Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

finished the cut they had been in; and the Plows the drilled corn; into which the Hoes had entered on the east side next the Swamp. The Plows would now cease till the Horses could be a little refreshed & get out wheat for sowing.

On behalf of Mr. APPLETON P. C. GRIFFIN, a Corresponding Member, and Chief Assistant Librarian of Congress, Mr. HENRY H. EDES communicated two letters written in 1692 by Isaac Addington to William Blathwayt, and spoke as follows:

It will be remembered that at the time Volume II of our Publications went to press, five of the Massachusetts Royal Commissions were missing; and that at our meeting in December last Mr. Matthews announced the discovery of four of them, and communicated copies.1 The single commission which thus far has eluded our diligent search is that of Isaac Addington, the first Secretary of the Province, who was named in the Charter. Shortly after our December meeting, Mr. Griffin sent me the proof sheets of a list of manuscripts recently acquired by the Library of Congress. In it I noticed a letter written by Addington to Mr. Secretary Blathwayt in the summer of 1692. As this date is so near that of the arrival of the Charter it seemed possible that it might contain some reference to the long-sought Commission. I therefore asked for a copy of the document and in a few days received a photostat. The paper also contains a portion of another letter of Addington to Blathwayt, dated in October, 1692. The letters follow.2

Honble Sr

I may not omit to render my hearty acknowledgment of Oblig[ation] and Gratitude unto your Self for your favour in the Hono1 confe[rred] upon me by their Majtys appointing me to be Secretary of th[e] Province of the Massachusetts Bay, In which Office I sha[ll] studiously Endeavour to approve my Self in all Loyalty, and i[n] fidelity unto their Majties Service. And in Obedience to His [Majesty's] Commands signified to me

1 See pp. 150-155, above.

? Some words torn away are conjecturally supplied within square brackets.

in a Letter from the Right [Honourable] Lords of his Majties most Honble Privy Council the Co[mmittee for] Trade and forreigne Plantations. I have by Capa Joh[n Ware] Commander of the Friendship, Transmitted unto your Self [the] Acts made and passed by the Great and Generall Court or Assembly, the Copys of the Minutes or Journalls of the Council &c to be la[id] before their Lordships. And shall take care to forward Duplicates by the next succeeding Conveyance I am informed by a Letter fr[om] Mr Povey that your self was pleased to order a Box of Rul'd [Paper] for that purpose, but am not advised to whose care it was commi[tted] I have made Enquiry about it, but cannot hear of it; In want there[of] I have endeavoured to attend the best direction I could gather f[rom] Mr Poveys Letter for the forme of Transcribing of the Journalls [of the] Council, and hope you will please to have me excused if it do not exactly conforme to what was expected; what is wanting or amiss[ing] upon your Intimation shall readily be amended for fut[ure Affaires of the Warr, together with the intending of [ of the Government has putt upon those hurrys [ done less digested and imperfect. His Excell[ency is] now setting forward an Expedition against the French and In[dian] Enemy and intends to go in person to Conduct that affair w[hich I] hope will be attended with good success for the giving Check to [the] Insolence of the Treacherous and Barbarous Enemies He purpos[es to] Imbarque within a few day's And I understand is preparing be[fore] his departure to lay before his Majty an Account of the prese[nt] State of Affaires here by which you will be more fully informed. [With] the tenders of my most humble Service, praying the Continuance [of] your Favour, I subscribeHonble Sr

1

] settlement Render things

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

The above is Copy of what went by Cape Ware I have n[ow by] Capne Beard, being the next Succeeding Conveyance forwarde[d] Duplicates of the Acts &c. then sent. About a month since [His] Excellency putt into my hand a Deputation from your self [for the] Office of Auditor Generall &c. which he had just then received from Mr Usher. I had no Letter nor Instructions therewith to direct in the management thereof Or what allowance is Expected, would gladly be Serviceable unto your Honour wherein I may be capeable, please to lett me understand what methods are proper in that affaire His Excellency is returned

from the Eastward and has disbanded most part of the fforces, the Enemy were aware of an Expedition forming against them and so retired into the Wilderness, the Army visited their usuall places of Randevouz and planting grounds and cutt up and destroyed their Corn, but mist of them. His Excellency has erected a Stone Fort at Pemaquid, which is near finished, and Two Companys of Souldiers are Posted there. About a fortnight since was brought in here a French Prize1 taken near the River of Canada (being bound to Quebeck) by Two Vessells that were fitted out from hence, she is a Flyboat of about Three hundred Tun, the Report is that she is richly Laden, a Tryall and Condemnation passed upon her yesterday, so that now they will begin to unlade and see what is their purchase.2 Wee have had no direct Intelligence from Europe this Two months. The Victory obtained by their Majtys Fleet was received with all possible Demonstrations of Joy. And it is hoped there will be the like Occasion of rejoyceing for further success attending their Majties Arm's both by Sea and Land, weh God grant. Our Generall Assembly are to meet the next week, what Acts shall then pass. I shall take care to Transmitt unto your Hono1 according to my Duty, Who am Honble Sr

Your most humble

and obliged Servant
Jsa Addington

Boston

October 4th 1692

[Addressed]

To the Honble William Blathwayt
EsqR

Att the Plantation Office

In

London

[Filed] Present

New England

4 October 1692

from Mr Addington

Ans

[ocr errors]

Recd 23 Dec 1692

1 See Sewall's Diary, i. 365.

[ocr errors]

2 Chaucer's Frere will be recalled, whose "purchas was wel bettre than his rente." Later, the word came to be applied particularly to booty, spoil, plunder. Capt. Low went into Port, upon the Coast, getting Provisions, and what Necessaries the Crew wanted, and then sailed for Purchase, (as they call it) steering their Course towards Marblehead" (Capt. C. Johnson's General History of the Pyrates, 4th edition, London, 1726, p. 369).

Mr. JULIUS H. TUTTLE read the following paper:

A PIONEER IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF THE CHURCH AND OF THE COLLEGE 1

In the earliest days of the Bay Colony the gathering of a church after the settlement of a plantation was the exception rather than the rule; and in the few shore towns at that time the congregations with their ministers were in existence at the beginning of the settlements. There were several such churches when Dedham was settled in 1636. The Dedham Society met in Watertown until August of that year, its whole attention being given to civil affairs; then followed the meetings in the new settlement on the Charles River, where the present village is. The town records show during those early months how busy the settlers were with such affairs, and the allotments of land by the proprietors. Early in 1637, church matters were taken up.

On July 18, 1637, John Allin and several others, "being ppownded to sit downe wth vs," were admitted as townsmen. This brings us to the contemporary record of the gathering of the church, in John Allin's handwriting, in which he begins by saying that there were then about thirty families in the township,

being coe together by divine pvidence from sevall pts of England: few of them knowne to one another before: it was thought meete & agreed upon that all ye inhabitants yt affected church comunion or pleased to cõe, should meete evy 5t day of yo weeke at severall houses in order.

Then followed nearly a year and a half of their trial of the spiritual temper and gifts of their number, using the Scriptures as the authority for their right among themselves to form an independent church. During this period, out of all their labors they set apart eight men for the immediate work of establishing their church, John Allin being the leader of the little group. But all this time they realized the "great waight of y° worke" and their "great weaknes & insufficiency thereto;" and they tried to find one who would be their pastor. Allin writes in 1638:

1 I am greatly indebted to Mr. Frederick L. Gay for assistance in the preparation of this brief paper; and to Mr. George E. Littlefield for his helpful suggestions. Cf. the latter's communication, pp. 131-140, above.

We did expect & much indeavoured ye guidance & helpe of m Jo: Phillips who came ov that summer wth some godly company & had bene invited to this plantation by letters formerly having therfore hopes from him of obtayning he was much desyred in yo 1t beginning. whereupon he delaying his resolution we were so delayed in our conclusion of this worke as y yo summer passed away in expectation of his helpe.1

With many things yet to be cleared up, Allin a little later continues:

Whereunto we had ye longer time by ye delayes of Mr Phillips who being caled divers waies could not spedily resolue but at length upon waighty reasons cõcerning yo publike service of ye Church & foundation of ye colledge he was so far pswaded to attend to y call of Cambridge yt we saw no p'sent hopes of him & so about yo beginning of October came to resolutions to cast ourselues upon ye lord . . .2

Though disappointed, they ventured on for more than another month "wth such help as he [the Lord] should afford rather than delay so great & needfull a worke any longer."

The church was "gathered" on September 8, 1638; John Allin was asked to be pastor; and on April 24, 1639, he was ordained. Did Phillips take up his new work in Cambridge and for the College?

It is interesting to note in connection with the beginning of the College that before the General Court granted the £400 in October, 1636, the following action had been taken by Salem, as recorded in its book of grants:

At a genall court or Towne meeting of Salem, held the second of the third moneth called May, Ao. 1636.

Inprs after the reading of former orders; In the reading of an order for the division of Marble head neck; A motion was brought in by Cp. Endicott in behalfe of mr. John Humphries for some Land beyond fforest River, moved by spetiall argument one whereof was, Least yt should hinder the building of a Colledge wch would be manie [mens?] losse.

It was agreed upon his motion that six men should be nominated by the towne to view these lands, and to consider of the pmisses, and for that end was named

1. Dedham Records, ii. 7; these extracts are copied from the original MS. Dedham Records, ii. 8: the words in italics are underscored in the original by John Allin.

« AnteriorContinuar »