S^r.

I received your letter datt^d Feby 20^th,¹ and sorry to find that the court of Spain will not Allow Our prize² to be good. On this Subject A Great deal Could be said, the Only thing I could With a Speedy indepedance Settl^d., And fall right on france & Spain, from such usage as we meet with from them I think it must be so, if we are imprisond, or A prize Given up its all policy, theare it ends and those that Bears the Burthen of the day is pay^'d With Dam^d. policy—

Such payment may do at Court but will not Answer Sailors, You mentione that m^r. Lagoanere has wrote You that I left particular Orders that my prizes was left to the sole Disposal of m^r. Deane—which is verry true this I did of myselve, as to I arrived at Bilboa I had Not the honour of knowing that you was A Commissioner or that their Was any Other in Europe but Doctor franklin & m^r. Deane and by leaving the prizes at the Disposall of m^r. Deane I imagined made know [no] difference the[y] being Joint Commissioners—

in Respect of Any Order I do assure you as I wrote before I had none but on the Contrary at a Loss how to proceed, and if I have Commit A fault Or been Neglectfull I am Sorry for it As my endeavours Was to the Contrary I am [&c.]