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within the limits of their patent, and to enquire whether, in cafe of their removal, the king would grant them liberty of conscience.

The agents were fuccefsful in their application. The company affured them that they would do every thing in their power to forward fo good a defign, and were willing to grant them a patent with ample privileges. But fuch was the bigotry of the times, that the king, though folicited by fome of the firft men in the kingdom, could not be prevailed upon to grant them liberty in religion. He did, however, at last agree to connive at them, and to permit them to live unmolefted, provided they behaved peaceably; but to tolerate them by his public authority under his feal, was inadmissible.

This was indeed difcouraging to the pious people at Leyden; yet with an humble confidence in divine providence, they determined to purfue their original defign.

Accordingly they fent their agents to England, where, in September, 1619, after a long attendance, they obtained of the Virginia company a patent of the northern parts of Virginia. This patent, with propofals from Mr. Wefton, and feveral other refpectable merchants and friends, refpecting their migration, were tranfmitted to the people at Leyden, for their confideration. These were accompanied with a request that they would immediately commence their preparations for the voyage. On receiving this intelligence, the people, agreeably to their pious cuftom previous to their engaging in any important affair, appointed a day of folemn prayer, on which occafion, Mr. Robinson, in a fermon from 1 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4. endeavoured to difpel their fears, and encourage their refoluti ons. As it was not convenient for them all to go at firit, not even for all who were willing, they improved this religious opportunity to determine who should firft embark. After canvaffing the matter, it was found convenient for the greater number to remain, for the prefent, at Leyden; and of courfe Mr. Robinfon, according to agreement, was to tarry with them. The other part, with Mr. Brewster for their elder and teacher, agreed to be the first adventurers. The neceffary preparations were now to be made. A small fhip of fixty tons was purchased, and fitted out in Holland; and another of about one hundred and eighty tons, hired in London. The former was called the Speedwell, and the latter the May flower. All other matters being prepared, a large concourfe of friends from Leyden and Amsterdam, accompanied the adventurers to the ship, which lay at Delf Haven; and the night preceding their embark→ ation was spent in tearful prayers, and in the most tender and friendly intercourse. The next day fair wind invited their departure. The parting fcene is more easily felt than defcribed. Their mutual good wishestheir affectionate and cordial embraces, and other endearing expreffions of christian love and friendship, drew tears even from the eyes of the ftrangers who beheld the scene. When the time arrived that they must part, they all, with their beloved paftor, fell on their knees, and with eyes, and hands, and hearts lifted to Heaven, fervently commended their adventuring brethren

* This patent was taken out in the name of John Wincob, who providentially never came to America, and so all their trouble and expence in obtaining it were loft, as they never made any use of it.

brethren to the Lord and his bleffing. Thus, after mutual embraces, ac companied with many tears, they bid a long, and inany of them, a laft farewel.

This was on the 22d of July, 1620 The fame day they failed before a fair wind for Southampton, where they found the other ship from London, with the rest of the adventurers.

After they had made the neceffary preparations for embarkation, they divided themselves into two companies, one for each fhip, and with the approbation of the captains, each company chofe a governor, and two or three affiftants to preferve order among the people, and to diftribute the provifions. On the 5th of Auguft they failed, but the finalleft fhip proved fo leaky, that they were obliged to return and refit. On the 21st of Auguft they failed again, and proceeded about one hundred leagues from land, when they found their little fhip totally unfit for the voyage, and returned.

It was not until the 6th of September that they put to fea again, leaving their little fhip, and part of their company behind. On the 9th of November, after a dangerous voyage, they arrived at Cape Cod, and the next day anchored in the harbour which is formed by the hook of the cape. This was not the place of their deftination, neither was it within the limits of their patent.

It was their intention to have fettled at the mouth of Hudson's river; but the Dutch, intending to plant a colony there of their own, privately hired the master of the ship to contrive delays in England, and then to conduct them to these northern coafts, and there, under pretence of fhoals and winter, to difcourage them from venturing to the place of deftination. This is confidently afferted by the hiftorians of that time. Although the harbour in which they had anchored was good, the country around was fandy and barren. Thefe were difcouraging circumstances; but the feafon being far advanced, they prudently determined to make the best of their prefent fituation.

As they were not within the limits of their patent, and confequently not under the jurifdiction of the Virginia company, they concluded it neceffary to eftablifh a feparate government for themfelves. Accordingly, before they landed, having on their knees devoutly given thanks to God for their fafe arrival, they formed themfelves into a body politic, by a SOLEMN CONTRACT†, to which they all fubfcribed, thereby making it the basis of their government. They chofe Mr. John Carver, a gentleman of piety and approved abilities, to be their governor for the first year. This was on the 11th of November.

Their

+ The following is an authentic copy of this contra&" In the Name of God Amen: We whofe Names are under-written, the Loyal Subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King JAMES, by the grace of GoD, of Great-Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.

66

Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and advancement of the Chrif tian Faith, and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to Plart the first Colony in the Northern Parts of Virginia; Do by thefe Prefents folemnly and mutually in the Prefence of God, and one of another, Covenant and Combine

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Their next object was to fix on a convenient place for fettlement. doing this they were obliged to encounter numerous difficulties, and to fuffer incredible hardfhips. Many of them were fick in confequence of the fatigues of a long voyage-their provifions were bad-the feafon was uncommonly cold-the Indians, though afterwards friendly, were now hoftile-and they were unacquainted with the coaft. Thefe difficulties they furmounted; and on the 31st of December they were all fafely landed at a place, which, in grateful commemoration of Plymouth in England, the town which they laft left in their native land, they called PLYMOUTH, This is the firft English town that was fettled in New-England.

In fome of their excurfions in fearch of a fuitable place for fettlement, they found buried feveral baskets of Indian corn, to the amount of ten bufhels, which fortunately ferved them for planting the next fpring, and perhaps was the means of preferving them from perifhing with hunger. They made diligent enquiry for the owners, whom they found, and afterwards paid the full value of the corn.

Before the end of November, Sufanna, the wife of William White, was delivered of a fon, whom they called PEREGRINE. He is fuppofed to have been the first child of European extract, born in New England.

The whole company that landed confifted of but 101 fouls. Their fituation was diftreffing, and their profpect truly difinal and difcouraging. Their nearest neighbours, except the natives, were a French fettlement at Port Royal, and one of the English at Virginia. The nearest of these was 500 miles from them, and utterly incapable of affording them relief in a time of famine and danger. Wherever they turned their eyes, diftrefs was before them. Perfecuted for their religion in their native land -grieved for the profanation of the holy fabbath, and other licentiousnefs in Holland-fatigued by their long and boisterous voyage-difappointed, through the treachery of their commander, of their expected country-forced on a dangerous and unknown fhore, in the advance of a cold winter-furrounded with hoftile barbarians, without any hope of human fuccour denied the aid or favour of the court of England-without a patent-without a public promife of the peaceable enjoyment of their religious liberties-worn out with toil and fufferings, without convenient fhelter from the rigours of the weather.-Such were the profpects. and fuch the fituation of these pious, folitary chriftians. To add to their diftreffes, a general and very mortal fickness prevailed among them, which fwept off forty-fix of their number before the opening of the next spring,

To

curselves together unto a Civil Body Politic, for our better Ordering and Prefervation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforefaid; and by Virtue hereof to enact, confitute, and frame fuch juft and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Conflitutions and Offices from Time to Time, as fhall be thought most meet and convenient for the General Good of the Colony; unto which we Promife all due Submission and Obedience: In witnefs whereof we have hereunder subscribed our Names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King JAMES of England, France, and Ireland the Eighteenth, and of Scotland the Fifty-fourth, Anno Domini, 1620."

This inftrument was figned by 41 heads of families, with the number in their refpective families annexed, making in the whole 101 fouls.

To fupport them under thefe trials, they had need of all the aids and com forts which christianity affords; and these were sufficient. The free and unmolested enjoyment of their religion, reconciled them to their humble and lonely fituation-they bore their hardfhips with unexampled patience, and perfevered in their pilgrimage of almost unparalleled trials, with fuch refignation and calmnefs, as gave proof of great piety and unconquerable virtue.

On the 3d of November, 1620, king James figned a patent incorpo rating the duke of Lenox, the marquiffes of Buckingham and Hamilton, the earls of Arundel and Warwick, Sir Francis Gorges, with thirty-four others, and their fucceffors, ftyling them, The council eftablished at Plymouth in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing of New-England in America. To this council he granted all that part of America which lies between the 40th and 48th degrees of north latitude. This patent is the great civil bafis of all the grants and patents by which New-England was afterwards divided.

The Plymouth council retained the power vefted in them by the crown until the year 1635, when they refigned their charter. Previous to this, however, the council had made feveral grants of lands to adventurers, who propofed to fettle in New-England. They granted New-Hampshire to Capt. John Mafon, in 1621-the Province of Main, to Sir R. Gorges, in 1622, and Maffachusetts-Bay to Sir Henry Rofwell and five others, in 1627. As early as March, 1621, Mafaffoit*, one of the most powerful Sagamores of the neighbouring Indians, with fixty attendants, made a vifit to the Plymouth fettlers, and entered into a formal and very friendly treaty with them, wherein they agreed to avoid injuries on both fides-to punish offenders to restore ftolen goods-to affift each other in all juftifiable wars

to promote peace among their neighbours, &c. Mafaffoit and his fucceffors, for fifty years, inviolably obferved this treaty. The English are much indebted to him for his friendship, and his memory will ever be refpected in New-England.

The Narragansetts, difliking the conduct of Mafaffoit, declared war against him, which occafioned much confufion and fighting among the Indians. The Plymouth colony interpofed in favour of Mafaffoit, their good ally, and terminated the difpute, to the terror of their enemies. Even CANONICUS himself, the terrific Sachem of the Narraganfetts, füed for peace.

The prudent, friendly, and upright conduct of the Plymouth colony toward their neighbours, the Indians, fecured their friendthip and alliance. On the 13th of September, 1621, no less than nine Sachems declared allegiance to king James; and Mafaffoit, with many of his Sub-Sachems, who lived around the bays of Patuxent and Maffachusetts, fubfcribed a writing acknowledging the king of England their mafter. Thefe tranfactions are fo many proofs of the peaceful and benevolent difpofition of the Plymouth fettlers; for had they been otherwise difpofed they never could have introduced and maintained a friendly intercourfe with the natives.

On

*The feat of Mafaffoit was at Pakanokit, on Namasket river, which empties into Narragansett Bay;

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On the 10th of Sept. this year, the king granted to Sir William Alex ander a patent of all the tract of country bounded by a line drawn from Cape Sables to the Bay of St. Mary; thence to the river St. Croix, thence north to Canada river down the river to Gachepe, thence fouth-east to Cape-Breton Ifland and Cape-Breton; thence round to Cape-Sables, with all feas and inlands within fix leagues of the western and eastern parts, and within forty leagues fouthward of Cape-Breton and Cape-Sables; to be called Nova-Scotia.

The first duel in New-England, was fought with fword and dagger between two fervants. Neither of them were killed, but both were wounded. For this difgraceful offence, they were formally tried before the whole company, and sentenced to have their heads and feet tied together, and so to be twenty-four hours without meat or drink.' Such, however, was the painfulness of their fituation, and their piteous intreaties to be released, that, upon promise of better behaviour in future, they were foon releated by the governor. Such was the origin, and fuch, I may almost venture to add, was the termination of the odious practice of duelling in New-Eng land, for there have been very few duels fought there fince. The true method of preventing crimes is to render them difgraceful. Upon this principle, can there be invented a punishment better calculated to exterminate this criminal practice, than the one already mentioned ?

In 1622, Mr. Weston fent over a colony, which attempted a fettlement at Weymouth. But they being a fet of rude, profane fellows, regardless of justice, provoked the Indians by ftealing their corn, and other abuses, to become their enemies, and occafioned much trouble both to themselves and the Plymouth fettlers. At length the Indians entered into a confpiracy to destroy the fettlement, and would have effected it, had it not been for the interpofition of their Plymouth friends. Such, however, was the reduced ftate of the colony, and their danger from the natives, that they thought it prudent to break up the fettlement; which they did in March 1623, and afterwards returned to England.

This year (1622) died Squanto the friend of the English, who merits to have his name perpetuated in history. Squanto was one of the twenty Indians whom Hunt perfidiously carried to Spain ; whence he came to London, and afterwards to his native country with the Plymouth colony, Forgetting the perfidy of thofe who made him a captive, he became a warin friend to the English, and continued fo to the day of his death. A few days before he died, he defired the governor to pray that he might go to the Englishman's God in heaven. He gave the few articles he poffeffed to several of his English friends as remembrances of his love.

We have already mentioned that Mr. Carver was elected governor of the colony immediately after their arrival. He died the 5th of April fol lowing. His lofs was moft fenfibly felt, and fincerely lamented. He was a man of great piety, and indefatigable in his endeavours to advance the intereft and happiness of the colony. Mr. William Bradford was foon af ter chofen to fucceed him in office. This gentleman, by renewed elections, was continued in office until he died in 1657, except in 1633, 1636 and 1644, when Edward Winflow was chofen, and 1634, when Thomas Prince

↑ See Page 28.

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