John Ignatius Lawson's Letter to Isaac Newton

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John Ignatius Lawson's Letter to Is: Newton Esqr

Honoured Sr

I hope your honour will consider my Circumstances with compassion and be mercifull to me in this miserable condition I throw my self wholy at your feet when at liberty since my Imprisonment here the Taylor and a woman his Confederate hath run away with all my goods starved one of my Children to death and sent the rest a begging both sending me word that they durst not come near me if they and you would committ them to prison with me under this pretence thay have stoln every pennyworth of effects that I have and have forced me to live with a pennyworth of bread 4 days If you please to accept of what I am capable to effect I shall own my self indebted to your honour for all I passes me and mine ever give our prayers for you so long as wee live as soon as you have done with me I shal withdrew my self to a forreign countrey I hope your honour what spite and Mallice so carryd on against me by perjury & tellingyour honour a thousand lyes to exasperate you against me I hope God will put it into your honoures heart and take me into your favour who shall ever study to oblige you

Since my being mr chandler hath feigned himself mad pulling his shirt his shirt to pieces and running stark naked at midnight about the Ward for $\frac{\mathrm{1}}{\mathrm{2}}$ an hour togeather afterwards the men bound him hand and foot in his bed but now he seems more rationall and says that he hears very good newes that they cannot bring any Indictment against him and he questions not but slip out this Sessions as he hath done 5 times before farther he adds that if you make void his pardon he is affraid of one Taylor an Engraver and says there is mrs Coffee in London but she will be ript up and dyes before she confess any thing I have conversed with Mr Carter who sayes that he can bring Witnes enough against him for things acted last summer & how that Mr Abbot and Chandler used to mix Zink and Tin togeather to make shillings off and how they had there Dyes in a screw box like a large pepper box and how that they was to ware them with leave silver If Chandler can be kept till next sessions after this I am sureabbot will be taken if it be kept private

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your honours humble servant

John Ingnatius Lawson

Newgate Wednesd Noon