Benjamin Townsend letter to Thomas Rotch, New Garden, 2d of 8th mo 1812

              B-196-1
  
  Respected friend having seen thee & heard considerable of thee & thy dear
  Companion & the improvements that are made & makeing am willing
  to address thee by way of a few lines wishing Grace mercy & Peace
  to abound & be with you in your new & remote settlement seve=
  =ral of the inhabitants being such as I have had considerable
  acquaintance with & hearing of more being likely to go
  all which I wish to be as inhabitants of a City set on a hill
  who mya not nor desire to be unprofitably hid but that works
  of Righteousness & true peace may abound be a Blessing to
  those that profess the Truth & by being in possession of it
  may be a Blessing to those that are with you & round abought your
  little new begun Village & if you are favoured with a meeting
  oh! that it may be kept up in the authority of the Truth
  some of our Beloved friends ware appointed at our monthly
  Meeting to pay you a Visit I wish it may be of use but
  let us remember it is not all Gold that glistens.--one thing
  I believe might be of Great & Good account a house of
  Entertainment kept in good order by suitable persons
  fearing God & hateing covetousness not keeping & seling
  Spirituous liquor for unriteous gain.  I was pleased
  to hear of thy desire to sow a quantity of white cloverseed
  believing a number of people do not know the value of
  it altho I do not expect to be able to furnish thee with
  much but what I reasonably can I shall be pleased in do=
  =ing it & haveing a trifle mean to send it by our friends
  Joseph & Mary Jones if they git along & hearing by my son
  in law Elius Marsh of hops being wanted my wife means
  to send all her store as she expects the new may do for
  one broom, with love to thee & wife with all friends in thy
  freedom conclude thy poor unworthy friend Benjn Townsend
  new garden 2d of 8th mo 1812