December 4th. 1777

May it please your Most Noble Excellency & your Noble Council. Tho I Dare Not Approach you in Person Nor Dare I Do it With these inconsiderate Lines without Shame & Confusion of face.

But Relying upon your Mercy & goodness I Send this paper as an humble advocate to plead in Some Measure that So it May abate the Severity of your Just Displeasure, & Appease that Stroke of Justice that I have incurd upon My Self by My horred transgresion & folly that I have unadvisedly fell into

Wherefore if A Returning prodigil a t^r^ue & unfeigned penitent May find Mercy in those Circomstancis I unfeignedly beg it at your hands. I hope it May pleas you for your honnours Sakes & for the Sake of him that I hath promisd Ablessedness to the Mercifull to Look in a way of pity upon one that earnestly Desirs Nothing More then to be Nomberd with your Subject though Unwarthy at present. I hope to find all My Superiors to Whome I think My Self hppy that I have to address My self to in this Manner, to be endend with So Much Compasion & tenderness to forgive One that is truly Sensible & penitent that I Can but think My Self happy upon every Remembrance of the same

& Not Willing to Afflict One that is Convicted in his own Consience. Wherefore if Should please your Excelleny & to whome I have to [illegible] petition to two Grant Me My Liberty & the opertunity to Make Manifest What I have promisd by a Ready Compliance to your Laws & Commands I Should think My Self happy

Nevertheless in All things Submiting to your Excellencys Disposal I Must Remain as I have Made my ^sel^ misrable without your Assistance

Which I Rely upon your excellencys honour for in Requital of which I promiss to Spend the Remaing part of My time in obedants to your Commands it being all that I am able to offer with My prayers & supplications to god for ^your^ Success & happy Continuance

If it Does Not please your excellency to Admit of My being alltogath at Liberty I Should be very thankfull to be admitted to Bale untill the Cort ensuing at edento^n^ the winter being Very Cold & I being Distitute of All Necessaries that My Safe Depends upon your honour I hope that What I was put in fer Last was Not unbaleable tho indeed it is two bad I having but Little to say for Myself More then I was Not in this unhappy affair at the first till I was saduced by others &c never being acquainted with the general plan at all was Set on to Do More then I hope I Shall ever be gilty of any more

If it Should please your honour to Let this ship Pass But Use all Means that in My power to suppress all that Should in any ways indeavour to hurt the present Goverment. Wherefore if it Should be to my opertunity & I Should be anysways faulty to my promiss I would submit to the Most Strictest that Malice Could inflict therefore with all Submision I beg you would Determine & Dispose of me as you see Convenient, in expectation of which I Remain Sir Most unworthest of your Subjects

Daniel Legett

This Letter was found on the Publick Road and sent on by

Thos. Respass Jun.

[on envelope] these with Speed