ness ourself at Westminster, 28th day of April, in the tenth year of our reign."

A copy of a letter sent by the appointment of the Lords of the Council, to Mr. Winthrop, for the patent of this plantation to be sent to them.

"This day the Lords Commissioners for foreign plantations, taking into consideration that the petitions and complaints of his Majesty's subjects, planters and traders in New England, grow more frequent than here. tofore, for want of a settled and orderly government in those parts; and calling to mind that they had formerly given order, about two or three years since, to Mr. Cradock, a member of the plantation, to cause the grant, or letters patent for that plantation, (alleged by him to be there remaining, in the hands of Mr. Winthrop,) to be sent over hither; and that notwithstanding the same, the said letters patent were not, as yet, brought over: and their lordships being now informed by Mr. Attorney General, that a quo warranto had been by him brought according to former order, against the said patent, and the same was proceeded to judgment against so many as had appeared, and that they which had not appeared were outlawed:

"Their lordships, well approving of Mr. Attorney's care and proceeding therein, did now resolve and order, that Mr. Meawtes, clerk of the council, attendant upon the said commissioners for foreign plantations, should, in a letter from himself to Mr. Winthrop, inclose and convey this order unto him. And their lordships hereby, in his Majesty's name, and according to his ex.

press will and pleasure, strictly require and enjoin the said Winthrop, or any other in whose power or custody the said letters patents are, that they fail not to transmit the said patent hither by the return of the ship, in which the order is conveyed to them; it being resolved that in case of any further neglect or contempt by them shewed therein, their lordships will cause a strict course to be taken against them, and will move his Majesty to reas sume into his hands the whole plantation."

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE, THE LORDS COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN PLANTATIONS.

The humble petition of the Massachusetts, in New Eng land, in the general court there assembled, the 6th day of September, in the fourteenth year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord, King Charles.

"Whereas, it hath pleased your Lordships, by order of the 4th of April last, to require our patent to be sent unto you; we do here humbly and sincerely profess, that we are ready to yield all due obedience to our Sovereign Lord the King's Majesty, and to your Lordships under him, and in this mind we left our native country, and according thereunto hath been our practice ever since; so as we are much grieved that your Lordships should call in our patent, there being no cause known to us for that purpose, our government being settled according to his Majesty's grant, and we not answerable for any defect in other plantations. This is that which his Majesty's subjects do believe and profess, and therefore we are all humble suitors to your Lordships, that you would be pleased to take into further consideration our condition, and to afford unto us the liberties of subjects, that we may know what is laid to our charge, and have leave and time to answer for ourselves before we be condemned as a people unworthy of his Majesty's favour or protection. As for the quo warranto mentioned in the said order, we do assure your Lordships, that we were nev. er called to make answer to it, and if we had, we doubt not but we have a sufficient plea to put in.

"It is not unknown to your Lordships that we came

into these remote parts with his Majesty's license and encouragement, under his great seal of England, and in the confidence we had of the great assurance of his favour, we have transported our families and estates, and here have we built and planted, to the great enlargement and securing of his Majesty's dominions in these parts, so as if our patent should be now taken from us, we should be looked at as runagates and outlaws, and shall be enforced either to remove to some other place, or to return to our native country again, either of which will put us to insuperable extremities; and these evils, (among others,) will necessarily follow :

1. "Many thousand souls will be exposed to ruin, being laid open to the injuries of all men.

2. "If we be forced to desert the place, the rest of the plantations about us, (being too weak to subsist alone,) will for the most part dissolve and go along with us, and then will this whole country fall into the hands of French or Dutch, who would speedily embrace such an opportunity.

3. "If we should lose all our labour and cost, and be deprived of those liberties which his Majesty hath granted us, and nothing laid to our charge, nor any failing to be found in us in point of allegiance, (which all our countrymen do take notice of, and we justify our faithfulness in this behalf,) it will discourage all men hereafter from the like undertakings upon confidence of his Majesty's royal grant.

4. "Lastly, if our patent be taken from us, (whereby we suppose we may claim interest in his Majesty's favour and protection,) the common people here will conceive that his Majesty hath cast them off, and that hereby they are freed from their allegiance and subjection, and thereupon will be ready to confederate themselves under a new government, for their necessary safety and subsistence, which will be of dangerous example unto other plantations, and perilous to ourselves, of incurring his Majesty's displeasure, which we would by all means avoid. Upon these considerations we are bold

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to renew our humble supplication to your Lordships, that we may be suffered to live here in this wilderness, and that this poor plantation, which hath found more favour with God than many other, may not find less favour from your Lordships, that our liberties should be restrained, when others are enlarged; that the door should be kept shut upon us, while it stands open to all other plantations; that men of ability should be debarred from us, while they have encouragement to other colonies. We do not question your Lordships' proceedings, we only desire to open our griefs where the remedy is to be expected. If in any thing we have offended his Majesty and your Lordships, we humbly prostrate ourselves at the footstool of supreme authority.

"Let us be made the objects of his Majesty's clemency, and not cut off in our first appeal from all hope of favour. Thus with our earnest prayers unto the King of kings for long life and prosperity to his sacred Majesty, and his royal family, and for all honour and welfare to your Lordships, we humbly take leave.

as attests

"This is a true copy, compared with the original on file, EDWARD RAWSON, Secretary." The Lords Commissioners, to whom the letter above written from Mr. Winthrop was directed, either rested satisfied in what was therein alleged, and so made no further demand of returning the patent; or otherwise, which some think more probable, concernments of an higher nature intervening in that juncture of time, gave a supersedeas to that design and intendment. For this business upon some consideration or other had been in hand ever since the year 1634; though it had been overlooked by the interposition possibly of matters of greater moment to this year, 1638, when the foresaid letter was sent over to the governour of the Massachusetts. For it seems that in or near the year 1635, upon the petition of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, Capt. Mason, and others, the whole matter came to be examined before his Majesty and the privy council, at which time his Majesty was pleased to give command, that the great council

of New England, commonly called the Council of Plym outh, should give an account by what authority, and by whose procurement, those of the Massachusetts were sent over. The said council pleaded ignorance of the matter, which yet is not to be understood of all of them, for Sir Ferdinando Gorges's history, printed Anno 1658, (and himself was one of that number,) makes mention how himself was instrumental to procure a liberty for settling a colony in New England, within the limits of the said council of Plymouth, and that the Earl of Warwick wrote to himself to condescend thereunto; and thereupon, as he adds, he gave his approbation, and that the king was pleased to enlarge the grant of the said council, and confirmed the same by the great seal. However, upon complaint afterwards of disturbance like to follow, it was ordered by the king's command, that none should go over thither without license, because of divers sects and schisms, that were said to be amongst them; on which account some were not backward to suggest a doubt, that they might shake off the royal jurisdiction, as they had done the ecclesiastical govern

ment.

Things proceeding after this sort, the motion that was made by some, for the council of Plymouth to resign up their grand charter, did the sooner take place; so as on the 25th of April, 1635, a declaration was put forth by the said council for the surrender of their charter, which was actually done, as it bears date on the 7th day of June, 1635, as is affirmed in a book, published in Sir Ferdinando Gorges's name. Immediately thereupon, a quo warranto was brought by Sir John Banks, the attorney general, against the governour, deputy governour, and assistants of the corporation of the Massachusetts; whereof about fourteen appearing, and disclaiming the charter, judgment was given for the king, that the liberties, and franchises of the said corporation of the Massachusetts, should be seized into the king's hands.

Thereupon it is said, that afterwards, scil. May 3d, 1637, his Majesty did in council order, that the attorney