upon the same virtuous principles, crossing the Atlantic with the dearest companions of life, their wives, their helpless offspring, exposed to the roughness of the ocean, to the inclemencies of the weather, and all their attendant evils, and landing in the tempestuous month of December upon an unknown shore, inhabited by men more fierce than beasts of prey, and scarcely deserving to be called human, natural enemies to their virtue and morality, with whom they are obliged to wage an immediate and unequal war for their defence and safety. When we view them, under all the disadvantages naturally attendant upon a state of sickness and poverty, defending themselves against savage cruelties, and still persevering in their virtuous resolutions, establishing their religion in this then desert, forming a code of laws wisely adapted to their circumstances, and planting a colony, which, through divine goodness, has flourished and become an important branch of that body which caused their emigration,-how am I lost in amazement! And to what cause can we ascribe these deliverances and salvation, but to that Almighty being who orders all events for the benefit of mankind, whose ways are to us unsearchable, and whose doings are past our finding out.

'Upon a recollection of all these things, it is not to be wondered, that we the sons and descendants from such illustrious ancestors, upon this 22d of December, are assembled upon the very spot on which they landed, to commemorate this period, the most important that the annals of America can boast, a period which, I doubt not, every person here present esteems an honor, as well as his incumbent duty, gratefully to remem ber; and while we feel for the misfortunes and calamities of those, our pious ancestors, the consequences of which to us are so delightful and glorious, let us also admire and adore their virtue, their patience, their fortitude, and their heroism, and continue to commemorate it annually. This virtue is undoubtedly rewarded with joys which no tongue can utter, nor hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive; and if we, their sons, act from the same principles, and conduct with the same noble firmness and resolution, when our holy religion or our civil liberties are invaded, we may expect a reward proportionate; for such principles render the soul tranquil and easy under all the misfortunes and calamities to which human nature is exposed, and of him who is possessed by them, the poet with propriety says,

"Should the whole fraine of nature round him break,

In ruin and confusion hurled,

He, unconcerned, would hear the mighty crack,

And stand secure amidst a falling world."

The evening was concluded by singing a song composed by Mr. Alexander Scammel.*

1771, December 20. At an occasionul meeting, Alexander Scammel, M. A., was, by his desire, unanimously voted in as a member of the club.

December 23d. The 22d falling on Sunday, the club voted to celebrate Forefathers' Day on Monday, the 23d. In the morning a cannon was discharged, and the flag hoisted on the hall. At noon, the club being joined by a number of the most respectable gentlemen in town, met in a spacious room at the house of Mr. Wethrell, innholder, where they partook of a plain and elegant entertainment, and spent the afternoon in cheerful and social conversation, upon a variety of subjects peculiarly adapted to the time. At sunset, upon a signal given by the discharge of cannon and striking the flag, the members of the club, with the gentlemen of the town, repaired to the hall, where the aforesaid subjects were resumed, and several important matters, relative to the conduct of our ancestors, were discussed with freedom and candor, and a number of pleasing anecdotes of our progenitors were recollected and communicated by some of the aged and venerable gentlemen who favored us with their company.

An uncommon harmony and pleasantry prevailed throughout the day and evening, every person present exerting himself to increase the general joy. The Old Colony song, with a number of others, was sung, after which the company withdrew. A letter from the Rev. Mr. Robbins was communicated by the President, and is as follows:

Plymouth, December 23, 1771. GENTLEMEN: I am told it was expected by some, that as the anniversary of our forefathers' arrival in this place fell on the Sabbath past, I would have taken some public notice of it in the pulpit. I must acknowledge I think there would have been a great propriety in it, and I am very sorry it was entirely out of my mind that that was the day, till I was reminded of it today; otherwise I should certainly have taken notice of it, and

Mr. A. Scammel was then the teacher of the Plymouth town school. He was afterwards a distinguished officer in the American army. At the siege of York Town, September 30th, 1781, he received a fatal wound, and was captured by the British. He died in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, where is a monumental tablet, Which conquering armies, from their toils return'd, Rear'd to his glory, while his fate they mourn'd.'

Humphreys

attempted to say something suitable to the occasion; however, it is past now; but I would on this occasion, if it would not be esteemed assuming in me, humbly propose to the gentlemen of your society, whether it would not be agreeable, and serve for the entertainment and instruction of the rising generation, more especially for the future, on these anniversaries to have a sermon in public, some part of the day, peculiarly adapted to the occasion, wherein should be represented the motives that induced them to undertake such an enterprise, the amazing dangers and difficulties they conflicted with and overcame, the piety and ardor with which they persevered through numberless discouragements and opposition-the time, manner, and other circumstances of their first arrival,-with all the train of surprising events that ensued, the appearances of the divine providence and goodness for them, the noble and God-like virtue with which they were inspired, so worthy the imitation of their posterity, &c., &c.,-with many other things, that would naturally fall in upon a discourse of this kind. I mention this, gentlemen, the more freely, because I remember it was spoken of in conversation by some of the gentlemen of your company the evening of the last anniversary. I do but propose the thing, gentlemen, for your consideration this evening, and if it should prove agreeable, I would beg leave to suggest one thing further, viz., that the minister to preach the sermon be chosen by your society somewhere within the Old Colony, and I doubt not any gentleman whom you should choose for that purpose would very willingly consent, in order to encourage so good a design.

'And now, gentlemen, I rest assured that your candor and generosity is such, that you will not construe what I have offered in an unfavorable light, either as being dictatorial, or seeming to desire myself the office of speaker on such occasion, which I can sincerely say is far from being true. I propose it for the instruction and entertainment of ourselves and posterity. The plan, if it should be agreeable, would afford us opportunity to hear these matters discoursed on by a great variety of ministers, who would doubtless take pains to furnish themselves with entertaining and useful materials for the occasion. And for this end, if they were appointed at each anniversary for the next year, they would have so much the better opportunity to prepare. Submitting the matter to your consideration, I am, gentlemen, with much regard, Your friend and very humble servant,

CHANDLER ROBBINS.' Voted, that Messrs. Pelham Winslow, Edward Winslow, Jr.,

and Alexander Scammel, should be a committee to prepare an answer to the above letter, which they are to lay before the club as soon as may be.

1772, January 7th. Messrs. Pelham Winslow, Edward Winslow, and Alexander Scammel, the committee chosen the 23d December, reported an answer to the Rev. Mr. Robbins's letter, which was approved, and accordingly forwarded by the club, and is as follows:

REV. AND RESPECTED SIR: We have carefully perused the contents of your letter of the 23d inst., but before we proceed to a particular answer thereto, we think it necessary to observe, that the members of this society, (who weekly meet together for the mutual advantage of each other, to enjoy the refined pleasures of social and unrestrained conversation, unalloyed with the disputes and contentions of parties,) having taken into consideration, that the celebrating certain days of each year, upon which any remarkable event or extraordinary transaction had happened, is a practice which has the sanction of antiquity for its justification, finding frequent instances of it in sacred as well as profane, in ancient as well as modern history, not only among nations, states and churches, but even in particular societies and corporations,-we were not a little surprised, that an event so important and glorious in its consequences as the landing of our ancestors in this place, should be totally neglected by their descendants;-considering further, that the assembling a number of persons of different ages, for the purpose of commemorating this truly remarkable period, would have a natural and direct tendency to introduce subjects for conversation relative to our illustrious progenitors, and the history of our country, the aged upon those days would with freedom communicate to the youth those circumstances which had happened within their memories, and those also which had been casually related to them by their predecessors; by these means many pleasing and curious anecdotes of our pious forefathers, which have escaped the pens of historians, would be snatched from oblivion and descend to posterity; and while we, with pleasure and gratitude, were recollecting and admiring their virtues, their patience, their piety, their heroism, and their fortitude, we might be incited to follow their worthy examples.

These, sir, were the principal motives by which we were actuated, (whatever the malice and envy of some might suggest to the contrary,) when we proposed to celebrate this anniversary, and we were pleased with the expectation of being joined by many of the respectable members of the Old Colony;

and (from a consciousness of the. rectitude of our intentions, and the benefit that might result to us and others from this institution,) we flattered ourselves that even the reverend gentlemen of the clergy would give a sanction to it, by honoring us with their presence.

'Our expectations have been, in part, answered, and we esteem ourselves under the greatest obligations to you, sir, for proposing a mode of celebration for the future, so exactly correspondent with our most sanguine wishes and expectations, as that of having a sermon preached on this solemn as well as important occasion. We concur with you 'that it would be agreeable, and serve for the entertainment and instruction of the rising generation;' and we are of opinion that the motives and inducements of our religious forefathers for undertaking so dangerous an enterprise as the settlement of this colony, the amazing difficulties they encountered and overcame, the true vital piety and ardor with which they persevered, their sincere desire to advance the christian religion, and their other noble and Godlike virtues, are subjects that ought to be minutely discussed, and solemnized by the sacred oratory of the pulpit.

'We have endeavored to deserve the compliment which you have been pleased to pay us, construing your letter 'with generosity and candor.' We neither esteem it 'dictatorial,' nor as desiring yourself the office of speaker on the occasion.'

'We have impatiently waited for a proposal of this kind to be made to some gentlemen of the clergy by persons whose ages and situations in life have given them greater influence than ourselves, but it has been hitherto omitted; we would modestly request (as you are the pastor of the first church that was gathered in the Old Colony, have the greatest advantages and opportunities for collecting all the historical facts and other materials that may be necessary for this work, and in every other respect are peculiarly qualified therefor,) that you would, upon the ensuing anniversary, prepare and deliver a discourse suitable to the time; and, in complying with this our request, we trust that you will not only render a singular service to the public, but will oblige many of the respectable inhabitants of the Old Colony, and, in particular, the members of this society. We are, with the most unfeigned respect and gratitude,

'Your sincere friends and obedient servants,

"THE OLD COLONY CLUB. 'From Old Colony Hall, December 31, 1771. 'Rev. CHANDLER ROBBINS.'