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Act will admitt of interpretation, therefore, and for the reasons before mentioned, I proceeded in that method as wee have made our returnes to your lordshipps, and not, as some did and doeth alleadge, that wee have made these values for fear of the souldiers, and that wee durst doe noe other. And others doe informe your lordshipps, as I hear, that wee have done like perjured persons, only for our owne gaine. But I decleare here to your lordshipps, and all the world, that the reasons before mentioned was the cause of our soe proceedings; neither did wee ever take uppon us to determine any thing, but, adjudgeing it a thing to high for us, have here given a true description of the said county, and have soe admeasured the same, that, however your lordshipps should doe or adjudge in the case, our worke should be and is done; for wee allwayes carefully distinguished how much arable and good pasture and wood was in each surround, how much course, how much absolutely unprofitable, leaving the midling sort to bee judged of by your lordshipps, or whome you should appoint, and not otherwise, was clearly our intent and meaning: wee having noe rule in the case, wee could not breake any.
Therefore, I humbly crave that your lordshipps will harbour a charitable opinion of us, this being the true state of the case, whatever may be told you. And whereas itt is alledged that wee were concerned to bee paid by the thousand acres is the only cause why wee have soe proceeded, there is an instance to the contrary, for there was five barronyes of the said county undertaken by one of us by the thousand; and afterwards there was three more undertaken by the other to be paid by the mile, it being all one to him if it had been all profitable or unprofitable. And when he came to the countrey, he went about his worke, and had done, with himselfe and asistants, most of his worke before wee saw each other, or did advise by letters or councill together, as was before exsprest, but, being surrounded with the same difficultyes, was forced to walke in the same path, and make a true admeasurement of every kind, and submitt to better judgement to determine.
I was thinking to have cutt of by line some of this course or midling sort of land, and call some profitable and some unprofitable, but that itt is generally of one kind of soyle in one denomination; and to have cutt the same in parts, and call one part profitable and another part unprofitable, they being allike in quality, or neer, would have been ridiculouse, both to your lordshipps and the souldiers; and to throw it wholly away wee could not, neither return it as satisfying acres.
