Origin of its Name.

of Indians, who had come to trade with them, to draw a cannon by a long rope, that the moment they were ranged in a straight line, the white people discharged the piece, which killed and wounded a great number. Their story is, that the indignation of the natives for this barbarous treachery, compelled the company to embark to save their own lives.

From this time till 1620, no settlement was made on these shores; but while the Plymouth company were discouraged, Sir John Popham, and some others, carried on the fisheries. which produced considerable profit.

In April, 1614, Capt. John Smith, with two ships, commenced a voyage of discovery to the northern coasts of America; he first made the island of Monhigan, then computed to be in latitude 43° 30', where he built seven boats, in one of which,' with eight men, he ranged the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod, entered and surveyed what is now called Massachusetts Bay, and made his observations on other parts of the coast. He discovered the Isles of Shoals, and called them Smith's Isles. The whole country he found was peopled by various tribes of Indians. After his return to England, he wrought these surveys and observations into a map, which he presented to Charles Prince of Wales, (afterwards King Charles I.) with a request that he would give a name to this newly explored country. Accordingly he gave his own name to the river which divides Boston from Charlestown, and to the whole country, that of NEW ENGLAND. When he sailed for England, he left Capt. Hunt behind to complete his cargo of fish, which he was to sell in Spain. Hunt, destitute of justice and humanity, decoyed twenty-four Indians on board, carried them to Spain, and there he sold them for slaves. This outrage on the laws of hospitality, was long resented by the inhabitants of the country.

About this period the emperor of Penobscot, with his family, was destroyed by the Tarratenes, a tribe east of the Penobscot, upon which a contest for the sovereignty rose among the sachems, and a bloody war raged throughout the empire. Immediately a terrible pestilence followed. By these two calamities were destroyed nineteen-twentieths of the natives on the shores of the Massachusetts. This disease was probably the yellow fever, the bodies of the people being "exceeding yellow, both before and after they died." Another circumstance is mentioned, which coincides with this opinion; foreigners were not susceptible of the contagion. Richard Vines and

crew, on a voyage of discovery, travelled into the country and lodged in their wigwams, but were not in the least degree affected, though the natives were dying in such numbers, that they could not be buried. It is known that sometimes strangers do not take the yellow fever where it is most inalignant. Had it been the small pox, as some have supposed, these Europeans would certainly have taken it, unless they had had it before; if they had, they doubtless would have recognised the visible marks of the disease. On the spot first occupied by the fathers of New England, now the town of Plymouth, though before very populous," every human being died of the pestilence." This account was easily credited, from the extent of the uncultivated fields, and the number of graves and human bones, which appeared. An extraordinary occurrence relative to this pestilence has been mentioned. "A French ship had been wrecked on Cape Cod; the men were saved with their provisions and goods. The natives kept their eyes on them till they found an opportunity to kill all but three or four, and divide their goods. The captives were sent from one tribe to another as slaves. One of them learned so much of their language as to tell them, that "God was angry with them for their cruelty, and would destroy them and give their country to another people." They answered that "they were too many for God to kill." He replied that "if they were ever so numerous, God had many ways to kill them, of which they were then ignorant." Afterwards, when this new and extraordinary pestilence came among them, they remembered the man's words, and when the Plymouth settlers arrived at Cape Cod, the few survivors imagined, that the other part of his prediction would soon be accomplished.

CHAP. II.

Rise of the Puritans-their Sufferings-Flight to HollandInconveniences there-Resolution to remove.

EVENTS in Europe, under the direction of Divine Providence, had for a long time been preparing the way for a colony of Christians in the wilds of America. The vine had been planted, which has long enriched her vallies and adorned her hills.

The first permanent settlement of New England, by a civilised and Christian people, was the effect of religious persecu

6 Rise and Sufferings of the Puritans.-Origin of their Name. tion. Soon after the commencement of the reformation in England, in the year 1534, the protestants were divided into two parties, one the followers of Luther, and the other of Calvin. The former had chosen gradually, and almost imperceptibly, to recede from the church of Rome; while the latter, more zealous, and convinced of the importance of a thorough reformation, and at the same time possessing much firmness, and high notions of religious liberty, were for effecting a thorough change at once. What the others had done, in the work of reformation, fell far short of their wishes. They still saw surplices, printed prayers, organs, bishops, and altars, with most of the pomp which had belonged to the papal church, and were but little impressed with the alterations of doctrines and creeds. Their plainness of dress, their gravity of deportment, the names of their children, borrowed from the scriptures, their daily religious conversation, their endeavours to expunge from the church all the inventions of men, and to introduce the "Scripture purity," acquired for them the name of PURITANS. From these the inhabitants of New England descended. The reasons assigned for leaving their own country, and settling in a wilderness were, "that the ancient faith and true worship might be found inseparable companions in their practice, and that their posterity might be undefiled in religion."

In the year 1602, a number of people in the counties of Nottinghamshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire, by the preaching of the gospel, became savingly acquainted with the truth. Their ignorance, prejudices, and errors, were so far removed, that they saw the vanity of their former superstitions; they sought more evangelical instructions, and a purer church. A separation from the established church was the natural consequence. Shaking off their antichristian chains, they resolved,

whatever it should cost them," to enjoy liberty of conscience. On account of their distance from each other, they formed themselves into two churches. Of one, Mr. John Smith, a man of able gifts and a good preacher, became pastor; but these, adopting some errors, in the Low Countries, became neglected, and their history is unknown. Of the other, the history of which will constitute a considerable part of the following pages, the Rev. Richard Clifton, a man of grave deportment and a successful preacher, had the pastoral care. Many were hopefully converted under his ministrations. Mr. John Robinson was a member of this church, and after

wards their pastor. Mr. William Brewster was an elder and preacher.

After they had separated from the establishment, on account of its retaining so much of popery, and had organised churches, having covenanted" to walk in all the ways of God made known, or to be made known to them, according to their best endeavours," the spirit of persecution rose like a flood with new fury. Beside the trial of cruel mockings, they were watched by officers; they were often imprisoned, or obliged to fly from their houses and means of subsistence. In this deplorable situation, with "joint consent," they resolved to go into the Low Countries, where, they heard, was freedom of religion for all men. Hard was their lot, to leave their dwellings, their lands, and relatives, to go they knew not whither, to obtain a living they knew not how. Having been employed only in agriculture, they were ignorant of the trades and business of the country which they had selected as the place of their exile. Though persecuted, they were not destroyed: though distressed, their zeal and courage did not forsake them; though in trouble, trusting in God, they were not disınayed. Still another affliction, more unreasonable, if possible, than any former one, stared them in the face. They could not stay in peace, nor were they allowed to depart. The strong arm of law had barred every harbour and vessel against them. They could effect their escape only by secret means, or by bribing the mariners, and then they were often betrayed, their property seized, and themselves punished. The following facts will shew how distressing and forlorn was their situation:

A large company, intending to embark at Boston, in Lincolnshire, hired a ship, agreed with the master to take them on board at a certain day, at an appointed place. They were punctual; he kept not the day, but finally came and received them on board in the night; then, having agreed beforehand with the searchers and other officers, he delivered the passengers and goods to them, who put them in boats, rifled and searched them to their shirts," treating the women with indelicacy and rudeness, carried them back to the town, where they were spectacles of scorn to the multitude, who came to gaze. They were carried before the magistrates, they were imprisoned for a month; the greater part were then sent to the place whence they came; still some of the principal characters were kept in confinement, or bound over to the next assizes. Distressed, but still persevering, the next spring a

8

Sufferings of the Puritans.

number of these, with some others, agreed with a Dutch captain to carry them to Holland. He was to take them from a large common between Grimsby and Hull, a place remote from any town. The women, children, and goods, were sent to the place in a small barque; the men travelled by land; but the barque arriving a day before the ship, and the sea being rough, and the women very sick, the seamen put into a small creek. The next morning the ship came, but the barque was aground. That no time might be lost, the captain sent his boat to receive some of the men, who were on shore. As the boat was returning for more, the captain saw a great company of horse and foot, coming armed from the country; at which he weighed anchor, hoisted sail, and having a fair wind was soon out of sight. The men on board were thus separated from their wives and children, without a change of garments, or money in their pockets. Tears flowed, but tears were vain. Soon after, they were tossed in a storm and driven on the coast of Norway. They saw neither sun, moon, nor stars, for seven days. The mariners despaired of relief, and once they supposed the ship actually going down; with shrieks and cries, they exclaimed We sink, we sink, the water overflowing them to their mouths; yet the Puritan passengers, in this scene of hor➡ ror and desperation, without any great distraction, cried, "Yet, Lord, thou canst save; yet, Lord, thou canst save;" with other similar expressions; when the ship soon recovered herself, and the fury of the storm abated.

But to return to the people on shore. The men escaped, excepting those who voluntarily stayed to assist the women and children. Here was a moving scene of distress; husbands fled; husbands and fathers carried to a foreign country; children crying with fear and shivering with cold! What could sustain the mother's breaking heart? Charity and humanity would have cheered the weeping throng! but these heavenly spirits were not here. Persecution raised her voice terrible as death; she hurried them from one place to another, from one officer to another, till all were tired of their victory. To imprison so many innocent women and children would have excited public odium; homes they had none, for they had disposed of them: they were glad to be rid of them on any terms. From these sufferings they received advantage. Their meekness and christian deportment made a favourable and deep impression on the hearts of many spectators, which produced considerable accessions to their number. But by courage and