USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Bradford's history "of Plimoth plantation" from the original manuscript > Part 28
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ye sale of ye goods their unto him, of which he sett ye price him selfe [208] in effecte, and made an in- ventory therof, (yett leaving out sundry things,) but made no paymente for them; but tould them in con- venient time he would doe it if they came for it. For ye house & fortification, &c. he would not alow, nor accounte any thing, saing that they which build on another mans ground doe forfite ye same. So thus turning them out of all, (with a great deale of com- plemente, and many fine words,) he let them have their shalop and some victualls to bring them home. Coming home and relating all the passages, they here were much troubled at it, & haveing had this house robbed by ye French once before, and lost then above 500ti. (as is before remembred), and now to loose house & all, did much move them. So as they re- solved to consulte with their freinds in ye Bay, and if yey approved of it, (ther being now many ships ther,) they intended to hire a ship of force, and seeke to beat out ye Frenche, and recover it againe. Ther course was well approved on, if them selves could bear ye charge; so they hired a fair ship of above 300. tune, well fitted with ordnance, and agreed with ye mr. (one Girling) to this effect : that he and his com- pany should deliver them ye house, (after they had driven out, or surprised ye French,) and give them peacable possession therof, and of all such trading comodities as should ther be found ; and give ye
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French fair quarter & usage, if they would yeeld. In consideration wherof he was to have 700". of beaver, to be delivered him ther, when he had done ye thing ; but if he did not accomplish it, he was to loose his labour, and have nothing. With him they also sent their owne bark, and about 20. men, with Captaine Standish, to aide him (if neede weer), and to order things, if the house was regained; and then to pay him ye beaver, which they keept abord their owne barke. So they with their bark piloted him thither, and brought him safe into ye harbor. But he was so rash & heady as he would take no advice, nor would suffer Captaine Standish to have time to summone them, (who had comission & order so to doe,) neither would doe it him selfe; the which, it was like, if it had been done, & they come to affaire parley, seeing their force, they would have yeelded. Neither would he have patience to bring his ship wher she might doe execution, but begane to shoot at distance like a madd man, and did them no hurte at all; the which when those of ye plantation saw, they were much greeved, and went to him & tould him he would doe no good if he did not lay his ship beter to pass (for she might lye within pistoll shott of ye house). At last, when he saw his owne folly, he was perswaded, and layed her well, and bestowed a few shott to good purposs. But now, when he was in a way to doe some good, his powder was goone; for though he had
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peece of ordnance, it did now [209] appeare he had but a barrell of powder, and a peece; so he could doe no good, but was faine to draw of againe; by which means ye enterprise was made frustrate, and ye French incouraged ; for all ye while that he shot so unadvisedly, they lay close under a worke of earth, & let him consume him selfe. He advised with ye Cap- taine how he might be supplyed with powder, for he had not to carie him home; so he tould him he would goe to ye next plantation, and doe his indeour to procure him some, and so did; but understand- ing, by intelligence, that he intended to ceiase on ye barke, & surprise ye beaver, he sent him the powder, and brought ye barke & beaver home. But Girling never assualted ye place more, (seeing him selfe dis- apoyented,) but went his way; and this was ye end of this bussines.
Upon ye ill success of this bussines, the Gov" and Assistants here by their leters certified their freinds in ye Bay, how by this ship they had been abused and disapoynted, and yt the French partly had, and were now likly to fortifie them selves more strongly, and likly to become ill neigbours to ye English. Upon this they thus writ to them as folloeth : -
Worthy Srs: Upon ye reading of your leters, & consid- eration of ye waightines of ye cause therin mentioned, the
* Blank in the original.
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courte hath joyntly expressed their willingnes to assist you with men & munition, for ye accomplishing of your desires upon ye French. But because here are none of yours yt have authority to conclude of any thing herein, nothing can be done by us for ye presente. We desire, therfore, that you would with all conveniente speed send some man of trust, furnished with instructions from your selves, to make such agreemente with us about this bussines as may be usefull for you, and equall for us. So in hast we comite you to God, and remaine
Your assured loving freinds,
JOHN HAYNES, Gov".
RI : BELLINGHAM, Dep. Jo : WINTHROP.
THO : DUDLEY.
Jo : HUMFRAY.
WN: CODDINGTON.
WM: PINCHON.
ATHERTON HOUGHE.
INCREAS NOWELL.
RIC : DUMER.
SIMON BRADSTRETE.
New-towne, Octor 9. 1635.
Upon the receite of ye above mentioned, they pres- ently deputed 2. of theirs to treate with them, giving them full power to conclude, according to the instruc- tions they gave them, being to this purposs : that if they would afford such assistance as, together with their owne, was like to effecte the thing, and allso bear a considerable parte of ye charge, they would goe on; if not, [210] they (having lost so much allready)
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should not be able, but must desiste, and waite fur- ther opportunitie as God should give, to help them selves. But this came to nothing, for when it came to ye issue, they would be at no charge, but sente them this letter, and referd them more at large to their owne messengers.
S": Having, upon ye consideration of your letter, with ye message you sente, had some serious consultations aboute ye great importance of your bussines with ye French, we gave our answer to those whom you deputed to conferr wth us aboute ye viage to Penobscote. We shewed our willing- nes to help, but withall we declared our presente condition, & in what state we were, for our abilitie to help; which we for our parts shall be willing to improve, to procure you sufficiente supply of men & munition. But for matter of moneys we have no authority at all to promise, and if we should, we should rather disapoynte you, then incourage you by yt help, which we are not able to performe. We likewise thought it fitt to take ye help of other Esterne plantations ; but those things we leave to your owne wisdomes. And for other things we refer you to your owne comitties, who are able to relate all ye passages more at large. We salute you, & wish you all good success in ye Lord ..
Your faithfull & loving friend,
RI : BELLINGHAM, Dep : In ye name of ye rest of the Comities. Boston, Octobr 16. 1635 .
This thing did not only thus breake of, but some of their merchants shortly after sent to trad with them, and furnished them both with provissions, &
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poweder & shott; and so have continued to doe till this day, as they have seen opportunitie for their profite. So as in truth ye English them selves have been the cheefest supporters of these French; for besids these, the plantation at Pemaquid (which lyes near unto them) doth not only supply them with what yey wante, but gives them continuall intelligence of all things that passes among ye English, (espetially some of them,) so as it is no marvell though they still grow, & incroach more & more upon ye English, and fill ye Indeans with gunes & munishtion, to ye great deanger of ye English, who lye open & unfor- tified, living upon husbandrie ; and ye other closed up in their forts, well fortified, and live upon trade, in good securitie. If these things be not looked too, and remeady provided in time, it may easily be conjectured what they may come toe; but I leave them.
This year, ye 14. or 15. of August (being Saturday) was such a mighty storme of wind & raine, as none living in these parts, either English or Indeans, ever saw. Being like (for ye time it continued) to those Hauricanes and Tuffons that writers make mention of in ye Indeas. It began in ye morning, a litle before day, and grue not by degrees, but came with violence in ye begining, to ye great amasmente of many. It blew downe sundry [211] houses, & uncovered others ; diverce vessells were lost at sea, and many more in ex- treme danger. It caused ye sea to swell (to ye south-
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ward of this place) above 20. foote, right up & downe, and made many of the Indeans to clime into trees for their saftie ; it tooke of ye borded roofe of a house which belonged to the plantation at Manamet, and floted it to another place, the posts still standing in ye ground; and if it had continued long without ye shifting of ye wind, it is like it would have drouned some parte of ye cuntrie. It blew downe many hun- dered thowsands of trees, turning up the stronger by the roots, and breaking the hiegher pine trees of in the midle, and ye tall yonge oaks & walnut trees of good biggnes were wound like a withe, very strang & fearfull to behould. It begane in ye southeast, and parted toward ye south & east, and vered sundry ways ; but ye greatest force of it here was from ye former quarters. It continued not (in ye extremitie) above 5. or 6. houers, but ye violence begane to abate. The signes and marks of it will remaine this 100. years in these parts wher it was sorest. The moone suffered a great eclips the 2. night after it.
Some of their neighbours in ye Bay, hereing of ye fame of Conightecute River, had a hankering mind after it, (as was before noted,) and now understanding that ye Indeans were swepte away with ye late great mortalitie, the fear of whom was an obstacle unto them before, which being now taken away, they be- gane now to prosecute it with great egernes. The greatest differances fell betweene those of Dorchester
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plantation and them hear; for they set their minde on that place, which they had not only purchased of ye Indeans, but wher they had builte; intending only (if they could not remove them) that they should have but a smale moyety left to ye house, as to a single family ; whose doings and proceedings were conceived to be very injurious, to attempte not only to intrude them selves into ye rights & possessions of others, but in effect to thrust them out of all. Many were ye leters & passages that went betweene them hear aboute, which would be to long here to relate.
I shall here first inserte a few lines that was write by their own agente from thence.
S': &c. Ye Masschuset men are coming almost dayly, some by water, & some by land, who are not yet determined wher to setle, though some have a great mind to ye place we are upon, and which was last bought. Many of them look at that which this river will not afford, excepte it be at this place which we have, namly, to be a great towne, and have comodious dwellings for many togeather. So as what they will doe I cannot yet resolve you ; for this place ther is none of them say any thing to me, but what I hear from their servants (by whom I perceive their minds). I shall doe what I can to withstand them. I hope they will hear reason; as that we were here first, and entred with much difficulty and danger, [212] both in regard of ye Dutch & Indeans, and bought ye land, (to your great charge, allready disbursed,) and have since held here a chargable possession, and kept ye Dutch from further incroaching, which would els long be- fore this day have possessed all, and kept out all others, &c.
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I hope these & such like arguments will stoppe them. It was your will we should use their persons & messengers kindly, & so we have done, and doe dayly, to your great charge; for ye first company had well nie starved had it not been for this house, for want of victuals; I being forced to supply 12. men for 9. days togeather; and those which came last, I entertained the best we could, helping both them (& ye other) with canows, & guids. They gott me to goe with them to ye Dutch, to see if I could procure some of them to have quiet setling nere them; but they did peremtorily withstand them. But this later company did not once speak therof, &c. Also I gave their goods house roome according to their ernest request, and Mr. Pinchons letter in their be- halfe (which I thought good to send you, here inclosed). And what trouble & charge I shall be further at I know not; for they are coming dayly, and I expecte these back againe from below, whither they are gone to veiw ye countrie. All which trouble & charg we under goe for their occasion, may give us just cause (in ye judgmente of all wise & un- derstanding men) to hold and keep that we are setled upon. Thus with my duty remembred, &c. I rest
Yours to be comanded
JOHNNATHA BREWSTER.
Matianuck, July 6. 1635.
Amongst ye many agitations that pased betweene them, I shal note a few out of their last letters, & for ye present omitte ye rest, except upon other occasion I may have fitter opportunity. After their thorrow veiw of ye place, they began to pitch them selves upon their land & near their house; which occasioned much expostulation betweene them. Some of which are such as follow.
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Brethren, having latly sent 2. of our body unto you, to agitate & bring to an issue some maters in difference be- tweene us, about some lands at Conightecutt, unto which you lay challeng ; upon which God by his providence cast us, and as we conceive in a faire way of providence tendered it to us, as a meete place to receive our body, now upon removall.
We shall not need to answer all ye passages of your larg letter, &c. But wheras you say God in his providence cast you, &c., we tould you before, and (upon this occasion) must now tell you still, that our mind is other wise, and yt you cast rather a partiall, if not a covetous eye, upon that wch is your neigbours, and not yours ; and in so doing, your way could not be faire unto it. Looke yt you abuse not Gods providence in such allegations.
Theirs.
Now allbeite we at first judged ye place so free yt we might with Gods good leave take & use it, without just offence to any man, it being the Lords [213] wast, and for ye presente altogeather voyd of inhabitants, that indeede minded ye im- ploymente therof, to ye right ends for which land was created, Gen: 1. 28. and for future intentions of any, & uncertaine possibilities of this or that to be done by any, we judging them (in such a case as ours espetialy) not meete to be equalled with presente actions (such as ours was) much less worthy to be prefered before them; and therfore did we make some weake beginings in that good worke, in ye place afforesaid.
Ans : Their answer was to this effecte. That if it was ye Lords wast, it was them selves that found it so, & not they; and have since bought it of ye right
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oweners, and maintained a chargable possession upon it al this while, as them selves could not but know. And because of present ingagments and other hinder- ances which lay at presente upon them, must it ther- fore be lawfull for them to goe and take it from them? It was well known that they are upon a barren place, wher they were by necessitie cast; and neither they nor theirs could longe continue upon ye same ; and why should they (because they were more ready, & more able at presente) goe and deprive them of that which they had wth charg & hazard provided, & intended to remove to, as soone as they could & were able ?
They had another passage in their letter; they had rather have to doe with the lords in England, to whom (as they heard it reported) some of them should say that they had rather give up their right to them, (if they must part with it,) then to ye church of Dorchester, &c. And that they should be less fearfull to offend ye lords, then they were them.
Ans : Their answer was, that what soever they had heard, (more then was true,) yet ye case was not so with them that they had need to give away their rights & adventurs, either to ye lords, or them; yet, if they might measure their fear of offence by their practise, they had rather (in that poynte) they should deal with ye lords, who were beter able to bear it, or help them selves, then they were.
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But least I should be teadious, I will forbear other things, and come to the conclusion that was made in ye endd. To make any forcible resistance was farr from their thoughts, (they had enough of yt about Kenebeck,) and to live in continuall contention with their freinds & brethren would be uncomfortable, and too heavie a burden to bear. Therfore for peace sake (though they conceived they suffered much in this thing) they thought it better to let them have it upon as good termes as they could gett ; and so they fell to treaty. The first thing yt (because they had made so many & long disputs aboute it) they would have them to grante was, yt they had right too it, or ells they would never treat aboute it. The * which being ac- knowledged, & yeelded unto by them, this was ye con- clusion they came unto in ye end after much adoe : that they should retaine their house, and have the 16. parte of all they had bought of ye Indeans; and ye other should have all ye rest of ye land; leaveing such a moyety to those [214] of New-towne, as they re- served for them. This 16. part was to be taken in too places ; one towards ye house, the other towards New- townes proportion. Also they were to pay according to proportion, what had been disbursed to ye Indeans for ye purchass. Thus was ye controversie ended, but the unkindnes not so soone forgotten. They of New- towne delt more fairly, desireing only what they could
* They in MS.
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conveniently spare, from a competancie reserved for a plantation, for them selves; which made them the more carfull to procure a moyety for them, in this agreement & distribution.
Amongst ye other bussinesses that Mr. Winslow had to doe in England, he had order from ye church to provid & bring over some able & fitt man for to be their minister. And accordingly he had procured a godly and a worthy * man, one Mr. Glover; but it pleased God when he was prepared for the viage, he fell sick of a feaver and dyed. Afterwards, when he was ready to come away, he became acquainted with Mr. Norton, who was willing to come over, but would not ingage him selfe to this place, otherwise then he should see occasion when he came hear ; and if he liked better else wher, to repay ye charge laid out for him, (which came to aboute 70".) and to be at his liberty. He stayed aboute a year with them, after he came over, and was well liked of them, & much desired by them; but he was invited to Ipswich, wher were many rich & able men, and sundry of his aquaintance ; so he wente to them, & is their minister. Aboute half of ye charg was repayed, ye rest he had for ye pains he tooke amongst them.
* Before this word in the margin appears a capital N.
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Anno Dom: 1636.
MR. ED : WINSLOW was chosen Gov" this year.
In ye former year, because they perceived by Mr. Winslows later letters that no accounts would be sente, they resolved to keep ye beaver, and send no more, till they had them, or came to some further agreemente. At least they would forbear till Mr. Winslow came over, that by more full conferance with him they might better understand what was meete to be done. But when he came, though he brought no accounts, yet he perswaded them to send ye beaver, & was confident upon ye receite of yt beaver, & his letters, they should have accounts ye nexte year ; and though they thought his grounds but weake, that gave him this hope, & made him so confidente, yet by his importunitie they yeelded, & sente ye same, ther being a ship at ye latter end of year, by whom they sente 1150". waight of beaver, and 200. otter skins, besids sundrie small furrs, as 55. minks, 2. black foxe skins, &c. And this year, in ye spring, came in a Dutch man, who thought to have traded at ye Dutch-forte ; [215] but they would not suffer him. He, having good store of trading goods, came to this place, & tendred them to sell; of whom they bought a good quantitie, they being very good & fitte for their turne, as Dutch roll, ketles, &c., which goods amounted to ye valew of 500ti., for ye paymente of which they passed
,
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bills to Mr. Sherley in England, having before sente ye forementioned parcell of beaver. And now this year (by another ship) sente an other good round parcell that might come to his hands, & be sould be- fore any of these bills should be due. The quantity of beaver now sent was 1809". waight, and of otters 10. skins, and shortly after (ye same year) was sent by another ship (Mr. Langrume maister), in beaver 0719". waight, and of otter skins 199. concerning which M. Sherley thus writs.
Your leters I have received, with 8. hoggsheads of beaver by Ed : Wilkinson, mr. of ye Falcon. Blessed be God for ye safe coming of it. I have also seen & acceped 3. bills of exchainge, &c. But I must now acquainte you how the Lords heavie hand is upon this kingdom in many places, but cheefly in this cittie, with his judgmente of ye plague. The last weeks bill was 1200. & odd, I fear this will be more; and it is much feared it will be a winter sicknes. By reason wherof it is incredible ye number of people yt are gone into ye cuntry & left ye citie. I am perswaded many more then went out ye last sicknes ; so as here is no trading, carriors from most places put downe ; nor no receiving of any money, though long due. Mr. Hall ows us more then would pay these bills, but he, his wife, and all, are in ye cuntrie, 60. miles from London. I write to him, he came up, but could not pay us. I am perswaded if I should offer to sell ye beaver at 88. pr pound, it would not yeeld money; but when ye Lord shall please to cease his hand, I hope we shall have better & quicker markets; so it shall lye by. Before I ac- cepted ye bills, I acquainted Mr. Beachamp & Mr. Andrews with them, & how ther could be no money made nor
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received; and that it would be a great discredite to you, which never yet had any turned back, and a shame to us, haveing 1800". of beaver lying by us, and more oweing then ye bills come too, &c. But all was nothing; neither of them both will put too their finger to help. I offered to supply my 3. parte, but they gave me their answer they neither would nor could, &c. How ever, your bils shall be satisfied to ye parties good contente ; but I would not have thought they would have left either you or me at this time, &c. You will and may expect I should write more, & answer your leters, but I am not a day in ye weeke at home at towne, but carry my books & all to Clapham ; for here is ye miserablest time yt I thinke hath been known in many ages. I have know 3. great sickneses, but none like this. And that which should be a means to pacifie ye Lord, & help us, that is taken away, preaching put downe in many places, not a sermone in Westminster on ye saboth, nor in many townes aboute us; ye Lord in mercie looke uppon us. In ye begining of ye year was a great [216] drought, & no raine for many weeks togeather, so as all was burnte up, haye, at 5#i. a load; and now all raine, so as much sommer corne & later haye is spoyled. Thus ye Lord sends judgmente after judgmente, and yet we cannot see, nor humble our selves ; and therfore may justly fear heavier judgments, unless we speedyly repente, & returne unto him, which ye Lord give us grace to doe, if it be his blessed will. Thus desiring you to remember us in your prayers, I ever rest Your loving friend,
JAMES SHERLEY.
Sept : 14. 1636.
This was all ye answer they had from Mr. Sherley, by which Mr. Winslow saw his hops failed him. So they now resoloved to send no more beaver in yt way
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which they had done, till they came to some issue or other aboute these things. But now came over let- ters from Mr. Andrews & Mr. Beachamp full of com- plaints, that they marveled yt nothing was sent over, by which any of their moneys should be payed in; for it did appear by ye accounte sente in Anº 1631. that they were each of them out, aboute a leven hundered pounds a peece, and all this while had not received one penie towards ye same. But now Mr. Sherley sought to draw more money from them, and was offended because they deneyed him; and blamed them hear very much that all was sent to Mr. Sher- ley, & nothing to them. They marvelled much at this, for they conceived that much of their moneis had been paid in, & yt yearly each of them had received a pro- portionable quantity out of ye larg returnes sent home. For they had sente home since yt accounte was re- ceived in Anº 1631. (in which all & more then all their debts, wth yt years supply, was charged upon them) these sumes following.
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