My lord eftir moist humble recomendatioun of service I haif ressavit your letter quhilk wes cumine heir befoir my hamecuming fra Ingland quhairby it seems to me that your lordship hes gottin litill silver in Yetland this yeir be ressone that the Dutchemen come not weill provydit, bot that your lordship hes send Alexander Bruce with thame to get silver gif thay keip promis of that quhilk thay haif said to your lordship. I pray god thatt thay keip promiss ffor I assure your lordship that your wairres is lyke ay to be wers and wers in this cuntrie. And thairfore gif thay cum ony thing new your lordship I wald wish your lordship nocht to stik straitlie with thame for the loss of sum commoditie, yit I am as Sanct Thomas in this cais disperand that I sall se ony bergane maid betuix your lordship and thame. Gif I understude that thair suld be na bergane I wald send presentlie for the fatt gude, and to haif your lordship’s advyse quhat salbe done thairwith, for gif na bergane be maid with the Dutchemen I wald so gif I culd aggrie with Johnne Dikkis wyfe to gif hir the haill this yeir, because I feir the slaw and dangerous dispeche thairof be ressone of the seiknes that is presentlie in sindrie partis of this cuntrie, and sua to be frie of hir in all tyme cuming. Your lordship wrait to me that I suld ressave fra Andro Umphray ane thousand merks, bot I haif nocht sene him as yit. Nather is Patrik Ross cumit to this cuntrie sa fer as I can lern. I haif ressavit fra Mr Thomas Barclay in your lordship’s name and Malcome Sincleiris ane hundreth and tua angellis and lukit that your lordship suld haif causit Andro Edmestoun to haif send me and hundreth and fyve angellis for Yell and Fetlare becaus that your lordship’s self is first in the tak that I set to your lordship and to him, utherwayis I wald haif set him nane, nor yit wald haif gevin him ony intromissioun thairwith, sua that I think that your lordship, for your awin discharge and releif, suld have causit him to haif maid me payment thairof. Thairfore, I pray your lordship to caus tak sic ordour as that I may be payit. Your lordship wrytis that ye haif writtin sindrie tymes to me about your cofferris and gif I had respectit your lordship’s honour as I wes wont to do. I wald haif send thame to yow langsyne, bot I haf anserit your lordship sindrie tymes that I wald nocht mell with your law materis becaus I se thame nocht weill handillit and gangis of tymes verray erswardlie. Or I suld tak upone me to get thaa cofferris I wald crare tak upone me to be sovertie for fyve thousand merks for your lordship. Gif I respect nocht baithe your lordship’s honour and prosset I wait nocht quha will do it, ffor your lordship hes baith my awin haill moyen and the moyen of mony sindrie utheris persones to quhome I am oblist for your lordship, in youre awin hands and sua I think that your lordship self suld indge of your self that I haif cans to respect baith your honour your standing and your comoditie mair nor ony utheris hes. Yit gif your lordship will send me the keyis of your cofferris with sum of your lordship’s auld claithis I will employ my moyen to get all the best geir furth of thame and to put in wer in thair place; bot to burding me to get the cofferris haill as thay stand, your lordship salbe sa gude as to hald me excusit ffor notwithstanding of the familiaritie that has bene amonge wes he wald verray gladlie that I suld do that. And sua move actioun aganis me thairfore and wald nocht faill to prevecen tynas of availl mair nor thay ar worth. Gif your lordship plesis to send the keyis and geir, as I haif said, I think it best, and I sall use all the moyen that can be done to get sik geir out of thame as your lordship desyris. I man pay the skipper the fraucht quhilk wilbe aboute xxiii lb. as I be rememberit. And this ceissing I commit your lordship to the protectioun of god. Off Restalrig this first of december 1604. P.S. I wald verray glaidlie be at your lordship gif I culd won that we micht perfyte all comptes betuix your lordship and me, for I haif debursit mekle silver sen your lordship subscrivit the obligatioun in Ingland.

Your lordship awin to be commandit
J. Arnott