MARIE R.

Trusty and well beloved, wee greet you well: Haveing received your humble petition, presented unto us by Major General Fitz John Winthrop, your agent, humbly praying that our Comission to our trusty and well beloved, Benjamin Fletcher, Esqr. our Governour of our province of New York, for the comand of the militia of our colony of Connecticut, may receive such explanation and restriction, as in our Royall justice and wisdome we shall think fitt, wee being well pleased with your dutyfull submission to our Royall determination herein, and haveing great care and tender-ness for the preservation and security of all our loveing subjects, as well within our colony of Connecticut, as other our adjacent colonys, wee have refferred the consideration of the said petition to the Lords of our Privy Councill, appointed a committee of trade and foreigne plantations, who haveing consulted our Attourny and Solicitor Generall what may be done by uss for the uniting the strength of our said colony of Connecticut and the adjacent colonys, for the defence of our subjects in those parts, against the French, and haveing presented to us the opinion of our Attour-ney and Solicitor Generall thereupon, that we may constitute a chief commander, with authority to command or order such proportion of the forces of each colony as we shall think fitt, and further in time of invasion and approach of the enemy, with the advice and assistance of the Governours of the colonys, to conduct and command the rest of the forces for the preservation and defence of such of our said colonys as shall most stand in need thereof, as by our order in Councill, dated the 9th day of April last, upon the report of our Attorney and Solicitor Generall in this matter, which order, or duplicate thereof, you will herewith receive, is more at large set forth. Wee have thereupon further signified our pleasure to our said Governour of New York, that in the execution of the power of his said comission, he do not take upon him any more then duering warr, to comand a quota or part of the militia of our said colony of Connecticut not exceeding the number one hundred and twenty men, which we do heartily think fit to signifie our pleasure to be the measure of the assistance to be given to our said colony, with speciall directions to our said Governour of New York, that he do not command or draw out more of the said quota of the militia of our said colony of Connecticut, then he shall in proportion command or draw out from the respective militia of the adjacent colonys, except in case of iminent danger of an actual invasion of the enemy, in which case we have further directed him, that with the advice of the Governour of our said colony, he conduct and comand the rest of the forces of that our colony, for the preservation of our said colony, or of such other of our adjacent colonys as shall most stand in need thereof, he takeing care that he do not leave our said colony unprovided of a competent force, for the defence and safety thereof, and not doubting of your ready and chearful obedience to our Royall pleasure, in a matter wherein the security and preservation of all our good subjects, within our said colony of Connecticut, and the places adjacent, are so much concerned; wee do hereby require and command you, as there shall be occa-sion, to give obedience to our said Commission, and the powers and authority's thereof, to be executed in such manner as we have directed our said Governour of New York, according to the signification of our pleasure as aforesaid. And the said Major General Fitz John Winthrop, will upon his arivall, inform you of our gracious intentions to continue our Royall protection to you and all our subjects of that our colony, and particularly in what may relate to the preservation of the peace, welfare and security of the same, and maintaining your just rights and priviledges, wherein your said agent has been as well very zealous and carefull in your behalf, as diligent in soliciting our Royall determination in the matter, which we thought fitt to lett you know; and so wee bid you hearty farewell.

Given at our Court, at White Hall, this twenty first day of June, 1694, in the sixth year of our Reigne.

J. TRENCHARD.

To our trusty and well beloved, the Governour and Magistrates of our colony of Connecticutt, in New England, and for the time being.