CHARLES R.

Trusty and well beloved wee greet you well; by our letter of the 22d of February last, wee gave you notice how that the French King haveing declared warre against us and our subjects, wee have been obliged, in our just defence to issue out our declaration likewise, a copy of which was therewith sent you, whereby wee did resolve to the utmost of our power to oppose him the sayd French King, in this warre, so unjustly begunn upon us, thereby willing and requireing you, as wee had likewise done the rest of our Islands, Coloneys and plantations in the West Indies, after a fitt publication of our sayd declaration, forthwith to apply yourselves by all wayes and means to annoy, infest, dammage and destroye the French as well as Dutch, in those parts, and such of their Colonyes and plantations as lye neare you, to reduce by the most speedy and effectuall wayes you could to our obedience, and more especially, that of the French in Canada, in all which wee enjoyned our Colony of the Massachusetts to joyne and correspond with you, wee doubt not but you have accordingly taken care for, and that in due time we shall receive a good accompt of your diligence and circumspection therein. However, wee have thought not amisse, out of the perticular care wee have for the security and preservation of those our Colonyes and plantations, hereby to quicken you in the sudden execution of what you shall finde fitt to resolve in that matter, that soe the enemy takeing advantage of your remissnesse and delayes, may not prevent you in the oppertuneties you may have upon them, as wee have reason to believe by all meanes they will indeavour to doe; and considering the more imediate dangers to which the Barbadoes and other the Caribee Islands are exposed from the French, and that wee cannot as yet finde fitt to spare them those supplyes from hence, that are necessary, the maine issue of the warre, being in the first place to be provided for, by a vigorous pursuit of those advantages it hath pleased God to give us against the body of our enemies strength neare home, wee cannot but in tendernesse to the safety of those our islands and plantations very effectually recommend it forthwith upon receipt hereof to consider with your neighbour Colony Massachusetts, to whome wee have likewise written, on this occasion of som fitt number of forces, such as you can best spare, to bee speedily sent to the reliefe and defence of the sayd Caribee Islands, under such able and discreet commanders as you shall finde fitt to choose, which as it will bee seasonable argument of your care and concernment for your fellow subjects in those islands, soe shall we consider it as a singular expression of your good affection and loyalty to us, and shall not forget to owne it to you for such hereafter as there shall be occasion— and soe wee bid you farewell.

Given at our Court at White Hall, the 28th day of August, 1666.

By his Ma'ties command,

ARLINGTON.

To our Trusty and well beloved, our Governour and Councill of our Colony of Connecticutt, in New England.