The most of the original members of the infidel clan in this town have gone to their final account. It is questionable whether there is one left, who is willing to stand up before the world and say, that he regards the Bible as a fable. There may be some small fry scattered about the country, whose sceptical notions were first imbibed from these men. But it is believed, that there is as little infidelity in Easthampton, at the present time, as in any town of our country. But this occurrence shows clearly the danger to which even good men are exposed, when they permit their judgment and feelings to be carried away by party strife.

This township, as now defined, extends from the western line of Easthampton, taking the entire breadth of the south. branch of the island, to the head of Peconick Bay ;-thence, about two miles west to Kanungum Pond, through which the Peconick river passes. From this point, the western bounda ry is a straight line south about 10° west, till it strikes Setuck Creek, near Speonk, which runs into East Bay, which is the eastern part of the great South Bay.

The settlement of this town was commenced in 1640, by a company from Lynn, Mass. Eight men are named as the first "undertakers," as they were called, with more apparent propriety, than the term is now applied to the buriers of the dead. They sold a vessel to one Captain Howe, whom they admitted as one of the company, with the stipulation, that said vessel should ply, three times a year, between Massachu. setts and Long Island. Before they left Lynn, the number of "undertakers" was increased to 16; among whom was the Rev. Abraham Pierson, of Boston, who was their first minister.

They first proceeded to the western part of the island, and landing at Cow Bay, they purchased of the natives, a large tract of land, and immediately commenced their settlement. This territory being claimed by the Dutch, Gov. Kieft sent an armed company, (May 13th, 1640,) and arrested six of the

men, who were taken to the citadel and thrown into prison. In a few days they were brought before the Governor, and released on a promise of quitting the territory. They accordingly "pulled up stakes" and returned to the east end of the island, where they established themselves without further molestation.

The instrument which they had received from James Farrett, the agent of Lord Stirling, is dated April 17th, 1640, and authorizes them "to sit down where it best liketh them on Long Island, to make purchases of the Indians, and settle thereupon, with as full and free liberty, both in church order and civil government, as the plantations in Massachusetts enjoyed." The place they now selected was on the south side, in full view of the ocean, about four miles from North Sea, which was the place of their landing on Peconick Bay.

A specimen of their early legislation will both gratify curiosity, and give a correct view of the character of the first settlers. The following abstract is taken from the earliest records of the town, which are now in a very mutilated condition, and unless speedily transcribed and arranged, will soon be totally illegible:

Offences punishable by the magistrate are classified as follows:

"1. TRESPASSES. If any man's swine, or any other beast, or a fire kindled by a man, damage another man's field, he shall make full restitution for the grain and time lost in securing the swine, &c. Exod. xii. 5, 6.-Lev. xxiv. 18. But if a man turn his swine or cattle into another's field, restitution shall be made of the best he possesses, though it be much better than that which is destroyed. Exod. xxi. 34.

“2. If a man killeth another's beast, or dig or open a pit, and leave it uncovered, and a beast fall into it, he that killed the beast, and the owner of the pit, shall make restitution. If a man's beast kill the beast of another, the owner of the beast shall make restitution. Exod. xxi. 35, 36.

"3. If a man's ox or other beast gore or bite and kill a man or woman, whether child or of riper age, the beast shall be killed, and no benefit of the dead beast reserved to the owner. But if the ox or other beast were wont to push or bite in former time, and the owner hath been told of it, and hath not kept him in, then, the ox or beast shall be forfeited and killed, and the owner also put to death; or else fined to pay, what

the judges and person damnified shall lay upon him. Exod. xxi. 28, 29.

"4. If a man deliver goods to his neighbour to keep, and they be said to be lost or stolen from him, the keeper of the goods shall be put to his oath,-[illegible]-and no evidence to the contrary, he shall be quit. But if he be found false unto his neighbour, or unfaithful, he shall pay double. But if a man take hire for the goods committed unto him, and they be stolen, the keeper shall make restitution. But if the beast kept for hire die, or be hurt, or be driven away, no man seeing of it, an oath shall be taken of the keeper, that it was without his default, and it shall be accepted. But if the beast be torne in pieces, and a piece be brought for witness, it excuseth the keeper. Exod. xxii. 8—13.

"II. OF CRIMES.

"And first, of such as deserve cutting off from a man's people,-[banishment.]

"Whosoever shall revile the religion and worship of God as now established, to be cut off by banishment.

"Wilful perjury, whether public or private, to be punished with banishment-[illegible]-Just it is, that such a man's name should be cut off from his people, who profaneth so grossly the name of God before his people.

"Unreverend and dishonourable carriage to magistrates to to be punished with banishment for a time, till they acknowledge their fault and profess reformation.

Of CRIMES less heinous, such as are to be punished with some corporal punishment or fine.

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I. Rash and profane swearing and cursing to be punished,

"1. With loss of honour or office, if it be a magistrate or officer. Meet it is, that their names should be dishonoured, who dishonour God's name.

2. With loss of freedom.

"3. With disability to give testimony.

"4. By corporal punishment-either by stripes-branding with an hot iron, or boring them through the tongue, as he hath bored and pierced God's name.

"II. Drunkenness, as transforming God's image into a beast, is to be punished with the punishment of a beast. Prov. xxvi. 3. A whip for a horse-and a rod for a fool's

back.

"III. Fornication, to be punished,

"1. With a fine or penalty to the father

"2. With marriage of the maid, if she and her father consent.

"3. With corporal punishment of stripes; for this wrong is a real slander. It is worse to make a harlot, than to say one is a harlot.

"IV. Maiming or wounding of a free man to be punished with a fine.

"CRIMES, that deserve capital punishment.

"1. Blasphemy, which is a cursing of God, or wicked de. nying of God by Atheism or the like. Deut. xxiv. 15. "2. Idolatry-Deut. xvii. 3-5.

"3. Witchcraft, which is fellowship by covenant with a familiar spirit. Exod. xxii. 18.

"4. Consulting with witches-death or banishment. Lev. xx. 6.

"5. Heresy, which is the maintenance of some wicked error, overthrowing the foundations of the true religion, with obstinacy, if it be joined with an endeavour to seduce others thereunto.

"6. To worship God in a molten image.

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"7. Profaning the Lord's day in a careless and scornful manner, or contempt thereof. Num. xv. 30-36.

"8. To plot and practise the betraying of the country, or any principal fort therein to the hand of a foreign state, Spanish, French or Dutch, or the like, contrary to the allegiance which we profess and owe to our dread sovereign Lord, King Charles, his heirs and successors, while he is pleased to protect us as his loyal subjects.

9. Rebellion, sedition or insurrection, by taking up arms against the present government, established in the country.

"Rebellious children, whether they continue in evil or drunkenness, after due correction from their parents, or whether they curse and smite their parents. Deut. xxi. 18. Lev. x. 9, 10; xxi. 15, 17.

"10. Murder, which is wilful man-slaughter, not in a man's necessary and just defence, or casually committed, but out of hatred and cruelty.

"11. Adultery-defiling of the marriage bed.

"12. Defiling of a woman espoused.

"13. Incest, which is the defiling of any that are of kin within the degrees prohibited in Lev. -Unnatural lusts. "14. Man-stealing.

"15. Falsc-witness against life."

In the preceding abstract, the scripture references are given

as far as legible, but some of them may not be perfectly correct, in consequence of the mutilations of the original. They are sufficient, however, to show the origin of their laws, and their reverence for the word of God. Southampton formed an alliance with Hartford colony in 1644.

The following municipal regulations show, with what care they guarded against the ingress of unwholesome inhabitants. "1648. It is ordered that Thomas Robinson shall be accepted as an inhabitant, and have a £50 lot granted unto him; provided, the said Thomas be not under any scandalous crime, which may be laid to his charge, within six months, and that he carry himself, and behave as becometh an honest

man.

"It is further ordered that Samuel Dayton be accepted as an inhabitant, and have a £50 lot granted unto him, provided that the said Samuel (being a stranger to us) were of good approbation in the colony he last lived in, and do demean himself well here, for the time to approbation; namely, six months to come."

At an earlier period (1645) it was ordered that "a reward of five shillings" be paid "to any person, who shall discover, and give information of a whale, or part of a whale, cast upon the shore." But it is expressly added, "if any whale be found on the Lord's day, the above five shillings shall not be due or payable."

In 1644, "an agreement was made with Edward Howell to build a mill-the people to assist in making the dam--furnish the mill-stones and grant a forty acre lot adjoining." This same site is still occupied as a mill-seat, about three miles east of the village, and has always borne the name of "the Water-mill."

It has been doubted by some, whether a church was regularly organized at the commencement of this settlement. The foundation of this doubt is an early instrument in which that event is spoken of as future. But it will be recollected, that this was one of the first agreements entered into by the "undertakers" while forming their company in Massachusetts. Besides, Hubbard expressly records the fact, that they were organized into a church before they left Lynn, and chose the Rev. Mr. Pierson as their pastor. And this seems to be confirmed by the subsequent conduct of Mr. Pierson, who, possessing the sentiments in regard to government which he afterwards developed, would not have been likely to embark in establishing a colony, in which there was no