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AUGUST, 1908.)
SOME ANGLO-INDIAN WORTHIES.
223
If my refusall of this imployment now propounded prove to my prejudice and losse and that I may meet with a worse, will rather content my Selfe with it then accept of this. Am confident the Honoble. Company will not require any person to goe upon an Imployment against his owne approbation, therefore depend on your favour for pardon for my non-acceptance, and this please to accept as the resolation of Your assured Friend, AMBROSE SALUS BURY."51
The attempt to assert himself was a failure. Jearsey retorted at once with a sharp decisive letter and his attitude left no doubt about the scant regard he had for Salisbury or for any threats he might use.
Mr Ambrose Salusbury, This instant wee Received your Resolution in Answer to ours, which Wee did not Expect at this distance, but before your departure, soe that you might have Saved the labour of it, for as sylonce giveth consent, soe wee Easily concluded that you goeing away without giveing a Respond, did not like what wee bad Writt and would not goe the Voyadge.
To give a perticular answere to every thing in yours is not of any necessity, however here and there shall touch at some things that either in vindication of our selves or Confutation of you may Seem to Require it.
The Dutch Warr was knowne to you long before the proposail of this voyadge to you, therefore could not now bee brought in for a pretence more than at first, and if a monethes warning, as you confess, were not enough to fitt your self for a voyadge, Wee cannot conceive what time you would Require, but undoubtedly you could have fitted your selfe in less time if you had pleased and given us a positive answere at first as well as now, to tell us you did not regard it and had little Regard to our second Proposeall. Had Wee absolutely enordred your goeing at first, which wee might have done if you are the Companys Servant, without makeing any other Conditions with you but commanding you to observe such instructions as wee should give you, this had been the Way to know your minde sooner and have Received a flatt answere from you as now that you would not, and wee will not press it any further, much less Compell you to any thing.
Tis to bee supposed that if wee enordred you any thing in the Companys behalfe that they should beare yon out in it, but 'tis very strange that you should scruple to act what you have set your band to as the secureing of what wee could light on of Sir Edwards to have the Company indempnifyed as much as you can. If you think you have done any thing amiss or gone too farr herein, you know how you may bee absolved. 'Tis but relenting and makeing a Submissive Confession of your Error to Sir Edward, bat had you Undertaken the designe and required any Security from us, wee shonld have given it you, but before you asked it how should wee know you were soe Wavering, haveing formerly told you soe much of that that 'twas thought you would never have appeared soe againe.
As to your Imployment, our former is Sufficient answere, if you coull bee satisfied with it, and for our Imployment of Mr. Fleetwood which you distast, 'tis to get in the goodes for the money delivered out by him, under which hee may for Ready money procure some more, and when this buisness is over hee hath done antill further order from the Agent.
Your complaints of being made onely acquainted with buisness of greatest concernment will not signify much, if it were granted to bee soe, as you say that you were not acquainted with matters of less moment, but wee doe not know wherein nor the time, unless you were incapable by Sickness or otherwise.
11 Factory Recor.is, Masuliyatam, Vol. 9.