Brother Livingstone, New York, February 5, 1699.


Some days ago Mr.Fforster was with me asking whether you had left me orders regarding your big house. I told him: “No”, and asked him: “Why?” He said he would move out of the house this May since the rent was too high and [he] had no custom and, therefore, wanted to rent a house with rent not so high. I told him he should have told you when you were here, before other people who are moving have rented an other place. And also, that I had no orders enabling me to do anything about it, and that what he told me about it should not be considered a notice of removal. If he had given notice of removal in time, I trust that tenants would have come: Van Swieten has hired again, Bodinot has rented [accommodation] over your door, De Lancey Lewis’s house, [and] Fforster Hed’s house, so that he puts you to big trouble and losses.

A small barque has arrived here from England, but [there’s] no news. Last Saturday the mail brought news from Boston that a ship has arrived there from England; and [it] brought the tidings that the man-of-war which had put out to sea for Pr. Manny to sail to Boston had lost its masts by a storm and returned to Plymouth. And for the most part [it] was ready to put to sea [again]! [There’s] no news yet about money to pay the companies.

Please, give my regards to [your] mother, brothers and friends, and to [your] sister and children as well, and be commended to God by
Your Obliging Brother

S. v. Cortlandt.

I have paid off your 2 bills to Mr. Boene.
On February 3, Mr. de Lancey was married to my daughter Anna.
This morning Barent Corens came to me. [He] told me that his single man-servant, Mr. Taylor, has written that My Lord Cornberry1) is coming over on a man-of-war to be governor in My Lord Bellomont’s place and that the same ship will take My Lord Bellomont to Jamaica to be governor there, which is a much better post. Whether this news is true, time will show. I give no credence to it.

Note:
1) = Cornbury.