 26th, 1745.

The Honble Sr. WILLIAM PEPPERRELL, Baronet.

BYFIELD LYDE* TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL.

HONBLE SIR, As Mr Belcher has wrote your Honour in my behalf, entreating you on account of the ancient friendship between the familys that you would please to cast a compassionate eye towards the only branch of the Belcher family who has any children, you will permit me, althô I cant boast of the honour of an intimate acquaintance with you, to back his request with the most earnest intreaties, as I have the passions of an husband and parent strongly working in my breast, which passions when any one is so happy as your Honour to be the favourite of God and man give the most agreable sensations, but when depressed, as is my unhappy lot, give the most severe pain. Therefore, Sir, for the sake of the only daughter of your honble friend, Gov Belcher, who with his family have had hard measure meeted to them, and her numerous tender offspring, 'allow me with the greatest emotions of heart to beseech you'll grant his request. May you long live the favourite of Heaven, the King, and your country, as also in imitation of your great Lord and Master, the refuge of the distressed and oppressed. I am with the greatest respect and duty, Honble Sir, Your Honour's most obedient and most humble servant. BYFIELD LYDE.

BOSTON, October 26th, 1745.

The Honble Sr WILLIAM PEPPERELL, Baronet.

* Byfield Lyde was a grandson of Judge Nathaniel Byfield, and married the only daughter of Governor Belcher. He graduated at Harvard College in 1723, espoused the side of the mother country at the time of the Revolution, and went with the British army to Halifax, N. S., where he died in 1776. See Sabine's American Loyalists, vol. ii. p. 35; 6 Mass. Hist. Coll., vols. vi., vii., passim. — EDS.

CHARLES CHAUNCY TO WILLIAM PEPPERRELL.

To Sir William Pepperrell, Baronet, Lieutenant General of the Forces at Cape Breton. These Dr Rand.

DEAR SIR, I heartily congratulate you upon the honor done you by his Majesty in making you a Baronet of Great Brittain, and I am the more pleased with it as it comes in reward for your services for your country in such an important article as that of the capture of Cape Breton. We hear you are to be made Brigadier General and to have a regiment, wth liberty of absence. I rejoice Wth you in this prospect of profit in addition to the honor done you. I hope you will make it your endeavour to do all the service you can and are furnisht wth ability and advantage to do by your superiour station in life. God will expect more of you in proportion to what he gives you, and I hope you will wisely and faithfully improve every talent he puts into your hands.

Mr Loyd, Governour Belcher's son-in-law, has desired me to write to you in favour of him. He tells me he has wrote to you himself. What it is in particular he desires I dont know; but I suppose any office that will bring in the cash will be agreable to him. If it sha lay in your power to serve him I know your regards to Governour Belcher will incline you to do so. And I believe his circumstances are such as to lay him under obligations of gratitude to you if you could put him into any place of profit. I told him if you had any places to dispose of those who venturd y' lives in the expedition and were upon the spot were most likely to be preferred. But he insisted upon my writing to you, weh I have accordingly done, and sha be glad if he might, consistent wth justice to other persons, be gratified in his desires. We hope to see you w" the Governour comes. You have my hearty