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Under these circumstances the puritans could expect no amelioration of their condition during her reign: they therefore looked forward with anxious hopes, to the probable accession of King James, who, having been bred a puritan, they anticipated would redress their wrongs. Elizabeth died on the 24th of March, 1603, and James came to the throne only to disappoint these hopes. He had hardly been king a year before a proclamation was issued, in which he ordered the puritan ministers either to conform by a given day, or dispose of themselves and families some other way. He was determined to be rid of them, and to sanction his own will, procured the opinion of several judges, that it was lawful to deprive such ministers as would not conform, that it was not necessary to furnish one accused, with a copy of his charge, and that it was treasonable to frame petitions and collect numerous signatures to the same, as the puritans had done. After these determinations, the Archbishop, Bancroft, resumed fresh courage and pursued the nonconformists without the least compassion. The most trifling causes furnished ground for the prosecution of the laity, and three hundred of the clergy were either silenced, or deprived, or excommunicated, or cast into prison, or forced to leave their country, by the end of the year 1604.

A considerable number of religious people had left England, in the time of Mary's persecutions, and some of them returned on Elizabeth's accession. We have detailed sufficiently the reception they met, and we behold them now reduced to the alternatives of stifling their consciences or quitting their homes. Among those who preferred the latter, we perceive a company, to whose unwavering attachment to pure and undefiled religion we are indebted for the settlement of our country. In the spring of 1608, the persecution growing still hotter, the Rev. John Robinson with a church under his care removed into Holland and settled at Leyden.* They had not long been there, before they found themselves encountered with many inconveniences: they felt that they were neither for health, nor purse, nor language, well accommodated, but the concern which they most of all had, was for their posterity. They could not, with ten years' endeavours, bring their neighbours to any suitable observance of the Lord's day, without which they knew that all practical relig ion must wither miserably: their children left them, some becoming soldiers, and others sailors; in a few years more their

* Their first attempt to escape was made at Boston, in Lincolnshire, where they were seized and searched, rifled of their money, books, &c. and then committed to prison. After a month's confinement the greatest part were dismissed, but seven of the principal men were detained and bound over to the assizes.-Hutch. ii. app. No. 1.

descendants would be Dutch, and their church extinct. These and other reasons they considered deeply, and after much deliberation took up the resolution, under the conduct of Heaven, to remove into AMERICA.*

CHAPTER II.

The world was all before them, where to choose
Their place of rest, and Providence their guide.

Milton.

At the time when that resolution was taken, very little was known of the state of this part of America. Columbus, who was a Genoese, had discovered the West Indies in 1492, under Spanish patronage. In the spring of 1497. John Cabot, a Venetian, obtained a commission from Henry VII. under which he made a voyage from England, and discovered the continent of North America, in the latitude of forty-five degrees. He proceeded first northerly to the sixty-seventh degree, and then returning coasted to the south as far as Florida. The southern continent was found by Columbus in 1498. The first voyage from France to America was made in 1524, by Verrazano, a Florentine. By these voyages and discoveries, the princes of the several states, which authorized them, fancied themselves to have acquired the rights of territory and jurisdiction. The Spanish and French made various settlements in the course of a century. On the part of the English little or nothing seems to have been done, until Sir Walter Raleigh attempted the colonization of Virginia, between 1584 and 1607, when Jamestown was established. An effort was made to plant a colony near the mouth of the river Kennebeck, under the auspices of some very able persons, about the year 1607, but the severity of the winter and the loss of their storehouse by fire disheartened them, and the men took advantage of the first shipping to return to England, the next year. A settlement was commenced at Newfoundland in 1610, and in 1614 some Dutch adventurers built a fort at Albany, and laid the foundation of that city, and of New-York.

Massachusetts Bay, the bottom of which forms the harbour of Boston, had not been much explored previous to that time. Twelve years before, Bartholomew Gosnold, the first Englishman who came in a direct course to this part of America,

* Magnalia.

sailed from Falmouth in March, and made some part of the eastern coast on the 14th of May. Before this, the usual route had been by the Canaries and the West Indies. He did not enter the bay, but steered directly from Cape Ann to the opposite headland, to which he gave the name of Cape Cod, from the multitude of that sort of fish, which abounded there.

In the year 1614, the celebrated traveller and navigator, Capt. John Smith, sailed from England with two ships under his command. He explored the coast from Manhegan, an island near Penobscot river, to Cape Cod. This trip he made in a boat with eight men, for the purpose of bartering with the natives, and making such discoveries as might be of future advantage to his employers, and his country.

Speaking of these parts, he says, I have seen at least forty several habitations upon the sea coast, and sounded about five-and-twenty excellent good harbours. Of all the four parts of the world, I have yet seen uninhabited, could I have but means to transplant a colony, I would rather live here than any where; and if it did not maintain itself, were we but once indifferently well fitted, let us starve. Here are many isles planted with corn, groves, mulberries, savage gardens and good harbours. The sea coasts, as you pass them, show you all along large cornfields and great troops of well proportioned people.-Massachusetts, in particular, he calls the paradise of these parts, notices its high mountain, and its river which doth pierce many days' journey into the entrails of that country. But (adds he) the French having remained here near six weeks left nothing for us to examine. On his return to England, he formed a map from his rough draught and observations, which he presented to Prince Charles; who was so well pleased with his description of this new discovered region, that he gave it the name of NewEngland. In this map, Smith gave names to the most remarkable places on the coast, none of which are retainedamong others he gave the name of Boston to Agamenticus.

This voyage was completed within the period of six months, and produced a clear profit of fifteen hundred pounds to the principals. Doubtless the spirit of commercial enterprise was more powerfully excited by this substantial result, than by the high coloured and wonderful description which the Captain gave of the country.

When Smith embarked for London, he left his largest ship under the command of Thomas Hunt, to load her with fish for Spain. Hunt, when he was ready to sail, enticed into the ship twenty-seven Indians from Patuxet and Nauset (since Plymouth and Eastham) under pretence of trading with them. Immediately he seized upon the poor innocent creatures and

stowing them under his hatches, carried them off to Malaga, where he sold a number of them for twenty pounds a man. This atrocious act enraged the Indians, but was eventually of some service to the settlers, as we shall have occasion to mention.

During a number of years after this, the coast was annually visited by vessels, mostly fitted out by merchants, for taking fish, and trading with the Indians for furs. Of these voyages we have little information. No attempt was made to establish a plantation within the bay till 1620, when a permanent settlement was made at Plymouth.

The company which we left in Leyden, at the close of our last chapter, furnished the interesting band that made this settlement. With mutual embraces and many tears, they took leave of their pastor and sailed for Southampton, in England, where they were to meet another vessel prepared for the same expedition. On Wednesday the 6th of September, 1620, they loosed from Plymouth, and after many difficulties, in boisterous storms, upon the ninth of November, by break of day, they espied land, which proved to be Cape Cod. It was not their intention to have come so far to the northward. They therefore made some attempts to proceed towards the Hudson, but the wind proving contrary, were compelled to stop. Being thus thrown upon a coast where their patent gave them no right or power, and some strangers, who had joined them from London, disputing the authority of the Governour and assistants, they did, as the light of nature itself directed them, forthwith form themselves into a body politic, by a solemn contract to which they subscribed their names.

This first of American constitutions was in the following form:"In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread sovereign lord king James, by the grace of God, of G. B. France and Ireland king, defender of the faith, &c. having undertaken for the glory of God and the advancement of the christian faith, and honour of our king and country, a voyage to plant the first colony in the northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together in a civil body politick, for our better ordering and preservation, and furtherance of the end aforesaid-and BY VIRTUE HEREOF, to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony. In witness whereof, we have hereunder subscribed our names. Cape Cod, eleventh of November, in the year of the reign of our sovereign lord K. James of England, France and Ireland, the eighteenth and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, A.D. 1620.”

Having adopted this measure, they proceeded to the choice of Mr. John Carver for their Governour, and on the same day sent ashore fifteen or sixteen men well armed, to look for a convenient spot for their intended residence. Their first and second search was unsatisfactory; and it was not till the 16th of December, that the ship arrived and anchored in the harbour of Patuxet, where the pilgrims at length took up their abode, and named the place New-Plymouth.' *

CHAPTER III.

"Welcome, welcome, Englishmen !"

Samoset.

THE winter, which lay before these pilgrims, though not severely cold, proved a doleful one, on account of the sickness and deaths among their number; but the spring favourably advanced more early than usual. They had seen only very few of the natives, and met with no one near enough to hold any communication, until, on the 16th of March 1621, they were suddenly alarmed by the appearance of an Indian, who presented himself fearlessly, and in broken English, gave them a friendly salutation. His name was Samoset; a sagamore, or lord of Moratiggon he. 'He had a bow and two arrows he was a tall straight man: the hair of his head was black, long behind, only short before, none on his face at all. He asked some beer, but we gave him strong water, and biscuit, and butter, and cheese, and pudding, and a piece of mallard, (roast duck,) all which he liked very well.' Their visitor gave the party much useful information, and they sent him, the next day, on a message to their Indian neighbours. Through him they had frequent intercourse with small parties of the savages, and at last he brought and introduced to them Squanto, Squantum or Tisquantum, the only surviving native of the place they had taken possession of. Squanto was one of the twenty, that Hunt had carried to Spain, and had found his way into England, where he received kindness, which he was now disposed to requite. Our new comers found him very faithful to them, on most occasions, as long as he lived, serving them in their expeditions as a guide, mediator and interpreter. Before the expiration of a year from the time of their landing, the people at Plymouth had, by kind dealing and prudent

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