our lives from the Indians . . . whereto having no other answer, he went away dissatisfied. ... We had account that Generall Bacon was march'd with a thousand men into the fforest to seek the enemy Indians, and in a few daies after our next news was that the govern'r had sumoned together the militia . . . to the number of 1200 men and proposed to them to follow and suppress that rebell Bacon; whereupon arose a murmuring before his face, Bacon Bacon Bacon, and all walked out of the field, muttering as they went Bacon Bacon Bacon, leaving the govern'r and those that came with him to themselves, who being thus abandon'd wafted [sailed] over Chesepiacke bay 30 miles to Occomack, where are two countres of Virginia. The govern'r made a 2d attempt coming over from Occomack with what men he could procure in sloops and boats forty miles up the river to Jamestown, which Bacon hearing of came again down from his forest pursuit . . . and stormed and took the town [Jamestown] in which attack were 12 men slaine and wounded, but the govern'r with most of his followers fled back down the river in their vessells. . . . Here resting a few daies they [Bacon and followers] concerted the burning of the town . . . and laid the whole town (with church and state house) in ashes, saying the rogues should harbor no more there. ... On these reiterated molestacons [molestations] Bacon calls a convention at Midle plantation 15 miles from Jamestown in the month of August 1676, where . . . writts were by him issued for an assembly; and . . . one proclamation commanded all men in the land on paine of death to joine him, and retire into the wilderness on the arrivall of forces expected from England, and oppose them untill they should propose or accept to treat of an accomodation . . . so the whole land must have become an Aceldama1 if God's exceeding mercy had not timely removed him. . . . The govern'r went in the fflet to London . . . and by next shipping came back a person who waited on his hono'r in the 1 Aceldama, "the Field of Blood," or Potter's Field, for the burial of paupers in Jerusalem. Said to have been purchased with the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas sold Christ. 13. The coming of the Pilgrims, 1620 [34] voyage; from whom a report was whispered about that the king did say that old fool has hanged more men in that naked country than he [the king] had done for the murther of his ffather, whereof the govern'r hearing dyed soon after without having seen his majestie; which shuts up this tragedy. THE NEW ENGLAND SETTLEMENTS William Bradford was governor of Plymouth Colony almost continuously from 1621 to his death in 1657. His history "Of Plimoth Plantation," begun in 1630, is the source from which the material for all the subsequent histories of the pioneer colony in New England has been chiefly drawn. The precious manuscript of Bradford's history disappeared from the library in the tower of the Old South Church, Boston, at the time of the American Revolution. It was found in 1855 in the library of Fulham Palace, the residence of the Bishop of London; and after repeated and urgent requests it was given by the English government to the State of Massachusetts. It is now exhibited to visitors in the State Library at the Capitol. The following passages contain an account of the flight of the Separatists to Holland, part of the final letter written to the Pilgrims by their pastor John Robinson, on their departure for America, and the Compact which they made in the cabin of the Mayflower just before landing at Plymouth. [The Separatists] yet seeing themselves thus molested1 and that ther was no hope of their continuance ther [in England], by a jointe consente they resolved to goe into the Low Countries [Holland], wher they heard was freedom of religion for all men. ... So affter they had continued togeither aboute a year, and 1 James I on his accession in 1603 determined to make all the Puritans and Brownists, or Separatists, conform to the worship of the Church of England or drive them out of the land. kept their meetings every Saboth in one place or other, exercising the worship of God amongstt themselves, notwithstanding all the dilligence and malice of their adversaries, and seeing they could no longer continue in that condition, they resolved to get over into Holland as they could: which was in the year 1607 and 1608. . . . But to go into a country they knew not (but by hearsay) wher they must learne a new language and get their livings they knew not how . . . it was by many thought an adventure almost desperate . . . and a misserie worse than death. Espetially seeing they were not aquainted with trad[e]s nor traffique (by which that country doth subsiste) but had only been used to a plaine countrie life, and the innocent trade of husbandrey... but they rested on God's providence, and knew whom they had beleeved. . . . Being now come into the Low Countries they saw many goodly and fortified cities strongly walled and guarded with troops of armed men.1 They also heard a strange and uncouth language and beheld the differente manners and customes of the people with their strange fashons and attires . . . and though they saw faire and bewtifull cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of welth and riches, yet it was not long before they saw the grimme and grisly face of povertie coming upon them like an armed man, with whom they must buckle and incounter . . yet by God's assistance they prevailed and got the victorie. . . Being thus settled . . . they continued many years [1608-1620] in a comfortable condition, injoying much sweete and delightefull societie and spirituall comfort together in the wayes of God, under the able ministrie and prudente governmente of Mr. John Robinson and Mr. William Brewster . . . and if at any time any differences arose or offences broak out . . . they were nipt in the head betim[e]s or otherwise so well composed, as still love, peace and communion was continued. . . . After ten or a dozen years' residence in Holland, the Pilgrims began to think of removing to the New World, 1 The Dutch under William of Orange and his brothers had been maintaining a valiant war of independence against Philip of Spain since the year 1567. not out of any newfangledness or other such like giddi humor... but for sundrie weightie and solid reasons, which were their growing numbers, their political an social restraint in a foreign land, their disapproval of th "Continental morals," and their "great hope and inwar zeall" of converting the Indians to Christianity. So being ready to departe, they had a day of solleme hum ation, their pastor taking his texte from Ezra 8, 21... up which he spente a good parte of the day very profitably. . The nexte day the wind being faire they went aborde . . . wh truly dolfull was the sight of that sade and mournfull parting so that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the key spectators could not refraine from tears. . . . At their part Mr. Robinson writ a letter to the whole company. Lovinge Christian friends, I doe hartily in the Lord sal you all . . . though I be constrained for a while to be bo absente from you. . . . Now next after heavenly peace with God and our own sciences, we are carefully to provide for peace with all men w in us lieth.... As many of you are strangers, as to the pers so to the infirmities one of another, [you] so stand in need more watchfullness this way, lest when shuch things fall ou men and women as you suspected not, you be inordin affected with them. . . And lastly, your intended course of civil comunitie minister continuall occasion for offence, and will be as fue that fire, excepte you dilligently quench it with brotherly bearance. Store up therefore patience against the day. And as men are carfull not to have a new shaken with any violence before it be well setled and the firmly knite, so be you, I beseeche you, brethren, much carful that the house of God, which you are and are to not shaken with unnecessarie novelties or other oppositio the first setling thereof. ... Lastly, whereas you are become a body politik . . . le wisdome and godliness appeare, not only in chusing persons as doe entirely love and will promote the commone good, John Robinson Arriving off Cape Cod, November 11 (21), 1620, and realizing that they were outside the jurisdiction of the London Company which had granted them their patent, the Pilgrims, in order to assure a stable government on landing, agreed to this famous compact in the Mayflower's cabin. In the name of God, Amen We whose names are under-writen, the loyal subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of the Faith, etc., having undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and countrie, a voyage to plante the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents, solemnly and mutualy in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid: and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute and frame such just and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the generall good of the Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd, the II of November, in the year of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fiftie fourth. Ano: Dom. 1620. tan charact The character of the New England Puritan has always 14. Illustr inspired conflicting sentiments in the mind of his critic. tions of Pu Steadfastness, zeal, and intrepid virtue were joined in him with a harsh and intolerant judgment of the least deviation [37] |