USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Bradford's history "of Plimoth plantation" from the original manuscript > Part 27
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Good ST:
I have received your tres by Captaine Standish, & am unfainedly glad of Gods mercie towards you in ye recovery of your health, or some way thertoo. For ye bussines you write of, I thought meete to answer a word or 2. to your selfe, leaving the answer of your Govr tre to our courte, to whom ye same, together with my selfe is directed. I conceive (till I hear new matter to ye contrary) that your patente may warrente your resistance of any English from trading at Kenebeck, and yt blood of Hocking, and ye partie he slue, will be required at his hands. Yet doe I with your selfe & others sorrow for their deaths. I thinke likewise yt your generall łrēs will satisfie our courte, and make them cease from any further inter medling in ye mater. I have upon ye same łre sett Mr. Alden at liberty, and his sureties, and yet, least I should seeme to neglecte ye opinion of our court
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& ye frequente speeches of others with us, I have bound Captaine Standish to appeare ye 3. of June at our nexte courte, to make affidavid for ye coppie of ye patente, and to manifest the circumstances of Hockins provocations ; both which will tend to ye clearing of your inocencie. If any unkindnes hath ben taken from what we have done, let it be further & better considred of, I pray you ; and I hope ye more you thinke of it, the lesse blame you will impute to us. . At least you ought to be just in differencing them, whose opinions concurr [201] with your owne, from others who were opposites; and yet I may truly say, I have spoken wth no man in ye bussines who taxed you most, but they are such as have many wayes heretofore declared ther good affections towards your plantation. I further referr my selfe to ye reporte of Captaine Standish & MT. Allden ; leaving you for this presente to Gods blessing, wishing unto you perfecte recovery of health, and ye long continuance of it. I desire to be lovingly remembred to M'. Prence, your Gov", Mr. Winslow, Mr. Brewster, whom I would see if I knew how. The Lord keepe you all. Amen.
Your very loving freind in our Lord Jesus,
THO : DUDLEY. New-towne, ye 22. of May, 1634.
Another of his about these things as followeth.
S": I am right sorrie for ye news that Captaine Standish & other of your neigbours and my beloved freinds will bring now to Plimoth, wherin I suffer with you, by reason of my opinion, which differeth from others, who are godly & wise, amongst us here, the reverence of whose judgments causeth me to suspecte myne owne ignorance; yet must I remaine in it untill I be convinced therof. I thought not to have shewed your letter written to me, but to have done my best
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to have reconciled differences in ye best season & maner I could ; but Captaine Standish requiring an answer therof publickly in ye courte, I was forced to produce it, and that made ye breach soe wide as he can tell you. I propounded to ye courte, to answer M'. Prences tre, your Govr, but our courte said it required no answer, it selfe being an answer to a former łre of ours. I pray you certifie Mr. Prence so much, and others whom it concereth, that no neglecte or ill maners be imputed to me theraboute. The late tres I received from England wrought in me divere fears * of some trials which are shortly like to fall upon us; and this unhappie contention betweene you and us, and between you & Pas- cattaway, will hasten them, if God with an extraordinarie hand doe not help us. To reconcile this for ye presente will be very difficulte, but time cooleth distempers, and a comone danger to us boath approaching, will necessitate our uniting againe. I pray you therfore, ST. set your wisdom & patience a worke, and exhorte others to ye same, that things may not proceede from bad to worse, so making our contentions like ye barrs of a pallace, but that a way of peace may be kepte open, wherat ye God of peace may have enterance in his owne time. If you suffer wrong, it shall be your honor to bear it patiently; but I goe to farr in needles putting you in mind of these things. God hath done great things for you, and I desire his blessings may be multiplied upon you more & more. I will commite no more to writing, but comending my selfe to your prayers, doe rest, Your truly loving freind in our Lord Jesus,
THO : DUDLEY.
June 4. 1634.
* Ther was cause enough of these feares, which arise by ye underworking of some enemies to ye churches here, by which this Comission following was procured from his Matie. (See this paper in appendix, No. 11.)
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By these things it appars what troubls rise her- upon, and how hard they were to be reconciled; for though they hear were hartily sorrie for what was fallen out, yet they conceived they were unjustly injuried, and provoked to what was done; and that their neigbours (haveing no jurisdiction over them) did more then was mete, thus to imprison one of theirs, and bind them to [202] their courte. But yet being assured of their Christian love, and per- swaded what was done was out of godly zeale, that religion might not suffer, nor sine any way covered or borne with, espetially ye guilte of blood, of which all should be very consciencious in any whom soever, they did indeavore to appease & satisfie them ye best they could; first, by informing them ye truth in all circonstances aboute ye matter ; 21y, in being willing to referr ye case to any indifferante and equall hearing and judgmente of the thing hear, and to answere it els wher when they should be duly called therunto ; and further they craved Mr. Winthrops, & other of ye reved magistrats ther, their advice & direction herein. This did mollifie their minds, and bring things to a good & comfortable issue in ye end.
For they had this advice given them by Mr. Win- throp, & others concurring with him, that from their courte, they should write to the neigboure plantations, & espetially that of ye lords, at Pascataway, and theirs of ye Massachusets, to appointe some to give
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them meeting at some fitt place, to consulte & deter- mine in this matter, so as ye parties meeting might have full power to order & bind, &c. And that noth- ing be done to ye infringing or prejudice of ye liber- ties of any place. And for ye clearing of conscience, ye law of God is, yt ye preist lips must be consulted with, and therfore it was desired that ye ministers of every plantation might be presente to give their advice in pointe of conscience. Though this course seemed dangerous to some, yet they were so well assured of ye justice of their cause, and ye equitie of their freinds, as they put them selves upon it, & appointed a time, of which they gave notice to ye severall places a month before hand; viz. Massachu- sets, Salem, & Pascataway, or any other yt they would give notice too, and disired them to produce any evidence they could in ye case. The place for meeting was at Boston. But when ye day & time came, none apered, but some of ye magistrats and ministers of ye Massachusets, and their owne. Seeing none of Passcataway or other places came, (haveing been thus desired, & conveniente time given them for yt end,) Mr. Winthrop & ye rest said they could doe no more then they had done thus to requeste them, ye blame must rest on them. So they fell into a fair debating of things them selves; and after all things had been fully opened & discussed, and ye opinione of each one demanded, both magistrats, and ministers,
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though they all could have wished these things had never been, yet they could not but lay ye blame & guilt on Hockins owne head; and withall gave them such grave & godly exhortations and advice, as they thought meete, both for ye presente & future; which they allso imbraced with love & thankfullnes, prom- ising to indeavor to follow ye same. And thus was this matter ended, and ther love and concord re- newed; and also Mr. Winthrop & Mr. Dudley write in their behalfes to ye Lord Ssay & other gentl-men that were interesed in yt plantation, very effectually, wth which, together with their owne leters, and Mr. Winslows furder declaration of things unto them, they rested well satisfied.
[203] Mr. Winslow was sente by them this year into England, partly to informe and satisfie ye Lord Say & others, in ye former matter, as also to make answer and their just defence for ye same, if any thing should by any be prosecuted against them at Counsell-table, or els wher; but this matter tooke end, without any further trouble, as is before noted. And partly to signifie unto ye partners in England, that the terme of their trade with ye company here was out, and therfore he was sente to finishe ye accounts with them, and to bring them notice how much debtore they should remaine on yt accounte, and that they might know what further course would be best to hold. But ye issue of these things will
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appear in ye next years passages. They now sente over by him a great returne, which was very accep- table unto them; which was in beaver 3738". waight, (a great part of it, being coat-beaver, sould at 20s. pr pound,) and 234. otter skines ; * which alltogether rise to a great sume of money.
This year (in ye foreparte of ye same) they sente forth a barke to trad at ye Dutch-Plantation ; and they mette ther with on Captaine Stone, that had lived in Christophers, one of ye West-Ende Ilands, and now had been some time in Virginia, and came from thence into these parts. He kept company with ye Dutch Gover, and, I know not in what drunken fitt, he gott leave of ye Govr to ceaise on their barke, when they were ready to come away, and had done their markett, haveing ye valew of 500". worth of goods abord her; having no occasion at all, or any collour of ground for such a thing, but having made ye Govr drunck, so as he could scarce speake a right word ; and when he urged him hear aboute, he answered him, Als 't u beleeft.t So he gat abord, (the cheefe of their men & marchant being ashore,) and with some of his owne men, made ye rest of theirs waigh an- chor, sett sayle, & carry her away towards Virginia. But diverse of ye Dutch sea-men, which had bene often at Plimoth, and kindly entertayned ther, said one to another, Shall we suffer our freinds to be thus abused,
* And ye skin at 148. t That is, "If you please."
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and have their goods carried away, before our faces, whilst our Gov' is drunke? They vowed they would never suffer it; and so gott a vessell or 2. and pur- sued him, & brought him in againe, and delivered them their barke & goods againe.
After wards Stone came into ye Massachusets, and they sent & commensed suite against him for this facte ; but by mediation of freinds it was taken up, and ye suite lett fall. And in ye company of some other gentle-men Stone came afterwards to Plimoth, and had freindly & civill entertainmente amongst them, with ye rest; but revenge boyled within his brest, (though concelled,) for some conceived he had a pur- pose (at one time) to have staped the Gov", and put his hand to his dagger for that end, but by Gods providence and ye vigilance of some was prevented. He afterward returned to Virginia, in a pinass, with one Captaine Norton & some others; and, I know not . for what occasion, they would needs goe up Coonigte- cutt River; and how they carried themselves I know not, but ye Indeans knoct him in ye head, as he lay in his cabine, and had thrown ye covering over his face (whether out of fear or desperation is uncer- taine) ; this was his end. They likewise killed all ye rest, but Captaine Norton defended him selfe a long time against them all in ye cooke-roome, till by acci- dente the gunpowder tooke fire, which (for readynes) he had sett in an open thing before him, which did
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so burne, & scald him, & blind his eyes, as he could make no longer resistance, but was slaine also by them, though they much comended his vallour. And having killed ye men, they made a pray of what they had, and chafered away some of their things to ye Dutch that lived their. But it was not longe before a quarell fell betweene the Dutch & them, and they would have cutt of their bark; but they slue ye cheef sachem wth ye shott of a murderer .*
I am now to relate some strang and remarkable pas- sages. Ther was a company of people lived in ye country, up above in ye river of Conigtecut, a great way from their trading house ther, and were enimise to those Indeans which lived aboute them, and of whom they stood in some fear (bing a stout people). About a thousand of them had inclosed them selves in a forte, which they had strongly palissadoed about. 3. or 4. Dutch men went up in ye begining of winter to live with them, to gett their trade, and prevente them for bringing it to ye English, or to fall into amitie with them; but at spring to bring all downe to their place. But their enterprise failed, for it pleased God to visite these Indeans with a great sick- nes, and such a mortalitie that of a 1000. above 900. and a halfe of them dyed, and many of them did rott above ground for want of buriall, and ye Dutch men
* The two paragraphs above were written on the reverse of folios 202 and 203 of the original manuscript, under this year.
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allmost starved before they could gett away, for ise and snow. But about Feb : they got with much diffi- cultie to their trading house; whom they kindly re- leeved, being allmost spente with hunger and could. Being thus refreshed by them diverce days, they got to their owne place, and ye Dutch were very thankfull for this kindnes.
This spring, also, those Indeans that lived aboute their trading house there fell sick of ye small poxe, and dyed most miserably ; for a sorer disease cannot befall them; they fear it more then ye plague; for usualy they that have this disease have them in abun- dance, and for wante of bedding & lining and other helps, they fall into a lamentable condition, as they lye on their hard matts, ye poxe breaking and matter- ing, and runing one into another, their skin cleaving (by reason therof) to the matts they lye on; when they turne them, a whole side will flea of at once, [204] (as it were,) and they will be all of a gore blood, most fearfull to behold; and then being very sore, what with could and other distempers, they dye like rotten sheep. The condition of this people was so lamentable, and they fell downe so generally of this diseas, as they were (in ye end) not able to help on another; no, not to make a fire, nor to fetch a litle water to drinke, nor any to burie ye dead; but would strivie as long as they could, and when they could procure no other means to make fire, they
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would burne ye woden trayes & dishes they ate their meate in, and their very bowes & arrowes; & some would crawle out on all foure to gett a litle water, and some times dye by ye way, & not be able to gett in againe. But those of ye English house, (though at first they were afraid of ye infection,) yet seeing their woefull and sadd condition, and hearing their pitifull cries and lamentations, they had compastion of them, and dayly fetched them wood & water, and made them fires, gott them victualls whilst they lived, and buried them when they dyed. For very few of them escaped, notwithstanding they did what they could for them, to ye haszard of them selvs. The cheefe Sachem him selfe now dyed, & allmost all his freinds & kinred. But by ye marvelous goodnes & providens of God not one of ye English was so much as sicke, or in ye least measure tainted with this dis- ease, though they dayly did these offices for them for many weeks togeather. And this mercie which they shewed them was kindly taken, and thankfully ac- knowledged of all ye Indeans that knew or heard of ye same ; and their mrs here did much comend & re- ward them for ye same.
Anno Dom : 1635.
MR. WINSLOW was very wellcome to them in Eng- land, and ye more in regard of ye large returne he brought with him, which came all safe to their hands,
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and was well sould. And he was borne in hand, (at least he so apprehended,) that all accounts should be cleared before his returne, and all former differences ther aboute well setled. And so he writ over to them hear, that he hoped to cleare ye accounts, and bring them over with him; and yt the accounte of ye White Angele would be taken of, and all things fairly ended. But it came to pass [205] that, being occasioned to answer some complaints made against the countrie at Counsell bord, more cheefly concerning their neigbours in ye Bay then them selves hear, the which he did to good effecte, and further prosecuting such things as might tend to ye good of ye whole, as well them selves as others, aboute ye wrongs and in- croachments that the French & other strangers both had and were like further to doe unto them, if not prevented, he prefered this petition following to their Hon's that were deputed Comissioners for ye Planta- tions.
To ye right honorable ye Lords Comissioners for ye Plan- tations in America.
The humble petition of Edw : Winslow, on ye behalfe of ye plantations in New-England,
Humbly sheweth unto your Lordships, yt wheras your peti- tioners have planted them selves in New England under his Matis most gratious protection ; now so it is, right Honbl, that ye French & Dutch doe indeaouer to devide ye land betweene them; for which purpose ye French have, on ye east side, entered and seased upon one of our houses, and
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carried away the goods, slew 2. of ye men in another place, and tooke ye rest prisoners with their goods. And ye Dutch, on ye west, have also made entrie upon Conigtecute River, within ye limits of his Majts }rs patent, where they have raised a forte, and threaten to expell your petitioners thence, who are also planted upon ye same river, maintaining posses- sion for his Matie to their great charge, & hazard both of lives & goods.
In tender consideration hereof your petitioners humbly pray that your Lopps will either procure their peace wth those foraine states, or else to give spetiall warrante unto your petitioners and ye English Collonies, to right and defend them selves against all foraigne enimies. And your petitioners shall pray, &c.
This petition found good acceptation with most of them, and Mr. Winslow was heard sundry times by them, and appointed further to attend for an answer from their Lopps, espetially, having upon conferance with them laid downe a way how this might be doone without any either charge or trouble to ye state ; only by. furnishing some of ye cheefe of ye cuntry hear with authoritie, who would undertake it at their owne charge, and in such a way as should be without any publick disturbance. But this crossed both Sr Ferdi- nandos Gorges' & Cap : Masons designe, and ye arch- bishop of Counterberies by them ; for S' Ferd : Gorges (by ye arch-pps favore) was to have been sent over generall Govr into ye countrie, and to have had means from ye state for yt end, and was now upon dispatch and conclude of ye bussines. And ye arch-bishops
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purposs & intente was, by his means, & some he should send with him, (to be furnished with Episco- pall power,) [206] to disturbe ye peace of ye churches here, and to overthrow their proceedings and further growth, which was ye thing he aimed at. But it so fell out (by Gods providence) that though he in ye end crost this petition from taking any further effecte in this kind, yet by this as a cheefe means the plotte and whole bussines of his & S' Ferdinandos fell to ye ground, and came to nothing. When Mr. Winslow should have had his suit granted, (as indeed upon ye pointe it was,) and should have been confirmed, the arch-bishop put a stop upon it, and Mr. Winslow, thinking to gett it freed, went to ye bord againe; but ye bishop, S' Ferd : and Captine Masson, had, as it seemes, procured Morton (of whom mention is made before, & his base carriage) to complaine; to whose complaints Mr. Winslow made answer to ye good sat- isfaction of ye borde, who checked Morton and re- buked him sharply, & allso blamed S' Ferd Gorges, & Masson, for countenancing him. But ye bish : had a further end & use of his presence, for he now be- gane to question Mr. Winslow of many things; as of teaching in ye church publickly, of which Morton accused him, and gave evidence that he had seen and heard him doe it; to which Mr. Winslow answered, that some time (wanting a minster) he did exercise his gifte to help ye edification of his breethren, when
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they wanted better means, wch was not often. Then aboute mariage, the which he also confessed, that, haveing been called to place of magistracie, he had sometimes maried some. And further tould their lordps yt mariage was a civille thinge, & he found no wher in ye word of God yt it was tyed to ministrie. Again, they were necessitated so to doe, having for a long time togeather at first no minister; besids, it was no new-thing, for he had been so maried him selfe in Holand, by ye magistrats in their Statt-house. But in ye end (to be short), for these things, ye bishop, by vemente importunity, gott ye bord at last to consente to his comittemente; so he was comited to ye Fleete, and lay ther 17. weeks, or ther aboute, before he could gett to be released. And this was ye end of this petition, and this bussines ; only ye others designe was also frustrated hereby, with other things concurring, which was no smalle blessing to ye people here.
But ye charge fell heavie on them hear, not only in Mr. Winslows expences, (which could not be smale,) but by ye hinderance of their bussines both ther and hear, by his personall imploymente. For though this was as much or more for others then for them hear, and by them cheefly he was put on this bussines, (for ye plantation kewe nothing of it till they heard of his imprisonmente,) yet ye whole charge lay on them.
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Now for their owne bussines ; whatsoever Mr. Sher- leys mind was before, (or Mr. Winslow apprehension of ye same,) he now declared him selfe plainly, that he would neither take of ye White-Angell from ye accounte, nor [207] give any further accounte, till he had received more into his hands; only a prety good supply of goods were sent over, but of ye most, no note of their prises, or so orderly an invoyce as for- merly ; which Mr. Winslow said he could not help, because of his restrainte. Only now Mr. Sherley & Mr. Beachamp & Mr. Andrews sent over a letter of atturney under their hands & seals, to recovere what they could of Mr. Allerton for ye Angells accounte ; but sent them neither ye bonds, nor covenants, or such other evidence or accounts, as they had aboute these matters. I shall here inserte a few passages out of Mr. Sherleys letters aboute these things.
Your leter of ye 22. of July, 1634, by your trustie and our loving friend Mr. Winslow, I have received, and your larg parcell of beaver and otter skines. Blessed be our God, both he and it came safly to us, and we have sould it in tow parcells; ye skin at 14s. łi. & some at 16 .; ye coate at 20$. ye pound. The accounts I have not sent you them this year, I will referr you to M'. Winslow to tell you ye reason of it; yet be assured yt none of you shall suffer by ye not having of them, if God spare me life. And wheras you say ye 6. years are expired yt ye peopl put ye trad into your & our hands for, for ye discharge of yt great debte wch Mr. Allerton needlesly & unadvisedly ran you & us into; yet it was promised it should continue till our disbursments & in-
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gagements were satisfied. You conceive it is done ; we feele & know other wise, &c. I doubt not but we shall lovingly agree, notwithstanding all yt hath been writen, on boath sids, aboute ye Whit-Angell. We have now sent you a letter of atturney, therby giving you power in our names (and to shadow it ye more we say for our uses) to obtaine what may be of Mr. Allerton towards ye satisfing of that great charge of ye White Angell. And sure he hath bound him selfe, (though at present I cannot find it,) but he hath often affirmed, with great protestations, yt neither you nor we should lose a peny by him, and I hope you shall find enough to discharg it, so as we shall have no more contesting aboute it. Yet, notwithstanding his unnaturall & unkind dealing with you, in ye midest of justice remember mercie, and doe not all you may doe, &c. Set us out of debte, and then let us recone & reason togeither, &c. M. Winslow hath undergone an unkind imprisonment, but I am perswaded it will turne much to all your good. I leave him to relate per- ticuleres, &c.
Your loving freind,
London, Sep : 7. 1635.
JAMES SHERLEY.
This year they sustained an other great loss from ye French. Monsier de Aulnay coming into ye harbore of Penobscote, and having before gott some of ye cheefe yt belonged to ye house abord his vessell, by sutlty coming upon them in their shalop, he gott them to pilote him in; and after getting ye rest into his power, he tooke possession of ye house in ye name of ye king of France ; and partly by threatening, & other wise, made Mr. Willett (their agente ther) to approve of
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