USA > Massachusetts > Plymouth County > Plymouth > Bradford's history "of Plimoth plantation" from the original manuscript > Part 33
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Upon ye examenation of this person, and also of a former that had made some sodomiticall attempts upon another, it being demanded of them how they came first to ye knowledge and practice of such wickednes, the one confessed he had long used it in old England ; and this youth last spoaken of said he was taught it
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by an other that had heard of such things from some in England when he was ther, and they kept catle togeather. By which it appears how one wicked per- son may infecte many ; and what care all ought to have what servants they bring into their families.
But it may be demanded how came it to pass that so many wicked persons and profane people should so quickly come over into this land, & mixe them selves amongst them? seeing it was religious men yt begane ye work, and they came for religions sake. I confess this may be marveilled at, at least in time to come, when the reasons therof should not be knowne; and ye more because here was so many hardships and wants mett withall. I shall therfore indeavor to give some answer hereunto. And first, according to yt in ye gospell, it is ever to be remem- bred that wher ye Lord begins to sow good seed, ther ye envious man will endeavore to sow tares. 2. Men being to come over into a wildernes, in which much labour & servise was to be done aboute building & planting, &c., such as wanted help in yt respecte, when they could not have such as yey would, were glad to take such as they could; and so, many untoward servants, sundry of them proved, that were thus brought over, both men & women kind; who, when their times were expired, became families of them selves, which gave increase hereunto. 3. An other and a maine reason hearof was, that men, find-
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ing so many godly disposed persons willing to come into these parts, some begane to make a trade of it, to transeport passengers & their goods, and hired ships for that end; and then, to make up their fraight and advance their profite, cared not who ye persons were, so they had money to pay them. And by this means the cuntrie became pestered with many unworthy persons, who, being come over, crept into one place or other. 4. Againe, the Lords blesing usually following his people, as well in outward as spirituall things, (though afflictions be mixed with- all,) doe make many to adhear to ye people of God, as many followed Christ, for ye loaves sake, Iohn 6. 26. and a mixed multitud came into ye willdernes with ye people of God out of Eagipte of old, Exod. 12. 38; so allso ther were sente by their freinds some under hope yt they would be made better; others that they might be eased of such bur- thens, and they kept from shame at home yt would necessarily follow their dissolute courses. And thus, by one means or other, in 20. years time, it is a question whether ye greater part be not growne ye worser.
[250] I am now come to ye conclusion of that long & tedious bussines betweene ye partners hear, & them in England, the which I shall manifest by their owne letters as followeth, in such parts of them as are per- tinente to ye same.
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Mr. Sherleys to Mr. Attwood.
Mr. Attwood, my approved loving freind: Your letter of ye 18. of October last I have received, wherin I find you have taken a great deall of paines and care aboute yt trouble- some bussines betwixte our Plimoth partners & freinds, & us hear, and have deeply ingaged your selfe, for which complements & words are no reall satisfaction, &c. For ye agreemente you have made with Mr. Bradford, Mr. Wins- low, & ye rest of ye partners ther, considering how honestly and justly I am perswaded they have brought in an accounte of ye remaining stock, for my owne parte I am well satis- fied, and so I thinke is Mr. Andrewes, and I supose will be Mr. Beachampe, if most of it might acrew to him, to whom ye least is due, &c. And now for peace sake, and to conclud as we began, lovingly and freindly, and to pass by all failings of all, the conclude is accepted of; I say this agreemente yt you have made is condesended unto, and Mr. Andrews hath sent his release to Mr. Winthrop, with such directions as he conceives fitt; and I have made bould to trouble you with mine, and we have both sealed in ye pres- ence of Mr. Weld, and Mr. Peeters, and some others, and I have also sente you an other, for the partners ther, to seale to me; for you must not deliver mine to them, excepte they seale & deliver one to me; this is fitt and equall, &c.
Yours to comand in what I may or can,
June 14. 1642.
JAMES SHERLEY.
His to ye partners as followeth.
Loving freinds,
Mr. Bradford, Mr. Winslow, Mr. Prence, Captaine Stan- dish, Mr. Brewster, Mr. Alden, & M. Howland, give me leave to joyne you all in one letter, concerning ye finall end
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& conclude of yt tedious & troublsome bussines, & I thinke I may truly say uncomfortable & unprofitable to all, &c. It hath pleased God now to put us upon a way to sease all suits, and disquieting of our spirites, and to conclude with peace and love, as we began. I am contented to yeeld & make good what Mr. Attwood and you have agreed upon ; and for yt end have sente to my loving freind, Mr. Attwood, an abso- lute and generall release unto you all, and if ther wante any thing to make it more full, write it your selves, & it shall be done, provided yt all you, either joyntly or severally, seale ye like discharge to me. And for yt end I have drawne one joyntly, and sent it to M'. Attwood, with yt I have sealed to you. M. Andrews hath sealed an aquitance also, & sent it to M'. Winthrop, whith such directions as he conceived fitt, and, as I hear, hath given his debte, which he maks 544}i. unto ye gentlemen of ye Bay. Indeed, Mr. Welld, Mr. Peters, & MT. Hibbens have taken a great deale of paines with Mr. Andrews, Mr. Beachamp, & my selfe, to bring us to agree, and to yt end we have had many meetings and spent much time aboute it. But as they are very religious & honest gentle-men, yet they had an end yt they drove at & laboured to accomplish (I meane not any private end, but for ye gen- erall good of their patente). It had been very well you had sent one over. M. Andrew wished you might have one 3. parte of ye 1200". & ye Bay 2. thirds; but then we 3. must have agreed togeather, which were a hard mater now. But Mr. Weld, Mr. Peters, & MT. Hibbens, & I, have agreed, they giving you bond (so to compose with Mr. Beachamp, as) to procure his generall release, & free you from all trouble & charge yt he may put you too ; which indeed is nothing, for I am perswaded Mr. Weld will in time gaine him to give them all that is dew to [251] him, which in some sorte is granted allready ; for though his demands be great, yet Mr. Andrewes hath taken some paines in it, and makes it appear to be less then I thinke he will consente to give them for so good an
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use ; so you neede not fear, that for taking bond ther to save you harmles, you be safe and well. Now our accord is, yt you must pay to ye gentle-men of ye Bay 900". ; they are to bear all chargs yt may any way arise concerning ye free & absolute clearing of you from us three. And you to have ye other 300". &c.
Upon ye receiving of my release from you, I will send you your bonds for ye purchass money. I would have sent them now, but I would have Mr. Beachamp release as well as I, be- cause you are bound to him in them. Now I know if a man be bound to 12. men, if one release, it is as if all released, and my discharge doth cutt them of ; wherfore doubte you not but you shall have them, & your comission, or any thing els that is fitt. Now you know ther is tow years of ye purchass money, that I would not owne, for I have formerley certified you yt I would but pay 7. years ; but now you are discharged of all, &c.
Your loving and kind friend in what I may or can,
JAMES SHERLEY. June 14. 1642.
The coppy of his release is as followeth.
Wheras diverce questions, differences, & demands have arisen & depended betweene William Bradford, Edward Wins- low, Thomas Prence, Mylest Standish, William Brewster, John Allden, and John Howland, gent: now or latly inhabitants or resident at New-Plimoth, in New-England, on ye one party, and James Sherley of London, marchante, and others, in th' other parte, for & concerning a stocke & partable trade of beaver & other comodities, and fraighting of ships, as ye White Angell, Frindship, or others, and ye goods of Isaack Allerton which were seazed upon by vertue of a leter of atturney made by ye said James Sherley and John Beachamp and Richard Andrews, or any other maters concerning ye said
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trade, either hear in Old-England or ther in New-England or elsewher, all which differences are since by mediation of freinds composed, compremissed, and all ye said parties agreed. Now know all men by these presents, that I, the said James Sherley, in performance of ye said compremise & agreemente, have remised, released, and quite claimed, & doe by these presents remise, release, and for me, myne heires, executors, & Administrators, and for every of us, for ever quite claime unto ye said William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Thomas Prence, Myles Standish, William Brewster, John Allden, & John Howland, and every of them, their & every of their heires, executors, and administrators, all and all maner of actions, suits, debts, accounts, rekonings, comissions, bonds, bills, specialties, judgments, executions, claimes, chal- linges, differences, and demands whatsoever, with or against ye said William Bradford, Edward Winslow, Thomas Prence, Myles Standish, William Brewster, John Allden, and John Howland, or any of them, ever I had, now have, or in time to come can, shall, or may have, for any mater, cause, or thing whatsoever from ye begining of ye world untill ye day of ye date of these presents. In witnes wherof I have here- unto put my hand & seale, given ye second day of June, 1642, and in ye eighteenth year of ye raigne of our soveraigne lord, king Charles, &c.
JAMES SHERLEY.
Sealed and delivered
in ye presence of THOMAS WELD, HUGH PETERS,
WILLIAM HIBBINS. ARTHUR TIRREY, Scr. THO : STURGS, his servante.
Mr. Andrews his discharg was to ye same effecte ; he was by agreemēte to have 500". of ye money, the which
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he gave to them in ye Bay, who brought his discharge and demanded ye money. And they tooke in his re- lease and paid ye money according to agreemēte, viz. one third of the 500". they paid downe in hand, and ye rest in 4. equall payments, to be paid yearly, for which they gave their bonds. And wheras 44". was more demanded, they conceived they could take it of with Mr. Andrews, and therfore it was not in the bonde. [252] But Mr. Beachamp would not parte with any of his, but demanded 400". of ye partners here, & sent a release to a friend, to deliver it to them upon ye receite of ye money. But his relese was not per- fecte, for he had left out some of. ye partners names, with some other defects; and besids, the other gave them to understand he had not near so much due. So no end was made with him till 4. years after; of which in it plase. And in yt regard, that them selves did not agree, I shall inserte some part of Mr. Andrews letter, by which he conceives ye partners here were wronged, as followeth. This leter of his was write to Mr. Edmond Freeman, brother in law to Mr. Beachamp.
Mr. Freeman,
My love remembred unto you, &c. I then certified ye part- ners how I found Mr. Beachamp & MT. Sherley, in their per- ticuler demands, which was according to mens principles, of getting what they could ; allthough ye one will not shew any accounte, and ye other a very unfaire and unjust one ; and both of them discouraged me from sending ye partners my accounte, Mr. Beachamp espetially. Their reason, I have
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cause to conceive, was, yt allthough I doe not, nor ever intended to, wrong ye partners or ye bussines, yet, if I gave no accounte, I might be esteemed as guiltie as they, in some degree at least; and they might seeme to be ye more free from taxation in not delivering their accounts, who have both of them charged ye accounte with much intrest they have payed forth, and one of them would likwise for much intrest he hath not paid forth, as appeareth by his accounte, &c. And seeing ye partners have now made it appear yt ther is 1200". remaining due between us all, and that it may appear by my accounte I have not charged ye bussines with any in- trest, but doe forgive it unto ye partners, above 200". if M". Sherley & Mr. Beachamp, who have betweene them wronged ye bussines so many 100#. both in principall & intrest likwise, and have therin wronged me as well and as much as any of ye partners ; yet if they will not make & deliver faire & true accounts of ye same, nor be contente to take what by com- putation is more then can be justly due to either, that is, to Mr. Beachamp 150ti. as by Mr. Allertons accounte, and Mr. Sherleys accounte, on oath in chancerie ; and though ther might be nothing due to M'. Sherley, yet he requirs 100". &c. I conceive, seing ye partners have delivered on their oaths ye sume remaining in their hands, that they may justly detaine ye 650ti. which may remaine in their hands, after I am satisfied, untill Mr. Sherley & MT. Beachamp will be more fair & just in their ending, &c. And as I intend, if ye partners fayrly end with me, in satisfing in parte and ingaging them selves for ye rest of my said 544}. to returne back for ye poore my parte of ye land at Sityate, so likwise I intend to re- linquish my right & intrest in their dear patente, on which much of our money was laid forth, and also my right & intrest in their cheap purchass, the which may have cost me first & last 350" .* But I doubte whether other men have not
* This he means of ye first adventures, all which were lost, as hath before been shown; and what he here writs is probable at least.
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charged or taken on accounte what they have disbursed in ye like case, which I have not charged, neither did I conceive any other durst so doe, untill I saw ye accounte of the one and heard ye words of ye other; the which gives me just cause to suspecte both their accounts to be unfaire; for it seemeth they consulted one with another aboute some perticulers therin. Therfore I conceive ye partners ought ye rather to require just accounts from each of them before they parte with any money to either of them. For marchants understand how to give an acounte; if they mean fairley, they will not deney to give an accounte, for they keep memorialls to helpe them to give exacte acounts in all perticulers, and memoriall cannot forget his charge, if ye man will remember. I desire not to wrong Mr. Beachamp or MT. Sherley, nor may be silente in such apparente probabilities of their wronging ye partners, and me likwise, either in deneying to deliver or shew any accounte, or in delivering one very unjuste in some per- ticulers, and very suspitious in many more; either of which, being from understanding marchants, cannot be from weaknes or simplisitie, and therfore ye more unfaire. So comending you & yours, and all ye Lord's people, unto ye gratious pro- tection and blessing of ye Lord, and rest your loving friend,
RICHARD ANDREWES.
Aprill 7. 1643.
This leter was write ye year after ye agreement, as doth appear; and what his judgmente was herein, ye contents doth manifest, and so I leave it to ye equall judgmente of any to consider, as they see cause.
Only I shall adde what Mr. Sherley furder write in a leter of his, about ye same time, and so leave this bussines. His is as followeth on ye other side .*
* Being the conclusion, as will be seen, of page 252 of the original.
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[253] Loving freinds, Mr. Bradford, Mr. Winslow, Cap : Standish, Mr. Prence, and ye rest of ye partners wth you ; I shall write this generall leter to you all, hoping it will be a good conclude of a generall, but a costly & tedious bussines I thinke to all, I am sure to me, &c.
I received from Mr. Winslow a letter of ye 28. of Sept : last, and so much as concernes ye generall bussines I shall answer in this, not knowing whether I shall have opportunitie to write perticuler letters, &c. I expected more letters from you all, as some perticuler writs,* but it seemeth no fitt oppor- tunity was offered. And now, though ye bussines for ye maine may stand, yet some perticulers is alltered ; I say my former agreemente with Mr. Weld & Mr. Peters, before they t could conclude or gett any grante of Mr. Andrews, they sought to have my release; and ther upon they sealed me a bond for a 110". So I sente my acquittance, for they said without mine ther would be no end made (& ther was good reason for it). Now they hoped, if yey ended with me, to gaine Mr. Andrews parte, as they did holy, to a pound, (at which I should wonder, but yt I observe some passages,) and they also hoped to have gotten Mr. Beachamps part, & I did thinke he would have given it them. But if he did well understand him selfe, & that acounte, he would give it; for his demands make a great sound .; But it seemeth he would not parte with it, supposing it too great a sume, and yt he might easily gaine it from you. Once he would have given them 40}. but now they say he will not doe that, or rather I suppose they will not take it; for if they doe, & have M'. Andrewses, then they must pay me their bond of 110". 3 months hence. Now it will fall out farr better for you, yt they deal not with Mr. Beachamp, and also for me, if you
* Perhaps write, for wrote. t The in the manuscript.
# This was a misterie to them, for they heard nothing hereof from any side ye last year, till now ye conclution was past, and bonds given.
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be as kind to me as I have been & will be to you ; and yt thus, if you pay M'. Andrews, or ye Bay men, by his order, 544ª. which is his full demande; but if looked into, perhaps might be less. The man is honest, & in my conscience would not wittingly doe wronge, yett he may forgett as well as other men; and Mr. Winslow may call to minde wherin he for- getts ; (but some times it is good to buy peace.) The gentle- men of ye Bay may abate 100". and so both sids have more right & justice then if they exacte all, &c. Now if you send me a 150". then say Mr. Andrews full sume, & this, it is nere 700". Mr. Beachamp he demands 400". and we all know that, if a man demands money, he must shew wherfore, and make proofe of his debte; which I know he can never make good proafe of one hunderd pound dew unto him as principall money ; so till he can, you have good reason to keep ye 500ti. &c. This I proteste I write not in malice against Mr. Beachamp, for it is a reall truth. You may partly see it by Mr. Andrews making up his accounte, and I think you are all perswaded I can say more then Mr. Andrews con- cerning that accounte. I wish I could make up my owne as plaine & easily, but because of former discontents, I will be sparing till I be called ; & you may injoye ye 500}. quietly till he begine ; for let him take his course hear or ther, it shall be all one, I will doe him no wronge; and if he have not on peney more, he is less loser then either Mr .. Andrews or I. This I conceive to be just & honest ; ye having or not having of his release matters not; let him make such proafe of his debte as you cannot disprove, and according to your first agreemente you will pay it, &c.
Your truly affectioned freind,
JAMES SHERLEY. London, Aprill 27. 1643.
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Anno Dom: 1643.
I AM to begine this year whith that which was a mater of great saddnes and mouring unto them all. Aboute ye 18. of Aprill dyed their Reved Elder, and my dear & loving friend, Mr. William Brewster; a man that had done and suffered much for ye Lord Jesus and ye gospells sake, and had bore his parte in well and woe with this poore persecuted church above 36. years [254] in England, Holand, and in this wildernes, and done ye Lord & them faithfull service in his place & calling. And notwithstanding ye many troubls and sorrows he passed throw, the Lord upheld him to a great age. He was nere fourskore years of age (if not all out) when he dyed. He had this blesing added by ye Lord to all ye rest, to dye in his bed, in peace, amongst ye mids of his freinds, who mourned & wepte over him, and ministered what help & comforte they could unto him, and he againe re- comforted them whilst he could. His sicknes was not long, and till ye last day therof he did not wholy keepe his bed. His speech continued till somewhat more then halfe a day, & then failed him; and aboute 9. or 10. a clock that eving he dyed, without any pangs at all. A few howers before, he drew his breath shorte, and some few minuts before his last, he drew his breath long, as a man falen into a sound slepe, without any pangs or gaspings, and so sweetly departed this life unto a better.
1
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I would now demand of any, what he was ye worse for any former sufferings? What doe I say, worse? Nay, sure he was ye better, and they now added to his honour. It is a manifest token (saith ye Apostle, 2. Thes : 1. 5, 6, 7.) of ye righeous judgmente of God y' ye may be counted worthy of ye kingdome of God, for which ye allso suffer; seing it is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribulation to them yt trouble you: and to you who are troubled, rest with us, when ye Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels. 1. Pet. 4. 14. If you be reproached for ye name of Christ, hapy are ye, for ye spirite of glory and of God resteth upon you. What though he wanted ye riches and pleasurs of ye world in this life, and pompous monuments at his funurall? yet ye memoriall of ye just shall be blessed, when ye name of ye wicked shall rott (with their marble monuments). Pro: 10. 7.
I should say something of his life, if to say a litle were not worse then to be silent. But I cannot wholy forbear, though hapily more may be done hereafter. After he had attained some learning, viz. ye knowledg of ye Latine tongue, & some insight in ye Greeke, and spent some small time at Cambridge, and then being first seasoned with ye seeds of grace and vertue, he went to ye Courte, and served that religious and godly gentl- man, Mr. Davison, diverce years, when he was Secre- tary of State; who found him so discreete and faithfull
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as he trusted him above all other that were aboute him, and only imployed him in all matters of greatest trust and secrecie. He esteemed him rather as a sonne then a servante, and for his wisdom & godlines (in private) he would converse with him more like a freind & familier then a maister. He attended his mr. when he was sente in ambassage by the Queene into ye Low- Countries, in ye Earle of Leicesters time, as for other waighty affaires of state, so to receive possession of the cautionary townes, and in token & signe therof the keyes of Flushing being delivered to him, in her matis name, he kepte them some time, and comitted them to this his servante, who kept them under his pilow, on which he slepte ye first night. And, at his returne, ye States honoured him with a gould chaine, and his maister comitted it to him, and comanded him to wear it when they arrived in England, as they ridd thorrow the country, till they came to ye Courte. He afterwards remained with him till his troubles, that he was put from his place aboute ye death of ye Queene of Scots ; and some good time after, doeing him manie faithfull offices of servise in ye time of his troubles. Afterwards he wente and lived in ye country, in good esteeme amongst his freinds and ye gentle-men of those parts, espetially the godly & religious. He did much good in ye countrie wher he lived, in promoting and further- ing religion, not only by his practiss & example, and provocking and incouraging of others, but by procuring
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of good preachers to ye places theraboute, and drawing on of others to assiste & help forward in such a worke ; he him selfe most comonly deepest in ye charge, & some times above his abillitie. And in this state he continued many years, doeing ye best good he could, and walking according to ye light he saw, till ye Lord reveiled further unto him. And in ye end, by ye tir- rany of ye bishops against godly preachers & people, in silenceing the one & persecuting ye other, he and many more of those times begane to looke further into things, and to see into ye unlawfullnes of their callings, and ye burthen of many anti-christian corruptions, which both he and they endeavored to cast of; as yey allso did, as in ye begining of this treatis is to be seene. [255] After they were joyned togither in comunion, he was a spetiall stay & help unto them. They ordi- narily mett at his house on ye Lords day, (which was a manor of ye bishops, ) and with great love he enter- tained them when they came, making provission for them to his great charge. He was ye cheefe of those that were taken at Boston, and suffered ye greatest loss ; and of ye seven that were kept longst in prison, and after bound over to ye assises. Affter he came into Holland he suffered much hardship, after he had spente ye most of his means, haveing a great charge, and many children ; and, in regard of his former breed- ing & course of life, not so fitt for many imployments as others were, espetially such as were toylesume &
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