COLLECTIONS
OF THE
Committee of Publication.
GEORGE E. ELLIS.
WILLIAM H.
WHITMORE.
HENRY WARREN
TORREY.
JAMES RUSSELL
LOWELL.
Electronic Version Prepared by
Dr. Ted Hildebrandt 4/6/2002
COLLECTIONS
OF
THE
Vol.
VI. -- FIFTH SERIES.
PUBLISHED
BY THE SOCIETY.
M.DCCCLXXIX
UNIVERSITY PRESS:
JOHN WILSON AND SON,
SECOND EDITION.
PRE FACE.
THE Publishing Committee herewith presents
to the Society
the second
volume of the Diary of Samuel Sewall, Printed from
the
Manuscript in its Cabinet. The text of
the volume in-
cludes the
period from January 14, 1699-1700, to April 14,
1714. Another volume in print will complete the
publication
of the
manuscript Diary. The Judge's
Letter-Book will furnish
the
materials for a fourth volume.
The Committee has continued the same
system of annotating
the text
which was adopted in the first volume.
Resisting the
prompting or
opportunity to explain or illustrate the many in-
teresting
references which the Judge makes to matters of his-
torical
importance, to an extent which would expand the notes
beyond the
text, the method pursued, as the reader will observe,
has been
restricted to occasional comments, and to genealogical
and local
particulars and references, without quoting authorities
easily
accessible to the students of our history. The connection
between
Judge Sewall's family and that of Governor Dudley
evidently
embarrassed the former, alike in his official position as
a
magistrate, and in making entries in his diary concerning mat-
ters in
which they were occasionally at variance.
That Sewall
should also
have drawn upon himself the hostility of Cotton
Mather, who,
with his father, the President of the College, was
in violent
feud with
of the
Judge's position and course even when he seems to have
tried to act
as a moderator or an umpire. The
Committee has
therefore
thought it advisable to reprint three very rare pam-
phlets
which, as fully presenting matters of bitter strife in rela-
tion to the
parties just named, will make annotation upon it
unnecessary. A few fragmentary and miscellaneous papers in
Sewall's
hand precede these Tracts.
As the indices of names at the close of
the volumes are neces-
sarily so
crowded, tables of the notes in both of them are here
given for
convenience of reference.
EDS.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF
NOTES.
VOL.
I.
PAGE PAGE
1.
Biographical.
3. Urian
Oakes. 70.
King James II. proclaimed.
5. John
Bowles. 71.
Apsoon.
5.
Fessendens. 71.
Francis Bond.
7.
7. Batters. 72.
Sewall's walk around Beacon
8. Sewall's
birth-place. Hill.
8. Thomas
Parker. 76.
Benjamin Eliot.
9. Almanacs.
86.
Veal and Graham, the pirates.
10. "
87.
Colonel Piercy Kirk.
11. " 89.
George Monk and the Blue An-
12. " chor
Tavern.
15. James,
the printer. 92.
Adams and Richards families.
16.
Almanacs. 98.
Rev. Laurence Vandenbosk.
24. " 104.
Lady Alice Lisle and the Ushers.
25. Tempore
post meridian 105.
Thanksgivings and Fasts.
28.
31. John
Reyuer, Jr. 108.
James Mudge.
32.
Almanacs. 108.
Susanna Vertigoose and the
33. " Mother Goose
fable.
37. Coney's
Street or Lane. 108.
Roxbury Gate.
38.
43.
Almanacs. 112.
John Odlin.
45.
Antapologia. 119.
Peter Butler.
47. Robert
Walker. 122.
Mather's " Arrow against Danc-
48. Almanac.
ing."
56. Death of
Mrs. Brattle. 126.
Execution of James Morgan.
59.
60. Governor
Endicott's house. 133.
Warner Wesendunk.
161.
62-65.
Cotton-Hill and other
lands. 143. The form of
taking an oath.
68. Election
day. 145.
William Johnson.
ii TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF
NOTES IN VOL. I.
PAGE PAGE
147.
Cotton's arguments about the 212.
Elizabeth Woodmansey
cross. 213.
Deodat Lawson.
148. Rev.
Samuel Lee and his family. 219. Sir
William Phips's chaplain.
152. David
Jeffries. 221.
Sir William Phips's house.
153. Mr.
Brightman. 229.
Letter to Rev. Increase Mather
155. Charles
Morton. from S. Sewall.
158. Thomas
Jenner. 231.
The King's chapel,
160. Town
House of
162. Madam
Taylor. 250.
Cotton Mather's sermons.
167. Shrove
Tuesday. 251.
Lord Wharton.
168. Elijah
Corlet. 252.
Thomas Papilliori.
168.
Preservation of the Colonial 253.
Lockier's Monument.
Records. 255.
Richard Wharton.
169. Hez.
Usher's house. 256.
"Considerations," &c., a politi-
170. Anthony
Stoddard. cal
pamphlet.
170. Daniel
Gookin. 261.
The revolution at
174. Summary
of
ment. 263.
Penny posts.
177. Richard
Walker. 264.
Thomas Saffin's epitaph.
179. Robert
Walker. 266.
Theophilus Pool.
182. Wan [or
Wanton or Harris]. 269.
"
182.
Allerton's Point. pamphlet.
182. Andrew
Bordman. 270.
The quaternion.
183. Affray
at
186.
Blackstone's Point. 291.
The Faneuils.
186. King
James's first Declaration 293.
Sewall's notes in
of Indulgence. an
almanac.
186.
Benjamin Eliot. 309.
Tho. Johnson, and other pirates.
189.
Hole. 315.
190. Mr.
Gibbs. 315-317.
Commissioners for the war.
190.
Disturbances about taxes. 320.
Sewall's letter about the war.
192. Lady
Andros. 321.
Sir William Props's expedition.
193. Sir
William Phips. 322.
Captain Frary.
193.
Woodcock's
194. The
fort on Fort Hill. 332.
First
196. Wing's
Tavern or the Castle 334.
Indian chiefs.
Tavern. 336.
Governor Menevall, of Acadie.
197. Colonel
Robert Gibbs's house. 340.
Captain Francis Johnson.
198. Edmund
Randolph's suit against 350. John
Nelson.
Increase Mather. 355.
Mrs. Hamlen.
202.
Governor Andros's house. 356.
Mrs. Elisa Pool.
203. Lady
Andros's tomb. 358.
203. Sir
William Phips. 360.
The Council Records.
206. Michael
Shaller. 361.
Captain John Alden.
209. Rev.
Increase Mather's escape 362.
from
TABLE OF CONTENTS
OF NOTES IN
VOL. I. iii
PAGE PAGE
368. Oyer
and Terminer. 439.
Cotton Mather's proclamation
373. Law
relating to ministers. for
a fast.
376.
Mehitable, meaning of the 442.
An act to incorporate Harvard
name. College.
377.
Wheeler's Pond. 442.
The cold winter of 1696.
378.
379. Elisha
Cooke. 447.
Rev. John Harvard.
386.
Non-resident representatives 452.
Richard Wilkins.
forbidden. 453.
Blue
389.
"Whig and Torey;" a pam- taverns.
phlet. 455.
Neals of
394. Phips's
administration. 456.
Hezekiah Usher's will.
395. Sarah;
meaning of the name. 457.
Salt works on Boston Neck.
395. William
Stoughton. 458.
Discovery of limestone.
400. Corunna.
460.
Rev. John Cotton, Jr.
401.
Wheeler's pond and Sewall's 461.
Blue Anchor tavern.
trees. 464.
Rev. John Higginson.
402. Colonel
Archdall. 470.
404. Sir
William Phips's monument.
405. Driving
a nail or pin. 474.
Sewall's town-offices.
406.
Symond's estate called Argilla. 474.
Seth Perry.
407.
Marriage with a deceased wife's 477.
Richard Coote, Earl of
sister. monte
412.
Sewall's house. 478.
The Province House.
414. Thomas
Maule. 480.
An
424.
Shrimpton family. bridge.
425. Eliot
family; estates and suits. 482.
The Wishing Stone on
427. Vagum. Common.
429. Laws to
be accepted by the 482.
Wait-Still
Crown. 488.
Colonel Romer.
430. Dr.
Benjamin Bullivant. 491.
Huguenot church in
430.
Association to sustain King 496.
William Paterson.
William. 496.
John Borland.
430. Rev.
William Veazie. 499.
Nathaniel Higginson.
431.
Navigation Act. 506.
The Virginals.
431. Rev.
George Burroughs. 506.
Brattle Street manifesoo.
432. Mrs.
Martha Oakes. 507.
Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe.
433. Captain
Chubb's surrender. mela.
433.
Association to sustain King 508.
Measurements of Sewall's lands.
William 509.
Flavel's sermons
TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF
NOTES.
VOL. II.
PAGE PAGE
1. Joseph
Arnold. 52.
Thomas Venner.
2. Andrew
Rivet. 55.
3.
3. Andrew
Hamilton. 58.
Thomas Povey.
3. William
Kidd. 58.
George Keith.
5. Mary
Belcher. 60.
Richard Sibbes.
6. Rev.
Thos. Thornton. 61.
Mrs. Rock.
6. James
Gillam. 62.
7. Kidd's
treasure. 68.
Anthony Checkley.
10. Sunday
at
11. Rev.
John Cotton. 72.
13. John
Toland. 74.
Rev. Jabez Fox.
16.
Anti-slavery tract. 76.
Holliston farm.
21.
Love-letter. 84.
College Corporation.
23. Frary
family. 90.
Excise troubles.
23.
24. Guy
Fawkes's Day. 97.
Accord pond.
24. Francis
Hudson. 98.
Gibbs family.
25. Joseph
Eliot. 100.
27. Cushing
family. 104.
Captain Larrimore.
31. John
Usher, 106.
Trial of Pirates.
32. Turell. 113.
Brightman's pasture.
33. Earl of
Bellomont. 117.
Mary Tuthill.
35. Ancient
and Honorable Artil- 117.
Zadori.
lery Company. 118.
Richard Wilkins.
39.
Lieutenant-Governor
40. Council
Supreme. 120.
Emmons family.
40. Colonel
Romer. 121.
Sewall's portrait.
43. Sir
Constantine Phips. 125.
George Lason.
43. Richard
Wilkins. 126.
45. Crown
officers. 128.
Trees planted.
48. John
Joyliffe.
ii TABLE
OF CONTENTS OF NOTES IN VOL. II.
PAGE PAGE
129.
130. Balston
family. 239.
Samuel Clap.
132. Rev.
Michael Wigglesworth. 242.
Thomas Odell.
133.
Captain's islaud. 260.
Acadie.
134. John
Bonner. 261.
Mohawk chief.
140.
142. Colonel
Vetch. 263.
Whiting's oration.
143.
Marriage laws. 264.
Robert Reynolds.
144.
countrymen. 267.
Ashurst family.
148. Roger
Mompesson. 269.
Cold day.
149. Sir
Charles Hobby. 269.
Thomas Lechmere.
154.
Salutation tavern. 272.
John Hubbard.
154. Caucus.
286.
King's Chapel enlarged.
158.
Meeting-house Hill. 288.
Previous question.
159.
Green-Dragon Tavern. 294.
Fifty-eighth Psalm.
169.
Blackstone's river. 300.
Foster family.
169. Simeon
Stoddard. 306.
Marriage with deceased wife's
170. Thomas
Child, painter
sister.
171. Rev.
James Bayley. 308.
North burying-ground.
174.
Bellomont's house. 309.
Old- Fortification on
175.
Spare-rib. Neck,
&c.
176. Banbury
cakes. 313.
Admiral Walker and the Ex-
177. Caryl
on Job. pedition
against
180. Mary
Eliot. 320.
182.
Williams's Captivity.
184.
188. Sir
John Davie. 324.
Mary Ardell.
189.
192. Mrs.
Leverett. 338.
Newbury Episcopalians.
196. John
Jekyll. 350.
Wade family.
197.
198. First
magistrate born in New 355.
William Whiston.
199.
203.
205.
208.
Mather's letters. 371.
Mather's Circular.
210. Mellows
family. 374.
Eunice Williams.
211. Coney
family. 379.
Mock-sermon.
212. Indian
converts. 380.
Import of slaves.
217. Private
fast-day. 384.
Bread-riot.
219. Arthur
Mason. 386.
Anniversary week.
220.
Countryman. 392.
Sewall's book on Prophecies and
225.
232. Quaker
meeting-house. 396.
Salutation tavern.
233. Byfield
family. 399.
Jeffries family.
TABLE OF
CONTENTS OF NOTES IN VOL. II. iii
PAGE PAGE
404. Colonel
Banks. 415.
Phillips fami1y.
406. Mrs.
Cotton Mather. 416.
408. Copp's
Hill. 417.
Bowling-Green.
410. Fitch
family. 419.
Alchitny or occamy.
413. An angel.
419.
Lord's-Day travel.
413. Bowdoin
family. 428.
Sewall's interest in the Indians.
414. Bennet
family. 437.
Richard Sarson.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
[Miscellaneous
Entries on the Cover of the Journal.]
[The reference is to the "Bill"
put up by Sewall on the Fast Day,
Jan., 1697.
See p. 445.]
See p. 159 of this booke.
P. 163. Mr. Rogers, May 1697.
[Sept.
26, 1686.]
[References to his Captaincy of the Artillery Company.]
244. 6.
Mr. Cotton 168.
Comons Address against Profaneness &c
agreed to Nemine con-
tradicente. Feb. 15. 97. pag.
221. Bill about regulating the Press,
rejected, p.
225-21 Feb. 1697, p. 246. Feby. 16. 170 2/3.
A Bill to naturalize the Children of such
officers and Souldiers,
and others,
the natural born subjects of this Realm, who have been
born,
abroad, during the war; the Parents of such children having
been in the
service of this Government, read a 2d time and comitted.
Mr. Eyre's Son dyed Apr. 18. 1700.
1697.
June, 1. Mr. Thomas Graves
buried.
weigh'd
fol. 244 [?]
8* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
July 4. Mr. Moodey dyes.
November 8.
Mr. Saml. Hooker,
Decr 12. Mr. John Baily dies
Brothers children fol. 245 Feb. 3,
Jany 8 dear Unkle Quinsey dies
170 2/3
Febr.
9. Col. S. Shrimpton dies of an
Apoplexy.
March, 1.
Col. Barthol, Gedny dies.
April, 11.
Mr. Morton dies
Decr. 7. 1692. Judges chosen
Ap. 2. 1694.
Judge Richards dyes.
March, 6,
169 4/5 Elisha Cooke Esqr chosen a
Judge.
9r. 5. 1699. Judge Danforth
dyes.
June, 7.
1700. John Walley esqr made a Judge
July 7,
1701. Lt. Govr.
Augt. 1. 1701. John Saffin esqr
made Judge
Augt. 15. 1702. John Hathorne
Leverett Esq made Judge.
An Elegie on Mrs. Alicia Lisle, which for
high Treason was be-
headed at
Let Rebels both and Loyalists draw nigh
And view this Object of Disloyalty,
A Lady which by a Rebellious Crew
Was forc't in hast to bid the World adieu,
And pay her head to Justice for her Crime
Comitted now when she had pass'd her
Prime.
Not zeal blindfolded, nor the CAUSE, the
CAUSE
Can overturn Religion and the Laws.
&c. &C.
EPITAPH.
Here lies Madam Lisle dead,
Which for Treason lost her Head.
She patroniz'd the CAUSE, the CAUSE,
Against the Church and stablish'd Laws,
Let all her Sex; both great and small
Take here Example by her Fall:
And henceforth ever Shunn to be
Entangled by Presbytery;
Which changeth into several shapes
And hath brought forth
1 See Vol. I. p. 104.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 9*
Which have set
But now she is gone off the stage
Then here she is, and Let her Lie
A Beacon unto Loyalty.
This may be Printed R. L. S.
To be sold by Randal Taylor
Survey your Ground first, Jest your great
Design
End in a Quagmire, or a hollow Mine.
Submit to Fate, turn Loyal now (for shame)
And strive no more to swim against the
stream.
Aug. 30, 1686. Speech to the South Company.
GENTLEMEN, -- The reason of my being here,
is not to comand you
my self, but
to commend you for your complying with the command
of the
honourable Council, and our Lieut. Mr.
Elizur Holyoke, which
I earnestly
perswade you to persist in : by so doing you will exceed-
ingly honour
your selves and gratify me. So that if
any of you
study to
shew me respect, let it be in that way.
There are many
Reasons with
me why I inform'd the honourable Council of my in-
ability to sustain
that Character which somtime I have done in this
Company;
which, as it would not be proper, so I have not now
time to
relate. I heartily thank you for the
Respect I have had
from you,
which has been beyond my value. Am truly
sorry for any
inconvenience
I have been the occasion of the last week to our Lieut.
or any of
the officers, and ask your pardon for it.
The Drums have
lately cost
somthing the fitting, which I shall take care to discharge,
that the
Company be not in debt about it. And I
have left with the
Lieut for the refreshment of the privat Souldiers, of which I crave
your
Acceptance.
And so wishing you a good day, I take
Leave.
To JOSEPH
DUDLEY, Esqr., Presdt.
HONOURED Sir, -- My not being at home
when the Messenger
came to my
house yesterday gives the occasion of these Lines. In-
deed I had
then no expectation of any such thing; but suposed on
Thorsday it
might have been. Am truly thankfull to
your Honour
for the
respect you have put on me in nominating me for the keeping
the
Peace: but you shall still further
oblige me in letting of it rest
in a
Nomination. What station I formerly had
in the Government
10* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
of this.
p1ace it hath pleased God to cast me out of it just after
the taking
of a solemn Oath, which probably I had not done so soon
had not some
small Circumstances turn'd the scale.
And many of
the Council
reside in
for one, are
so aged and worthy, that now I am upon even ground,
and in age
his son, shall be perpetually asham'd to take place of him
as a senior
Justice, and shall be pleased to see him have his health
and sit on
the Bench. Besides, my Mother and wife
are incessantly
importunat
with me to accept at least of part of that Retirement
which God
hath dismissed me to. I am glad that my
Unkle Quinsey
hath sworn
and so, for ought I see, his sister is too: wish I may hear
the like of
other good men up and down the Country, which as have
oportunity,
I shall further. On1y as I have serv'd
this People as
a Constable,
and as a Justice of Peace, so now am desirous of mak-
ing an
Experiment, whether standing in the middle between those
two Offices,
be the hapier Life, as I think I have heard K. James the
first should
affirm. Have been willing to signify
thus much, that so
my
non-acceptance may be managed by your Prudence for the best.
I am your
Hons humble
Servt S. S.
JUNE 2,
1686.
To make a Salt-Petre Bed. Imprs. All the sword of the Ground
is to be
taken off or trenched in, and the Stones to be taken clean out
as deep as
the Trench. Then get the best and
richest mould you
can, and
fill up the Trench according as you will make it in great-
ness --
Length or depth, as you see cause. When the
ground is
made clean
and fitting, turn over the ground and trench it in again,
and as you
trench it in mix it with strong Lime about a 10th. or sixth
part; and
the Seed-Petre, or Mother of Petre, and Hen, or Pigeon's
Dung as much
as you can get, the more the better. And
after 'tis
trenched in
as above, Let all the Butchers Blood and Lees of Wine
be mixed
often with the uper part of the mould about half a foot
down, that
it be not lost or run away from the Bed or Bank. Let
the Bank be
made upon rising Ground, and a ditch about it, that the
water rest
not, nor run into the Petre-Bed; with a dry House over it,
to keep it
from Rain.
Jany 24th. 170 6/7 James Bayley
Esqr. Ring and Glov[es]
April, 23.
feria quarta, The Reverd and pious Mr. Samuel
Torrey; Gloves.
86. May,
12,1707. Mrs.
years old
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 11*
69. Decr 4.
1707. The Honble F. J. Winthrop, Governour of Con-
ecticut. Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escutcheon. Gov. W. Tomb.
Decr. 12.
Mrs. Mary Eliot, widow of my dear friend Capt.
75. Jacob Eliot, and her self a very good
woman. Scarf and
Gloves. 75.
64. March, 22. 170 7/8 Mrs. Sarah Noves; Scarf and Gloves.
54. Augt. 17.
1708. Mrs. Mary Stoddard; Scarf and
Ring.
73. Octobr. 20.
1708. Capt. Anthony Checkley, Scarf and
Gloves.
76. Febr. 11th. 170 8/9 Mrs. Hanah Glover, Scarf and Gloves.
69. April, 30. 1709. James Russel Esqr. Scarf and Gloves.
May, 6. Mrs. Abigail Russel his
widow. Scarf, Gloves.
64. May, 9. Major Thomas Brown, of
80. May, 26. Mrs. Sarah Pemberton, Scarf and
Gloves.
74. June, 8. Mrs. Ruth Wyllys, Scarf, Gloves.
55. July, 26. Mr. Thomas Banister, Scarf and Gloves.
61. January, 10 1709/10 Mr. John Hubbard; Scarf
and Gloves.
63. Mrs. Elizabeth Savage, April, 16, 1710,
Scarf and Gloves.
84. Madam -- Stoddard, July, 19, 1710. Scarf and Gloves.
72. Isaac Goose, Decr. 2. 1710. Scarf and
Gloves.
58. John Foster esqr, Febr. 15. Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escutcheon.
40. Mrs. Anne Allen, Febr. 28 1710/11, Scarf and Gloves.
68. Mrs. Abigail Foster; March, 8. 1710/11, Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escut.
57. Mrs. Sarah Banister, July, 3. 1711. Scarf and Ring, Gloves.
60. Mr. Elizur Holyoke, Augt. 14. 1711. Scarf and
Gloves.
72. Mrs. Mary Ardel, Octobr. 20. 1711. Scarf and
Gloves.
Mr. John Pole, Novr. 10. 1711. Scarf, Glove,
Escutcheon.
Mrs. Margaret Corwin Decr. 3. Scarvs and Gloves.
73. Mrs. M. -- Atkinson, Jany. 4. Scarvs and Gloves.
69. Jno
Walley Esqr., Jany. 17.
Scarf, Ring, Gloves, Escutcheon.
77. John Fayerwether, Capt. Scarf and Gloves.
Apr. 14. 1712.
Mrs. Elisa Whetcomb Augt 20. 1712. Scarf and
Gloves.
80. Mrs. Sarah More, Novr. 26. Scarf and Gloves.
70. Samuel Hayman esqr, Decr. 18. Scarf and Gloves.
70. Mrs. Elisa Hutchinson Feb. 7. 1712, 13. Scarf, Ring, Gloves,
Escut. Funl. Sermon.
76. Mrs. Elisa. Addington, March, 5th. Scarf, Ring, Gloves.
6- Mrs. Elisa. Stoddard Apr. 22. 1713. Scarf,
good Ring, Gloves,
Scutcheon.
6 - Mrs. Martha Patteshall Apr. 23. Scarf and Gloves. Old B.
place
Mr. Thomas Brattle May, 21.
Col. Hunt.
12* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
SEWALL'S COMMONPLACE BOOK.
[In our first volume, pp. 56, 57, note, we
called attention to pre-
sumed
extracts from Sewall's Diary for a period (1677-85) for which
we possessed
no original. So also, we learn, there is
a citation in
Palfrey's
History, III. p. 348, 349, about Mrs. Randolph, of this
date.
We are now able to show that all these
quotations are from Sew-
all's
Commonplace Book, a volume in the possession of this Society,
and we are
thus relieved from the fear that some portion of the Diary
might have
been lost of late years. We are yet
unable to trace the
following
quotation from Palfrey, III. 348. "May 2, [1681] Had
discourse
about putting the cross into colors.
Captain Hall opposed,
and said he
would not till the Major [
spoke with
the Major, it seems, that afternoon, and Mr. Mather was
with him,
who judged it not convenient to be done at this time. So
is put a
stop to it at present."
Again, "July 11, Captain Walley,
instead of having no cross at
all, as I
supposed, had it unveiled. . . . Captain Henchman's company
and Townsend
hindered Captain Walley's lodging their colors, stop-
ping them at
the bridge."
Still, we trust, these citations will
prove to be taken from some
almanac or
note-book or letter.]
[Sewall's Commonplace book contains
various extracts from books
arranged
under appropriate heads. Most of the
following are placed
under that
of "De Omene," and contain cross-references. A few
items,
however, occur separately, and we have endeavored to ar-
range them
chronologically.
The book contains the following note of
its beginning: "Samuel
Sewall, his
Booke, Decemb. 29, 1677. Bound by Jno.
Ratcliff."
On the cover is this memorandum: -- ]
March 1, 77-8. Mr. Tho. Walley, Pastour of Barnst. Chh. dyed.
Ap. 16, 1678. Mr. Noah Newman, Pastour of
Rehoboth Chh. dyed.
May 9.
Mr. Joseph Brown, Fellow of Harvard Colledge dyed.
11. An House, 2 Women and 2
Children burnt at
June 22.
Mr. Edm. Brown, Pastour of
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. l3*
Oct. 11.
Sam1 Simons, Esq. Dep. Gr. buried.
16. Mr. Tho. Thacher, Pastr. 3d. Chh.
Bost. dyed.
Nov. 24. Mr. Joseph Rowlandson, Preacher
at
Jany. 4. Mr. Danl.
Russell, Preacher at
23. Mr. Peter Hubbard, Pastour of
Hingham Chh buried.
Feb. 1. Mr. Ami-Ruhamah Corlett, Fellow of
Harv.
[Then we find a family record as follows:
-- ]
(P.87.)
John Sewall, the son of Samuel and Hallah S. was Born
Apr. 2,
1677.1
Was Baptized Ap. 8 in the South-Meeting-House by
the Reverend
Mr. Thomas Thacher. I held the child
when Bap-
tized. Dyed Sept. 11, 1678, and lyeth buried in the
New burying
place, on
the South side of the grave of his great Grandfather, Mr.
Robert Hull.
June 11, 1678. Samuel Sewall, second son of S. and Han. S.
was
Born. Baptized p. Mr. Thomas Thacher June 16. I held him up.
Feb. 3, 1679. Hanah Sewall was Born, just after a great
snow.
Baptized
Feb. 8 in the New-Meeting-House, p. Mr. Samuel Willard.
held her
up. Mr. Thacher dyed in the Autumn,
1678.
May, 21, 1680. I carry Sam. to Newbury, where his
Grandmother
nurses him
till May 81, to see if change of air would help him against
Convulsions;
which hope it did, for hath had none there, nor since
his coming
home.
1681.
Thursday, December 29th, Elisabeth, Daughter of Samll.
and Hanah
Sewall is Born. N. Two of the chief
Gentlewomen in
Town dyed
next Friday night, viz. Mrs. Mary Davis and Mrs. Eliza.
Sargent.
Sabbath-day, January 1, 1681. Elisabeth is Baptized p. Mr. Sam-
uel Willard,
I holding her up. Elisabeth Weeden was
Midwife to
my Wife
bringing forth the four mentioned children.
[We next extract a few notes which are not
in the consecutive
entries: --]
(P.8 ½ .) Mr. Nath. Higginson in a Letter
of 4 Mar. 1679-80
writes Dr.
Godwin dyed about a fortnight agoe.
1 "Mr. Thomas Parker dyes that
April." Marginal note. -- EDS.
14* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
(P.12.) De Autophonia. 1677, Nov. 16. Friday, day after pub-
lick
Thanksgiving, Jno. Tomlin Hanged himself in his Garret in
the
day time,
fastning his Rope to a pin that held the Rafters at the pot.
Nov.
18. Sabbathday one Williams, an old Man,
the Winisimet
Ferry man
cut his own Throat. Via Diar.
Nov. 7, 1680. A Negro Man and Woman murdered themselves.
A certain dweller in the Town of
In his bosom
was a Writing to this effect that God did show mercy
on great,
grievous and desperat Siners; and therefore he said that he
hoped of
mercy though he hanged himself.
(P. 12 ½.) 1678, Apr. 5th.
Mr. Josiah Allen, a young Merchant
of a very
good estate and Account, was slain on board of Benj. Gillam's
ship by the
accidental firing of a fowling piece, out of a Boat of Joss.
Gillam, as
they were going from the jolly Ship.
vid. Diar.
(P. 77 ½.)
Mr. Edmund Quinsey married Mrs. Eliza. Eliot before
Tho.
Danforth, Esq. Dec. 8, 1680.
Decr. 18,
1680. Josiah Winslow, Esq. Govr. of
after sore
Pain with the Gout and Griping. His
flesh was opened to
the bone
on's leggs before he dyed. Thorsday Xr.
23, buried.
Wednesday Xr. 22, '80. John Russell, the Anabaptist minister is
buried,
scarce having time to read his Print in favour of that Sect;
come over in
the last ships, Jener or Foy.
Friday, January 14, 1680-1. Benjamin Thwing, Carpenter, one
of the
South-Church, was goeing from Mount-Hope to Rhode-Island
in a Canoo
with an Indian, was overset by the wind and Ice, drowned.
The Indian
escaped.
Tuesday, Feb. 22. Eclips of the Moon. N. Mr. Samuel Wor-
ster, Deputy
for
he was
within ¼ Mile of the first Houses of Lin, dyed: Mr. Gidney
coming down
from
House where
were two Men that first saw him; so gave a Warrant
for a Jury
and his Burial.
Tuesday, March 8, 1680-1. Mr. Edward Mitchelson,
General is
Buried.
Sabbath-day, March 20, 1680-1. Tho.
Major William Hathorn dyes April --.
The Reverend Mr. Urian Oakes dyeth, July
24, 1681, Sabbath-
day night,
suddainly, as to most, who are startled at the newes, being
just before
the Comencement and he so Learned, Godly, Orthodox a
Man and so
Discerning of the Times.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 15*
[On p. 38 is an account of Mrs. Dyer's
monstrolls birth, Oct. 17,
1638,
"taken out of my Father Sewall's Copy." Also an account of
a similar
birth, Jany 10, 1679-80, to the wife of Samuel Dible, of
[We next transcribe that portion which
is continued through
several
pages, an seems to form a Diary for that period.]
(P. 60.)
Thorsday, June 21, 1677. Mr.
Torrey of Roxbury as he
was in the
Meetinghouse in Selmon-Time gave a Suddain and amaz-
ing Cry,
being taken with a Fit of the Falling Sickness.
It greatly
disturbed
the whole Assembly so that Mr. Allen was fain to cease
from
preaching or a while.
July 8, 1677. Sabbath-Day.
South-Meeting House, mane.
In
Sermon-Time
a female Quaker slipt in covered with a Canvas Frock,
having her
hair dishevelled and Loose, and powdered with Ashes re-
sembling a
flaxen or white Perriwigg, her face as black as Ink, being
led by two
Quakers and followed by two more. It
occasioned a
great and
very amazing Uproar.
June 3, 1680. Mr. Torrey hath another sore Fit in
Lectur-time,
old Mr.
Eliot Preaching.
July 8, two Indians Kill'd and severall
carlied away by the
hauks from
Spy-Pond at
Morn. In the afternoon a Whirlwind ariseth (at
first in a small
Body) near
Sam1 Stones.
Passeth on to Mat. Bridge (P.73).
Pass-
eth by Mat.
Bridges, (taking part of Stones Barn with it) Kills John
Robbins who
was at Hoe, breaking his Arm and jaw-bone.
It hurled
stones and
brake off and transported Trees in an unusual maner.
Vid. Xr.
16. Mis. Rllssell in Sermon-Time.
1680-1.
Jany. 25,1680-1. Tuesday. Thos. Eams drops down
dead in the
Morning at Mr. Pain's stable, as he and others saw Hay
thrown
before their Horses. He was come to
Court about Sherborn
Controversy
with respect to their Meeting House, its Situation.
Feb 1.
Schollars get sooner out of School than ordinary by rea-
son of the
House where
it begun.
Last night one Dyer of Braintrey shot an
Indian to death as he
was breaking
his window and attempting to get into his House
against his
will, Saying he would shoot him a Dogg, bec. would not
let him come
in to light his Pipe. Man was abed. Indian's gun
found
charg'd, cockt and prim'd in his Hand.
Tuesday night Febr. 1. Pet. Codnar an honest Fisherman goeing
to come over
the Draw-Bridge, (as is suposed), missed it and was
16* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Drowned: For Feb. 2, his dark Lantern was taken up out
of the
Crick by the
wharf at Low-water. He is suposed to
have fallen in
about 7. the
Tuesday night. Hath left a wife and
Children.
Feb. 3.
Lectr. Newes is brought of Mr.
Deans son Robinson,
his Killing
a Lion with his Axe at
a young man
at New-Cambridge was Kill'd by a Tree himself Felled.
Thorsday
Feb. 10. See Mr. Eliot's Sermon.
Tuesday Feb. 22. Ecclips of the Moon. Mr. Samuel Worster,
Deputy for
Rode about
¼ Mile short of the House at the end of
the Town next
dead at
Pigeon-Iland near Shelter Iland: 't is
feared it may be Jer-
emiah
Vid. p. 79. Sylvanus Davis went out on Saturday to carry
Corn
and other
necessaryes to the Fort at Casco, is driven on the Sand,
essaying to
put in again in the Sabbath day storm.
So the Corn
lost and
Souldiers disapointed. Men saved.
(P.78 ½.)
Thorsday, Feb. 24, 1680-1. This
morn, the Wife of Mr.
Elias Row is
found dead in her bed; much blood about her, so some
think she
was choak'd with it. A Jury was
impanelled and 6 grave
matrons and
a Chirurg[eon], to view the Corps to see if any Violence
had been
offered her: found none; she and her
Husband seldom lay
together;
she was given to Drink and quarrelling.
Her death puts
in mind of
the Proverb wherein we say such an one hath drunk more
than he hath
bled to-day.
Friday Feb. 18. Mr. Saml Legg
cast away, was bound for Barba-
dos.
Monday March 14. Mr. Noah Floid tells that 3 men essaying to
goe from
Mount-Hope to
about 3
weeks agoe.
Sabbath-day, March 20, 1680-1. Thomas Woodbridge is so burnt
in his own
Fire, that he Dyeth of the insupportable Torment in about
12 Houres
time. Newbury.
Not long agoe an Irish woman living by my
Father Hull's Pas-
ture, was
found dead, without dore, having her forehead on her
hands, as
she lay on the ground. Great Rumours and
Fears of
trouble with
the Indians. Persons to Carry a
competent number of
Arms to
Meeting.
N.
At Conecticot the Noise of a Drumme in the air, Vollies of
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 17*
Shot, Report
of Cannons have been Heard by divers; as pr. Letters
rec'd this
week. Ap. 1. '81.
Mr. Philip Nelson of Rowley wanders away
and is lost from Ap. 5,
to Satterday
Ap. 9. Rowley and Newbury seeking him;
on Satter-
day is
found, having walked out of his place to take the air; it was
between two
Rocks on Crane-Neck. See Bro.
Longfellow's Letter.
Goodwife Everit, Winthrop, and Capt.
Richard Woode dye
suddainly, vid. Diar. P. 102.
Sabbath-day, May the first, 1681. Mr. Angier of Cambridg, his
Tenant dyes
very suddainly and unexpectedly, having been at meet-
ing and
riding home with his Neighbour, Agur &c.
Look in and
smil'd on
his wife through the Window, but sunk down before he
got in at
the doore, and his wife hearing a noise came out; but her
Husband
scarce spoke ten words before he utterly ceased to speak.
The Newes of
it came to us yesterday as we were at Diner.
About
3 weeks agoe
a little Boy of Braintrey playing with a bean,
[P. 84]
in 's mouth,
got it into his wind-Pipe, of which in six or seven dayes he dyed.
Monday, May 2. Mr. Richard Hubbard of Ipswich Farms, dyeth
suddainly in
the afternoon, goeing to ly on's Bed after diner was
there found
dead by his daughter accidentally goeing in thether. teste
Guil.
Gerrish, senr. (p. me?)
Satterday, May 7th, there was a Hurrican
at Newbury, which
blew down
Rich.
at the uper
end of
Sabbath-day-night, July 24, 1681. The Reverend. Mr. Urian
Oakes,
President of the College, and Pastour of
Died; scarce
any Knowing of his Sickness till his Death was sadly
told up and
down the street, Monday July 25. vid.
Diar. p. 109.
Thorsday, Xr. 1, 1681. The well-accomplish'd mercht. and Ac-
comptant,
Mr. Paul Dudley dyed, being little above 30 yeers old.
Xr. 13, '81. Jonathan Jackson's wife hangs herself in the
lower
room of her
dwelling House near my Father's ware-House.
Xr. 17.
Foye arrives, in whom Mr. Randolph and his new wife
and family.
Xr. 25.
They sit in Mr. Joyliff's Pue; and Mrs. Randolph is ob-
served to
make a curtesy at Mr. Willard s naming Jesus, even m
Prayer
time. Since dwells in Hez. Usher's
House, where Ministers
used to
meet.
Satterday, Feb. 11. Is a bloody-colour'd Eclips of the Moon, onely
middle of
the uper part of a duskish dark.
Feb. 15.
Tuesday, 14, past midnight, or Wednesday morn; --
of the Day
the General Court was to sit upon adjournment,-- Major
18* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Tho. Savage
dyeth suddenly, very suddenly, having been well at the
Wedding on
Tuesday, and sup'd well at home afterward, and slept
well till
midnight or past.
Feb. 15, Wednesday. 2 Houses and Barns burnt at
Dept. Govr. hardly escaped. Sometime in the Court's sitting, there is
a child born
near the north Meeting-House, which hath no Tongue at
all; or the
Tongue grown fast to the roof of the Mouth; one finger
too much on
one Hand, and one too little on the other:
And the
Heels right
opposite one to another, the (P. 88 ½) Toes standing to
the Right
and left outward.
Mar. 24, '81-2. Goodw.
Fox dyes suddenly. The Town was
sadly
alarm'd the Tuesday night before at the Fire at Mr. Wing's,
which, had
the Wind promoted, a great part of the Town had been
consumed, it
being near or in the Center.
Thorsday, Novemb. 9, 1682. Cous. Dan1.
Quinsey Marries Mrs.
Anne Shepard
Before John Hull, esq. Sam1 Nowell, esq. and many
Persons
present, almost Capt. Brattle's great Hall full; Capt. B and
Mrs. Brattle
there for two. Mr. Willard begun with
Prayer. Mr.
Tho. Shepard
concluded; as he was Praying, Cous. Savage, Mother
Cake and
drunk Wine and Beer plentifully, we were called into the
Hall again
to Sing. In Singing Time Mrs. Brattle
goes out being
ill; Most of the Compa. goe away, thinking it a qualm or some Fit;
But she
grows worse, speaks not a word, and so dyes away in her
chair, I
holding her feet (for she had slipt down).
At length out of
the Kitching
we carry the chair and Her in it, into the Wedding
Hall; and
after a while lay the Corps of the dead Aunt in the Bride-
Bed: So that
now the strangeness and horror of the thing filled the
(just now)
joyous House with Ejulation: The
Bridegroom and Bride
lye at Mr.
Airs, son in law to the deceased, going away like Persons
put to
flight in Battel.
Satterday night, Novr. 11. Twelve Jurors come
before my Father,
to give Oath
as to the Cause and Manner of one Johnson, a Turnour,
his imature
death; which was by letting a Barrel of Cider into a
Trap-dore
Cellar;1 the Board he stood on gave way, he fell
in, and
the end of
the Barrel upon his Jaw and Kill'd him outright. Jury
came to
swear about eight a clock.
One Blood of Concord about 7 days since or
less was found dead
in the
woods, leaning his
ing some
Creatures. Oh! what strange work is the
Lord about to
bring to
Pass.
1 "Just by Cous. Quinsey's."
Marginal note. -- EDS.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 21*
The Wednesday fortnight before Mrs.
Brattles Death, Mr. Wid-
ener of
after
Lecture to open it, as he was hanging up a net of Cotton-wor.
fell down
dead over his Threshold: which made a great Hubbub.
Novr. 12,
at night or even, Capt. Benj. Gillam's Mate is drowned
off the
outward wharf.
Friday, Novr. 17. one Smith is drowned,
coming up from Mr.
Edwards,
sailing for Lond[on]. Not many weeks
before, a Man fell
into the
Dock, up by my Father's Ware-House, and was drowned:
and Josiah
Belcher, Senr was drowned at
Sabbath-day, Novr. 19. Mr. Edw. Winslow,
Ship Mr., dyed sud-
denly: He took Physick the Friday before and John
Alcock dis-
cours'd with
him, he seeming to him no iller than Men ordinarily are when
taking
Physick. A Woman dyed suddenly at the
North end of the Town.
Tuesday, Novr. 28, '82. One Horton
coming from
the Land
this day, and stands in; but the Rain and Snow take him
so that in
the night drives him over Rocks and Sholes, cast Anchor;
but all
Cables break. So about 3 a clock at
night, that violent Storm
strands the
Ship on
Pulling
Point Gut; the Ship about 100 Tun.
Persons on Board 13,
3 whereof
drowned; 4 perished in the Cold, not being able to grope
out the way
to Mr. Winthrops: and 6 onely escaped: 3
of the above
if not all
four, lay frozen like sticks, in a heap.
One of the six was
of so frozen
that will hardly escape. Very little
goods saved. About
200 £ in P
8/8 lost.
Febr.
9. 1682-3. A considerable deal of
Snow being on the
Ground,
there falls such plenty of warm Rain as that the Waters
swell so as
to do much damage. Ipswich Dam and
Blidge is carried
away by the
Flood and Ice violently coming down; so that they
now go over
in a Boat, Horse, and Men. Rowly Mill
Dam also
spoyled, and
generally much harm done in (P. 90) Dams and Bridges;
so that 'tis
judged many Thousands will scarce repair the Loss.
persons on
it; so that a woman was near drowning.
Satterday; March 22, 1683-4, there was an extraordinary
high
Tide, which
did much hurt at
Houses and
Ware-Houses that stood low. All that I
hear of at
bridge,
Charl. and here, say 'tis higher than ever any was known before.
Wednesday, Octr. 29, a Maid's Brains shot out, her head broke all
to pieces,
at
Friday Novr. 28, 1684. Wm.
Allen, a Plumer, receives a blow by
a piece that
was used for a Scaffold falling on's head, of which he
18* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
Tho at
night.
Winary at
and
dies. About that time Jn° Poor of
Newbury perrisheth
in the Snow,
near the Fresh-Meadows, about a Mile from my Father's
Farm.
(P.90 ½) Wednesday, Novr. 15, 1682. Mr. Sherman
Ordains Mr.
Nath. Gookin
Pastor of Cambridge-Church: Mr. Eliot gives the
Right hand
of Fellowship, first reading the Scripture that warrants
it. Mr. Sherman, Eliot and Mather laid on
Hands. Then Mr.
Gookin
ordain'd Deacon Stone and Mr. Clark Ruling Elders. The
Presence of
God seem'd to be with his People. Mr.
Jonathan Dan-
forth, the
Dept. Governours onely Son, lay by the Wall,
having de-
parted on
Monday Morn, of a Consumption. Tis a
comfortable day
and much
People at the. Ordination. I go and come on foot in
Compa. of Mr. Zadori, the Hungarian, whom I find to be an Armi-
nian.
(p.92.)
Wednesday, Apr. 25, 1688. I went
to Govr. Bradstreet,
to enquire
about the Custom of Swearing in
me That of
lifting up the Hand had been the Ceremony from the
begining;
that He and some others did so swear on board the Ship,
1630. And that He never Knew an Oath administred
any other way
after he
came on Shoar.
Sir, it is all one to touch a Book and
swear by a Book. Fox.
Martyrol. Henry the 4th, p. 702 and 701. &c &c &c. [Various au-
thorities
are cited, the passage above being among other citations
under the
head of "De Juramento."]
(P.108 ½.)
Mr. Joshua Gee, sometime Captive in Algeer, tells me
June 11,
1694, that the Turks observe an Hebdomadal Revolution as
we do; Our
first day of the week is their first day of the week; And
they call
the days by their Order in the Week; One, Two &c. If
they have
any notable piece of work to doe, they chuse to begin it
upon the
first day of the Week, bec. God began his Works on that
day.
[There is also a full account of the trial
of Rev. Thomas Chiever,
Jr., of
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 21*
(P 132 of orig.) At
A Council of the, 3 Chhs. of Chrt. in
Mr. James
Allin, Joshua Moody, John Wiswall, Mr. Elisha Cook, Mr.
Isaac
Addington, Mr. Henry Allin, Mr. Increase Mather, Mr. Cotton
Mather,
Major John Richards, Mr. Adam Winthrop, Mr. Daniel Stone,
of Father
Green; Mr. Allin went to Prayer, when discoursed whether should
have 2
Moderators or one; Mr. Allin put it to vote, and carried for one,
being but a
small Company. Then voted for a
Moderator by Papers.
Mr. Increase
Mather was chosen, had more than ten votes and but 15
Persons ill
all. Discoursed of our work, then went
into the Publick.
Mr.
Moderator prayed. When had heard some Debates there, went to our
Quarters,
had the witnesses and Mr. Tho. Chiever face to face. Mr. Chiever,
the Father,
desired to be present, was admitted and bid wellcom, except
when Council
debated in private all alone (Mr. Sam. Parris present
through-out,
though not of the Council).
In the evening Mr. Chiever the Pastor was
sent for, Mr. Moodey
and others
acquainted him how grievous his carriage had been and
that day not
so humble and in such a frame as ought; told him ex-
pected not
an Answer, but that should sleep on't.
Debated consider-
ably what to
do till about 10 at night Mr. Moderator pray'd, went to
Bed. Mr. Moderator and his son to Mr.
Wigglesworth's, some to
Mr. Chiever,
Major Richards and self Kept the House.
In the
Morn,
Thorsday, Ap. 8, Mr. Moderator went to prayer: read over
what was
drawn up, then discours'd about it. Sent
for Mr. Chiever,
to see what
had to say; then not finding satisfaction, all agreed on
the
following Declaration and Advice.
The Elders and Messingers assembled in
Council at Maldon,
April 7,
1686, at the Request of the Church there, after humble Invo-
cation of
the Name of God for his Guidance in the solemn Case
propos'd
unto them, do declare and advise as follows.
1.
We find that Mr. Tho. Chiever, the present Pastor of the
Church in
Maldon, has been accused as Guilty of great Scandals, by
more than 2
or 3 witnesses; and that since his being in Office-Rela-
tion
Particularly, he is by two or three Witnesses charged with
speaking
such words as are scandalous breaches of the Third Comand-
ment, as
apears by the Testimony of Mrs. Eliza.
Wade and Abigail
Russell. He is moreover accused with Shamefull and
abominable,
Violations
of the Seventh Comandment. There are
several who have
testifyed
that they heard him use light and obscene expressions (not
fit to be
named) in an Ordinary at
Samuel
Sprague, Jacob Parker, Isaac Hill; Also as he was travailing
22* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
on the Rode,
as p. the Testimony of Thomas, Esther and Eliza. Newhall.
2.
We find that although Mr. Chiever has been convicted of very
scandalous
Evils since his being a Preacher in Maldon, the Church
there has
declin'd all Testimonies against him as to Scandals comitted
before his
Ordination; as also some other Testimonies respecting
matters very
criminal since that; because they judged the Witnesses
on account
of Prejudices and otherwise, incompetent; upon which
Consideration
we have also waved these Testimonies.
3. We find that in Augt. 9, 1685, Mr. Chiever made an Acknowl-
edgement of
some Evils to the Brethren of that Church, whereto he
stands
related; and that the most part of them were willing to take
up with a
slender satisfaction: But that on the next Lord's-day, he
manifested
before the Congregation so little sense and sorrow for his
great sins,
as that the generality of the Brethren were more dissatis-
fied than
formerly.
We find by our own enquiries since we met
together, that Mr.
Chiever has absolutely deny'd some things,
which are by sufficient Wit-
nesses
prov'd against him. Mr. Chiever's filthy
words testifyed by
Tho.,
Esther, and Elizabeth Newhal, he utterly deny'd to Lt Saml
Sprague,
also to Cornet Green and his son, saying that Thomas
Newhal was
forsworn. Likewise he did to Capt.
Sprague and Tho.
Skiner
utterly deny that ever he spake the words at
prov'd
against him.
Also we find, that as to some particulars
he pretends he does
not remember
them: Nor have we seen that humble penitential frame
in him when
before us, that would have become him: but have cause
to fear that
he has been too much accustomed to an evil course of
Levity and
Profaneness.
These things considered, we conceive it to
be Duty and accord-
ingly advise
the
from the
Exercise of his ministerial Function; and also to debar him
from
partaking with them at the Lord's Table, for the space of Six
Weeks untill
which time the Council will adjourn themselves, to
meet at
fest that
Repentance which the Rule requires, they should confirm
their Love
to him, and (if possible) improve him again in the Lord's
Work among
them.
And this, our Advice, is grounded on
these Scriptures and Reasons.
(1). Among the Lord's People in the dayes of the
O. Testament, no
man might be
permitted to execute the Priest's office that had a
blemish: He might not come nigh to offer the offerings
of the Lord.
Levit. 21,
17, 21, which teaches that Men under moral blemishes, are
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 23*
unfit for
holy ministrations, untill they be, in a way of Repentance,
healed. (2) It is in the New Testament required, that
an Elder
should be
sober and of good behaviour, and moreover he must have
a good
Report of them that are without, 1 Tim. 3, 2, 7. (3) Christ's Dis-
cipline
ought to be exercised impartially, without respect to Persons.
1 Tim. 5,
21. Nor does Mr. Chiever's standing in a
Sacred Office-
Relation any
way lessen, but greatly aggravate his sin.
(4) There is
no
probability that Mr. Chiever's Ministry will be blessed for good
to Souls,
untill such time as his Conversation shall declare him to be
a true
penitent. Mat. 5, 13.
Finally, we exhort and advise our beloved
Brethren of the Church
of Maldon to
set a day apart, solemnly to humble themselves by
Fasting and
Prayer before the Lord under this awfull dispensation,
and for
whatever failings have attended them, as to the management
of their
Differences, in this hour of Temptation which they have
been subject
unto. Particularly, for not observing
the Rules of
Christ, in
endeavouring to prevent Evils by giving seasonable notice
to Mr.
Chiever of their Dissatisfactions. And
for that want of Love,
and for that
bitterness of Spirit, which appears in sundry of them.
So we pray
the God of Love and Peace and Truth to dwell among
you.
INCREASE
MATHER, Moderator,
In the Name, and with the unanimous
Consent of the whole Council.
Note.
Mr. Clriever was ordained July 27,1681, Wednesday, Mr.
Oakes dying
the Sabbath before.
Thorsday, Ap. 8. the
erator
pray'd, read the Council's Report. Mr.
Wigglesworth spake,
thank'd him
and the Council; said had cause to condemn themselves,
as for other
sins, so their sudden laying Hands on Mr. Chiever; and
now God was
whiping them with a Rod of their own making.
Mr.
Chiever the
Father, stood up and pathetically desir'd his son might
speak, but
Mr. Moderator and others judg'd it not convenient, he not
having by
what he said given the Council encouragement.
Mr. Allin
pray'd; went
to Diner; Council adjourned to that day 6 weeks.
Came Home well.
24* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
ZADORI'S LETTER.
[In Vol. T. p. 97, of Sewall's Diary,
mention is made of Zadori." The
reference
was obscure, and no light upon it presented itself to us the
sheets
passed through the press. We have since
received from abroad the
following
letter, which, however, does but little to clear the obscurity attach-
ing to a
scholar of that name who, it seems, made a visit to
text of the
manuscript copied for us seems in some places to be doubtful,
and other difficulties
stand in the way of a confident translation.
We offer
such an one
as may serve the occasion. -- EDS.]
Bodl:
MS. Tanner xxxv. f. 105.
Letter
addressed: --
"To the most Reverend Father in God William, by the grace of
blessed
Jesus Lord Arch-Bishop of
Vir fidelis & Dei timens, Christique
amantissime, Salve!
Non omnes
quos tenus fert mortales despicato terrrae pulveri ad-
haerescunt,
Amplissime Praesul, sed numerosa eorum portio, relictis
rusticanae
turbae flagellis, opificumque instrumentis, altioribus animum
applicat,
potiorisque sui partis, animae puta, perfectionem indefesse
quaeritat. Ingenerasse scilicet Natura hominibus quosdam
Videtur
igniculos,
qui desiderium sciendi stimulorum instar magnopere exci-
tant. Unde fieri consuevit, ut rerum altiorum
avidius cupidi mortales,
nulla
scientia satiari valeant, verum quanto propius in cognitione
rerum, cum
Divinarum, turn humanarum perfectioni accessit animus,
tanto majus
desiderium sciendi capiat incrementum.
Quod maxime
laudabile
esse, non possumus non asserere, cum sui parare perfectio-
nem sit
longe laudatissimum. Puto hinc me facile
impetraturum a
beata Tua
Reverentia excusationem, quod per duos plane annos inter
Vos,
mansuetioribus musis feci rem. Quis enim
adeo excoecatus, qui
tam
religiosissimum Orbis Christiani sidus, & perenne literarum decus,
immensamque
Patriae & saeculi spem, facile relinquat?
Si praesertim
loquar de
memetipso, Proh Deum immortalem! quanta nos Hunga-
ros, in hac
decrepita mundi senecta, ruina literarum operit, quam
1 William Sanicroft was at this time Archbishop of Canterbury.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 25*
turpe &
securum militiae nostrae ocium irrupit.
Videre sic cis puto
nemo posset
oculis. Ubi non nisi Mars gaudet
prreliis, & nos inter
tot tantaque
funesta bella pendemus potius quam sedemus.
Ducimur,
&
portamur per vastam eremum. Rapimur,
dispergimur, in diversa
trahimur:
ita ut nee coeptum opus deserere, nee supra vires ferre
valeamus. Et ipse cum anno hoc ipso Patriam versus iter
facere
meditarer,
intempestive nimis impedivit Hungarim recens conditio,
ut contraria
via coactus sum [?] ire, quasi e tergo Hungariam intueri
plurimum
delectarer. Ego igitur, mi Pater Reverendissime
(quod
solum
possum) Deum Optimum, Maximum, qui Te mihi providit,
obnixe
deprecor, ut quando Tibi talem debitorem dedit, qui nunquam
solvenda sit
futurus, beneficentiam istam quam mihi 29 die Maji, anni
1682, tam
effusus impendebas, ipse Tibi dignetur pro sua benignitate
rependere,
turn ut nos ab hoc aerumnoso & procelloso saeculo in suam
requiem, pro
sua miseratione perducat, ubi non erit opus epistolis,
ubi non
distinebit nos paries, ubi non arcebit a colloquio janitor, sed
gaudio
perfruemur aeterno. Nunc pro tempore
apud Novos-Anglos
in
haec est non
modo pietati addicta, & christiana charitate imbuta,
verum &
Regiae Majestati addictissima.
quibus apud
hos hospitor peregrinus, nil tale quid audivi sicut in
Scotia &
Anglia a quibusdam sceleratissimis, contra Sacrae Regiae
Majestatis
Thronum, blasphemia verba ex impuris palatis eructanti-
bus. Teror corde vehementer quod nil sit in me,
vel penes me, quo
tantam
beneficentiam Sanctae Tuae Reverentiae pensare possem, qui
sum eroque
ad finem usque hujus vitae Tuae dominationi addictissimus
ac fidelis
servus. Is igitur qui Dominationi Vestrm
talem debitorem
dedit, qui
nunquam solvendo sit futurus, Te donis suis locupletet, &
in multos
annos Ecclesiae suae conservet, Serenissimam Sacrae Regiae
Majestatem,
Nobilissimos Proceres, adeoque Omnes Potentissimi
Regni vestri
Ordines protegat, & omni benedictionum genere quam
pinguissime
cumulet; ad verae pietatis & Regni Christi propagatio-
nem aevo
largissimo tueatur. Et tandem post seros
vitae laudabiliter
exactae
annos, ad nunquam intermoritura & desitura caelestis vitae
gaudia,
solenni Angelorum comitatu introducat.
Ubi cum Deo Patre
ingenito [?]
& uniprocedente Paracleto, gaudio perfruemini aeterno.
Ita animitus precatur clam qui haec palam
Vobis peroptat.
Salutis Vestrae avidissimus Stephanus
Zadori Pannonio-Hungarus de S. P.
Scribebam hospes & peregrinus celeri
cursu defessa manu ad lucer-
nam jamjam
lectulo imminens Bostonii Novi-Anglorum, anno vitae
meae 29.
anno vero beatissimi beatae Mariae Virgin is Filii Jesu 1682.
10. 8bris.
26* MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
TRANSLATION.
Faithful and God-fearing man, most loving
of Christ, Health!
Most Illustrious Primate, -- Not all the
mortal men whom the world
sustains
cling to the mean dust of the earth, but a considerable portion
of them,
turning from the vexations of the rustic crowd and from the
tools or the
workshops, devote their minds to higher objects, and
unweariedly
strive for the perfection of their nobler part, namely,
the
soul. For Nature seems to have generated
in men certain sparks
which
intensely rouse as with a goad the craving for knowledge.
Whence it is
wont to happen that men, keenly craving higher things,
can find
satisfaction in no attainment, but the nearer the mind ap-
proaches
towards perfection in the knowledge alike of divine and
human
things, the more does a desire for such knowledge take
increase. We cannot refrain from asserting that this is
greatly
praiseworthy,
inasmuch as it is superlatively laudable to be perfect-
ing one's
self. So I think I may readily claim
from your Blessed
Reverence an
excuse for having for two full years devoted myself
among you to
the more gentle muses. For who would be
so blind
as
slightingly to desert the most devout star of the Christian Sphere,
the
perennial glory of letters, and the loftiest hope or his country
and his
age? If especially I may speak of
myself, By the Immortal
God! what a wreck of literature is visited upon us
Hungarians in
this
decrepit old age of the world, how has a base and confident
ease broken
in upon our military vigor. I think no
one can see this
with dry
eyes, when only Mars revels in battles, and we, amidst so
many and
such direful wars, hang in suspense rather than rest. We
are dragged
and borne over a vast desert. We are
caught up, dis-
persed and
scattered, so that we can neither abandon a work under-
taken, nor
bear it on beyond our strength [?]. And
when I myself
was this
very year contemplating a journey to my country, the recent
condition of
pelled to go
in a contrary direction, as if it were my highest pleasure
to behold
(it is all
that I can do,) earnestly beseech the Great and Good God,
who has
provided you for me, that, since he has given to you such
a debtor as
can never pay his debt, he in his benignity will vouch-
safe to
repay to you that beneficence which you so lavishly bestowed
upon me on
the 29th of May, 1682, and then that in his own mercy
he may guide
us out of this oppressed and stormy era to his own
repose,
where there will be no need of letters, where no wall will sepa-
rate us,
where no janitor will restrain our intercourse, but we shall
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. 27*
enjoy
delights forever. Now for a season I am
living as a guest
with the
New-Englanders in
do with me
here. Verily this is a people, not only
devoted to piety
and imbued
with Christian charity, but most loyal also to the Royal
Majesty. For during this whole time, in which [?]1 I, a stranger,
have been
their guest, I have heard nought such as I had heard in
impure lips
blasphemous words against the throne of the Sacred
Royal
Majesty. I am greatly grieved at heart,
that there is noth-
ing in me,
or in my power, by which I can repay such kindness of
your Sacred
Reverence, -- I, who am, and will be even to the end of
this life, a
most devoted and faithful subject of your Lordship. May
He,
therefore, who has made me such a debtor to your Lordship as
can never
pay his debt, enrich you with his gifts, and preserve you
for many
years to his Church; may He also protect the most Serene
Majesty of
his Sacred Royalty, the most noble Lords, and all orders
of your most
potent kingdom, and heap upon them most richly every
kind of
blessing; may he watch over them for the propagation of
true piety
and of the
And at
length, after the late years of a nobly-spent life, may he
bring you to
the never-dying and endless joys of the celestial state
in the holy
fellowship of the Angels, where, with the uncreated God
the Father,
and the one-proceeding [?] Paraclete, you shall find the
fruition of
eternal bliss. So, heartily in secret
prays he who openly
craves for
you such things, Stephen Zadori, of Pannonian Hungary,
de S. P. --
most desirous of your welfare.
As a guest and a stranger, I write with a
running pen, with a
wearied
hand, by lamplight, just before going to bed [?], at
New-England,
in the 29th year of my life and in the year of the most
Blessed
Jesus, son of the Blessed Mary, 1682, October 10th.
1 This conjectural rendering of an
ungrammatical text reads quo for
quibus.
Another conjectural version would be, "Among those with whom
I have been
a stranger-guest."
INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
THE three following pamphlets have been
reprinted, because they
deal with a
controversy in which Sewall was deeply interested and
in which he
took a part, and also because of their great rarity. For
a copy of
the first, we are indebted to Colonel Joseph L. Chester, of
Museum; for
the second and third, we are indebted to the courtesy
of the John
Carter Brown Library and the
respectively.
It will be noticed that the first is a
violent attack on Governor
Dudley; the
second, an able defence of him; and the third, a re-
newed
attack.
They are entitled, respectively, "A
Memorial of the Present De-
plorable
State of
"The
Deplorable State of
In view of the charge made in the preface
to the "Modest En-
quiry,"
it may be safely assumed that the first tract was not published
in
in
date of Nov.
1, 1707 (post, ii. 197), "after coming from Council, I
read the
Book printed against the Governour in
seen it
before." So again under date of
Nov. 21, 1707 (post, ii.
200). "Some" (of the Council) "began
to be hot to send for the
Book wherein
the Affidavits are, and Mr. M.'s letter; and to burn it:
others were
for deliberation."
Of the merits of the controversy we say
nothing; a few points of
interest may
be indicated. Thus it is evident that
Rev. Cotton
Mather was
the inciter, and perhaps the compiler, of the first pam-
phlet. The R. A. whose letter is on p. 42*, is
possibly R. Armstrong,
as that name
best agrees with the "Mr. Ar--nge" on p. 81*.
It seems evident that many thought that
Cotton Mather had been
guilty of
duplicity; but at all events the mask was now dropped.
erett"
(as President) "was insupportably grievous to Increase Mather,
30* INTRODUCTORY NOTE.
and his
son. They had anticipated that the
choice would have fallen
upon one or
the other of them. Between them there
was no rivalry.
For the
disappointment of both, they were not prepared.
Their in-
dignation
was excited against Dudley, who, as they thought, had
buoyed up
their hopes until he had arranged measures and agents to
insure their
defeat."
In view of these pamphlets, we may
perhaps conclude that the
dissimulation
was the other way. It looks rather as if
Cotton
Mather,
aspiring to the presidency of the college, had pretended
friendship
to Governor Dudley; and, concluding that the election
would be
settled in 1707, he gave vent to his malice by sending to
At all events, the reception of copies of
it in
terminated
all hopes of further friendship between the Mathers and
ness of
soul. (See Collections, first series,
Vol. III. pp. 126-138.)
The "Modest Enquiry" was the
immediate retort; and the anec-
dote
concerning Cotton Mather, printed on p. 81*, must have been a
bitter pill
to his admirers.
The preface to the third tract is signed
A. H.; possibly, as Palfrey
suggests,
the Alexander Holmes whose name is appended to the
petition on
the last page. He does not seem to have
been a resi-
dent here,
and was perhaps one of the persons "trading thither."
The most
noticeable item therein is Samuel Sewall's protest (on
p. 111*)
against the statement that the Council has passed a vote
unanimously. He dwells upon it in his Journal (post,
ii. 202).
It is Palfrey's opinion (Hist., IV. 310,
note) that Mather was "con-
cerned in
the composition" of this third pamphlet; and, as Sewall
quarrelled
with him some years before (see Journal, post, ii. 45-46),
this may
account for the slurs on p. 124*.
"Nevertheless, we doubt
not but in
the large
an Hundred
Men as fit to be Counsellors, as S. S. or J. C. or P. T."
These names
we interpret to be, Samuel Sewall, Jonathan Corwin,
John Cushing
or Joseph Church, and Penn Townsend.
We
trust our readers will find in these pamphlets a sufficiently
lively
picture of the questions which agitated the colony at that date
to warrant
the space which we have given to them.
EDS.
A
M E M O R I A L
Of the Present Deplorable State of
New-England.
A
M E M O R I A L
Of the
Present Deplorable STATE of
New-
With the
many Disadvantages it lyes under,
by
the Male-Administration of their
Present G 0 V E R N 0 U R,
Joseph Dudley,
Esq.
And his Son P A U L, &c.
TOGETHER WITH
The several Affidavits
of People of Worth,
Relating to several of the said Governour's
Mer-
cenary and Illegal Proceedings, but
particularly his
private Treacherous Correspondence with Her
Ma-
jesty's Enemies the French and Indians.
To which is
Added, A Faithful, but Melancholy Account
of several Barbarities lately Committed
upon Her Majesty's Sub-
jets, by the said French and Indians,
in the East and West Parts
of NEW-ENGLAND.
Faithfully
Digested from the several Original Letters, Pa-
per, and M S S. by Philopolites.
Printed in
the Year, MDCCVII. and Sold by S. Phillips
N. Buttolph, and B. Elliot. Booksellers in
[1]
A
M E M O R I A L
Of the Present Deplorable S TAT E of
New-England.
THE
Inhabitants of New-England had for many years
before the
Late Happy Revolution, Enjoy'd the Lib-
erty and
Property of as Free and Easy a Charter as a
People could
Desire; and this too, with as much
Satisfaction
and Loyalty on their part, as Malice and Envy
on that of their
Enemies; who, from a Persecuting Spirit, looking
upon this
their Charter with an evil Eye, took up an Implacable
Resolution
of Robbing them of it. They had no
sooner Effected
this, but a
vast Scene of Misery appear'd; and they found
among the
principal Instruments of this Mischief, One,* whom
their own
Womb had brought forth, and whose Breasts had
Nourished! But the Unhappy (or
rather Happy) Reign of the
Late K. J.
running Precipitantly upon its own Ruin, made well
for the
deliverance of New-England; without which doubtless
the People
had fell a sacrifice to French and Popish Slavery.
[ 2] We shall not Recriminate here the
Mismanagements of
the then
Governour Sir Edmund Andross, since that Gentleman
is now in a
Necessary to
say some Matters of Fact, of the present Governour
Dudley, who,
(under the said Sir E. Andross) acted as President
of the
Council, and One of the Quorum in all his Affairs.
* The present Governour, J. Dudley, Esq.
is a Native of New England,
Born at or
near a place call'd Roxbury, 2 Miles from
36* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
The Behaviour of this Man, as soon as he
arrived, struck in
with the
first
est. Indeed, the People were something Surpris'd
to see the
publick
Offices and Places of Trust snatch'd from them, and
Conferr'd on
Strangers on one hand, and the Avarice and Beg-
on
t'other. But, when the President was
pleased, out of an
Active and
Passive Principle, to tell our Countreymen, in open
Council, That
the People in New-England were all Slaves; and
that the
only Difference between Them and Slaves, was their not
being Bought
and Sold: And that they must not think thePrivi-
leges of Englishmen would follow them to the
end of the World.
I say, when
the People heard this, they lookt upon themselves
in a manner
Lost. On one Hand they saw their Enemies
invested
with a full Power in the Government; on t'other they
saw
themselves not only turn'd out of the Publick Ministry,
but under a
Necessitous Fear of being Quiet, left their Estates
should be
Siezed, and themselves Imprisoned. On
this side they
saw their
Wives and Children, their Fathers, Mothers, &c.
Butchered
daily by a Handful of Barbarous Indians; on t'other
side, little
or no Resistance made by their Armies, which were
Commanded by
those of the Romish Religion; insomuch that it
seem'd
rather an intended Massacre, than a Desire of putting an
End to a
Diabolick and Bloody War. They saw then,
that they
had to their
Cost, brought forth a Prophet, who told them they
were Slaves;
and they then saw his Prophecy fulfilling: In fine,
they saw all
this, but perceiv'd no way to escape; till throw-
ing up their
Cryes to Heaven, they were animated by Divine
Power, to
Rescue themselves and Children from the approaching
Ruin.
[3] Under the Pressure of all these
Grievances, they Unani-
mously
arose, upon the coming in of the late King William, of
Blessed
Memory, Siezed the Government for HIS Majesty's Use;
and, amongst
the rest of the Authors of their Miseries, not un-
justly
Imprison'd this their present Governour.
From that time New-England took Heart,
and concluded
that Heaven
was removing from them all the Plagues in their
Land. They indeed Thankfully Rejoiced to see
themselves Re-
stored to
their Ancient Liberty, as afterwards in a great Measure
they were by
another Ministry.
And thus much for the former Actions of the
Author of the
following
Matters of Fact, which has rendered His Love to his
Native
Country, His Veneration for the
a Free
People, His Fidelity, Justice, and Loyalty; in delivering
the
Oppressed, and detecting the Queen's Prosess'd Enemies,
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
but the
Reverse of Good Mens Actions, and ought to be Remem-
bered only
as so many Monuments of Infamy.
But to come down to our Memorial, and
inform the World of
the modern
Mismanagements of this unhappy Gentleman, we
humbly
Declare, That
THE Trade
with the French and Indians, being so counte-
nanced by
the Governour, that without speedy Remedy,
the Country
is in great Danger of being Ruined, which will
plainly
Appear as follows:
First, In the Year 1705, The
Governour sent his Son William
Dudley, with Captain Vetch, to
Redeeming
Captives; but brought very few back to
those that
were there, and them of the Meanest fort, leaving the
Principal of
the said Captives behind, to give them occasion of
going again,
that they might have a Pretence to Colour their
Treacherous
Design of Trading, as Appears by the said Vetch's
Acknowledgment
of going to Settle a Correspondency with the
Enemy, and
carrying a Cargo out with him of 800 1. which,
according to
their Disposal, [4] might amount to near 3000 1.
as
particularly Shot, which was Sold at 13 Sous per Pound;
whereof they
carried a considerable Quantity; also Rigging,
Pitch, Iron,
and other Necessaries, fit for supplying the Indians
and French,
and this done under a Colour, of the said Vetch's
going to get
in a Debt due to him, from the French, of 800 1.
with the
Governour's Approbation.
Secondly, For Settling a
Correspondency with the French
Governour at
Port-Royal, for Exchange of Prisoners; Whereas
it was
indeed, only a Cover for an Illegal Trade; when, at the
same time,
the French there, were drove to such extreme Hard-
ships, for
want of Ammunition Provision, &c. that most of
their
Principal People were forced to go out a Privateering
on our
Coasts, who were, afterwards taken and brought into
vice among
the Enemy, who had been a Barbarous, Murdering
Fellow, to
the English: He, with all the other French Prisoners,
were sent to
great part
of our People that were Prisoners, were left behind at
the same
time, and that, because our Governour had been false
in his
Promise, to the French Governour, who had restrained the
Indians from
disturbing our Fishery, and indeed would not
allow them
any Ammunition for a considerable time, till our
Governour
taking that
countenanced
a trade with them, and supply'd them by the
Veffels that
were sent as Transports (as aforesaid) to fetch
38* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
Prisoners;
when at the fame time they were made Veffels
of
Merchandize, as appears by the Indian Traders on their
Tryal."
Thirdly, The Country are at a vast
Charge, in maintaining an
Army Yearly,
to March several Hundred Miles up into the
Country, to
Destroy the Indians Corn, the better to disenable
them to
Subsist; for they have been so Reduced (as by Infor-
mation of
the Captives) that a great part of them would Perish
for Want,
were it not for the Supply they had from the said
Indian Traders; who particularly, Sold about
Eight Quarts of
Indian Corn for one large Beaver Skin;
which Trade has
been all
along countenanced by the Governour, which suffi-
ciently
Appears, by his being always Unwilling [5] the Prison-
ers taken in
that Trade should be Fined, or Punished, even
owned by
Vetch, as in his Petition more at large, is set forth.
Fourthly, The Country was at a
great Expence, in Erecting a
Fortification
at
for securing
the fame, thereby to suppress the Enemy, and keep
sure Footing
in that part of the Country, and the Governour,
through some
Design or Neglect, did suffer those Soldiers to
remain there
without any Commission Officer, to the great Dissat-
isfaction
and Dread to the Soldiers; insomuch, that they
Declared to
Captain Cally, (a Member of the Assembly at
that when
the Enemy came upon them, they would Surrender
the Fort,
and dare not Resist for want of a Commission.
Then
Captain Cally
made Application to the Assembly, which he
found
Sitting when he came to
the
Governour, that speedy care might be taken, that some Per-
son might be
Commissionated to Command that Fort, which,
with a great
deal of Difficulty, was at last Obtained.
Fifthly, And further, as to the
Governour's countenancing
this Private
and Illegal Trade, the Country has been at vast
Expence
occasioned thereby; insomuch, that at one Sessions
the last
Summer, the Assembly were forc'd to raise 33000 Pounds,
for
Supporting and Maintaining the Charge they were put to,
by the
Enemies Invasions, after they had a Supply; that
whereas, if
things were rightly Managed, and the Enemy kept
back for
want of those Supplies, one Third Part of the said Sum
might have
answer'd the End. The Indians
that were Supply'd
by those
Traders, are the only People that destroyed our Eastern
Parts, the
Fishery, and the Coast of
fame that
were at Destroying of New-found-land; particularly
one
Escombuet, a Principal Commander among them, who is
generally
one that Heads the Indians, when they come to
Destroy the English
in New-England.
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
NEW ENGLAND. 39*
Sixthly, The Governour, with his Son Paul, not being Con-
tent with
what Money they come fairly by, and over greedy of
Gain, are
very Screwing and Exacting upon the People, parti-
ularly upon
sundry Inhabitants, taking away their Priviledge in
catching [6]
of Whales, a Priviledge they have Enjoyed many
years
before; that is, (under a Pretence of drift Fish) what
Whales are
taken by Her Majesty's Subjects, he takes from
them by
Force, not giving them the
Common Law, but for his own Ends, decides the Matter
in
the
Admiralty, where his Son Paul is the Queen's Attour-
ny and
Advocate, thereby Encroaching the whole to them-
selves, a
thing never heard of before, and very much to the
Prejudice of
Her Majesty's good subjects there, and that with-
out Remedy.
Seventhly, As to the Address the
Governour Obtained, pre-
tended to
come over from the General Assembly at
favour, for
his Continuance, it was no more than what he Clan-
destinely
procured, by fending to his particular Friends; such,
who being
either Related to him, or bore Commissions under
him, dare
not deny his Request, and was never approved nor
allowed of
by the Assembly; but on the Contrary, had not the
Majority of
the Country, waited in Expectation of Her Majesty's
Favour, in
fending another Governour, they would largely have
signified
their Resentments and Dissatisfaction, in the Adminis-
tration of
Dudley's Government.
Eighthly, While the Great and
General Assembly at Boston
were
Sitting, there arrived a Flagg of Truce from Canada, with
a haughty
Demand of the Governour, for all the French Prisoners,
charging of
him with breach of Promise, which was the occasion
of the
French Governour's not fending several of the Prisoners,
particularly
a Minister that was taken Captive at Derefield,
detained by
the French, who might have been Discharged with
sundry
others.
Ninthly,
The Lower House, mistrusting the French Flagg of
Truce coming
upon a Trading Design, as well as for Prisoners,
ordered the
Flagg of Truce to be diligently Searched, who found
on Board
their Vessel sundry new Arms and Ammunition, hid in
Private
Places, particularly new Bullets, hid among Pease, and
yet denied
by the Commander, who was an English Renagado,
which
Ammunition being brought before the Assembly, were
generally
concluded to be Bought in
Governour
in-[7] terposing, the Matter was hushed up and Con-
niv'd at, to
the great Dissatisfaction of the Assembly, and Coun-
try in
general.
40* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
This being realy the State of New-England,
and its Provinces,
it may very
well be called Deplorable, when it is render'd the
very Scene
of Arbitrary Power, with all that's Miserable:
But to
proceed,
before I come down to, the several Affidavits upon these
Heads, it is
Convenient to Recite some Letters from the Inhabi-
ants of that
Place, who, under a deep Sense of their Approach-
ing Ruin,
have breath'd forth their Complaints in the following
Words,
Boston, New-England October 2: 1706.
SIR!
IN AS MUCH,
as you have Expected from me, a true and brief
Representation
of several Matters, relating to this Province, I
shall, with
all possible Faithfulness, endeavour it.
Our Present
Governour is
not without a number of those, whom he has by
Promotions
and Flatteries made his Friends; but this hinders
not a much
more considerable number, from wishing, that we had
a Governour,
who would put an end unto the horrid Reign of
Bribery, in
our Administration, and who would not infinitely
Incommode
Her Majesty's Service, by keeping the People in con-
tinual
Jealousies of his Plots, upon their most Valuable Interests.
What the disposition of the People towards
him is, you may
guess by
this: There was lately prepared an Address from hence,
to the
Queen, upon many important Articles; but by certain Arts
there was
got into it a Clause, to desire of the Queen, that this
Governour
might be continued, the Representatives Voted all the
rest of the
Address, but this Clause they absolutely Rejected; they
could not
get above Five or Six Votes for it, so the whole Address,
(which was
contrived by a Party for nothing but that Clause) fell
to the
ground.
[8] There happened lately a number of
Persons, namely, Bore-
land, Vetch,
Rouse, Lawson, Philips and Cauplin to be taken
managing an
unlawful Trade with the
French and Indians, the
Commodities
wherein they Traded, were such, that the late Act of
Parliament
made their Crime to be High Treason, and we had no
Act of the
Province relating to that Matter, but was defectively
Expressed. Our merciful Assembly was mighty loathe to
proceed
unto so
severe a Judgment as that of Death, upon these Offenders.
The
Offenders Petitioning for it, the General Assembly were (very
much by the
Governour's influence) drawn into it, to take the
Tryal of
them into their own Hands; and as only Guilty of an
High
Misdemeanour, the Vote for it was obtained in a Thin House,
upon an
hurry at breaking up; and some Clauses in the Charter
were so
Construed, as to Countenance it. Upon
their coming
together
again, they would fain have revoked their Votes, as fear-
DEPLORABLE
STATE OF
ing, that
the very Persons who had been their Tempters into it,
would turn
their Accusers, and improve it by way of Complaint,
for the
Enemies of our Charter to work upon; but the Governour
would by no
means permit the Revocation of that wrong Step, (if
it were one)
so the Tryal proceeded, and the Offenders were Fined
in several
Sums, by an Act of the Governour and Assembly.
It is now laid, that the ingrateful Men
who were saved from the
Gallows, by
the Tenderness of the Government, are now cutting
our Throats,
and Petition home against the Government, for Fin-
ing them
instead of Hanging them; yea, it is also said, that the
very Person
who was the chief Cause of drawing the Assembly
into this
extraordinary Proceeding, intends to make an ill use of
it, against
the Country; if you are sensible of any thing of this
nature
carrying on, we pray you to add unto the rest of your
Offices,
that of an Intercession, that an harmless People, surpriz'd
into any
Error, may not be Punished any otherwise, than by the
removal of
such as have been the Causes of it; and so much for
that.
[9] Sir, You would do a vast Service to
the Crown, if you would
set forward
the designs of reducing
Scotia, a
much less Fleet than what annually goes into the Indies,
coming early
enough in the Spring, may easily do the former, even
in the way
thither, and a Scotch Colony might be of good Con-
sequence to
do the latter; but if any assistance from
should be
expected in this matter, it is of absolute necessity that
the Country
have a Governour whom the People may somewhat
Rely upon.
Sir, You are Born to do the Queen and the
Nation Service,
you are
spirited for great undertakings; you are highly beloved
and esteemed
among our People in this Land, and where-ever you
have come,
'tis wished that you may do some considerable Action
in this
Affair.
I have been earnestly Sollicited to
Address one of the most Illus-
trious
Patriots of the English Nation, my Lord High Treasurer,
with some of
these Intimations: That Noble Person is
known to be
such a
Patron to all good Men, and such a defence of Oppressed
Innocence
and Liberties; that we all fly to him as our unquestion-
able Refuge,
I am well satisfied there would need nothing (to
speak
Humanely) to make this Country Easy and Happy, but for
that
excellent Person to have an exact Representation of our Cir-
cumstances,
nothing hinders me from attempting it,
but the
hazard of
doing what may be thought a presumption in one so
much a
stranger to him, nevertheless, I am desired by some consid-
erable
Persons to move you, that you would wait upon his Lord-
42* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
ship, and
fully acquaint him with the Matters now laid before
you.
May
the Almighty prosper you;
I am, Sir,
Your Obliged Servant, &c.
Sir
I may inform you of one Action lately done
among us, which
I know you
will be pleased withal. Upon the advice
of [ 10] the
extream
Distress whereto the French Invasion had brought St.
Christophers and
Chriftian
manner expressed their Charity towards those, who
perhaps
would have hardly done the like for them, on a like
Occasion. We made a Collection for the Relief of their
Necessi-
ties, the
Collection was, as I am told, between 7 and 800 1. in
this
Collection, there were two Churches in
and the North,
one gave somewhat above a 100 l. the other gave
a little
under it. Certainly, a Country so ready
to serve Her
Majesty, and
to help their fellow Subjects, ought to have a room
in the
Thoughts of all good Men in the English Nation.
The foregoing Letter carrying with it so
many undeniable
Truths, the
World must of consequence concede with the gen-
eral
Exclamations of the now Distressed New-Englanders. Indeed
the publick
had not been allarm'd with there Distant Calamities,
had the
inexorable Authors of them adhered to reitterated
Grievances,
from those who too severely suffer'd under their
Protection. The Author of this Letter, who is a Person of
a
character
beyond the reach of Envy, and one who is a great
Blessing to
his Native Country, had not invoked the protection
and
Assistance of others, without a due sense of the Danger his
innocent
Neighbours and Country-men were expos'd to.
To
Report all
the Letters of Complaint from there Provinces, would
be too
Voluminous and tiresome to the Reader; we will only
mention one
more, which, tho' short and plain, carries nothing
but Veracity
with it.
Sir
ALL the
People here are Bought and Sold, betwixt the Gov-
ernour and
his Son Paul; they are so Mercenary, there is
no Justice
to be had without Money: There is not one Publick
Place in the
Government that is worth Money, but what the
Governour or
Paul goes Halves with: In short, the whole Coun-
try is very
uneasy, and the People here are so universally set
against him,
that Her Majesty can scarce give a greater Instance
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
of Her
tender Care and Regard to them, than by a re-
[11 ] moval
of him, which to my certain knowledge, would be
soon
followed by a Sincere and Hearty Acknowledgment of
Her
Majesty's Singular Favour to them, in that particular.
R. A.
In the foregoing Letters we find several
things Worthy our
Remark; but
I shall only mention the Three following:
(1.) That without Money, there is no
Justice to be had in New-
Condition;
the faces of their Poor being ground to Dust; their
Widows
Houses laid Waste, and the hopes of their Offspring cut
off. From whence we may infer, that New-England
having a
Governour,
whose God is the Mammon of this World; whose
Principles
act Counter to the Design of his Power; and whose
Drift is the
Ruin of his own Country; the Inhabitants thereof
have nothing
but Justice on their part to Petition Her Majesty to
throw him
aside.
(2.) A general uneasiness under, and
opposition to this Gover-
nour, thro'
the whole Country. And this, methinks, might stop
the Mouths
of some People here, (who, not knowing the Nature
of this
affair, no otherwise than as their Interest leads them to
side with
the Governour, or by Virtue of a bare Friendship Con-
tracted with
him whilst he Resided in
Period to
all their Objections in his Behalf; especially One,
unhappily
let slip from the Mouth of a Gentleman too well
known for
his great Learning and Parts, to be thought so over-
sighted, and
that is to this Effect. If a
Governour must be
removed for
every trivial Complaint, there wou'd be no End of
such
Removals; and Her Majesty Ministry would be wholly
taken up
with turning out, and putting in. I will not pretend to
affirm the
Reason that produc'd this hasty Plea for our Criminal
Governour;
but sure I am, the Author of it knows too much
Law, than to
extenuate the like Crimes in others. And
a weak
Argument I
take it to endeavour the influencing our Superiors in
Redressing
Grievances of the Subject, when the several matters
of Fact
Sworn to, are laid down before them: But [12] to say
no more,
this Gentleman has not been the first that has over-shot
himself in
Defending things of this Nature. And
(3dly) A fervent Desire to be eas'd of
Oppression, i:e. That
they might
be capable of acknowledging with Respect and
Gratitude,
the mighty advantages of such a Deliverance to the
Queen of Great Brittain; to a Queen who
is all Justice and Piety,
Peace and
44* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
tions of her
Subjects, but maintain them in their Rights and
Priviledges. Let not New-England doubt then of
finding Re-
dress, from
so Great and Gracious a Mistress, notwithstanding the
subtle
Designs and Evasions of Evil-minded Men.
And so we
come to
present the Reader with a further Account of the said
Mismanagements,
by another Hand.
SOMETIME in the Spring of the Year,
1706, Mr. Dudley, the
present
Governour of the Province of Massachusets Bay,
and New-Hampshire,
writ a Letter from Boston, Directed to Mr.
Richard
Waldron, and my
self, to use our Interest to prevail
with the
Council at an Assembly, to Draw up an Address to the
Queen, That Her Majesty would please to
continue the said
Dudley in the Government of New-Hampshire. Whereupon the
said Waldron
(after he had Communicated the Letter to me)
drew up an
Address, and shew'd it to the Assembly, and pre-
vailed with
them to pass it in Both Houses, with little Alteration.
And this is
the Address that is now come over from the Prov-
ince of New-Hampshire. The Assembly was much against it,
but we
thought it would be best for us to do any thing that
would please
the Governour at that time; considering, that we
were always
in danger of the Enemy, and concluded, it was
much in his
Power, under God, to preserve us, having often
heard him
say, that he would stop the Courier, of the Indians
and French,
(when he pleas'd) in a Month or Six Weeks time;
and I did
then, and do still believe, that he could prevent the
Indians and French from coming upon us,
and Killing us as they
did; for I
know that he had Correspondence with a Fryer or
Jesuit, or one so called, a Frenchman
that Lives among the
Indians, and hath great influence over them, who
writes himself
Galen
Emesary. The Governour to my certain Knowledge, did
order sundry
things that were sent him; [13 ] and considering
the great
Correspondence (he told me) he had with the Gover-
nour of
Port-Royal, it caused a firm belief in me, that he could
do what he
would with the Enemy: These, with other Motives,
press'd us
forwards to get the Address passed, concluding all
these things
would add to our Peace, if rightly improved; and
the Indians,
about that time, and for many Months before, had
done little
or no Mischief, and for my part, I did really believe, that it was
the
Governour's Interest that caused our quiet, but soon found we were Mistaken,
finding out,
that much about the same time that Waldren and myself were
forwarding
the Address to Her Majesty, to continue Mr. Dudley Governour,
he was
countenancing a private Trade with the Indians and French, our
Enemies, as
we found by woful Experience: For soon
after those Traders
went to the
Eastward, the Indians came sharply down upon us about the latter
end of June
last, Killed Six People, Wounded two, and carried away two from
the Town of
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
NEW ENGLAND. 45*
Almsbury; and a little before they Killed
Lieutenant John Shap-
leigh, at the Town of
Wife and
Children, all Killed and Scalped out of the Township
of
ship of
carried out
of the
were
committed before I came from thence, which was about
the
beginning of September last; God knows how many have
been thus
Barbaroufly Murther'd since. Captain Vetch,
and
Captain Lawson,
oftentimes told me, that they had oftentimes
acquainted
the Governour with their design of going to the East-
ward upon
Trade, and had the consent of him, and did solemnly
protest that
they would not have gone without it: And I do
believe, and
it is generally believed in New-England, that the
Governour
did know of this Trade, and no doubt but that he was
to have a
share of the Profit. When there Traders
came from the
French and Indians, one of their Vessels
stopped at the Isle of
Shoals, near the Province of New-Hamshire,
the Master's Name
was Rouse,
who brought to that place from Port-Royal Seven
Prisoners;
and Capt. Jethro Furbur being at the said Isles of
Shoales, at the said time when the Vessel came
in, heard the said
Prisoners
affirm, That the Eastern Indians had no Shot, nor Bul-
lets, nor
Lead to make any, and it was very scarce with the
French, insomuch that they could not supply
them, so that the
Indians were [14] like to Starve for want of
Ammunition; for
great part
of their Livelihood depends on their Guns to Kill
Wild Beasts
and Fowl, &c. whereby we find it was not the
Governour's
Interest he had with the Enemy, to prevent their
coming upon
us, but it was for want of Ammunition: And
those
Prisoners that were brought from Port-Royal, which Capt.
Furber spoke with at the Isles of Shoals, did
further affirm, That
they heard
the Governour of Port-Royal say, That be had given
his Letter
to the Governour of Boston, that he would not supply
the Indians
with Powder nor Shot, but that he would do all he
could to
prevent the Indians coming upon the English, and had
been as good
as his Word; but that the said Governour of
nition than
he was able to do; for the Traders from
Tuns; and
that if this Trade had not been incouraged by the Governour,
we should
have had no Men Killed, nor indeed any Disturbance amongst
us. It is my Belief, and it seems very plain to
me, that the Governour
intends to
forward the French and Indian Enemy to Destroy all they
can, and
keep the Country allarm'd, thereby to put them to such vast
Charges, as
will Ruin the whole Government, by Killing some and Impov-
erishing the
rest. There was never such Taxes on the
Poor
People as
now; 33000 l. being raised a little
before I came away,
46* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
and many
great Sums not long before that. I was
credibly
Informed
that some Persons were forced to cut open their
Beds, and
Sell the Feathers to Pay their Taxes. I
don't remem-
ber that
ever there :was any of the Indian Enemy Kill'd or
Taken since
Mr. Dudley came over Governour, except an Old
Woman, and
two others I took to be Girls by their Scalps; and
some few
taken near Port-Royal taken by Major Church. So
that instead
of being Destroyed, I wish they be not preserv'd:
For, Six
Months before it came to pass, the Governour Mr.
they came
again, and it proved accordingly. He
told me, That
the Indians
would not come in any great Body as they used to
do, but they
would come in small Numbers, no Number above
Thirty, and
so Line the Woods from Dearfield, which is the
South-West
side of the Massachusets Government, and all along
the Woods,
just within the Towns to Casko Bay, which is the
North-East
Part of inhabitants at this time. And
this Method
I am afraid
will be continued till the Country is for a great part
Destroyed,
if Mr. Dudley be continued Governour.
As for the
Address he
ob- [15] tained of the militia of Massachuset's Bay,
it was a
forc'd thing; for the Officers are beholden to him for
their
Commissions, and if any Refus'd to Sign what the Gover-
nour got
drawn, he could put them out, and put in others as he
pleased.
Thus having given the Publick an Exact
Relation of the pres-
ent State of
New-England, it remains only that we Produce a
Confirmation
of all that hath been said. To which end
we will
begin with
the several Affidavits and Depositions already made,
and which
are as follows.
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
NEW ENGLAND. 47*
The several Affidavits as they were laid before the
Q U E E N
and Council, relating to the Governour of New-England's
Mercenary and Illegal Proceedings, but
particularly his
private Correspondence with Her
Majesties Enemies, espe-
cially the French and Indians
The Two Affidavits of Mr. John Calley.
JOHN CALLEY of
Marble-head in the
New-England,
now in
That he doth
and hath good reason to Believe, That Her Majesties
Colonies of New-England are in great Danger of
being Ruined
by reason of
Governour Dudleys
Countenancing a Trade, and
Correspondence
with the French,
and Indian Enemies, and many
other his
Irregular pratices. Also faith, that the
said Governour
did in the
Year, 1705, send his Son William
Dudley with Captain
Samuel Vetch
to
who
accordingly went and brought back only a few of the meanest
of the
English Captives; Leaving the chiefest of them there for an
Occasion of
their returning again to
Correspondence
with the French; and that the said Vetch did
carry out
with him a Cargo of about 800 lib. Value
in Iron, Pitch,
Rigging,
Shot, &c: Which Cargo upon a
Moderate Computation,
might
produce near 3000 lib. And that the said
Vetch did also
pretend that
he went with Governour Dudley's
Approbation to get
in a Debt of
800 lib. Contracted in time of Peace; And due to
him from the
French, of which matters and things he this Depo-
nent, hath
been credibly informed, and Believes them to be true.
And further
saith that it did appear to the General.
As- [17] sem-
bly of the Massachusets Colony in New-England,
that Captain
William
Rouse was (the better to colour a Trade with the French,
and Indians)
sent to Port-Royal
with a Flag of Truce, under Pre-
tence of
settling a Correspondence with the French Governour
there for
exchanging Prisoners; and did Trade not only with his
own Vessel,
but had also at the same Time two other Trading
Vessels with
him, under his own Direction, and did bring back
Furrs,
&c. To above 2000 lib. Value, and that the said
did allow
one Dishey Foe,
a French Prisoner on Parole, to go in
the same
Vessel with the said Rouse,
who acted as Interpreter
between the
said Rouse and
the Indians, in Trading with them
48* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
and that the
said Flag of Truce meeting with one of the two other
Vessels, the
said Foe was
put into the same with several Goods,
and Merchandises,
out of the said Flag of Truce, with which the
said Foe was Trading; and that the said Foe
returned again to
Boston,
and that when the said Furrs, &c. were brought to Boston,
it was
alledged, that they were brought to Pay French Mens Debts
in New-England, but that it was proved
that the said Furrs, &c.
were mostly
purchased by the Goods carried out in the Vessel of the
said Rouse
and were seized, yet cleared afterwards; And the said
Rouse
declared to the said Assembly, that he had done nothing but
by Governour
Dudleys approbation;
and that it appeared to the
said General
Assembly that the Enemies distress through want
of
Ammunition, Provision, &c. before they were by the English
supplied,
occasioned many of them to go out a Privateering on the
English
Coast, some of which were taken and brought into Boston,
and were
afterwards with other French
Discharged and sent to
Canada,
and Port-Royal, and among others one Battis a Prisoner
Kept for
Murders, &c. by him committed upon the English in
cold Blood,
and under a Flag of Truce, and he being a Man of
great note
and Service among the French and usually joyned with
the Indians,
whilst the English Prisoners were still detained,
because
Governour Dudley
had as was alledged, falsified his
Promise to
the French Governour, who had restrained the Indians
from
Disturbing the English Fishery or otherwise; and would not
allow them
any Amunition for a considerable time, nor until they
were
supplied by the English Vessels sent under the pretence of
fetching
Prisoners, about which Letters were produced from the
French
Governour. And this Deponent further
saith, that it
appeared to
the said General Assembly, that the endeavours of the
Country, by
a chargeable maintaining an Army, and sending them
yearly
several hundred Miles to destroy the Indians Corn, thereby
to distress
and subdue them, have (by their being supplied in their
great
Necessities, by such [18] Traders, for great Prices) been in
a great
measure frustrated, and that if the said Indians had not
been so
supplied many more of them must have perished thro' want;
and that
Governour Dudley, generally shewed an unwillingness
that such
Traders when taken, should be punished, or Fined; and
further
saith, that the above said Colony, was at a great Expence
to Erect a
Fort at
Securing the
same to suppress the Enemy, and to keep sure Footing
in that Part
of the Country, yet that Governour Dudley suffered
those
Souldiers to remain there without any Comission Officer, to
the great
dissatisfaction and dread of the said Souldiers, info-
much that
they declared to this Deponent, a Member of the said
Assembly,
that if the Enemy should come upon them they would
Surrender
the said Fort, and dared not Resist for want of a Com-
mission, and
that he, this Deponent coming into the Assembly
then Sitting
at Boston;
and Informing them thereof, the said
DEPLORABLE STATE OF NEW
ENGLAND. 49*
Assembly
Represented to the Governour, the necessity of speedily
Commissionating
some person to command that Fort, which after
some
considerable time was obtained: And this Deponent further
saith, that
the said Colony, hath by reason of such Illegal Trade
been put to
vast Expences to secure themselves from the Invasions
of the
Enemy; and that in one Sessions the last Summer was
raised by
the said Assembly, about 33000 lib. When
as otherwise
one-third
part thereof might have been sufficient.
And further
saith, that
the Indians, that have been thus Supplyed are the only
People,
tltat destroy the Eastern parts of the Countrey; the Fish-
ery and
Coast of
credibly
Informed, and doth believe the very same Indians that
were at the
destroying of
Escombuct,
that usually heads the Indians when they come to
destroy the New-Englanders. And this Deponent further saith,
that he hath
been credibly Informed and hath good reason to
believe;
that Governour Dudley doth several ways Illegally exact
from Her
Majesties Subjects several Sums of Money, and De-
prives them
of the Priviledges in catching of Whales by force,
taking
Whales from the Fishers under Pretence of Drift-fish; and
obstructs
the course of Justice; and Particularly that one Clap
took by
force a Whale from one Newcomb,
upon which the said
Newcomb sued
Clap, and obtained Judgment against him, and for
which he was
cast into Prison, and then was cleared by Governour
this Deponent
further saith, that he is informed that an Address
hath been
sent to Her Majesty, Representing, as if the People of
New-England
Prayed for the continuing the said
Governour;
but that [19] he doth in part know, and hath been
informed,
and hath great grounds to believe, that the far greatest
part of Her
Majesties Subjects in New-England
are very weary
under his
administration, and that the said Governour Dudley did
cause to be
Prepared an Address to Her Majesty, for his Contin-
uance, and the
same to be sent up and down the Country, to get
hands
thereunto, and that the same was only Signed by such per-
sons as were
in Commission under him, or influenced by him.
And
that he this
Deponent doth know that an Address was presented to
the House of
Representatives, to be Sign'd, Praying for several
Favours from
Her Majesty, but because in the said Address a
prayer for
his Continuing Governour was inserted, the whole
Address was
by the said House Rejected: And that he doth believe,
that if an
Address to Remove him hath not been presented, it was
because they
had an Expectation that Her Majesty, would suddenly
favour that
Countrey with a better Governour: And
further saith,
that wilst
the Assembly was Sitting there arrived Flag of Truce
from the French Governour, with a haughty Demand
of the
French
Prisoners, in New-England, and charging Governour
50* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
Trading
Vessels on their Coasts; whereupon the House of Repre-
sentatives
Suspecting the Flag of Truce to come upon account of
Trade,
Ordered the Vessel to be searched, and that there was found
on Board the
same New Arms and Ammunition, hid in private
places,
particularly shot among Peas, yet denied by the Commander
thereof, who
was an English
Renegado; part of which being
brought
before the said House, it was Generally concluded, that they
had been
newly bought in Boston;
but the Governour Interposing,
the matter
was hushed up to the great dissatisfaction of the General
Assembly,
and Country in General, and altho' the Assembly
moved the
Governour for a strict Guard to be kept on the Vessel or
Flag of
Truce, nothing was done. This Deponent
further saith,
that the
House of Representatives, Insisted not only upon far
greater
Fines to be laid on the foresaid Traders, and others Con-
cerned; but
also that they should stand upon the Gallows, and
suffer
Twelve Months Imprisonment, and continued insisting upon
the same
about Three Weeks; but Governour Dudley, not consenting
thereto, by
his Wearying out the said House, and persuading them
to Moderate
[2O] their sentence; to the great dissatisfaction of the
Council, and
the said House; at last the House altered their Sen-
tence; to
the Fines they now Stand Charged with.
John Calley.
Fur. 2 die
Jun. 1707
coram me
Thomas Gery.
JOHN CALLEY,
of Marble-head in the
New-England,
now in
That about
the middle of the Month of May,
1706, This Deponent
was chosen
an Assembly-Man, or Representative for the said Town
of Marble-head, to fit in the Great and
General Court of Assembly
at
land, on the
last Wednesday
of the said Month of May; and
accordingly
this Deponent took the usual
Oath and was a Member
of the said
Court of Assembly, and that in the beginning of the
said
Sessions, the House of Assembly, or Representatives, being
Informed by
some Captives redeem'd out of Captivity from the
French
and Indians That there were some English Persons Trad-
ing in the
Eastern parts of New-England
with the French and
Indians;
and that one Captain Samuel Vetch was returned to
Cape Ann,
from such Trading; whereupon this Deponent was
Authorized
by the Governour, Council, and Assembly, to Search for
the said
Persons so trading as aforesaid, and to Seize their Goods,
Vessels, and
Effects, and in Pursuance of his Commission this
Deponent at Marble-head aforesaid, found one John
Curtys Pilot
of the said
Vessel, Coming privately on shore, to go to Mr. John
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
NEW ENGLAND. 51*
Borland
of
and Goods,
and Seized the said Curtys,
whom this Deponent Carried
Boston,
where he was Examined before the Governour, and Coun-
cil: And there gave an Account upon Oath of the
said Voyage and
Trading, as
by his Testimony, given in upon the Tryal appears,
and
afterwards this Deponent Seized the Sloop or Vessel called the
Flying-Horse,
Archibal Furgison
Master, and the Resolution,
Thomas
Barrow Master; wherin [21] was found sundry Parcels
of Goods
brought back again in the Flying-Horse and not Disposed
of tn the
Trade abovesaid, and this Deponent put the Vessel and
Goods into
the Possession of Mr. William,
Pain, Deputy Collector of
Her
Majesty's Customs at
of Loading,
Orders, and Papers, found on Board the Flying-Horse,
it appeared
that the said John Borland,
Samuel Vetch, and Roger
Lawson were
Owners of the said Sloop Flying-Horse, and the Cargo
put on Board
her for the Voyage aforesaid: Which Amounts to the
Value of
Eight Hundred Pounds, as the find Curtys Informed this
Deponent;
whereupon by a Vote of the House of Assembly, a
Messenger was
sent for the said Vetch,
Borland, and Lawson,
and upon
their Examination before the said House, and other
Evidences
that were Produced against them, the said Borland,
Vetch,
and Lawson, Were Committed to Prison for Treason, in
Aiding, and
Assisting, Her Majesties Enemies Contrary to a Late
Act of
Parliament made in England:
And this Deponent further
faith, that
he was sent in the Province
Galley to look for other
Persons that
had likewise been, and were Trading with the French
and Indians, and it appeared that William
Rouse, John Philips,
and Ebenezer Coffin, had also been
Concern'd for Illegal Trading
with the French and Indians: And upon
their Examinations and
Evidences
Produced against them, they were Committed by the said
House of
Representatives for Treason as the other were, who were
all
Continued in Prison upon their ------- for several Weeks, the
General
Court or Assembly, still Sitting, and that the Prisoners
Petitioned
the said Court, to be Tryed for High Misdemeanours
only: Which the Lower House would not consent to,
for some
Weeks when
the Countrey-men in the General Court being wanted
at Home,
upon present Occasions, and to Guard their Families,
being then
Invested in several Places by the French and Indians,
who had been
supply'd by the laid Traders with shot and other
Necessaries,
as by the Evidence appear'd, but were still detained by
the
Governour from their Lawful business, who was altogether
averse for
Tring them for so Treason, and used Stenuous Arguments,
and his
utmost endeavours to Try them for High Midsdemeanours
Alledging
(amongst other things) that they had Power by the
Charter to
Try them so, and to lay Fines, and Mulcts, and Impris-
onments upon
them, Which would be of much greater advantage to
the Country,
than to Try them for Treason. And the
said Governour
having
Wearied out the Assembly, and Keeping them only on that
52* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
Affair; and
when many of the most Prudent Men of the Assembly
were gone,
to their Respective dwellings, he over perswaded the Re-
mainder
(which [22] could but just make a House) to alter their Vote,
to Try them
for High Misdemeanor's instead of Treason.
As they
were at
first Committed, which by his means was consented unto,
and they
were all afterwards Convicted of High Misdemeanours,
and fined,
as by their Tryal Appears wherein the Govenour still
interceeded
for the moderating thereof; and by his means they were
Reduc'd to
the several Sums, they now stand Fined for.
Collonell Partridges Affidavits.
WILLIAM PARTRIDGE of
of New-Hampshire
In New-England; now in
Esq: Deposeth that Sometime in the Month of January,
1702,
Col. Joseph
Dudley Governour of the said Province, and of the
Massachusets-Bay, did Dispose of two Great Guns out of Her
Majesties
Fort, at New-castle, in the Province of New-Hampshire,
and received
the money for the same: And this Deponent further
saith, that
one Mr. Theodore Atkinson, being an Officer appointed
to Receive a
Duty the General Assembly had laid upon all Boards
and Staves
exported out of the said Province of New-Hampshire,
(and Naval
Officer there) was threatened by Mr. Paul Dudley
the
Governour's Son, and the Queens Attorney to have turned
him out of
his Place, for not paying the Money due the Preceed-
ing Year, as
agreed for. And this Deponent Paid Ten
or
Twelve
Pounds in Part of what was behind, that the said Officer
might not be
turned out of his Place, which Sum the said Atkin-
son afterwards repay'd to this Deponent; And
that a year or
two
afterwards the said Paul Dudley told this Deponent, that the
Governour
should turn the said Atkinson out of his Place, for that
he had not
Pay'd him all that was agreed for, whereupon this
Deponent
acquainted the said Atkinson therewith, who reply'd
that there
was not above Five or Six Pounds behind, and he
would Pay it
the next Post: And that sometime in the
Month of
August last, as this Deponent was coming away,
to his best re-
membrance,
the said Atkinson told him he had Paid [23] Twenty
Pounds a
year, for both his Offices: And this Deponent further
saith, that
having occasion to run the Bounds of a Piece of Land
he had
bought in Portsmouth; he wrote to the said Mr. Paul
Dudley to procure the Governour's Order to the
Sheriff, to accom-
pany the
Persons Appointed to run the Line or Bounds between
this
Deponent, and the Adjacent Freeholder, for fear of any
Disturbance,
and he would be at the Charge thereof; but sent no
Money, and
the said Paul Dudley sent this Deponent word that
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
it could not
be done, or to that Purpose: And the next Post this
Deponent
ordered his Friend in
nent by the
next Post; and the Business was afterwards done in
three or
four Hours time; and the Charge to the Officers and
Sheriff was
not above the Sum of Twelve Shillings: And this
Deponent
further saith, that upon the Fifth Day of August last,
some of the
men belonging to Her Majesties Ship the Deptford,
then Riding
In the River of Piscataqua; came on shore at
the Town of New-Caste,
aforesaid, and took from thence by the
Captains
Order as they said one Jethro Furber Master of the
Ship called
the William and Richard; and forthwith set Sail and
Carried him
to Boston, in another Province; where Captain
Stuckley Commander of the Deptford, and Captain Mathews
Commander of
the Dover, entred a Complaint against the said
Furbur, in
the Court of Admiralty at Boston, for Shipping two of
their Men:
whereupon this Deponent wrote to Col. Dudley the
Governour,
how that Captain Stuckley had Carried away the
Master of
his Ship, Loaded with dry Fish, bound to Leghorn;
having
cleared the Custom-House and obtained the Governours
Pass to the
Fort, and earnestly desired Relief: And Inclosed to
the
Governour a Protest against the said Stuckley, but sent no
Money either
to the Governour, or his Son; neither could he
obtain any
Relief; whereupon this Deponent took Horse and
went to Boston
and applyed himself to the Governour, acquaint-
ing him,
that the Fish on Board his Ship was a Perishing Co-
modity; and
if any Water should come into the Ship the Cargo
would be
utterly lost; for as soon as Captain Stuckley carried
away his
Master, the rest of the Men run away from the said
Ship, into
the Woods; And this Deponent was informed the said
Ship swung
to and again, in the Tyde, and was like to Sink, and
could not
get a Man on Board her: And this [24] Deponent
further informed
the said Governour, that there was a great
Fleet of
English and Dutch Men of War in the Straits, and if
his Master
could Sail before they came out, his Ship would be
out of
Danger of being taken, but if the Master was Detained, he
should Lose
his Ship and Cargo: And that if the Master had
done
anything Amiss he ought to be Tryed at Piscataqua, and
not at
Governour;
and thereupon went to the said Paul Dudley, the
Queens
Advocate, of the Court of Admiralty, and Offered Ten.
Thousand
Pounds Bond, with good security to Pay whatever the
Courts
Sentence should be; Provided his Master and Ship might
go: But all
in vain, and his Vessel was Detained above Three
Weeks, and
when she came into the Straights, the Men of War
was come out
Seven Days before the Arrived there, and after-
wards was
taken, and further saith not.
54* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
[25]
Collonel Partridge's Affidavits,
WILLIAM PARTRIDGE of Portsmouth, in the
Province
of New
Hampshire, in New-England maketh Oath that
he doth
believe that Joseph Dudley Esq; present Governour of
New England,
did Countenance a Trade with the French and
Indian
Enemies, and saith, that he the said Dudley did keep
Correspondence
with one Gallen Emissary, a French Fryar or
Jesuit, that
Lives among the Indians; and the said Dudley
owned to
this Deponent, that he had a great Correspondence
with the
Governour of Port-Royal. And this
Deponent saith,
that Captain
Vetch, and Captain Lawson often told this Deponent,
that they
had acquainted the said
the
Eastward, when they Traded with the French and Indians,
and that he
Consented thereto; and that soon after they had so
Traded, the
Indians came down and Killed Lieutenant John
Shapeley at the Town of
Children in
the
Swan-shot
out of the Township of Hamptown; and Killed Nine;
and Wounded
one out of the
the latter
end of June last Killed Six, and Wounded Two; and
carried away
Two out of the Township of Almesbury; all which
Persons were
Killed and taken in this Deponent's Neighbour-
hood, as
this Deponent hath heard, and verily believes, being
informed so
by those that were at most of their Funerals.
And
this
Deponent further saith, that there was not to his Knowledge,
any of the Indian
Enemies Killed since the said Dudley was
Governour,
except an Old Woman and two others, that seemed
by their
Scalps to be Girls. And this Deponent
further saith,
that the
said Dudley told this Deponent Six Months before the
Invasion by
the Indians, that when they came again they would
not come in
any great Body, as they used to do, but not above
Thirty in a
Company, and so Line the Woods from Dearfield to
Casko Bay, which is above a Hundred Miles, which
Method the
said Indians
did after take in their said Invasion; but how the
said Dudley
came to know that they would so do, this Deponent
knoweth not;
but saith, that the said Dud- [26 ] ley often told
this
Deponent, that he could stop the Career of the French and
Indians when he pleased, in a Month or Six Weeks
time
Will: Partridge.
Jurat
Vicessimo primo die Junij
Anno,
1707, Cor. me
W. Rogers
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
Mr. Thomas Newton's Affidavit.
THOMAS
NEWTON of
in
England for near Sixteen Years last past, and
during that time
has been
well acquainted with Collonel Joseph Dudley, the
present
Governour of the Province of Massachsetts-Bay and
New
Hampshire: And that
since the said Collonel Dudley was
Governour
there, this Deponent was credibly Infomed, that
several
Persons having purchased Lands at Nashobah and Nip-
muck, within his Government, and wanting a
Confirmation of
their
Titles, by an Act of the General Court, (as is usual in such
Cases) they
could not obtain the Governour's assent thereto,
without
giving him Money, and part of their Lands.
And this
Deponent
further saith, that he being Deputed by William At-
wood Esq; to be Deputy Judge of the Court of
Vice Admiralty,
as well as
of the Collony of Rhode Island, as for the Provinces of
Massachusets-Bay,
and New Hampshire, was prohibited by the
said
Governour from going to Rhode Island, and Condemning
some Prizes
brought in there, unless this Deponent would procure
the
Governour One Hundred Pounds, and that his Son should
go Advocate
thither; and threatned this Deponent to raise the
Posse
Comitantus upon him,
if he offered to proceed without
[27] his
Order, or License under his Hand. And
this Deponent
also further
saith, That one Mr. Stephen Minot, having Built a
very
Convenient House for a publick Inn or Tavern, upon a
place called
the Neck, the Governour having a Tennant who
kept a
Publick House near to it, Prohibited the Justice to grant
a License to
the said Minot, tho' it was Requested by the Gen-
eral
Assembly; but the said Minot could not obtain a License
for his
House, until he complied with the Governour upon hard
Terms. And this Deponent moreover saith, that
Sentence in
the Court of
Vice-Admiralty being given by this Deponent for
a Saylor,
against a Master of a Vessel for Wages, from which
the said
Master appealed to the High Court of Admiralty in
Cases,
Process was granted against the said Master, and the
Mareschal
took him into Custody thereupon. Yet the
Governour
abused the
Officer, and discharged the said Master contrary to
Law, and by
that means the Saylor lost his Wages, and his
Charges and
Costs: And lastly, this Deponent saith, that the
people in New-England
in general, are much dissatisfied with the
said Colonel
Dudley, and would rejoyce to have him removed
from his
Government; and further saith not.
56* A MEMORIAL
OF THE PRESENT
[28 ]
Colonel Partridge's Certificate.
WHEREAS an
Address from Her Majesties Assembly, in the
lately sent
over, Praying Her Majesty's Continuance of Colonel
Dudley
Governour of the said Province; Now the Truth and
Occasion of
Procuring and sending the same, was thus:
" Coll. Dudley, who is not only
Governour of New-Hampshire,
"but
also of the Massachusets-Bay, and lives at
"from
New-Hampshire, Wrote to some Principal Gentlemen, to
"Prevail
with the Assembly of New-Hampshire, to Present an
"Address
to Her Majesty for the Purpose aforesaid, and in Compli-
"ance
with this Desire, and in Order to Prevai1 with the Assem-
"bly,
the said Gentlemen Prepar'd an Address accordingly, and
"show'd
it to the Assembly, who, in some time after, though with
"Difficulty
and Reluctancy, were prevailed on to Sign the same,
"with
little Alteration. The Chief, [29] and
indeed the Only
"Inducement
to which, was the Apprehension they were then under,
"that
it was better for them to do anything that would Please the
"Governour;
and that it was in his Power to Contribute much to
"the Advantage
and Security, or to the Mischief and Prejudice
"of
that Province; and not any Opinion they had of the Conduct
"and
integrity of the said Dudley, who is generally Disliked and
"
"has given
too much Reason and Occasion to Suspect his Regard
"to the
Good and Welfare of those Places, especially when his own
"Interest
stands in Competition, or a fair
"his
Profit and Advantage.
All which is humbly Certified and Submitted.
Wm.
Partridge.
[ 30] Thus
far the Affidavits of the Illegal and Disloyal
Practices of
our Governour. Can any Man that loves
not a
French
Interest, call those Trivial; or say, they are not worthy
of the
severest Resentments? With what Face Men
now a-days
can go about
to Justify Crimes that have so near an affinity to
High
Treason, is a wonder to me; and yet pretend at the same
time to be
Loyal and True to their Country. Crimes
of the
most
pernicious Consequence to a State; and which among all
Nations have
been Punish'd with the utmost seventy.
The
Athenians;
notwithstanding the Liberty they gave to some of
their
Rulers, yet they appointed a Reckoning Day among them;
DEPLORABLE
STATE OF NEW
ENGLAND. 57*
so that
those that thought themselves not accountable whilst in
Authority,
found at last a very strict Account to be given to
certain
Auditors, and a worser Punishment inflicted on them if
Criminal,
than the abused Clemency of this Age can produce:
To do Justice
and Right is the most invaluable Jewel in Magna
Charta; and a Blessing which no People in the
World can boast
of, like
those of the Brittish Nation. The
New-Englanders are of
the same
Tribe; have the same
erty in the
Enjoyment of the many Legal Priviledges in that
Charter
contained: They are not Slaves, as their conceited
Governour
once told them; but have still a right Legally to
oppose his
Pride and Covetousness; have still a Right to Petition
for a
Better, that will not be Brib'd to do Evil; they have a
Right to
tell the World, and that loudly, That for a Governour
to furnish
the Enemy with Powder and Shot, &c. to destroy his
own
Country-men, is a Wretch not only fit to be Discarded, but
to be for
ever forgotten among Mankind.
The Cryes sent up to Heaven, by the many
poor Souls lately
most
inhumanely Butchered by the Merciless Indians, with our
own
Instruments, have reached the Ears of the Almighty, and
will
certainly draw down Redress from him, who is not only Rex
Magnus &
Rez Solus, but Judex
Supremus, who hath Imperium
sine Fine, as well as sine Limite, to whom
we commit all that
hath been
already said.
And now to Conclude all, (that our
Readers may have a just
Sense of the
unaccountable Cruelties acted by the Indians, upon
our English
in New-England) we shall present them with the
following
Particulars, lately sent over to us by a very great and
good Man.
[31]
An Account
of several Barbarities lately committed by the
ians in New-England; Intermix'd
with some Memorable
Providences.
ASTONISHING
Deliverances have been sent from Heaven,
to many of
our Captives. They have been many a time
upon the
Point of destruction; but, These poor ones have Cryed
unto the
Lord, and He has
Remarkably delivered them.
'Tis a Wonderful Restraint from God upon
the Bruitish Sal-
vages, that
no English Woman was ever known to have any
Violence
offered unto her Chastity, by any of them:
58* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
'Tis wonderful, that no more of the
Captives have been
dered by
them, neither when they were Drunk nor when the
Caprichio's,
and the Cruelties of their Diabolical Natures were
to be
Gratified.
'Tis Wonderful, that when many of the
Captives have been
just going
to be Sacrificed, some strange Interposition of the
Divine
their being
made a Sacrifice. The Stories are
numberless. T
ake a few of
them.
[32] A Crue
of Indians had been three Days without any man-
ner of
Sustenance. They took an English Child,
and hung it be-
fore the
Fire to Roast it for their Supper; but that these Canibals
might
Satiate their -- I want a Name for it, -- as well as
their
Hunger, they would Roast it Alive. The
Child began to
Swell. A Cannow arrived at that Instant, with a Dog
in it.
The lesser
Devils of the Crue, proposed their taking the Dog
instead of
the Child; they did so, and the Child is yet Living!
Her Name is
Hannah Parsons.
A Man had Valiantly Killed an Indian or
two before the Sal-
vages took
him. He was next Morning to undergo an
horrible
Death,
whereof the Manner and the Torture was to be assigned
by the Widow
Squa of the Dead Indian. The French
Priests
told him,
they had indeavoured to divert the Tygres from ther
bloody
Intention, but could not prevail with them; he must pre-
pare for the
terrible Execution. His cries to God
were hard,
and heard;
when the Sentence of the Squa, was demanded,
quite
contrary to every ones Expectation, and the Revengeful
Inclination
so usual and well-known among these Creatures, she
only said,
His Death won't fetch my Husband to Life,. Do nothing
to him! So nothing was done to him.
A Woman was carried aside, by her Monster
of a Master; he
fastened a
Rope about her Neck; it was in vain for her to; con-
tend, the
Hatchet must presently have dispatched her, if the
Halter had
failed; she had no Remedy but to Cry unto God:
Her Master
throws up the end of the Rope over a Limb of a
Tree; he
ascends to hale her and tye her up; and then a fine
Exploit for
the Wretch! a memorable Name! However
the
Limb happily
breaks down he falls; full of madness he goes to
repeat his
brave action: An Indian Commander just in the Nick
of Time
comes in upon him; Reproaches him very bitterly;
Takes her
away from him; and sends her to
But we ought not to pass over the
marvellous Display of the
Power of
God, in supporting and preserving the poor Captives
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
when they
Travelled thro' the horrid Wilderness, oftentimes
much more
than a score of Miles in a day, and thro' very deep
Snows; [33]
and with vast Loads on their Backs, and griev-
ously
pinched with Hunger, having scarce one bit of any Refresh-
ment, for
whole days together. Poor, Weak, sick
Women have
done so!
One cannot well imagine any other than
Supernatural and
Angelical
assistances, in some of the instances.
The Indians came upon the House of one
and
Captivated the Man and his Wife, and assassinated the chil-
dren;
whereof one who had an Hatchet struck into his Skull,
and was left
for dead, was strangely recovered. The
Woman
had Lain in
about Eight Days. They drag'd her out,
and tied
her to a Post,
until the House was rifled. They then
loosed her,
and bid her
walk. She could not stir. By the help of a Stick
she got half
a step forward. She look'd up to
God. On the
sudden a new
strength entred into her. She travelled
that very
Day Twenty
Miles a Foot: She was up to the Neck in
Water
six times
that very Day in passing of Rivers. At
night she fell
over head
and ears, into a
got out
alive. She got not the least Cough nor
Cold by all this:
She is come
home alive unto us.
Many more such Instances might be
mentioned. We will
supersede
them all, with a Relation of what befel Mrs. Bradley
of
Haverly. Ab una Disce omnes.
This Vertuous Woman had been formerly for
Two Years
together a
Captive in the Hands of the Barbarous Indians; a
subject of
wondrous Afflictions, of Wondrous Deliverances.
Her Husband
at length found her out, and fetch'd her home, and
their Family
went on happily for six years together after it. But
the Clouds
return after the Rain.
On February 6, 1703-4, She with her
Sister, and a Maid or
two, and
some Children, (a Man being also in the Room) were
talking
about the Indians, and behold, one of the Fierce Tawnies
a looked in,
with a Gun ready to Fire upon them. The English-
man pull'd him in, and got him down, and Mrs.
Bradly took the
opportunity
to pour a good quantity of scalding Soap, (which
was then
boyling over the Fire) upon him, whereby he was kill'd
immediately. Another of the Tawnies follow'd at the Heels
of
his [34]
Brother, who stabb'd the Englishman to the Heart.
Unto him she
dispenfed also a quantity of her Sope, which not
killing him,
she with the other Women and Children ran into the
Chamber. The House was fired by the Indians, and Mrs. Bradly
with her
Companions found it necessary to retire behind the
60* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
House. One of the Women fell into the Hands of the
Indians;
and they
that remained were Mrs. Bradly and her Sister; each
of them
having a Child of Mrs. Bradlies with her. The Sister
was
discerned by the Indians, who commanded her to come out
unto them,
and threatned that they would else cut her to pieces.
Mrs. Bradly
very generously bid her sit still, and wait for a better
time to
escape; and offered her, that inasmuch as the Indians
knew of but
one there, she would be that one, and go out in her
stead. She did so, and thereby her obliged Sister
and the Child
with her
were preserved; but Mrs. Bradly was no sooner come
to the
Salvages, but they employ'd a Head-breaker on the Child
that she
brought unto them.
She was not entred into a Second
Captivity; but she had the
great
Encumbrance of being Big with Child, and within Six
Weeks of her
Time! After about an Hours Rest, wherein
they
made her put
on Snow Shoes, which to manage, requires more
than
ordinary agility, she travelled with her Tawny Guardians all
that night,
and the next day until Ten a Clock, associated with
one Woman
more who had been brought to Bed but just one
Week before:
Here they Refreshed themselves a little, and then
travelled on
till Night; when they had no Refreshment given
them, nor
had they any, till after their having Travelled all the
Forenoon of
the day Ensuing; and then too, whatever she took,
she did
thro' Sickness throw it up again.
She underwent incredible Hardships and
Famine: A Mooses
Hide, as
tough as you may Suppose it, was the best and most of
her
Diet. In one and twenty days they came
to their Head-
Quarters,
where they stayed a Fortnight. But then
her Snow-
shoes were
taken from her; and yet she must go every step above
the Knee in
Snow, with such weariness, that her Soul often
Pray'd, That
the Lord would put an end unto her weary Life!
until they
came to another Place, where they stay'd for three
Weeks
together.
[ 35 ] Here in the Night, she found
herself ill, and having the
help of only
one Woman, who got a little Hemlock to lay about
her, and
with a few sticks made shift to blow up a little Fire, she
was in half
an Hour Delivered of the Infant, that she had
hitherto
gone withal. There she lay till the next
Night, with
none but the
Snow under her, and the Heaven over her; in a
misty and
rainy season. She sent then unto a
French Priest,
that he
would speak unto her Squa Mistress, who then, without
condescending
to look upon her, allow'd her a little Birch-Rind,
to cover her
Head from the Injuries of the Weather, and a little
bit of dried
Moose, which being boiled, she drunk the Broth, and
gave it unto
the Child.
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
NEW ENGLAND. 61*
In a Fortnight she was called upon to
Travel again, with her
Child in her
Arms: every now and then, a whole day together,
without the
least Morsel of any Food, and when she had any, she
fed only on
Ground-nuts and Wild-onions, and Lilly-roots.
By the
last of May,
they arrived at Cowesick, where they Planted their
Corn;
wherein she was put unto a hard Task, so that the Child
extreamly
Suffered. The Salvages would sometimes
also please
themselves,
with casting hot Embers into the Mouth of the
Child, which
would render the Mouth so sore, that it could not
Suck for a
long while together. So that it Starv'd
and Dy'd.
There they staid until they Wed their
Corn, but then some of
our
Friend-Indians coming on them, kill'd Seven of them, whereat
away they
fled for
more. But they made a Forty-Days Ramble of it,
before they
reach'd
thither, in which, if at any time, her Heart began to
faint, her
Mistress would be ready to strike the Mortal Hatchet
into her
Head.
[36] The French being thought
more Civil to the English than to
the Indians,
her Mistress thereat Provoked, resolved, that she would
never Sell
her to the French. AccordIng she
kept her a Twelve-
month with
her, in her Squalid Wigwam.
Where, in the following
Winter, she
fell sick of a Feavour; but in the very heighth and
heat of her
Paroxysms, her Mistress would compel her sometimes
to Spend a
Winters-night, which is there a very bitter one, abroad
in all the
bitter Frost and Snow of the Climate.
She recovered;
but Four
Indians died of the Feavour, and at length her Mistress
also. Another Squa then pretended an Heirship unto
her, with
whom she
lived, and saw many more strange Deliverances.
They
had the
Small Pox m the Family; but she never had it.
She
was made to
pass the River on the Ice, when every step she took,
she might
have struck through it if she pleased.
Many more
such
Preservations might come into her Story.
At Last, there came to the sight of her a
Priest from Quebeck,
who had
known her in her former Captivity at Naridgowock.
He was very
Civil to Her, and made the Indians Sell her to a
French
Family, for Fourscore Livers, where tho' she wrought
hard, she
Lived more comfortablyand contented.
She poured out her continual
Supplications to Heaven; Some-
times Two or
Three of her own Sex, would by Stealth, come to
joyn with
her in Supplications to the Glorious LORD.
She had
her Mind
often Irradiated with Strong Perswasions and Assur-
ances, that
she should yet See the Goodness of God, in this Land
of the
Living. Her tender and Loving Husband,
accompanied
Mr. Sheldon,
in his Last Expedition. He found her
out, and
fetch'd her
home, a Second time; She arriv'd with those of the
62* A
MEMORIAL OF THE
PRESENT
Last Return
from the Captivity; and affectionately calls upon
her Friends,
O magnifie the LORD with me, and let us Exalt
his Name
together.
[37] Because of its having some Affinity
with the foregoing
Relations,
and that we may at once discharge ourselves of what
we can
relate concerning our Captives, we will proceed with a
Coppy of a
Letter sent unto one of the Ministers in
[38]
A Letter from a Captive at Port-Royal.
Sept. 18. 1703.
'Reverend Sir,
'THE
Occasion of my now writing to you is because I lye
'under a Vow
and Promise to the Great and Almighty
'God, to
declare and make known his Wonderful Goodness and
'Mercy to
me, and likewise to have His Name Blessed and
'Praised in
your Congregation on my Behalf. I shall briefly
'Inform you.
'Being taken a Prisoner sometime last January
by the French:
'in going to
Port-Royal we met with very Tempestuous Weather,
'and were
fast in an Harbour near
'Frenchmen
had Orders from their Captain to take me with
'them, and
go to Port-Royal by Land. They
took with them
'but little
Bread; and we Travelled one Night in the Woods in
'a miserable
Condition. I had myself no Shoes or
Stockings,
'but a piece
of Skin wrapt about my Feet; and the Snow being
'very deep,
we could not Travel, being Weak for want of Pro-
'vision, and
lost in the Woods, not knowing which way to go.
[ 39 ] ' One of the Frenchmen
Loaded his Gun, and Presented
'at me,
telling me, That it was impossible to find Port-Royal, I
'must Dye,
and they must Eat me. Then I begged Leave to
'Pray unto
God, before he Kill'd me, and he Granted it.
As I
'was at
Prayer, it struck into my Mind, That I had formerly
'heard
yourself declare in your Pulpit, what Great and Wonder-
'ful Things
hath been done by Prayer; particularly, That it had
'stopped the
Mouths of Lions, and that it had Quenched the Vio-
DEPLORABLE STATE OF
'lence of
the Fire. So I earnestly begged of God, that he would
'manifest
his great Power to me, by turning the Hearts of those
'that were
about to take away my Life.
' The Words were no sooner out of my
Mouth, but the French-
'man seeming to have Tears in his Eyes, bid me
rise up; he
'would try
one Day longer. And he bid me go and get
Wood for
a Fire. It presently grew Dark; and then I made an
Escape
'from them,
and hid myself in the Woods, until the next Day
'that they
were gone; and then I found the way out of the
'Woods, unto
the Water-side, where I got Clams.
'These French-men found the way to
Port-royal, and there
told what
they had done. The Governour put them in
Prison,
'and rent
out Two Men, and Charged them not to return, until
'they had
found me, Dead or Alive. In Four Days
after these
'Frenchmen left me, they found me Alive, and brought
me Pro-
vision, and
a Pair of Shoes, and carried-me to Port-royal.
[ 40 ] ' These and many other Favours have
I received from
'my Good God
in the time of my Imprisonment; Blessed and
for ever
Praised be his Holy Name for it. Pray,
Sit, give me
Directions
what I shall do for the Great and Good GOD.
W.C.
[41]
OUR Eastern
Indians had no sooner, with all possible Assur-
ance renewed
their League of Peace with us, but being
moved by the
Instigation of the French, they Persidiously and
Barbarously
Surprised Seven more of our naked and secure Plan-
tations; and
coming at once into the scattered Families, they did,
on August
10-11, 1703: Reward the Hospitable Civilities that
were shown
them, with the Murder of above Seventy English
People, and
the Captivity of near an Hundred. Upon
this there
Ensued
Lesser Depredations, and Captivations, as the Treacher-
ous Enemy
found
About half a year after there Calamities
thus begun on the
Eastern Parts of the Country, the Western
had a taste of the same
Cup given to
them. On Feb. 29, 1703- 4. An Army consisting,
as it was
judg'd, of about 400 French and Indians, made a Descent
upon the
little town of
ment on Connecticut-River,
which had long been a watchful and
64* DEPLORABLE STATE
OF
an useful
Barrier for the rest of the Plantations in the Neigh-
bourhood.
They Surprised the Place about an Hour or
Two before Break
of Day, and
in a little time, not without Loss to themselves,
Butchered
and Captivated above 150 of the People.
Mr. John Williams, the Worthy
Minister of that Pious and
Holy Flock,
was carried into Captivity, with Five of his Chil-
dren; two of
which were Slain; and his Desirable Consort
beginning to
Faint at about a Dozen Miles of the doleful Jour-
ney, they
there, like themselves, cruelly Murdered her, and left
her for the
Funeral which her Friends afterwards bestow'd on
her. Before they reach'd unto Mont Real, a
Journey dispatch'd
by the
Parcels now divided in Twenty Days, more or less, near
Twenty more
of-the Captives lost their Lives; for the manner
was, that if
any found themselves not able to Travel thro' the
Deep Snows
now on the Ground, the Salvages would strike their
Hatchets
into their Heads, and there leave them weltring in
their Blood.
FINIS.
A
Modest Enquiry
INTO
THE
Grounds and Occafions of a Late
P A M P H L E T,
IN TITULED,
A
MEMORIAL
OF THE
Present Deplorable
State
OF
New-
By
a Disinterested Hand.
Printed
in the Year, 1707.
[ I ]
A Modest Enquiry into the
Grounds, &c.
A Pamphlet
call'd, The Memorial of the Present Deplorable
State of NEW
England, having
been received in Town
with various
Opinions, according to the different Inter-
ests, or
capacities of its Readers; Curiosity led me to
look into
it: And first beginning with the
Title-Page,* I find it
made up (as
the Author calls it) of several Original Papers Let-
ters and
Manuscripts, Printed in the year MDCCVII, and Sold
by S. Philips &c. Booksellers in
appear'd in
Town about the Tenth of July last: upon which
finding Mr Cally's
! Affidavit was made the second of June l707
Mr
Partridge's on the Twenty-first of the same Month and Year
(both which
are there Printed) and having seen this Memorial
about the
middle of July following, which does not give a
Months time
for the sending it to NEW ENGLAND, Printing
it there,
and returning it again,) I could not help concluding,
that no
manner of credit ought to be given to it, upon the single
reputation
of the Author. However to act
impartially, I begin
with his
first Page, extolling the former happy state of the Prov-
ince in the Charter they enjoy'd before
the Revolution : + which
sufficiently
shews how they regard the Charter they now have;
and
consequently what an Opinion they retain not only of that
Power that
took from them their Old Charter, but also of K.
William, who was too wise, to return them their Idol,
which he
knew had
been often affrontingly us'd in preceding Reigns. I
know not
what the Author means by the unhappy, or rather
happy reign
of the late K. J. so will
leave it to be explain'd by
himself as
it shall hereafter serve his turn. §
NOW comes a heavy Charge against the late
Governour Sir
Edmond
Andross, made up of
falsity and nonsence; these are his
words, We
shall not recriminate here the mismanagement of the
then
Governour Sir Edmond
Andross, since that Gentleman is
NOW in a
future state. || Which obliges me to give a short
account of
the Revolution in NEW ENGLAND.
The first account of the Revolution in
ENGLAND, came to
NEW ENGLAND
by Merchants Letters from Barbadoes; upon
which the
People (without any regard to Authority) confin'd the
Governour
Sir E. Andros, and Col. Dudley the present Govern-
our; and
would by no means listen to the wholesome advice that
was given
[2] by the Governour, to maintain the Peace of the
*
Title-Page. ! Pag. 16. Pag. 25. +
Pag. I. Lin. 2.
§ Pag. I. Lin. 13. || Pag. 2. Lin. I.
68* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
Province; and let all things remain upon the fame
foot they were,
till they had
a more authentick account, and also Orders from
England; to which the Governour declar'd himself
most willing
to
conform. These just Arguments could not
prevail, they had
got the
Government into their own hands; they had formerly
been told by
Hugh Peters, and some such Pastors, that Dominion
is founded
in Grace; and
knowing themselves to be the elect
people of
God, they
resolved to perfect what they had began;
so over
these two Gentlemen are sent Prisoners, who upon a full
hearing
before His .Majesty K. WILLIAM in Councel (to the
mortification
of their Accusers) are Honourably acquited.
In
consideration
of whose faithful Services, and severe Usage, Sir
E. Andross was made by K. WILLIAM Governour of Virginia,
&c, and Col.
Dudley Lieutenant-Governour of the Isle of Wight
since which
Her present Majesty as a Demonstration of the same
good opinion
of Col. Dudley was pleas'd to let his Commission
for
Governour of New-England, be one of the first Acts of her
Reign; and
also very lately to constitute Sir E. Andross's Lieu-
tenant-Governour
of Guernsey; Happy in Her
Majesty's Favour
and good
Esteem of him; Honour'd by the Inhabitants of the
Island, who
wonderfully admire Her Majesties Choice; and blest
with a
considerable Estate, the due reward of his long Ser-vice
and Merit; this is Sir Edmond Andross's present
state, his NOW
future state is to me incomprehensible.
The Legend of Accusations that make up
almost two Pages,
and are laid
down with so much Acrimony against the present
Governour's proceedings, when President of the
Council of New
when Urged
before Her Majesty in Council; I shall only make
this remark
that K. William the Restorer of our Liberties, would
never have
distinguish'd this Gentleman by his Favours, had not
his
Innocency been clearly prov'd, not only from his Accusation at
the
beginning of the Revolution, but also from the Memorial de-
liver'd in
against him by Sir H. A. when K. William had ap-
pointed him
Governour of New England, which Memorial as it
put the
Governour to a large Expense, it was also attended with
the
happiness of her Present Majesty's giving her Sanction, to
what K.
William so Judiciously began.
THUS have I done with the Preamble, and
am now come to
the Memorial
it self, drawn up in Nine Articles, each of which I
in- [3] tend
to speak to separately; but can't do it in any regu-
lar method;
part of some Articles being necessary to explain
others. Therefore I have incerted it Verbatim,
that the Reader
comparing
the Answer with the Memorial, may be better able to
judge of the
Validity of the Accusation.
A MODEST ENQUIRY,
ETC. 69*
The MEMORIAL.
" FIRST
in the year 1705, the Governour sent his Son Wil-
" liam
Dudley with
Captain Vetch, to
" tence
of Redeeming Captives; but brought very few back to
"
"
leaving the Principal of the said Captives behind, to give them
"
occasion of going again, that they might have a Pretence to
"
colour their Treacherous Design of Trading, as appears by the
" said Vetch's
acknowledgment of going to settle a Correspondence
" with
the Enemy, and carrying a Cargo out with him of 800 l.
" which
according to their disposal; might amount to near 3000 l.
" as
particularly Shot, which was sold at 13 Sous per Pound;
"
whereof they carried a considerable Quantity; also Rigging,
"
Pitch, Iron and other Necessaries, fit for supplying the Indians
" and French;
and this done under a Colour of the said Vetch's
" going
to get in a Debt due to him from the French of 800 l.
" with
the Governour's Approbation.
Secondly. "For setling a Correspondency with the French
"
Governour at Port Royal, for Exchange of Prisoners; whereas
" it
was indeed only a Cover for an Illegal Trade; when at the
" same
time the French there, were drove to such extream Hard-
"
ships, for want of Ammunition, Provision, &c, that most of their
"
Principal People, were forced to go out a Privateering on our
"
Coasts, who were afterwards taken and brought into BOSTON;
"
particularly one Battis, a Man of great Note and Service among
" the
Enemy, who had been a Barbarous, Murdering Fellow to
" the English. He with all the other French Prisoners
were sent
" to Canada
and Port-Royal, and Discharged; but great part of
" our
People that were Prisoners, were left behind at the same
" time,
and that because our Governour had been false in his
"
promise to the French Governour, who had restrain'd the In-
"dians
from disturbing our Fishery, and indeed [4] would not
" allow
them any Ammunition for a considerable time, till our
"
Governour taking the opportunity of the Indians, great Want,
"
countenanced a Trade with them, and supply'd them by the
"
Vessels that were rent as Transports (as aforesaid) to fetch
"
Prisoners; when at the same time they were made Vessels of
"
Merchandize, as appears by the Indian Traders on their Trial.
Thirdly. "The Country are at a Vast Charge, in
maintaining
" an
Army yearly, to march several Hundred Miles up into the
"
Country, to destroy the Indians Corn, the better to disinable
" them
to subsist; for they have been so reduced (as by Informa-
70* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
" tion
of the Captives) that a great part of them would perish
" for
want, were it not for the supply they had from the said
" Indian
Traders; who particularly, sold about Eight Quarts of
" Indian
Corn, for one large Beaver-skin; which Trade has been
" all
along countenanced by the Governour, which sufficiently
"
appears by his being always unwilling the Prisoners taken in
" that
Trade should be Fined, or Punished, even owned by Vetch,
" as in
his Petition more at large is fet forth.
Fourthly. " The Country was
at a great Expense in Erecting
" a
Fortification at Casco-Bay, and maintaining a number of Sol-
" diers
for securing the same, thereby to suppress the Enemy, and
" keep
sure Footing in that part of the Country; and the Gov-
" ernour
through some design or neglect, did suffer those Soldiers
" to
remain there without any Commission-Officer, to the great
"
dissatisfaction and dread to the Soldiers; Insomuch that they
"
declared to Captain Cally (a Member of the Assembly at Boston)
" that
when the Enemy came upon them, they would surrender
" the
Fort, and dare not resist for want of a Commission. Then
"
Captain Cally made Application to the Assembly, which he
" found
fitting when he came to Boston, and they represented to
" the Governour,
that speedy care might be taken, that some
"
Person might be Commissionated to Command that Fort, which
" with
a great deal of difficulty was at last Obtained.
Fifthly. "And further as to the Governour's
Countenancing
" this
Private and Illegal Trade, the Country has been at vast
"
Expence, occasion'd thereby; insomuch that at one Sessions the
" last
Summer the Assembly were forc'd to raise 33000 Pounds,
" for
supporting, and maintaining the Charge they were put to,
" by
the Enemy's Invasions, after they had a Supply; that
"
whereas if things [5] were rightly managed, and the Enemy
" kept
back for want of those Supplys, one third part of the said
" Sum
might have answered the End. The Indians
that were
"
supply'd by Those Traders, are the only People that destroy'd
" our
Eastern parts, the Fishery, and the Coast of Accady, and
" also
the very same that were at destroying of Newfound-land,
"
particularly one Escombuet, a Principal Commander among them,
" who
is generally one that Heads the Indians, when they come
" to
Destroy the English in New England.
Sixthly. "The Governour with his Son Paul,
not being con-
" tent
with what Money they come fairly by, and over-greedy of
" Gain,
are very Screwing and Exacting upon the People, par-
"
ticularly upon sundry Inhabitants, taking away their Priviledge
" in
catching of Whales a Priviledge they have enjoy many
" Years
before; that is (under the pretence of Drift-Fish;) what
"
Whales are taken by Her Majesty's Subjects, he takes from
A MODEST
ENQUIRY, ETC. 71*
"them
by Force, not giving them the liberty of a Trial at Com-
" mon
Law, but for his own Ends decides the matter in the
"
Admiralty, where his Son Paul is the Queen's Attorny and
"
Advocate, thereby Encroaching the whole to themselves, a
" thing
never heard of before, and very much to the Prejudice
" of
Her Majesty's good Subjects there, and that without
"
Remedy.
Seventhly. " As to the
Address the Governour obtain'd, pre-
"
tended to come over from the General Assembly at Boston in
" his
favour, for his Continuance, it was no more than what he
"
Clandestinely procured, by sending to his Particular Friends;
" such
who being either Related to him, or bore Commissions
"
under, him, dare not deny his Request, and was never approved
" nor
allowed of by the Assembly; but on the contrary had not
" the
Majority of the Country waited in expectation of her
"
Majesty's favour, in sending another Governour, they would
"
largely have signify'd their Resentments and Dissatisfaction, in
" the
Administration of Dudley's Government.
Eighthly. " While the Great
and General Assembly at Boston
" were
Sitting, there arrived a Flag of Truce from Canada, with
" a
haughty demand of the Governour, for all the French Prison-
" ers;
charging of him with breach of Promise, which was the
"
occasion of the French Governours not sending several of the
"
Prisoners, particularly a Minister that was taken Captive at
" Derefield,
detain'd [6] by the French, who might have been
"
discharg'd with sundry others.
Ninthly. "The Lower House
mistrusting the French Flag of
" Truce
coming upon a Trading Design, as well as for the Prison-
" ers,
order the Flag of Truce to be diligently searched, who
" found
on Board their Vessel sundry New Arms and Ammuni-
" tion
hid in private places, particularly New Bullets hid among
"
Pease, and yet denied by the Commander, who was an English
"
Renegade, which Ammunition being brought before the Assem-
" bly,
were generally concluded to be Bought in Boston, where-
" upon
the Governour interposing, the matter was hushed up and
"
conniv'd at, to the great dissatisfaction of the Assembly and
"
Country in General.
The First and Second
Articles are mostly concerning the affair
of the
private Trade, which shall not be medled with by me, it
lying at
present before Her Majesty undetermin'd; but if any
Persons are
curious to know that matter, I presume that Mr
Phips Agent for that Country will fully
satisfie them, if they are
not
perversely bent against whatever makes out the Governour's
Innocency. The Gentlemen that carried on that Trade, was
so
72* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
far from
finding, any Favour from the Governour, (which they
might have
assur'd themselves of, if he had had any concern with
them) that
the Extremity of the Laws of New England were put
in force
against them, and a heavy Sentence passed upon them,
from which
Sentence they Appeal'd to Her Majesty, who refer'd
them to the Lords
Commissioners for Trade, where the cause was
argued in
the behalf of the Petitioners, by that Learned and Ju-
dicious
Lawyer, Mr West
so much to the satisfaction of the Lords
Commissioners,
that a Report was made in their favour.
Upon
which Her
Majesty in Councel, was graciously pleas'd to order all
the Acts
and Proceedings against them to be Repeal'd, and de-
clar'd null
and void.
The Third Article Deplores the miserable
state of the Country
in the vast
Charge they are at by defending themselves against
the Indians. Much can't be said upon this occasion, for as
War
in all
Countries is attended with Expense, it is not to be expected
New England can be wholly exempted from it, but
whoever will
consider the
largeness of the Country to be defended, (the Fron-
tier being
more than 200 Miles) and the number of the Enemys
to encounter
with, must admire the Excellency of the Governours
Administration;
that so much is done with so little Expence,
either of
Blood or Treasure.
[7] The Fortifications at
Article was
repair'd and made Tenable by the present Governour,
who took
care to keep a good Garrison in it, for the Defence of
the Country
on that side; formerly Coll. March afterwards Capt.
Moody commanding in it. How it came to be without a Com-
mission
Officer, or whether it was; so (as this Gentleman complains)
I can't find
upon the strictest enquiry, neither am I obliged to
believe it;
but admitting it; several occasions, as marching out
with a
Detachment, or the like, are not only Justifiable but
necessary. The Summ of this heavy Charge is, that upon
the
first notice
that an Officer was wanting, the Governour sent one,
and the Fort
is still in the possession of the Government.
Either
the Garrison
(admitting they had no Commission Officer) must be
ignorant of Military
Discipline, or inclin'd to Mutiny; otherwise
they ought
to have submitted to the command of a Serjeant,
whose Halberd
was a sufficient Authority for such a Command
upon any Emergency.
The Fifth Article tells you the
Summ that was given last Year
for
supporting the Expenses of the War &c, which the Third
Article
makes very heavy, but does not name. And
here it is
done so
obliquely, that the Author would endeavour to insinuate,
as though
the Summ of 33000 l. was raised more than once last
Year; which
if it had been, he would have told you in plain
A MODEST ENQUIRY,
ETC. 73*
words. If I will believe that so much was given as
above men-
tion'd, 'tis
intirely upon the reputation of the Author, who in
some cases
ought to produce Testimonials. But
admitting it;
consider
what is to be done with it, and the Wonder will be on
the other
side. 33000 l. New England Money,
deducting the
Discount, is
reduced to less than 22000 l. Sterling.
Any Man
that
considers the pay of the Army which consists of 1900 Men;
Maintaining
the Garrisons, Providing Magazeens, The constant
Charge of
the Province Gally, The accidental occasions of hiring
Transport
Ships, together
with the other Incidentals that must
necessarely
accrue; will rather admire how so small a Summ could
answer such
large and expensive Occasions. I am
fearful the
Governour
whose Sallery comes also out of the above mentioned
Summ, is
able to speak fealingly of the frugality of the Country.
If less
Summs had done under preceeding Governours in time
of War, our
Author would not have fail'd letting the World know
it. I acknowledge some damage has been formerly
done in the
Eastern
Parts of New England by the Indians, and that Escom-
buet did command those Indians, who in
conjunction with the
[8] French
made the Descent upon Newfound-Land, and be it
also
remembr'd to the Honour of the Governour, that this very
Escombuet
upon his drawing off from the Fort at Newfound-Land,
released
several English Captives, upon promise that all endeav-
ours should
be us'd at the British Court, for removing Coll.
Dudley from
the Government of New England.
That an Indian
who is a
profess'd Enemy to the English American Settlements,
and these
Gentlemen, should Joyntly endeavour the removal of the
Governour,
is worth observing, I shall only make this remark on
it, that as Escombuet
used formerly to make those Devastations in
New England, which by the Wisdom and Vigilance
of the Gover-
nour are now
Prevented, so these Gentlemen (he being kept at a
distance)
are less capable to carryon any affairs with him, if they
are so
inclined.
The Sixth Article contains a very
Grevious Accusation against
the
Governour and his Son, and if the Facts were true, might
demand
Justice, but as it is, it serves only to demonstrate the
Innocency of
the Governour, and the Malice of the Accusers.
They say he
Decides the Priviledge of Whale Fishing, claim'd by
the People, and yet that it is Decided in the
Admiralty; when all
the World
must know, that the Governour if he has any Interest
in any of
the Courts of Justice, it must be in the Common Law
Courts, and
not in the Admiralty, where the Judge has an Inde-
pendant Commission from England, and no
manner dependency
upon the
Governour. As for Mr. Paul Dudley's
being Advocate,
let Coll. B--ld
the Judge clear himself if he be any ways byass'd
thereby. But it must be allowed far more probable,
that the same
Mr. Paul
Dudley, as the Queen's Attorney General, and the de-
74* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
pendance of
the Courts upon the Governor, could much better
Byass any
other Court than that; so that nothing can better
demonstrate
the Governours innocency, than bringing forth
Groundless
matters in charge against him. If any
Encroach-
ments have
been made upon the People by the Court of Admi-
ralty, let
the Judge answer it; but whether it be so or not this
Article (as
the others) is an abuse upon the Governour.
How it hapened that no Address from the
General Assembly
at Boston
was presented to Her Majesty, by the return of the last
Fleet I know
not; but am certain that the Honourable the As-
sembly are
little beholden to this Author for the Reasons by him
given in the
Seventh Article, so many occasions calling for one;
as
Congratulating Her Majesty upon the Great and Glorious
[9]
Successes of the preceding Year, a Gratefull tender of their
Allegiance
and Duty to Her Majesty, &c. which makes me con-
clude that
some Occasions have interven'd, betides what this
Memorialist
has given. 'Tis wonderful that this
Honourable
Body are
full of Resentments, and Dissatisfaction in the Admin-
istration of
Coll. Dudley,
and yet not write one word of Complaint
against him,
and the Reason that is given is yet more remark-
able,
Viz. They expected Her Majesty would
send another. If the
Governour's
Administration is or has been oppressive, the Assem-
bly are
Deficient in their Duty to Her Majesty, in not making
their Complaints,
as on the contrary to the Governour, in not
giving him
his due praise if merited. The four
Addreisses an-
nex'd to
this, as they recommend the Governour to Her Majesty,
worthy the
Station She has been pleas'd to Honour him with,
and
unanimously beg Her Gracious Continuance of him, so I
must
conclude the delay of an Address from the Assembly, has
not been
thus long retarded by any dissatisfaction to the Gov-
ernour, but
however will not take upon me to be their Advocate
for such a
surprising omission. Having no manner of
reason to
suspect that
the Honourable Assembly have less regard for the
Governour
now, than they had when they presented their last
Address to
Her Majesty, I have also annexed that with the
others.
As to the Eighth Article; upon the
coming of the Flag of
Truce, there
was a general Exchange of Prisoners, when unhap-
pily five or
Six Children were got amongst the more distant In-
dians, so could not be exchang'd so early as
the others, but were
included in
the Article. The Minister taken at Derefield
was
the Reverend
Mr Williams, who also was exchang'd at the same
time with
the other Prisoners, but by a Particular Agreement,
which
obliges me to explain the Story of Battis mention'd in the
Second
Article. This Man after he was taken
Prisoner, was
accused of
several Murders, but no sufficient proof being made
A MODEST ENQUIRY,
ETC. 75*
out against
him, he remained a Prisoner of War; the Governour
who knew him
to be an acceptable Leader amongst the Indians,
not being
willing to part with him though often demanded; till
understanding
that the Reverend Mr Williams could have his
Enlargement
upon no other terms; the Governour in respect to
Mr Williams
submitted to it. This Author that
accuses the
Governour,
for discharging Battis, and at the same time deplores
the hard
Fate of Mr Williams's Captivity, could not be ignorant
of the
Return of Mr Williams, as well as of Mr Battis's Dis-
charge.
[ 10] The Ninth Article as it commends the
Vigilancy of the
Assembly, so
it no ways concerns the Governour, but because
the Reader
may think the Arms and New Bullets that were
found in the
French Ship of Truce, were sufficient to Arm the
whole French
Settlement, take the account as it is.
Upon a
Suspition
that some Clandestine Trade was managed by this
Truce Ship,
the Assembly Deputed some of their Own Body to
search the
Ship, who found in it Five Fuzee's, which they brought
with them,
and fifteen Pounds of Small-shot; enough to shoot a
few Sea
Fowle in their return, (as indeed that was the true mean-
ing) but not
to annoy an Enemy, or defend themselves.
The
Governour's
interposing and getting the matter hush'd up to the
dissatisfaction
of the Assembly, and Country in general, as this
Memorialist
says, is trifling, and needs no other Reply but
Laughter.
I would willingly have omitted reciting
any other parts of this
Pamphlet,
the Author having, as he says, including in the Pre-
ceeding Nine
Articles, all the * Modern Mismanagements of the
Governour,
and also the Particular Grievances that afflict the
Province:
But a little afterwards he tells you that out of the
! Vaste
number of Letters of Complaints that are come over
against the
Governour, the TWO that he has Publish'd are Emi-
nently
distinguishable; the first for the + Character of the Gen-
tleman that
writ it, who is a Great Blessing to his Native Country.
The other
for the || Shortness, Plainness, and Veracity.
There-
fore I
rather submit to let them have a place here, than leave it
to any
Prejudiced Person to say that Partiality Curtail'd such
material
Evidences.
* Pag. 3. Lin. 19. +
P. 10. Lin, 19.
! P. 10. Lin. 24. || P.10. Lin. 26.
76* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
Boston. New England, Octob. 2d, 1706.
SIR ,
IN AS MUCH
as you have expected from me, a true and brief
Representation
of several Matters relating to this Provence, I
shall with
all possible faithfulness endeavour it.
Our present
Governour is
not without a number of those whom he has by Pro-
motions and
Flateries made his Friends; but this hinders not a
much more
cosiderable Number, from wishing that we had a
Governour
who would put [II] an end unto the horrid Reign
of Bribery
zon our Administration, and who would not infinitely
incommode
her Majesty's Service, by keeping the People in con-
tinual
jealousies of his Plots upon their most Valuable Interests.
What the disposition of the People towards
him is, you may
guest by
this. There was lately prepar'd an
Address from hence
to the Queen,
upon many Important Articles, but by certain Arts
there was
got into it a Clause, to desire of the Queen, that this
Governour
might be continued; the Representatives Voted all the
rest of the
Address, but this Clause was absolutely rejected; they
could not
get above five or siz Votes for it, so the whole Address
(which was
Contrived by a Party for nothing but that Clause) fell
to the
Ground.
There happened lately a Number of
Persons, namely, Bouland,
Vetch,
Rouse, Lawson, Philips, and Cauplin, to be taken managing
an unlawful
Trade with the French and Indians, the Commodi-
ties wherein
they Traded were such, that the Act of Parliament
made their
Crime to be High Treason; and we had no Act of the
Province
relating to that Matter, but was defectively exprest
Our Merciful
Assembly was mighty loath to proceed unto so severe
a Judgment
as that of Death upon these Offenders.
The Offen-
ders
Petitioning for it, the General Assembly were (very much by
the
Governour's Influence) drawn into it, to take the Tryal of them
into their
own hands; and as only Guilty of an High Misde-
meanour, the
Vote for it was obtain'd in a Thin House, upon a
hurry at
Breaking up, and some Clauses in the Charter were so
construed as
to Countenance it. Upon their coming
together again,
they would
fain have revoked their Votes, as fearing that the
very Persons
who had been their Tempters into it, would turn their
Accusers,
and improve it by way of Complaint, for the Enemies
of our
Charter to work upon; but the Governour would by no
means permit
the Revocation of that wrong step, (if it were one) so
the Tryal
proceeded, and the Offenders were Fined in several
Sums, by an
Act of the Governour and Assembly.
It is now
said that the Ingrateful Men who were saved from
the Gallows,
by the Tenderness of the Government, are now cutting
A MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC. 77*
our Throats,
and Petition home against the Government, for Fining
them instead
of Hanging them; yea it is also laid, that the very
Person who
was the chief cause of drawing the Assembly into this
Extraordinary
Proceeding, intends to make an ill use of it against
the Country;
If you are sensible of any things of this nature car-
rying on, we
[12] pray you to add unto the rest of your Offices,
that of an
Intercession, that an harm left People, surpriz'd into an
error, may
not be punish'd any otherwise, than by the removal of
such as have
been the cause of it; and so much for that.
Sir, You would do a vaste Service to the
Crown, if you would
set forward
the Designs of reducing Canada, and Possessing Nova
Scotia, a
much left Fleet than what Annually goes into the Indies,
coming early
enough in the Spring, may easily do the former, even
in the way
thither; and a Scotch Colony might be of good Conse-
quence to do
the latter; but if any assistance from New England
should be
expelled in this matter, it is of absolute necessity that the
Country have
a Governour whom the People may somewhat rely
upon.
Sir, You are born to do the Queen and the
Nation Service; you
are spirited
for great Undertakings, you are highly beloved and
esteemed
among our People in this Land, and wherever you have
come; 'tis
wished you may do some considerable Action in this
Affair.
I have earnestly solicited to Address one
of the Most Illustrious
Patriots of
the English Nation, my Lord High Treasurer, wtih
some of
these Intimations. That Noble Person is
known to be
such a
Patron to all Good Men, and such a Defence of Oppressed
Innocence
and Liberties, that we all fly to him as our Unquestion-
able Refuge,
I am well satisfy'd there would need nothing (to
speak
Humanely) to make this Country easie and happy, but for
the
Excellent Person to have an exact Representation of our Cir-
cumstances;
nothing hinders me from attempting it, but the
hazard of
doing what may be thought a Prisumption in one so
much a
stranger to him: Nevertheless I am
desired by some Con-
siderable
Persons to move you, that you would wait upon his
Lordship,
and fully acquaint him with the Matters now laid
before you.
May the Almighty prosper you,
I am Sir,
Your Obliged Servant &c,
[13 ] Postscript,
Sir, I may inform you of one Action
lately done among us,
which I know
you will be pleas'd withal: Upon the
advice of the
78* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
Extream
Distrest, whereto the French Invasion had brought St.
Christophers,
and Nevis; the People of New England in a most
Christian
manner, express'd. their Charity towards those, who per-
haps would
have hardly done the like for them on a like occasion.
We made a
Collection for the Relief of their Nececsities, the Col-
lection was
I am told, between Seven
and eight hundred Pounds,
in this
Collection there were two Churches in Boston, the South
and the North, one gave somewhat above a 100 1.
the other gave a
little under
it. Certainly a Country so ready to
serve her Majesty,
and to help
their fellow Subjects, ought to have a room in the
thoughts of
all Good Men in the English
Nation.
The Reverend Mr C. M. Author of the
foregoing Letter has
gain'd fo
much upon the blind Obedience of the Inferiour fort of
People in New
England, by his seeming Sanctity, and has so
insinuated
himself into the opinion of some of good Credit here,
under the
notion of a Patriot, that in order to let them see the
Man; it becomes necessary to say a few words
of him in General,
and of this
Letter in Particular. He begins with
promises of
all Possible
Faithfulness in his Relation, and then tells you that
the Friends
of the Governours, by Promotion or Flattery, are
made so
numerous, that one might naturally conclude he must
carry
whatever he proposes; those that oppose the Governours
Proceedings
having as he intimates no other power than Wishes,
whereas in
the second Paragraph the Scene is quite chang'd; for
an Address
being prepared to Her Majesty upon many Important
Articles, it was Rejected for the sake of a
Clause brought in, to
desire Her
Majesty's Continuance of the Governour.
'Tis pitty
the Important
Affairs of the Province should be retarded upon
any Private
Account: But afterwards to thew you
those Impor-
tant
Articles were not of
the last consequence, he tells you the
whole
Address was contrived by a party for nothing but a Clause
about the
Governour. When it best answers the Ends of these
People, then
the Governour's Interest is so great that all things
are
transacted at his pleasure, whereas at other times they wont
allow him to
have Interest enough to support the Dignity of his
Station. I have in the Answer to the Seventh Article
said what
I thought
necessary about the Assembly's not Addressing Her
Majesty.
[ 14] The Third and Fourth Paragraphs are
wholly upon the
Indian Trade, so must expect the fame Answer
that was given to
the Two first
Articles of the Memorial. Be pleas'd
only to ob-
serve that
whereas in several parts of the Pamphlet the Gover-
nour is
censur'd about the Tryal of the Gentlemen accus'd of the
Trade, here
'tis plain 'twas wholly done by the Assembly, for
which reason
this Gentleman calls them the Merciful Assembly,
and speaking
of the Tryal calls it the Tenderness of the Govern-
A MODEST ENQUIRY,
ETC. 79*
ment &c and in truth they ought to take it
all to themselves.
For the
Traders were at first committed by the Lower House of
Assembly upon suspicion &c, and the second
time by the same
House for High Misdemeanour without Col.
Dudley's Knowledge
or Privity,
neither was their any mention of Treason in either
of their
Commitments duly attested: But to be
more clear, the
Laws of New
England then in force could make it no more than
High
Misdemeanour, though
since, that defect is provided against
by the Direction
of the Governour, for an act is past in New
England, declaring such proceedings High
Treason.
'Tis of no signification to insinuate that
the Assembly were
drawn into
this Proceding by the Governour, the Governours
Interest (as
the second Paragraph of this Letter says) not being
able to get
more than fix Voices upon a more Important Occa-
sion.
The Pride and Vanity of the Man is very
remarkable in his
Fourth
Paragraph presuming to Intrench upon the Office of his
Superior's
in laying down Military Scheames, opposite to those
that are now
Transacting in his Native Country, and proposing
the
advantage (upon success) to those that in all probability will
have no hand
in the attempt.
I will not pretend to guess who is meant
by this Paragraph,
Sir, You are
born to do the Queen and Nation Service &c.
But
will assure
you, Sir. that Col. Dudley before he left England had
abundance of Letters from New England fill'd
with the like
Rhetorick, some of them near of kind to the
Gentleman that
writ
this: Therefore let not the Gentleman to
whom this is di-
rected, propose
to himself if ever he becomes Governour, (as I
see no
likelihood of it) to be better used than Col. Dudley and
his
Predecessors have been; If he will be also steady in the
performance
of his Duty to Her Majesty and the Nation.
The same Causes
will always be attended with the same Confe-
quences; and the Hereditary Rancour that
appears in this
[15] Holy
Man's Letter, as well as ill many of his Actions, will
Everlastingly be Opposite to Government, even
though it were
Angelical.
What Mr C. M. says in his last Paragraph
is so exceeding just
that 'tis
surprising to find it from the same Pen. -- All Mankind
must concur
with the Honourable Character that he there gives
my Lord
Treasurer, he is justly by him stiled, A Patron to, all
Good Men. A Defence of Oppressed Innocency and Liberty.
'Tis
for these
and his many other valuable Qualities, that Her Majesty
in Her Consummate
Wisdom, has thought fit to place him in so
exalted a
Station; and 'tis from his Patronage, that all those that
80* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
wish well to
New England; assure themselves that that Province
will Flourish
in spight of Faction, and the Governour be confirm'd
to the
confusion of his Opposers. Whether the
Address (at the
End of this)
from the whole Body of the Clergy of New England,
Gratefully acknowledging Her Majesty's Favour, in Appointing
and Continuing,
Col. Dudley their Govern our, (the like of which
was never
before seen from that Venerable Body under any Ad-
ministration)
ought to be less regarded than the Venomous Letter
of one
Malecontent Priest, let Impartiality determine.
I have done with the Letter, but the
Postscript, though Foreign
to the
Occasion will admit of this remark; That a Body of People
that have
been so liberal in their Charity to their SufferingNeigh-
bours, must (Generally speaking) be better
Christians, (however
Characteriz'd
by Mr C. M.) than to trouble Her Majesty, with
Groundless
Complaints against the present Governour, whose
steady
Loyalty, Great Knowledge, and unparallel'd Clemency, is
endeavouring
to make them Happy, and Flourishing, even against
the Opposition
of some Turbulent Spirits, that can't endure Con-
formlty
either in Church or State.
Mr C. M would have been more ingenuous,
being he thought
fit to
mention this Charity, if he had given a faithful account of
it, and told
you, that the Tenderness of the Governour, (whose
designs of
doing good are very extensive) had by a Brief, (the
Copy of
which you'1 find at the End) excited the People to this
Act of
Charity: And after the Money was Collected, saw it laid
out in
Provisions, and rent to them; which in their unhappy Cir-
cumstances,
was of the utmost consequence. Whilst
this Reverend
Gentleman,
is speaking of this Charity of the Province to St.
Christophers and Nevis in their Distress, be
pleas'd to observe his
own
Charity: The People of New
England in a most Christian
manner
express'd [16] their Charity towards those, who
perhaps
would have
hardly done the like for them upon a like occasion.
A small Tract of Religion coming to my
Hands a few years
since,
Written by the Reverend Mr. C. M I could not without
some remark
take notice of a Passage in the Preface, which is to
this effect,
That being arrived at the Thirty second year of his
Age, he had
also Publish'd Thirty two Volumns; However I con-
cluded that
experience would rectifie a little youthful vanity,
which I
thought was atton'd for; by the ability and inclination
the Man had
to do Good; but I find him in Spirituals as failable
as in
Politicks, or he would not have attempted a Pretended
Vision, to have converted Mr Frasier a Jew,
who had before con-
ceiv'd some
good Notions of Christianity: The
Consequence was,
that the Forgery
was so plainly detected that Mr C. M consest it;
after which
Mr Frasier would never be perswaded to hear any
more of
Christianity.
A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC. 81*
The Particular I am now going to speak to,
should have been
omitted, but
without it the Doctors way of Aequivocating could
not be so
well known. The story is this: A Gentlewooman of Gay-
ety, near Boston, was frequently
visited by the Reverend Mr. C. M.
which giving
offence to some of his Audience, he promised to
avoid her
Conversation. But Good intentions
being frustrated
by Vicious
Inchnations, he becomes again her humble Servant;
this Reciprocal
promise being first made, that NEITHER OF
THEM SHOULD
CONFESS THEIR SEEING EACH
OTHER: However it becoming again publick, his Father
accused him
of it, who after two or three HEMS to recover him-
self, (like
Col. Partridge at the Council-Board) gave this Aequivo-
cal Answer, INDEED, FATHER, IF I SHOULD SAY I
DID SEE HER,
I SHOULD TELL A GREAT LYE.
This is the
Gentleman distinguishable for his Character; next
comes the
Letter, Short, and Plain, and nothing in it but
Veracity.
SIR,
ALL the People here are bought and sold
betwixt the Gover-
nour and his
Son Paul;
they are so Mercenary that there
is no
Justice to be had without Money; there is not one Publick
place in the
Government, that is worth Money, but what the Gov-
ernour or
Paul goes halves with. In short, the
whole Country is
very
uneasie, and the People here are so universally set agaznst him,
that Her
Majesty can scarcely give a greater influence of Her ten-
der care and
regard to them, than by a removal of him, which to
my certain
knowledge would be [17] soon follow'd by a sincere
and Hearty
Acknowledgment of Her Majesty's singular Favour
to them in
that Particular.
I am sorry I am obliged to take notice of
Mr Ar--ngs Letter,
but as it is
produced in Evidence, against the Governour and his
Son, and as
the Author of the New England Memorial draws
Inferences from this, and the foregoing Letter, it
becomes neces-
sary upon
this occasion to look into it, but with the utmost ten-
derness and
compassionate regard, for the present Circumstances
of the
Gentleman, which I am told are very contracted, I think
Mr Ar--nge
is very little beholden to his Correspondents in Lon-
don for so publickly exposing a Letter, which
must be attended
with very
uneasie consequences to him, if the Clemency of the
Governour
and his Son is not very remarkable.
Nothing to an
Impartial
Reader can be a greater argument of the Uprightness
of the Governour
and his Son, than to find that the Rancour of
this Man,
has not thought fit to give one particular instance, to
82* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
Corroborate
his General Accusation. He should have
told us in
particular
who are the People that are Bought and Sold, and
given some
instances of corruption in Judicial Proceedings, or
any other
parts of the Governour's Administration and have
nam'd the
Sums of Money Criminalty Gain'd and Divided.
Sure I am,
it is not the effects of his good nature, that makes
him forbear
mentioning any of the Particulars by me enquired
after.
His advising: Her Majesty to remove, the Governour,
assuring
Her, that to
his Own certain knowledge twill be very acceptable
to the
People, is such an exceeding instance of the Impudence
of the Man,
that can scarcely be parallel'd even amongst the
whole body
of the Seditious. And then he concludes,
the Prov-
ince will
become sincere and hearty Acknowledgers of Her Majes-
ty's
singular Favour to them in that Particular.
I should injure the respect that's due to
the Honourable the
Council and
Assembly of Massachusetts Bay, to imagine they will
neglect
inquiring into the Authority this Man has, for thus
Saucily
advising Her Majesty, nay even telling Her, that Sin-
cerity and
hearty Acknowledgments, are only to be expected to
Her Majesty
from New England, upon the Terms by Him Pre-
scribed.
The Two preceeding Letters produce three
subsequent In-
ferences,
viz.
[18] I. THAT WITHOUT MONEY THERE IS NO
JUSTICE IN
NEW ENGLAND.*
What a Dismal Character is here given of
the whole People
of that
Flourishing Country, Clergy and Laiety, Merchant and
Peasant
&c, are all involved in this heavy Accusation. If this be
true, no
wonder that a Governour Fearing God and hating Cov-
etousness,
is made uneasie in the Faithful Discharge of his Office.
! II.
A GENERAL UNEASINESS UNDER, AND OP-
POSITION, TO
THIS GOVERNOUR THROUGH THE
WHOLE
COUNTRY.
Speak for your selves ye Collective
Bodies of the People:
The
Honourable the Assembly, the Reverend the Clergy, ye
Merchants
and Traders at Boston, and also ye the Honourable,
the Council
and Representatives of New Hamshire; speak I say,
for your
Selves, and tell the World, that Infatuation hung over
your Heads,
to make you Recommend to Her Majesty a Man
against whom
there is a + General Uneasiness through the whole
Country, to
be continued Governour amongst you. But
if you
* Pa. II. L. 7. ! P. II. L. I7. + P. II. L. 17.
A MODEST ENQUIRY,
ETC. 83*
are sensible
there Accusations are Calumnies and are well affur'd
(as you say
in your several Addresses you are) that your Gov-
ernours
Administration * has and always will have a Tendency to
the
Promotion of Her Majesty's Interest, and also to the Ease and
Satisfaction,
of all Her GOOD Subjects,
that his Wisdom. Dili-
gence
Courage and Fidelity,
are Exemplary, with many other
Qualifications
becoming a Governour: Then speak like your
selves (in
Justification of your Injur'd Governour, and your own
Reputations,
thus barbarously attackt) with a Voice that shall for
the future
silence all those Dispisers of Authority.
III. A FERVENT DESIRE TO BE EASED OF
OP-
PRESSION. !
'Tis for this very End that Her Majesty
and Her Allyes are
now engaged
in War. Let not the People of New
England sus-
pect that
Her Majesty whose Compassionate Assistance is ex-
tended
towards all the oppressed Nations about her, will be
wanting to
her GOOD Subjects of New England neither will I
imagine
they'l (for the FUTURE) neglect any opportunities of
returning
their Duty and Gratitude to Her Majesty.
I am obliged to follow the Steps of the
Author + who Presents
the Reader
with a farther account of the Mismanagements of
the
Governour by
another Hand, that is to say, by Mr P--dge, a
mighty Assistant
in carrying on this work, as appears by this long
account,
(taking up almost four pages) his two Affidavits, his
Certificate, and also his Speech before Her
Majesty in Council.
The reason
that [19] this Gentleman gave for embarking in this
cause shall
be known in its place. This Farther
account tells you
of a Letter
sent to Mr Waldron § and himself, by the Governour;
recommending
it to the Province of New Hampshire, to draw up
an Address
to her Majesty, which was done; and so generally
accepted,
that Mr Waldron had no manner of occasion to use any
art with the
Council, and Representatives, to perswade them to
what they
were so dutifully inclin'd. This Farther
account is almost
full of
Repetitions of what has been spoke to already, which I
shall omit,
only taking notice of his new matter.
The Governours
Correspondence
with || Gallen Emesary was so Beneficial to the
Province, in
foreknowing the intended Designs of the French
and Indians,
which capacitated him to provide against them,
that I doubt
not but the several Presents that the Governour
(to this
Gentlemans knowledge) sent him, are Retaliated by the
Country.
'Tis very wide to draw any Conclusion
from this following
accusation ¶
because Captain Furber told Mr P--dge, that the
French Prisoners told him that they had heard
the Governour of
Port-Royal say, that he had promis'd that he would
not let the
* The Addresses. §
P. II. L. 7.
! P. II. L. 3. || The Addresses. P. 12.
L. 36.
+ P. 12. L. 11. ¶
P. 13. L. 35.
84* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
Indians have powder and Shot, that therefore he
did not do it,
when he had
it spare. Those Indians are his
Master's Sub-
jects, or at
least his Allies, and let no Man believe that any of
the Kmg of France's
Governours, are so good natur'd; as not to
put Arms
into the hands of those, that they can depend upon,
will use
them to annoy their Master's Enemies in time of War.
Neither let
it be suspected that the French don't take care to sup-
ply their
Plantations, with Warlike Stores, (without expecting to
buy them of
their Enemies Clandestinely) though sometimes the
Accidents of
the Sea may retard them, which I suppose was the
case when
the Governour of Port Royal (if at all) made these
promises. I know not how many of the Enemy have been
kill'd
once the
present Governours time, having seen no Lift, but I be-
lieve more
than * an Old Woman and two Girls, which is all this
Farther
account allows. !
Several were kill'd at Derefield, + Our
Indians kill'd Seven at Cowstick, §
another kill'd an Indian or two
before he
was taken; || Mrs Bradley scalded one Fellow to Death
with hot
Soap, and also disposed a Quantity of her Soap to an-
other, with the like Heroical intention, but it
not succeeding at
the first,
she ran from him.
These Particulars I find in the Pamphlet
now under considera-
tion; As for
the Governours foreknowing that the Enemy would
not (or to
speak properly durst not) appear in a Body like [20] an
Army; but in
sculking Parties of Twenty, or Thirty, it speaks
so much the
Honour and good Intelligance of the Governour
than nothing
need be said of it. The Address from the
Militia
of Massachusetts
Bay, is a very honourable one, and worthy the
Gentlemen
that sign'd it. they being most of them
the principal
Men of the
Country; let Mr P--dge (who is gone over) tell them
they durst
not do otherwise, and I shall be surpriz'd, if I don't
hear of his
Correction.
Five Affidavits, and one Certificate,
come next; two of them by
John Calley, Manner; one by Thomas Newton,
Gent. and the
other two,
and the Certificate by William Partridge, Esq; all
which are
now before Her Majesty. They are too
mighty things
for me to
meddle with; but a Word or two of the several Occa-
sions, that
may seem to have ruffled these Gentlement, may not
be
improper. Mr P--dge has publickly
given the Reason of his
Anger
against the Governour; which is, because the Governour
did not
interpose his Authority, to discharge Jethro Furber,
Master of a Vessel
belonging to the said P--dge, who was in
Confinement,
and under a Prosecution in the Admiralty Court
at Boston,
at the Suit of Her Majesty; for enticing away several
Sea-men out
of Her Majesties Ship the Deptford, Captain Stuck-
ley Commander. The Governour could act no part in this
Affair,
the Cause
lying in a Court in dependant of him:
But if it had
*P. 16. L. 26. ! P. 41.
Lin. 19. + P. 35. Lin. 94
§ P. 32. L. 10 || P. 33. L 33.
A MODEST ENQUIRY,
ETC. 85*
been never
so much in his Power, it would have given ground
for a very
just Complaint against him, to countenance any Per-
sons,
against whom there is full proof of enticing the Men out of
Her
Majesties Ships of War; the want of whom, may expose
them to
great danger from the Enemy or otherwise.
Mr. John C--y has been serviceable
in taking two Prizes in
directing
the Collector to take them into his Care for Her Maj-
esty's Use,
after Mr C--y appropriated them to his own use, I
leave to
others to determine.
* Mr. N--ton accuses the Governour,
for not permitting him to
go to Rhode
Island, to condemn some Prizes (being deputed there-
unto by W.
At--d Esq.) unless the said Governour had a Hun-
dred Pounds
procur'd him by the said N--n.
The Governour
might have
prevented his going, very justly; but however, if the
Hundred
Pounds had been paid for that leave, it would have
been a
principal part of the Affidavit.
[2 1 ]
From the Affidavits, we come to some Remarks made by
this
Author: First, ! Can any Man that
loves not a French
Interest,
call those trivial? Yes truly, I make no manner of
doubt, but a
Man may be very honest, and a hearty Lover of
Great-Britain,
and also of New England; and yet see through
the Malice,
and Falcity of these Accusations. The
Author need
not have
gone so far back, as to the + Athenians, to have found
out
Presidents for punishing great Officers for Male-Administra-
tion; such
Examples might be seen in the Annals of England;
but we must
not revive the old Abington Law, of punishing Men
before they
are prov'd guilty. Have a little
patience Gentlemen,
there is a
Day appointed for hearing
all that can be said against
the
Governour; Her Majesty is Just, She'll hear both sides, and
then decree
Righteous Judgment. § To do Justice and Right, is
the most
Invaluable Jewel in
Magna Charta. I am not presum-
ing to
question the Righteousness of our Laws; but the Law of
Moses is much older. The Spirit of Perverseness is mighty
visible in
the Gentlemen, or else he would not have gone to
Athens, to
find out Presidents for English Men; or quoted Magna
Charta, to
prove the Necessity of Keeping the Ten Command-
ments.
|| 'The Cries sent up to Heaven, by the
many poor Souls
'lately most
inhumanly butchered by the merciless Indians --
'will
certainly draw down Redress from him, who is not only
REX MAGNUS
& REX SOLUS, but JUDEX SUPRE-
'MUS who
hath IMPERIUM SINE FINE, as well as SINE
'LIMITE.'
Undoubtedly, God Almighty hath heard and re-
garded, the
Cries and Sufferings of those poor People; and also,
* Pag. 26. !
Pag. 30. l. 2. + Pag. 30. l.
9.
§ Pag. 30. l. 15. || Pag. 30. l. 28.
86* A
MODEST ENQUIRY, ETC.
without any
manner of question, the same of the Proto-Martyr
of the
Country, the poor Weaver, whose only Crime was, that he
was not a Cobler. And here the Attributes of God are
express'd
in a
Language, that it may be, some of that Country may call
Popery; but there is something so agreeable, and
melting in the
Chiming of
Words, as Rex Magnus, and Rex Solus, Sine Fine,
(and Sine
Limite, that it could not well be omitted; otherwise the
Author might
from the Common-Prayer-Book, have quoted more
proper
Attributes, and much more intelligible to the People.
* I am now come to the Account of several
Barbarities &c.
committed by
the Indians, intermix'd with some memorable
Providences,
which fill ten Pages to very little purpose, there
being in
them nothing uncommon to Frontiers, that are con-
tiguous to
undisciplin'd barbarous People, such as Tartars, In-
dians, or the like.
! [22] I can't be very much surpris'd,
that when a Crew of
Indians that
had taken an English Child, and had eat no Victuals
for 3 Days,
were rather determin'd to eat the Child, than one
another. This Nature induced them to do, but the
Humanity
of the
Heathens is remarkable, that a Dog falling in their way
they
compassionated the Child; the Dog though but half a Meal
to them,
supply'd that occasion + and Hannah Parsons is yet
living. If an Indian had fallen in the way of half a
Dozen
hungry
Christians, even though they were come to a Fulness of
Grace, and Ripe in the Lord; yet if they
had Eat no Victuals
for three
days, I make no doubt but he would have been dispos'd of,
according to
the Regular Form of Leggs, and Shoulders, for the
more
Expeditiously supplying themselves, by Boyling and
Roasting;
and yet the Deliverance would have remain'd Remark-
able (i. e.)
that Providence threw this Fellow into the way of their
Necessities
-- An § Englishman killing an Indian, and being
taken was to
be murder'd at the direction, and in what manner
the Squa
(i. e.) the Widdow of the Indian was pleas'd to prescribe
but she
(having more Humanity than [some that call themselves
Christians)
forgave him -- || A New England Woman was
going to be
hang'd by an Indian, but the limb of the Tree broke
as the was
tying up and another Indian interposing, she was
likewise
sav'd. I pass over several other
Particular hardships that
some
Christians during their Captivity have endured from Hunger
Weather, and
long Sojourning, but ¶ Mrs Bradly of Haverly's.
Case must be
particularly taken notice of, because 'tis recom-
mended with
an -- AB UNO DISCEOMNES. She poor
Woman, past
through several Varieties of Affliction during her
Captivity. The Story of her delivering her self from
danger by
killing, one
Fellow with scalding Sope, and lathering another
* P. 31. Lin. I. ! Ib. l. 9. ||
Ib. 1. 22.
! P. 32. L. I. § Ib. I. 10. ¶
Ib. 1. 20