USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Bradford's history "of Plimoth plantation" from the original manuscript > Part 17
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3. Then he tells them that if that Capten they spoake of should come over hither as a generall, he was perswaded he would be chosen Capten; for this Captaine Standish looks like a silly boy, and is in utter contempte.
4. Then he shows that if by ye forementioned means they cannot be strengthened to cary & over- bear things, it will be best for them to plant els wher by them selves ; and would have it artickled by them that they might make choyse of any place that they liked best within 3. or 4. myls distance, shew- ing ther were farr better places for plantation then this.
5. And lastly he concluds, that if some number came not over to bear them up here, then ther would be no abiding for them, but by joyning with these hear. Then he adds : Since I begane to write, ther are letters come from your company, wherin they would give sole authoritie in diverce things unto the
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Gov' here; which, if it take place, then, Ve nobis. But I hope you will be more vigilante hereafter, that nothing may pass in such a maner. I suppose (saith he) Mr. Oldame will write to you further of these things. I pray you conceall me in the discovery of these things, &c.
Thus I have breefly touched some cheefe things in his leters, and shall now returne to their procceeding with him. After the reading of his leters before the whole company, he was demanded what he could say to these things. [124] But all ye answer he made was, that Billington and some others had informed him of many things, and made sundrie complaints, which they now deneyed. He was againe asked if that was a sufficiente ground for him thus to accuse & traduse them by his letters, and never say word to them, con- sidering the many bonds betweene them. And so they went on from poynte to poynte; and wisht him, or any of his freinds & confederats, not to spare them in any thing; if he or they had any proofe or witnes of any corrupte or evill dealing of theirs, his or their evidence must needs be ther presente, for ther was the whole company and sundery strangers. He said he had been abused by others in their informations, (as he now well saw, ) and so had abused them. And this was all the answer they could have, for none would take his parte in any thing; but Billington, & any whom he named, deneyed the things, and protested he
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wronged them, and would have drawne them to such & such things which they could not consente too, though they were sometimes drawne to his meetings. Then they delte with him aboute his dissembling with them aboute ye church, and that he professed to concur with them in all things, and what a large confession he made at his admittance, and that he held not him selfe a minister till he had a new calling, &c. And yet now he contested against them, and drew a company aparte, & sequestred him selfe; and would goe minister the sacrements (by his Episcopall caling) without ever speaking a word unto them, either as magistrats or bretheren. In conclusion, he was fully convicted, and burst out into tears, and " confest he feared he was a reprobate, his sinns were so great that he doubted God would not pardon them, he was unsavorie salte, &c. ; and that he had so wronged them as he could never make them amends, con- fessing all he had write against them was false & nought, both for matter & maner." And all this he did with as much fullnes as words & tears could express.
After their triall & conviction, the court censured them to be expeld the place ; Oldame presently, though his wife & family had liberty to stay all winter, or longer, till he could make provission to remove them comfortably. Lyford had liberty to stay 6. months. It was, indeede, with some eye to his release, if he
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caried him selfe well in the meane time, and that his repentance proved sound. Lyford acknowledged his censure was farr less then he deserved.
Afterwards, he confest his sin publikly in ye church, with tears more largly then before. I shall here put it downe as I find it recorded by some who tooke it from his owne words, as him selfe utered them. Ac- knowledging [125] "That he had don very evill, and slanderously abused them; and thinking most of ye people would take parte with him, he thought to cary all by violence and strong hand against them. And that God might justly lay inocente blood to his charge, for he knew not what hurt might have come of these his writings, and blest God they were stayed. And that he spared not to take knowledg from any, of any evill that was spoaken, but shut his eyes & ears against all the good; and if God should make him a vacabund in ye earth, as was Caine, it was but just, for he had sined in envie & malice against his brethren as he did. And he confessed 3. things to be ye ground & causes of these his doings : pride, vaine- glorie, & selfe love." Amplifying these heads with many other sade expressions, in the perticulers of them.
So as they begane againe to conceive good thoughts of him upon this his repentance, and admited him to teach amongst them as before; and Samuell Fuller (a deacon amongst them), and some other tender harted
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men amongst them, were so taken with his signes of sorrow & repentance, as they professed they would fall upon their knees to have his censure released.
But that which made them all stand amased in the end, and may doe all others that shall come to hear ye same, (for a rarer president can scarse be showne, ) was, that after a month or 2. notwithstand all his for- mer conffessions, convictions, and publick acknowledg- ments, both in ye face of ye church and whole company, with so many tears & sadde censures of him selfe be- fore God & men, he should goe againe to justifie what he had done.
For secretly he write a 2ª. leter to ye adventurers. in England, in wch he justified all his former writings, (save in some things which tended to their damage,) the which, because it is brefer then ye former, I shall here inserte.
Worthy ST8: Though the filth of mine owne doings may justly be cast in, my face, and with blushing cause my per- petuall silence, yet that ye truth may not herby be injuried, your selves any longer deluded, nor injurious * dealing caried out still, with bould out facings, I have adventured once more to write unto you. Firest, I doe freely confess I delte very indiscreetly in some of my perticuler leters wch I wrote to private freinds, for ye courses in coming hither & the like ; which I doe in no sorte seeke to justifie, though stired up ther unto in the beholding ye indirecte courses held by
* Inurious in MS.
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others, both hear, & ther with you, for effecting their de- signes. But am hartily sory for it, and doe to ye glory of God & mine owne shame acknowledg it. Which leters being intercepted by the Gov', I have for ye same under- gone ye censure [126] of banishmente. And had it not been for ye respecte I have unto you, and some other mat- ters of private regard, I had returned againe at this time by ye pinass for England; for hear I purpose not to abide, unless I receive better incouragmente from you, then from ye church (as they call them selves) here I doe receive. I purposed before I came, to undergoe hardnes, therfore I shall I hope cherfully bear ye conditions of ye place, though very mean ; and they have chainged my wages ten times allready. I suppose my letters, or at least ye coppies of them, are come to your hands, for so they hear reporte; which, if it be so, I pray you take notice of this, that I have writen nothing but what is certainly true, and I could make so apeare planly to any indifferente men, whatsoever colours be cast to darken ye truth, and some ther are very audatious this way ; besids many other matters which are farre out of order hear. My mind was not to enlarge my selfe any fur- ther, but in respecte of diverse poore souls here, ye care of whom in parte belongs to you, being here destitute of the meās of salvation. For how so ever ye church are provided for, to their contente, who are ye smalest number in ye coll- ony, and doe so appropriate ye ministrie to them selves, houlding this principle, that ye Lord hath not appointed any ordinary ministrie for ye conversion of those yt are without, so yt some of ye poor souls have wth tears complained of this to me, and I was taxed for preaching to all in generall. Though in truth they have had no ministrie here since they came, but such as may be performed by any of you, by their owne possition, what soever great pretences they make; but herin they equivocate, as in many other things they doe.
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But I exceede ye bounds I set my selfe, therfore resting thus, untill I hear further from you, so it be within ye time limited me. I rest, &c.,
Remaining yours ever,
JOHN LYFORD, Exille.
Dated Aug : 22. Anº: 1624.
They made a breefe answer to some things in this leter, but referred cheefly to their former. The effecte was to this purpose: That if God in his providence had not brought these things to their hands (both ye former & later), they might have been thus abused, tradused, and calumniated, overthrowne, & undone; and never have knowne by whom, nor for what. They desired but this equall favoure, that they would be pleased to hear their just defence, as well as his accu- sations, and waigh them in ye balance of justice & reason, and then censure as they pleased. They had write breefly to ye heads of things before, and should be ready to give further [127] answer as any occasion should require; craving leave to adde a word or tow to this last.
1. And first, they desire to examene what filth that was yt he acknowledgeth might justly be throwne in his face, and might cause blushing & perpetuall silence ; some great mater sure ! But if it be looked into, it amounts to no more then a poynte of indiscre- tion, and thats all; and yet he licks of yt too with this excuse, that he was stired up therunto by behold-
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ing ye indirecte course here. But this point never troubled him here, it was counted a light matter both by him & his freinds, and put of with this, - that any man might doe so, to advise his private freinds to come over for their best advantage. All his sor- row & tears here was for ye wrong & hurt he had done us, and not at all for this he pretends to be done to you : it was not counted so much as indiscretion.
2. Having thus payed you full satisfaction, he thinks he may lay load of us here. And first com- plains that we have changed his wages ten times. We never agreed with him for any wages, nor made any bargen at all with him, neither know of any that you have made. You sent him over to teach amongst us, and desired he might be kindly used ; and more then this we know not. That he hath beene kindly used, (and farr beter then he deserves from us,) he shall be judged first of his owne mouth. If you please to looke upon that writing of his, that was sent you amongst his leters, which he cals a generall relation, in which, though he doth otherwise traduse us, yet in this he him selfe clears us. In ye latter end therof he hath these words. I speak not this (saith he) out of any ill affection to the men, for I have found them very kind & loving to me. You may ther see these to be his owne words under his owne hand. 2ly. It will appere by this that he hath ever had a larger alowance of food
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out of ye store for him and his then any, and clothing as his neede hath required; a dwelling in one of our best houses, and a man wholy at his owne comand to tend his private affairs. What cause he hath therfore to complaine, judge ye; and what he means in his speech we know not, except he aluds to yt of Jaacob & Laban. If you have promised him more or other wise, you may doe it when you please.
3. Then with an impudente face he would have you take notice, that (in his leters) he hath write nothing but what is certainly true, yea, and he could make it so appeare plainly to any indifferente men. This indeed doth astonish us and causeth us to tremble at ye deceitfullnes [128] and desperate wick- ednes of mans harte. This is to devoure holy things, and after voues to enquire. It is admirable that after such publick confession, and acknowledgmente in court, in church, before God, & men, with such sadd expressions as he used, and with such melting into teares, that after all this he shoud now justifie all againe. If things had bene done in a corner, it had been some thinge to deney them; but being done in ye open view of ye cuntrie & before all men, it is more then strange now to avow to make them plainly appear to any indifferente men; and here wher things were done, and all ye evidence that could be were presente, and yet could make nothing appear, but even
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his freinds condemnd him & gave their voyce to his censure, so grose were they ; we leave your selves to judge herein. Yet least this man should triumph in his wikednes, we shall be ready to answer him, when, or wher you will, to any thing he shall lay to our charg, though we have done it sufficiently allready.
4. Then he saith he would not inlarge, but for some poore souls here who are destiute of ye means of salvation, &c. But all his soothing is but that you would use means, that his censure might be released that he might here continue; and under you (at least) be sheltered, till he sees what his freinds (on whom he depends) can bring about & effecte. For such men pretend much for poor souls, but they will looke to their wages & conditions; if that be not to their content, let poor souls doe what they will, they will shift for them selves, and seek poore souls some wher els among richer bodys.
Next he fals upon ye church, that indeed is ye burthensome stone that troubls him. First, he saith they hold this principle, that the Lord hath not apointed any ordinarie ministrie for ye converssion of those without. The church needs not be ashamed of what she houlds in this, haveing Gods word for her warrente ; that ordinarie officers are bound cheefly to their flocks, Acts 20. 28. and are not to be extrava- gants, to goe, come, and leave them at their pleasurs to shift for them selves, or to be devoured of wolves.
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But he perverts ye truth in this as in other things, for ye Lord hath as well appoynted them to con- verte, as to feede in their severall charges; and he wrongs ye church to say other wise. Againe, he saith he was taxed for preaching to all in gen- erall. This is a meere untruth, for this dissembler knows that every Lords day some are appointed to visite suspected places, & if any be found idling and neglecte ye hearing of ye word, (through idlnes or profanes, ) they are punished for ye same. Now to procure all to come to hear, and then to blame him for preaching to all, were to play ye mad men.
[129] 6. Next (he saith) they have had no min- istrie since they came, what soever pretences they make, &c. We answer, the more is our wrong, that our pastor is kept from us by these mens means, and then reproach us for it when they have done. Yet have we not been wholy distitute of ye means of salvation, as this man would make ye world beleeve ; for our reved Elder hath laboured diligently in dis- pencing the word of God unto us, before he came ; and since hath taken equalle pains with him selfe in preaching the same; and, be it spoaken without ostentation, he is not inferriour to Mr. Lyford (& some of his betters) either in gifts or larning, though he would never be perswaded to take higher office upon him. Nor ever was more pretended in this matter. For equivocating, he may take it to
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him selfe; what ye church houlds, they have mani- fested to ye world, in all plaines, both in open confession, doctrine, & writing.
This was ye sume of ther answer, and hear I will let them rest for ye presente. I have bene longer in these things then I desired, and yet not so long as the things might require, for I pass many things in silence, and many more deserve to have been more largly handled. But I will returne to other things, and leave ye rest to its place.
The pinass that was left sunck & cast away near Damarins-cove, as is before showed, some of ye fish- ing maisters said it was a pity so fine a vessell should be lost, and sent them word that, if they would be at ye cost, they would both directe them how to waygh her, and let them have their car- penters to mend her. They thanked them, & sente men aboute it, and beaver to defray ye charge, (without which all had been in vaine). So they gott coopers to trime, I know not how many tune of cask, and being made tight and fastened to her at low-water, they boyed her up; and then with many hands hald her on shore in a conveniente place wher she might be wrought upon; and then hired sundrie carpenters to work upon her, and other to saw planks, and at last fitted her & got her home. But she cost a great deale of money, in thus recovering her, and buying riging & seails for her, both now
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and when before she lost her mast; so as she proved a chargable vessell to ye poor plantation. So they sent her home, and with her Lyford sent his last letter, in great secrecie ; but ye party intrusted with it gave it ye Govr.
The winter was passed over in ther ordinarie affairs, without any spetiall mater worth noteing ; saveing that many who before stood something of from ye church, now seeing Lyfords unrighteous deal- ing, and malignitie against ye church, now tendered them selves to ye church, and were joyned to ye same; proffessing that it was not out of ye dislike of any thing that they had stood of so long, but a desire to fitte them selves beter for such a state, and they saw now ye Lord cald for their help. [130] And so these troubls prodused a quite contrary effecte in sundrie hear, then these adversaries hoped for. Which was looked at as a great worke of God, to draw on men by unlickly means; and that in reason which might rather have set them further of. And thus I shall end this year.
Anno Dom: 1625.
AT ye spring of ye year, about ye time of their Election Court, Oldam came againe amongst them ; and though it was a part of his censure for his former mutinye and miscariage, not to returne without leave first obtained, yet in his dareing spirite, he presumed
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without any leave at all, being also set on & hardened by ye ill counsell of others. And not only so, but suffered his unruly passion to rune beyond ye limits of all reason and modestie; in so much that some strangers which came with him were ashamed of his outrage, and rebuked him; but all reprofes were but as oyle to ye fire, and made ye flame of his coller greater. He caled them all to nought, in this his mad furie, and a hundred rebells and traytors, and I know not what. But in conclusion they comited him till he was tamer, and then apointed a gard of musketers wch he was to pass throw, and ever one was ordered to give him a thump on ye brich, with ye but end of his musket, and then was conveied to ye water side, wher a boat was ready to cary him away. Then they bid him goe & mende his maners.
Whilst this was a doing, Mr. William Peirce and Mr. Winslow came up from ye water side, being come from England ; but they were so busie with Oldam, as they never saw them till they came thus upon them. They bid them not spare either him or Liford, for they had played ye vilans with them. But that I may hear make an end with him, I shall hear once for all relate what befell concerning him in ye future, . & yt breefly. After ye removall of his familie from hence, he fell into some straits, (as some others did,) and aboute a year or more afterwards, towards win- ter, he intended a vioage for Virginia; but it so
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pleased God that ye barke that caried him, and many other passengers, was in that danger, as they dis- paired of life; so as many of them, as they fell to prayer, so also did they begine to examine their con- sciences [131] and confess such sins as did most burthen them. And Mr. Ouldame did make a free and large confession of ye wrongs and hurt he had done to ye people and church here, in many pertic- ulers, that as he had sought their ruine, so God had now mette with him and might destroy him; yea, he feared they all fared ye worce for his sake; he prayed God to forgive him, and made vowes that, if ye Lord spard his life, he would become otherwise, and ye like. This I had from some of good credite, yet living in ye Bay, and were them selves partners in the same dangers on ye shoulds of Cap-Codd, and heard it from his owne mouth. It pleased God to spare their lives, though they lost their viage; and in time after wards, Ouldam caried him selfe fairly towards them, and acknowledged ye hand of God to be with them, and seemed to have an honourable respecte of them; and so farr made his peace with them, as he in after time had libertie to goe and come, and converse with them, at his pleasure. He went after this to Virginia, and had ther a great sick- nes, but recovered and came back againe to his familie in ye Bay, and ther lived till some store of people came over. At lenght going a trading in a smale ves-
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sell among ye Indians, and being weakly mand, upon some quarell they knockt him on ye head with a hatched, so as he fell downe dead, & never spake word more. 2. litle boys that were his kinsmen were saved, but had some hurte, and ye vessell was strangly recovered from ye Indeans by another that belonged to ye Bay of Massachusets; and this his death was one ground of the Pequente warr which followed.
I am now come to Mr. Lyford. His time being now expired, his censure was to take place. He was so farre from answering their hopes by amendmente in ye time, as he had dubled his evill, as is before noted. But first behold ye hand of God conceiring him, wherin that of ye Psalmist is verified. Psa : 7. 15. He hath made a pitte, & digged it, and is fallen into the pitte he made. He thought to bring shame and disgrace upon them, but in stead therof opens his owne to all ye world. For when he was delte with all aboute his second letter, his wife was so affected with his doings, as she could no longer conceaill her greefe and sorrow of minde, but opens ye same to one of their deacons & some other of her freinds, & after uttered ye same to Mr. Peirce upon his arrivall. Which was to this purpose, that she feared some great judgment of God would fall upon them, and upon her, for her husbands cause; now that they were to remove, she feared to fall into ye Indeans hands, and to be defiled by them, as he had
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defiled other women; or some shuch like [132] judg- mente, as God had threatened David, 2. Sam. 12. 11. I will raise up evill against ye, and will take thy wives & give them, &c. And upon it showed how he had wronged her, as first he had a bastard by another before they were maried, & she having some inkling of some ill cariage that way, when he was a suitor to her, she tould him what she heard, & deneyd him; but she not certainly knowing ye thing, other wise then by some darke & secrete mut- erings, he not only stifly denied it, but to satisfie her tooke a solemne oath ther was no shuch matter. Upon which she gave consente, and maried with him ; but afterwards it was found true, and ye bastard . brought home to them. She then charged him with his oath, but he prayed pardon, and said he should els not have had her. And yet afterwards she could keep no maids but he would be medling with them, and some time she hath taken him in ye maner, as they lay at their beds feete, with shuch other cir- cumstances as I am ashamed to relate. The- woman being a grave matron, & of good cariage all ye while she was hear, and spoke these things out of ye sor- row of her harte, sparingly, and yet wth some further intimations. And that which did most seeme to affecte her (as they conceived) was, to see his for- mer cariage in his repentance, not only hear with ye church, but formerly about these things; sheding
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tears, and using great & sade expressions, and yet eftsone fall into the like things.
Another thing of ye same nature did strangly con- curr herewith. When Mr. Winslow & Mr. Peirce were come over, Mr. Winslow informed them that they had had ye like bickering with Lyfords freinds in England, as they had with him selfe and his freinds hear, aboute his letters & accusations in them. And many meetings and much clamour was made by his freinds theraboute, crying out, a minister, a man so godly, to be so esteemed & taxed they held a great skandale, and threated to prosecute law against them for it. But things being referred to a further meeting of most of ye adventurers, to heare ye case and decide ye mat- ters, they agreed to chose 2. eminente men for mod- erators in the bussines. Lyfords faction chose Mr. White, a counselor at law, the other parte chose Reved. Mr. Hooker, ye minister, and many freinds on both sids were brought in, so as ther was a great assemblie. In ye mean time, God in his providence had detected Lyford's evill cariage in Ireland to some freinds amongst ye company, who made it knowne to Mr. Winslow, and directed him to 2. godly and grave witnesses, who would testifie ye same (if caled therunto) upon their oath. The thing was this; he being gott into Ireland, had wound him selfe into ye esteeme of sundry godly & zelous professours in those parts, who, having been burthened with ye ceremonies in England, found ther
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