Harvard University. Corporation. Corporation papers, 1st series, supplements to the Harvard College Papers, circa 1650-1828. Subscription lists and letters from towns, 1653. UAI 5.120 Box 1, Folder 3, Harvard University Archives.

The Inhabitants of Dorchester have and doe freely contribute toward the maintenance of a president & [seven?] fellows alt called the somme of ~ seaventy pounds to be paid in [coins?] after heruest upon the conditions and not otherwise : if the rest of the inhabitants of the country doe also contribute soe much as [wie?] this may rayse a yearly rent as may be somwhat comfortable for ye [?] bef{ore} mentio{ned} and that the somme be laid out and disposed off accordingly we say the somme of a - [?] - [?] 70 - 00 -

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Left page:

To his much honoured [?] ME Increase Nowell at this house in Cha rles Town [theso?]

X Esoud

[Joshua Hubberd]

Right page:

Hingham Novemb{er} 28. 1653.

Much Honoured S{irs}

I received yo{ur} letters though they were long before they came to my hands, insomuch as I could not get a fit opportunity to impart ye desires & good motions (there in specified) unto the towne before this present day, wherein I had not only certified them of yo{ur} just and laudable proposalls, but have also labored to my utmost to effect something therein, that might be satisfactory to ye worships who are intrusted with those affaires, & also beneficiall unto learning, & for the hon{or?} of god, And truly our Towne stands very well afforded toward learneing and are noe lesse desirous to entertayn & prosecute this your present moz tion of contributing to the College, by reason of the respect they beare to the honoured Court, & ye selves who are the authors of this present design, but chiefly out of earnest desire of ye hon{or} of god in the thing itselfe. And therefore they are very sorry ye at the present they cannot answer fully ye exportations therein for some particular reasons such they alledg to ye contrary; which are first in regard to their charges toward ye Country & expenses in ye towne, which have this last year been very extraordinarily great; & also because they dayly see & take notice of many students & scholars brought up at ye Colledg, when they [shroug?] gods blessing are fit for imployment are continually de[parteing?] out of ye Country so as we are likely to bee little the [beste?] for any cost we shall be at in his behalfe, & noe doe conceive & indeed have understood as much by some of ye students themselves yt this is one maine season of it because illiterat & unlearned men are bold to undertake the great worke of publick preaching which as we conceive belongs only tot he godly & learned Ministers. These [are] some gounds amongst some others, which they will me on their behalfe to hint at present unto ye worships, as for the rest & these allso of have more fully to informe you of them, upon the first opportunity I have to speak personally w{ith} ye worships, upon which discourse I hope I shall by ye solves bee inabled to give the Towne such reasonable satisfaction as I doubt not but will induce them to be free according to ye abilities, in this so considerable a matter Never the lesse I would not have you Imagine that there are none in ye Towne who are freely willing to contribute to ye business, fore there are Some amongst us ye did manyfest ye present readyness unto ye same, but wee had not at yt time; leisure to bring it to such an issue as we much defined, & most also in some measure discouraged we