USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Bradford's history "of Plimoth plantation" from the original manuscript > Part 18
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some more liberty to their consciences ; amongst whom were these 2. men, which gave [133] this evidence. Amongst ye rest of his hearers, ther was a godly yonge man that intended to marie, and cast his affection on a maide which lived their aboute ; but desiring to chose in ye Lord, and preferred ye fear of God before all other things, before he suffered his affection to rune too farr, he resolved to take Mr. Lyfords advise and judg- mente of this maide, (being ye minister of ye place,) and so broak ye matter unto him; & he promised faithfully to informe him, but would first take better knowledg of her, and have private conferance with her ; and so had sundry times ; and in conclusion comended her highly to ye yong man as a very fitte wife for him. So they were maried togeather; but some time after mariage the woman was much troubled in mind, and afflicted in conscience, and did nothing but weepe and mourne, and long it was before her husband could get of her what was ye cause. But at length she dis- covered ye thing, and prayed him to forgive her, for Lyford had overcome her, and defiled her body before marriage, after he had comended him unto her for a husband, and she resolved to have him, when he came to her in that private way. The circumstances I forbear, for they would offend chast ears to hear them related, (for though he satisfied his lust on her, yet he indeaoured to hinder conception.) These things being thus discovered, ye womās husband tooke some
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godly freinds with him, to deale with Liford for this evill. At length he confest it, with a great deale of seeming sorrow & repentance, but was forct to leave Irland upon it, partly for shame, and partly for fear of further punishmente, for ye godly withdrew them selves from him upon it; and so coming into England unhapily he was light upon & sente hither.
But in this great assembly, and before ye moderators, in handling ye former matters aboute ye letters, upon provocation, in some heate of replie to some of Lyfords defenders, Mr. Winslow let fall these words, That he had delte knavishly; upon which on of his freinds tooke hold, & caled for witneses, that he cald a minister of ye gospell knave, and would prosecute law upon it, which made a great tumulte, upon which (to be shorte) this matter broke out, and the witnes were prodused, whose persons were so grave, and evidence so plaine, and ye facte so foule, yet delivered in such modest & chast terms, and with such circumstances, as strucke all his freinds mute, and made them all ashamed; inso- much as ye moderators with great gravitie declared that ye former matters gave them cause enough to refuse him & to deal with him as they had done, but these made him unmeete for ever to bear ministrie any more, what repentance soever he should pretend; with much more to like effecte, and so wisht his freinds to rest quiete. Thus was this matter ended.
From hence Lyford wente to Natasco, in ye Bay of
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ye Massachusets, with some other of his freinds with him, wher Oldom allso lived. From thence he removed to Namkeke, since called Salem; but after ther came some people over, wheather for hope of greater profite, or what ends els I know not, he left his freinds that followed him, and went from thence to Virginia, wher he shortly after dyed, and so I leave him to ye Lord. His wife afterwards returned againe to this cuntry, and thus much of this matter.
[134] This storme being thus blowne over, yet sun- drie sad effects followed ye same; for the Company of Adventurers broake in peeces here upon, and ye greatest parte wholy deserted ye colony in regarde of any further supply, or care of their subsistance. And not only so, but some of Lyfords & Oldoms freinds, and their adherents, set out a shipe on fishing, on their owne accounte, and getting ye starte of ye ships that came to the plantation, they tooke away their stage, & other necessary provisions that they had made for fishing at Cap-Anne ye year before, at their great charge, and would not restore ye same, excepte they would fight for it. But ye Gov" sent some of ye planters to help ye fisher men to build a new one, and so let them keepe it. This shipe also brought them some small supply, of little value; but they made so pore a bussines of their fishing, (neither could these men make them any returne for ye supply sente, ) so as, after this year, they never looked more after them.
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Also by this ship, they, some of them, sent (in ye name of ye rest) certaine reasons of their breaking of from ye plantation, and some tenders, upon certaine con- ditions, of reuniting againe. The which because they are longe & tedious, and most of them aboute the former things already touched, I shall omite them; only give- ing an instance in one, or tow. 1. reason, they charged them for dissembling with his majestie in their petition, and with ye adventurers about ye French discipline, &c. 2ly, for receiving * a man t into their church, that in his conffession renownced all, universall, nationall, and diocessan churches, &c., by which (say they) it appears, that though they deney the name of Browists, yet they practiss ye same, &c. And therfore they should sine against God in building up such a people.
Then they adde : Our dislikes thus laid downe, that we may goe on in trade wth better contente & credite, our desires are as followeth. First, that as we are partners in trade, so we may be in Govrt ther, as the patente doth give us power, &c.
2. That the French discipline may be practised in the plantation, as well in the circumstances theirof, as in ye substance ; wherby ye scandallous name of ye Brownists, and other church differences, may be taken away.
3. Lastly, that Mr. Robinson and his company may not goe over to our plantation, unless he and they
* Receive in the manuscript.
t This was Lyford himselfe.
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will reconcile themselves to our church by a recantation under their hands, &c.
Their answer in part to these things was then as foloweth.
Wheras you taxe us for dissembling with his majestie & ye adventurers aboute ye French discipline, you doe us wrong, for we both hold & practice ye discipline of ye French & other reformed churches, (as they have published ye same in ye Harmony of Confessions,) according to our means, in effecte & substance. But wheras you would tye us to the French discipline in every circumstance, you derogate from ye libertie we have in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paule would have none to follow him in any thing but wherin he follows Christ, much less ought any Christian or church in ye world to doe it. The French may erre, we may erre, and other churches may erre, and doubtless doe in many circumstances. That honour therfore belongs only to ye infallible word of God, and pure Testamente of Christ, to be propounded and fol- lowed as ye only rule and pattern for direction herin to all churches & Christians. And it is too great arrogancie for any man, or church [135] to thinke yt he or they have so sounded ye word of God to ye bottome, as precislie to sett downe ye churches discipline, without error in substance or circumstance, as yt no other without blame may digress or differ in any thing from ye same. And it is not difficulte to shew, yt the reformed churches differ in many circumstances amongest them selves.
The rest I omitte, for brevities sake, and so leave to prosecute these men or their doings any further, but shall returne to ye rest of their freinds of ye company, weh stuck to them. And I shall first inserte some part
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of their letters as followeth; for I thinke it best to ren- der their minds in ther owne words.
To our loving freinds, &c.
Though the thing we feared be come upon us, and ye evill we strove against have overtaken us, yet we cannot forgett you, nor our freindship and fellowship which together we have had some years; wherin though our expressions have been small, yet our harty affections towards you (unknown by face) have been no less then to our nearest freinds, yea, to our owne selves. And though this your freind M'. Wins- low can tell you ye state of things hear, yet least we should seeme to neglecte you, to whom, by a wonderfull providence of God, we are so nearly united, we have thought good once more to write unto you, to let you know what is here befallen, and ye resons of it; as also our purposes & desirs toward you for hereafter.
The former course for the generalitie here is wholy dis- solved from what it was; and wheras you & we were for- merly sharers and partners, in all viages & deallings, this way is now no more, but you and we are left to bethinke our sellves what course to take in ye future, that your lives & our monies be not lost.
The reasons and causes of this allteration have been these. First and mainly, ye many losses and crosses at sea, and abuses of sea-men, wch have caused us to rune into so much charge, debts, & ingagements, as our estats & means were not able to goe on without impoverishing our selves, except. our estats had been greater, and our associats cloven beter unto us. 2ly, as here hath been a faction and siding amongst us now more then 2. years, so now there is an uter breach and sequestration amongst us, and in too parts of us a full dissertion and forsaking of you, without any intente or pur- pose of medling more with you. And though we are per-
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swaded the maine cause of this their doing is wante . of money, (for neede wherof men use to make many excuses,) yet other things are pretended, as that you are Brownists, &c. Now what use you or we ought to make of these things, it remaineth to be considered, for we know ye hand of God to be in all these things, and no doubt he would admonish some thing therby, and to looke what is amise. And allthough it be now too late for us or you to prevent & stay these things, yet it is * not to late to exercise patience, wisdom, and con- science in bearing them, and in caring our selves in & under them for ye time to come.
[136] And as we our selves stand ready to imbrace all occasions that may tend to ye furthrance of so hopefull a work, rather admiring of what is, then grudging for what is not; so it must rest in you to make all good againe. And if in nothing else you can be approved, yet let your honestie & conscience be still approved, & lose not one jote of your innocencie, amids your crosses & afflictions. And surly if you upon this allteration behave your selves wisly, and goe on fairly, as men whose hope is not in this life, you shall need no other weapon to wound your adversaries ; for when your righteousnes is revealled as ye light, they shall cover their faces with shame, that causlesly have sought your over- throw.
Now we thinke it but reason, that all such things as ther apertaine to the generall, be kept & preserved togeather, and rather increased dayly, then any way be dispersed or imbeseled away for any private ends or intents whatsoever. And after your necessities are served, you gather together such comodi- ties as ye cuntrie yeelds, & send them over to pay debts & clear ingagements hear, which are not less then 1400". And we hope you will doe your best to free our ingagements, &c. Let us all indeavor to keep a faire & honest course, and see
Is it not in the MS.
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what time will bring forth, and how God in his providence will worke for us. We still are perswaded you are ye people that must make a plantation in those remoate places when all others faile and returne. And your experience of Gods provi- dence and preservation of you is such as we hope your harts will not faile you, though your freinds should forsake you (which we our selves shall not doe whilst we live, so long as your honestie so well appereth). Yet surly help would arise from some other place whilst you waite on God, with uprightnes, though we should leave you allso.
And lastly be you all intreated to walke circumspectly, and carry your selves so uprightly in all your ways, as yt no man may make just exceptions against you. And more espetially that ye favour and countenance of God may be so toward you, as yt you may find abundante joye & peace even amids tribu- lations, that you may say with David, Though my father & mother should forsake me, yet ye Lord would take me up.
We have sent you hear some catle, cloath, hose, shoes, leather, &c., but in another nature then formerly, as it stood us in hand to doe; we have comitted them to ye charge & custody of Mr. Allerton and Mr. Winslow, as our factours, at whose discretion they are to be sould, and comodities to be taken for them, as is fitting. And by how much ye more they will be chargable unto you, the better* they had need to be husbanded, &c. Goe on, good freinds, comfortably, pluck up your spirits, and quitte your selves like men in all your difficulties, that notwithstanding all displeasure and threats of men, yet ye work may goe on you are aboute, and not be neglected. Which is so much for ye glorie of God, and the furthrance of our countrie-men, as that a man may with more comforte [137] spend his life in it, then live ye life of Mathusala, in wasting ye plentie of a tilled land, or eating ye fruite of a growne tree. Thus with harty salutations to
* Bet- in MS.
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you all, and harty prayers for you all, we lovingly take our leaves, this 18. of Des : 1624.
Your assured freinds to our powers,
J. S. W. C. T. F. R. H. &c.
By this leter it appears in what state ye affairs of ye plantation stood at this time. These goods they bought, but they were at deare rates, for they put 40. in ye hun- dred upon them, for profite and adventure, outward bound; and because of ye vnture of ye paiment home- ward, they would have 30 .* in ye 100. more, which was in all 70. pr. cent ; a thing thought unreasonable by some, and too great an oppression upon ye poore people, as their case stood. The catle were ye best goods, for ye other being ventured ware, were neither at ye best (some of them) nor at ye best prises. Sundrie of their freinds disliked these high rates, but coming from many hands, they could not help it.
They sent over also 2. ships on fishing on their owne acounte ; the one was ye pinass that was cast away ye last year hear in ye cuntrie, and recovered by ye planters, (as was before related,) who, after she came home, was at- tached by one of ye company for his perticuler debte, and now sent againe on this accounte. The other was a great ship, who was well fitted with an experienced mr. & com- pany of fisher-men, to make a viage, & to goe to Bilbo or Sabastians with her fish; the lesser, her order was
* If I mistake not, it was not much less. [30ti in the manuscript.]
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to load with cor-fish, and to bring the beaver home for England, yt should be received for ye goods sould to ye plantation. This bigger ship made a great viage of good drie fish, the which, if they had gone to a market wth, would have yeelded them (as such fish was sould yt season) 1800". which would have enriched them. But because ther was a bruite of warr with France, ye mr. neglected (through timerousnes) his order, and put first into Plimoth, & after into Portsmouth, and so lost their opportunitie, and came by the loss. The lesser ship had as ill success, though she was as hopfull as ye other for ye marchants profite ; for they had fild her with goodly cor-fish taken upon ye banke, as full as she could swime ; and besids she had some 800". weaight of beaver, besids other furrs to a good value from ye plantation. The m". seeing so much goods come, put it abord ye biger ship, for more saftie; but Mr. Winslow (their factor in this busines) was bound in a bond of 500". to send it to Lon- don in ye smale ship ; ther was some contending between ye mr. & him aboute it. But he tould ye mr. he would follow his order aboute it; if he would take it out after- ward, it should be at his perill. So it went in ye smale ship, and he sent bills of lading in both. The mr. was so carfull being both so well laden, as they went joyfully home togeather, for he towed ye leser ship at his sterne all ye way over bound, and they had such fayr weather as he never cast her of till they were shott deep in to ye English Chanell, almost within ye sight of Plimoth ;
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and yet ther she was unhaply taken by a Turks man of warr, and carried into Saly, wher ye mr. and men were made slaves, and many of ye beaver skins were sould for 4ª. a peece. [138] Thus was all their hops dasht, and the joyfull news they ment to cary home turned to heavie tidings. Some thought this a hand of God for their too great exaction of ye poore plantation, but Gods judgments are unseerchable, neither dare I be bould therwith; but however it shows us ye uncertainty of all humane things, and what litle cause ther is of joying in them or trusting to them.
In ye bigger of these ships was sent over Captine Stan- dish from ye plantation, wth leters & instructions, both to their freinds of ye company which still clave to them, and also to ye Honourable Counsell of New-England. To ye company to desire yt seeing that they ment only to let them have goods upon sale, that they might have them upon easier termes, for they should never be able to bear such high intrest, or to allow so much per cent ; also that what they would doe in yt way that it might be disburst in money, or such goods as were fitte and needfull for them, & bought at best hand; and to aquainte them with ye contents of his leters to ye Counsell above said, which was to this purpose, to desire their favour & help; that such of ye adventurers as had thus forsaken & deserted them, might be brought to some order, and not to keepe them bound, and them selves be free. But that they might either stand to ther former
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covenants, or ells come to some faire end, by dividente, or composition. But he came in a very bad time, for ye Stat was full of trouble, and ye plague very hote in London, so as no bussines could be done; yet he spake with some of ye Honourd Counsell, who promised all helpfullnes to ye plantation which lay in them. And sundrie of their freinds ye adventurers were so weakened with their losses ye last year, by ye losse of ye ship taken by the Turks, and ye loss of their fish, wch by rea- son of ye warrs they were forcte to land at Portsmouth, and so came to litle; so as, though their wills were good, yet they" power was litle. And ther dyed such multituds weekly of ye plague, as all trade was dead, and litle money stirring. Yet with much adooe he tooke up 150". (& spent a good deal of it in expences) at 50. per cent. which he bestowed in trading goods & such other most needfull comodities as he knew requiset for their use; and so returned passenger in a fhishing ship, haveing prepared a good way for ye compossition that was afterward made.
In ye mean time it pleased ye Lord to give ye plan- tation peace and health and contented minds, and so to blese ther labours, as they had corne sufficient, (and some to spare to others,) with other foode; neither ever had they any supply of foode but what they first brought with them. After harvest this year, they sende out a boats load of corne 40. or 50. leagues to ye east- ward, up a river called Kenibeck; it being one of those
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2. shalops which their carpenter had built them ye year before; for bigger vessell had they none. They had laid a litle deck over her midships to keepe ye corne drie, but ye men were faine to stand it out all weathers without shelter; and yt time [139] of ye year begins to growe tempestious. But God preserved them, and gave them good success, for they brought home 700". of beaver, besids some other furrs, having litle or nothing els but this corne, which them selves had raised out of ye earth. This viage was made by Mr. Winslow & some of ye old standards,* for seamen they had none.
Anno Dom: 1626.
ABOUT ye begining of Aprill they heard of Captain Standish his arrivall, and sent a boat to fetch him home, and ye things he had brought. Welcome he was, but ye news he broughte was sadd in many regards; not only in regarde of the former losses, before related, which their freinds had suffered, by which some in a maner were undon, others much disabled from doing any further help, and some dead of ye plague, but also yt Mr. Robinson, their pastor, was dead, which struck them with much sorrow & sadnes, as they had cause. His and their adversaries had been long & continually plotting how they might hinder his coming hither, but ye Lord had appointed him a better place; concerning
* First written as in the text, then altered to standerss.
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whose death & the maner therof, it will appere by these few lines write to ye Govr & Mr. Brewster.
Loving & kind frinds, &c. I know not whether this will ever come to your hands, or miscarie, as other my letters have done; yet in regard of ye Lords dealing with us hear, I have had a great desire to write unto you, knowing your desire to bear a parte with us, both in our joyes, & sorrows, as we doe wth you. These are therfore to give you to understand, that it hath pleased the Lord to take out of this vaell of tears, your and our loving & faithfull pastor, and my dear & Reved brother, Mr. John Robinson, who was sick some 8. days. He begane to be sick on Saturday in ye morning, yet ye next day (being the Lords day) he taught us twise. And so ye weeke after grew weaker, every day more then other; yet he felt no paine but weaknes all ye time of his sicknes. The phisick he tooke wrought kindly in mans judgmente, but he grew weaker every day, feeling litle or no paine, and sensible to ye very last. He fell sicke ye 22. of Feb : and departed this life ye 1. of March. He had a continuall inwarde ague, but free from infection, so yt all his freinds came freely to him. And if either prayers, tears, or means, would have saved his life, he had not gone hence. But he having faithfully finished his course, and performed his worke which ye Lord had appointed him here to doe, he now resteth with ye Lord in eternall hapines. We wanting him & all Church Gov"s, yet we still (by ye mercie of God) continue & hould close togeather, in peace and quietnes; and so hope we shall doe, though we be very weake. Wishing (if such were ye will of God) that you & we were againe united togeather in one, either ther or here; but seeing it is ye will of ye Lord thus to dispose of things, we must labour wth patience to rest contented, till it please ye Lord otherwise to dispose. For [140] news, is here not much; only as in England we have
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lost our old king James, who departed this life aboute a month agoe, so here they have lost ye old prince, Grave Mourise ; who both departed this life since my brother Robin- son. And as in England we have a new-king Charls, of whom ther is great hope, so hear they have made prince Hendrick Generall in his brothers place, &c. Thus with my love remembred, I take leave & rest,
Your assured loving freind,
ROGER WHITE.
Leyden, Aprill 28.
Anº: 1625.
Thus these too great princes, and their pastor, left this world near aboute one time. Death maks no difference.
He further brought them notice of ye death of their anciente freind, Mr. Cush-man, whom ye Lord tooke away allso this year, & aboute this time, who was as their right hand with their freinds ye adventurers, and for diverce years had done & agitated all their bussines with them to ther great advantage. He had write to ye Gover but some few months before, of ye sore sicknes of Mr. James Sherley, who was a cheefe freind to ye plantation, and lay at ye pointe of death, declaring his love & help- fullnes, in all things; and much bemoned the loss they should have of him, if God should now take him away, as being ye stay & life of ye whole bussines. As allso his owne purposs this year to come over, and spend his days with them. But he that thus write of anothers sicknes, knew not yt his owne death was so near. It shows allso that a mās ways are not in his owne power, but in his
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hands who hath ye issues of life and death. Man may purpose, but God doth dispose.
Their other freinds from Leyden writ many leters to them full of sad laments for ther heavie loss ; and though their wills were good to come to them, yet they saw no probabilitie of means, how it might be effected, but con- cluded (as it were) that all their hopes were cutt of; and many, being aged, begane to drop away by death.
All which things (before related) being well weighed and laied togither, it could not but strick them with great perplexitie ; and to looke humanly on ye state of things as they presented them selves at this time, it is a marvell it did not wholy discourage them, and sinck them. But they gathered up their spirits, and ye Lord so helped them, whose worke they had in hand, as now when they were at lowest * they begane to rise againe, and being striped (in a maner) of all humane helps and hops, he brought things aboute other wise, in his devine provi- dence, as they were not only upheld & sustained, but their proccedings both honoured and imitated by others ; as by ye sequell will more appeare, if ye Lord spare me life & time to declare ye same.
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