Late 17th Century Letter in Old Scots

[Caltha]

Thats fabulous GR2 - real historical gem from a man on the ground landing in America!

[GR2]

somtimes my cupp is like to rune over pray pray yt [= that]
I may guyd [= guide/steer] weill and hold evenn pray yt [= that] my king solo-
mon may have a thousand he hath alowed the keeper [two ?]
hundred bot rather I should say a thousand o my lord
made me to belive yt [= that] he wold bear me company
through the waters and yrfor [= therefore] I spake and promised or
rather the spirit of my lord jesus assured my heart &
made my mouth to promise in his name to byd by him &
he asured me yt [= that] all should work togither for good to me
and now I know that no aflictione nor persecutione nor cap-
tivitie will never be the thing that will part him and me
now he will not despise the aflictions of the aflicted of all
[   ] of or help to sing and blis the lord that gave me [      ]
yt [= that] ever made me to state my suffering upon my not pay-
ing a fyne Altho ys [= this] may be counted moon shine to ma-
ny yt [= that] can change themselves in als [= as] many dayes as yr [= there] is
colours in the rainbow bot I fear yt [= that] many such time servers
and wranglers wt [= with] yr [= their] consciences yt [= that] pleads for such works of
darknes and faithles deeds qch [= quhich = which] they defend as deuty I say I
feir yt [= that] many of yr [= thir = these] poor braikned hearts fainting fearfull
braikned hearts find the smart of it on [= one] day O qt [= quhat = what] am I
and qnce [quhence = whence] am I yt [= that] ever my lord should should have rev-
ealed his name to me a babe conscerning ys [= this] matter and hath hid
it from so many wise and proudent or otherwayes they would
doe qt [= quhat = what] they wer wont to doe and wes convinced of it to be
deutie in so doing and not qt [= what] they now doe O lord jesus if

[GR2]

thou would open the eyes of such as hath shutt them least
they should sei their deutie and apeall to it the doing qrof [= quhairof = whereof] &
owning qrof [= whereof] promiseth mikle [= much] skaith [= harm] and lose [= loss] to all them
that hath not counted the cost and does not esteim it yr [= their]
glory and gain to bear the honourable crosse of christ
for if such had found als [= as] much profit and pleasour in
bonds and captivitie for the son of mans sake as they have
found wt [= with] houses and trading they would never have gi-
ven so much boot for exchange between the two I say my
heartie desire to the lord is that the eyes of such might
be opned to discern betwixt light and darknes and hence
to choise [= choose] the good and refuse the evill O if they would
take my word for the unspeakable comfort and peace &
advantage of ys [= this] honourable crose of christ And I un-
derstand more of this then [= than] ever heirtofore some hath bein
making a show to others and would have caused the
world to belive that they had a kindnes for the
                                                           crose

[Caltha]

Magnificent GR2 - what a talent!

[GR2]

crose bot now I sei clearlie that the thing they have
bein waiting for hes bein for ane [= a] falling and downcoming
market qn [= quhen = when] the price of treuth might not be so dear as now they
think it to be a [= ah] woe is me qn [= when] I consider on ys [= this] bot the worst
will be better understood afterwards however all that I can doe
is ys [= this] to lament and mourn for otherwayes I cannot help it
so for my own pairt [= part] my lord god qm [= quham = whom] I desire wt [= with] my whole
soull to worship in the spirit haly [= Holy Spirit] made light more and
more to arise in me and hath lighted my candles so that
now I am at a point wt [= with] all thes works of darknes and con-
fusione more nor ever befor so that now if ane [= a] hapenie [= halfpenny] or
hapenie worth directlie or indirectlie would get me free of
my maisters lovelie crose I would not give it we are
brought low indeid bot not so low as to bear pay the wages
of iniquitie that is to say after such a man hath suplicat [= supplicated]
for this to make up his gaine upon the churches ruine and
hath pulled away the husband from wife or father from
the child or as the pulling of the young from the bre-
asts or the cheiff from the hungrie I say I trust in yt [= that]
living god that he shall never suffer me to be so blinded
as to take of yt [= that] qch [= quhich = which] god hath given me and pay such a man
for such a work lord forbid how their should I hold up
my face to my maker and my iudge [= judge] if I should in les [= less] or in
more comply wt [= with] such a designe my dear heart qn [= quhen = when] you
read this let not your heart be filled wt [= with] sorrow for [tentions ?]
will posiblie be busie to make you belive and conclud yt [= that]

[GR2]

you will never sei my face againe if I take not some way or
make not use of some meane for redeiming of my self
from slaverie I call it - slaverie becaus thes [= these] that hath no
kindnes for the crose words it so bot shamed be they all that
evens my lords crose to bondage or slaverie or bondage
for I testifie yt [= that] I never so fulli knew by many degrees
qt [= what] trew libertie wes [= was] untill I came under bonds and
captivitie yrfor [= therefore] my dear for my beloveds sake praise &
blise [= bless] worship love and wonder qn [= quhen = when] yee think on ys [= this] in stead
of being cast down or perplexed in your minds lord save
you from greiving of his holi spirit now after all the manif-
estations of such undeserved loving kindnes we have mett
wt [= with] many a time befor now my dear be persuaded yt [= that] if
I could do any thing that my lord would approve of
in order to my relife I wold doe it for I wold choose
to live wt [= with] you both mean and poor though both hungrie
and naked I say rather to be rich and full any

[horselydown86]

In the last section posted, I think:   ...trew libertie...

[GR2]

I agree, horselydown. I'll insert it.

And full any wher els o glory glory to my holi
on [= one] yt [= that] I did not consent to leave you no farder [= further] yn [= than] wt [= with]
submision to my lords pleasour and yt [= that] I did not pack
nor peill [ = pack nor unpack = associate with] wt [= with] none nor gave consent to non [= none] yt
                                                                                                              [= that] wes [= was] to
cary me captive nor observed hyre nor returnd nor [    ]-
ed upon no trouble nor made covts [= covenants/agreements] wt [= with] none O if I had
done so sad sad and weightie wold it a have bein to my
soull ys [= this] day and weightie wold it a bein [= have been] to me long [    ]
now qn [= quhen = when] I wes walking as it wer on the shadow of death
oftimes qn [= when] I wes upon the face of the deeps o bot my
trouble be sweet and welcome qn [= when] it is of my lords [dev-]
ising and qn [= when] his hand measoure it out so that [   ]
we faith throu his grace my great studie shall be how
to know my deutie and be about it and yt [= that] yrby [= thereby] I may get
my self keeped in the love of god and be found in his way
so yt [= that] I neid not feir qt [= quhat = what] man can doe unto me for the
god of wisdom knows of ten thousand wayes how to deliver
me yt [= yet] posibli I know not of on [= one] of ym [= them] yrfor [ = therefore] my dear heart
let it be your cheifest caire and hearts request to god yt [= that] you
and I and all yt [= that] love his apeiring may be trew and faithfull
unto the death and yt [= that] will be enough and let us fear non
of thes things qch [= quhich = which] we may suffer for ane [= one] hair shall not fall
from our heads bot our maister will ken [= know] of it bot as for [  ]
biding or advysing you to come to this land I find yt [= that] I have
not gods call for ys [= this] neither is yr [= there] any encoradgment he[ir]

[GR2]

les or more concerning either soull or body [       ] it [   ]
for men yt [= that] consults the world more yn [= than] any thing els
& yet I sei no encoradgment for such unles they wer men
of wealth yt [= that] conquers [= acquires/purchases] land and upholds a number of [serv-]
ents for labouring onli yr [= there] is some considerable wages for
carpenters and some other trads how ever all things is [   ]
at gt [= great] prices to witt mainli meat [= food] and drink bot o how [   ]
apeirance of religione or the power of the gospell No[ne ?]
bot so soone as I can I shall give you ane [= an] account of qt [= quhat = what]
the lord hath done for me so soon as I can and again
so soon as my lord maks way for me I mind to returne
and if it shall please him that I shall die at the end of ys [= this]
cause I have I shall his holy will be done for I hope I shall
be ready and willing as I wrott before so my advice is my
dear heart yt [= that] ye take you to quietnes and lay aside the
world als [= as] much as ye can least it devert you from [    ]i-
ng upon god for the lords sake slack not your hand
         bot make ready for death and judgment