Page:Petty 1660 Reflections.djvu/41

 (who had a Negative upon the whole Council) and by my often being called to give my opinion touching the disposal of Land (being the greatest and most frequent business of the Board) I might have deserved real thanks: Yet no man can say, but that I was content with my bare Wages, and was so far from Bribery and Extortion, that I was even to the real prejudice of the Office, and my Partner; too slack in sueing for, or accepting the just perquisites of the place.

Thirdly, As Undertaker of the Surveys, Can any man say, I ever altered the Returns made unto me? changed unprofitable into profitable Lands? altered any Field-Books, expunged any Observation, chopt or changed in the least? or connived at defects having been at treble charges to secure the faults I but suspected? Or can any man say, I made a trade of communicating or giving Copies of Surveys? but used all the interest and power I had to hinder the same: which I did, not to keep men in the dark (as hath been alleadged) but to keep them from being unruly, and to prevent the wrongs, which the crafty did, by such unseasonable knowledg,