13. The coming of the Pilgrims, 1620 [35] voyage; from whom a report was whispered about that the king did say that old fool has hanged more men in that naked country than he [the king] had done for the murther of his ffather, whereof the govern'r hearing dyed soon after without having seen his majestie; which shuts up this tragedy. THE NEW ENGLAND SETTLEMENTS William Bradford was governor of Plymouth Colony almost continuously from 1621 to his death in 1657. His history "Of Plimoth Plantation," begun in 1630, is the source from which the material for all the subsequent histories of the pioneer colony in New England has been chiefly drawn. The precious manuscript of Bradford's history disappeared from the library in the tower of the Old South Church, Boston, at the time of the American Revolution. It was found in 1855 in the library of Fulham Palace, the residence of the Bishop of London; and after repeated and urgent requests it was given by the English government to the State of Massachusetts. It is now exhibited to visitors in the State Library at the Capitol. The following passages contain an account of the flight of the Separatists to Holland, part of the final letter written to the Pilgrims by their pastor John Robinson, on their departure for America, and the Compact which they made in the cabin of the Mayflower just before landing at Plymouth. [The Separatists] yet seeing themselves thus molested1 and that ther was no hope of their continuance ther [in England], by a jointe consente they resolved to goe into the Low Countries [Holland], wher they heard was freedom of religion for all men. ... So affter they had continued togeither aboute a year, and 1 James I on his accession in 1603 determined to make all the Puritans and Brownists, or Separatists, conform to the worship of the Church of England or drive them out of the land. kept their meetings every Saboth in one place or other, exercising the worship of God amongstt themselves, notwithstanding all the dilligence and malice of their adversaries, and seeing they could no longer continue in that condition, they resolved to get over into Holland as they could: which was in the year 1607 and 1608. . . . But to go into a country they knew not (but by hearsay) wher they must learne a new language and get their livings they knew not how . . . it was by many thought an adventure almost desperate . . . and a misserie worse than death. Espetially seeing they were not aquainted with trad[e]s nor traffique (by which that country doth subsiste) but had only been used to a plaine countrie life, and the innocent trade of husbandrey... but they rested on God's providence, and knew whom they had beleeved. . . . Being now come into the Low Countries they saw many goodly and fortified cities strongly walled and guarded with troops of armed men.1 They also heard a strange and uncouth language and beheld the differente manners and customes of the people with their strange fashons and attires . . . and though they saw faire and bewtifull cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of welth and riches, yet it was not long before they saw the grimme and grisly face of povertie coming upon them like an armed man, with whom they must buckle and incounter. yet by God's assistance they prevailed and got the victorie.. Being thus settled . . . they continued many years [1608-1620] in a comfortable condition, injoying much sweete and delightefull societie and spirituall comfort together in the wayes of God, under the able ministrie and prudente governmente of Mr. John Robinson and Mr. William Brewster . . . and if at any time any differences arose or offences broak out . . . they were nipt in the head betim[e]s or otherwise so well composed, as still love, peace and communion was continued. . . . After ten or a dozen years' residence in Holland, the Pilgrims began to think of removing to the New World, 1 The Dutch under William of Orange and his brothers had been maintaining a valiant war of independence against Philip of Spain since the year 1567. ་་ not out of any newfangledness or other such like giddie humor. . . but for sundrie weightie and solid reasons,' which were their growing numbers, their political and social restraint in a foreign land, their disapproval of the Continental morals," and their "great hope and inward zeall" of converting the Indians to Christianity. So being ready to departe, they had a day of solleme humiliation, their pastor taking his texte from Ezra 8, 21... upon which he spente a good parte of the day very profitably. . . The nexte day the wind being faire they went aborde . . . where truly dolfull was the sight of that sade and mournfull parting... so that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the key as spectators could not refraine from tears. . . . At their parting Mr. Robinson writ a letter to the whole company. Lovinge Christian friends, I doe hartily in the Lord salute you all . . . though I be constrained for a while to be bodily absente from you. ... Now next after heavenly peace with God and our own consciences, we are carefully to provide for peace with all men what in us lieth.... As many of you are strangers, as to the persons, so to the infirmities one of another, [you] so stand in neede of more watchfullness this way, lest when shuch things fall out in men and women as you suspected not, you be inordinately affected with them. ... And lastly, your intended course of civil comunitie will minister continuall occasion for offence, and will be as fuell for that fire, excepte you dilligently quench it with brotherly forbearance. . . . Store up therefore patience against the evill day. . . . And as men are carfull not to have a new house shaken with any violence before it be well setled and the parts firmly knite, so be you, I beseeche you, brethren, much more carful that the house of God, which you are and are to be, be not shaken with unnecessarie novelties or other oppositions at the first setling thereof. . . . Lastly, whereas you are become a body politik... let your wisdome and godliness appeare, not only in chusing shuch persons as doe entirely love and will promote the commone good, John Robinson Arriving off Cape Cod, November 11 (21), 1620, and realizing that they were outside the jurisdiction of the London Company which had granted them their patent, the Pilgrims, in order to assure a stable government on landing, agreed to this famous compact in the Mayflower's cabin. In the name of God, Amen We whose names are under-writen, the loyal subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of the Faith, etc., having undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and countrie, a voyage to plante the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents, solemnly and mutualy in the presence of God, and of one another, covenant and combine ourselves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid: and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute and frame such just and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the generall good of the Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd, the 11 of November, in the year of the raigne of our soveraigne Lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fiftie fourth. An°: Dom. 1620. tan character The character of the New England Puritan has always 14. Illustrainspired conflicting sentiments in the mind of his critic. tions of PuriSteadfastness, zeal, and intrepid virtue were joined in him with a harsh and intolerant judgment of the least deviation [43] from the conduct and creed prescribed by the orthodox clergy. Sweet reasonableness was regarded as a weak surrender of principle. Thomas Hutchinson, the royal Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts on the eve of the American Revolution, writes of the Puritans in his "History of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay": In the beginning of 1649 died Mr. Winthrop, the father of the country, in the 63d year of his age. His death caused a general grief through the colony. . . . He was of more Catholic spirit than some of his bretheren before he left England, but afterwards he grew more contracted, and was disposed to lay too great stress on indifferent matters. He first proposed leaving off the custom of drinking one to another, and then procured a law to prohibit it. He pursued with great vehemence Mr. Vane's adherents.1 ... Some writers say that upon his deathbed when Mr. Dudley pressed him to sign an order of banishment of an heterodox person, he refused saying, "he had done too much of that work already." Mr. Endicott succeeded him in the place of governor, and Mr. Dudley took the place of deputy governor. I fancy that about this time the scrupulosity of the good people of this colony was at its height. Soon after Mr. Winthrop's death, Mr. Endicot, the most rigid of any of the magistrates, being governor, he joined with the other assistants in an association against long hair. In every age indifferent things have been condemned as sinful, and placed among the greatest immoralities. The text against long hair in Corinthians,2 as contrary to the custom in the apostle's day, induced our ancestors to think it criminal in all ages and all nations. . . . I have wondered that the text in Leviticus [xix, 27] "Ye shall not round the corners of your heads," was never brought against short hair. ... The rule in 1 Sir Harry Vane, Governor of Massachusetts 1636–1637, supported Anne Hutchinson in theological heresy. He played a leading part in the English Civil War of 1642, and was executed twenty years later by Charles II. 1 Cor. xi, 14: "If a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him." |