The Hartlib Papers

Sir, I am so farr from being courted by the Menn of thes world, or from desiring or deserving it, for my creditt is to small with them, that they scarse beliue my performance to be reall, although the see them; From whence you may gather how much the laugh att me, when I doe [bout?] barely propound them, or how much the would scorne or deride me for any failing in them, out of all which, you may further conclude, that I neither [deletion] <H: have> as yet, nor will make proclamation of any [letter deleted] of my Inventions, and consequently not of thes as you feared I might have done to the Preiudise of your former vndertakeings; concerning the Barbadoes vntill they be very rype & beyond all possibility of miscariags which as yet they are not./ For that I should intend it for the sugarmills in the Barbadoes, I must first enforme myselfe whether that Cuntry yeeldeth such Materialls as are requisite to the manadgment of my Motion or whether it doth not afford meanes to [deletion] doe the same much better otherwise then by my said [deletion]<H: machinament> The which Enquiries consist of so many particulars that I question whether this Busines cane be effectually done without the presence of the Artist vppon the [place?] or some such equiualent Expedient, so that I thought it fitt to suspend my thoughts from applying it that way vntill it had [been?] first sett vpp here after seuerall fashions[altered by Hartlib] with seuerall Circumstancs; and that vppon view therof, the Marchants or others interested in the Barbadoes myght have contracted for a Lycence to transport it thether vppon theare owne Accompts; Sir, I have & doe dayly find so many and so greate difficulties in extracting proffitt out of any Intention whatsoeuer, that I should not be so traiterous to any Friend to advise him to lay out his Estate in [1B] setting vpp theise Engines in a farr Country uppon bare directions giuen here, when it is so hard to find all Instruments[altered by Hartlib] to that purpose, and yet more hard to gett the reward when the Worke is safely accomplished./ I will proceede to make the Invention perfit, and appliable to as [deletion]<many> vses as possible and will giue the [deletion] Accompts of my said proceedings when you shall please to desire them, doe but consider & signifie to me from Tyme to Tyme which way any thing that I cane doe may be servicable to your vse and I shalbe alwaies ready to accomodate you therewith; But I thinke <it> not Tyme till the Thing hath [binn?] fitly tryed here to procure Letters of Commendation therof to the Governour of the Barbadoes, and then Letters of Informations may serve the Turne, for yf the Thing be first sett vpp in the Barbadoes, The Charg of makeing the Experiment in the larger dimension, and the losse therof in Case it faile. must be Charged on that Accompt, whervnto I question you or any reasonable Mans willingnes. I thought fitt to lett you know, that by how much soeuer you cane emprove the contriuance wherwith you made me acqvainted by so much thes Engine of myne may be bettered, I have lately thought of some small hopefull Additions vnto that lykewise, when you next speake with Mr Caltoft I pray fish out of him & desire him to tell you Bona fide whether [deletion] he did euer rayse water either in greate or small Pypes above 32 Foot high or thereabouts. Yf he saith he cane doe it, still keepe him to the Question whether euer he did doe it, by one Operation or without repetition of the same operation./ herin I finde difficulty though the Force[altered] be greate enough yf it should but do in a great quantity, which I cane vndertake yf the Barbadoes be a fitt <place>. Sir for what euer I [deletion?] shall doe for your other Experiments where <H: of> I hope you have store, shall be bank mony which together with the Continuation of your Love shall purchase any thing from your Affectionate servaunt

                              Wm: Petty

London - 14 Martij 1648.

               Petty

                    mixt Letters & papers

                         of no great value that

                                   I know of

                              14 March

                                   1648