Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers of the Colony of Plymouth, from 1602 to 1625. Now first collected from original records and contemporaneous printed documents, and illustrated with notes

Front matter

CHRONICLES OF THE PILGRIM FATHERS OF THE COLONY OF PLYMOUTH, FROM 1602 TO 1625. NOW FIRST COLLECTED FROM ORIGINAL RECORDS AND CONTEMPORANEOUS PRINTED DOCUMENTS, AND ILLUSTRATED WITH NOTES By ALEXANDER YOUNG. 'Gentis cunabula nostræ.' 1 The mother of us all.' BOSTON: CHARLES C. LITTLE AND JAMES BROWN. MDCCCXLI. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1841, Bv Alexander Young, in the Clerk's Office of the District Coutt of the District of Massachusetts. boston: PRINTED BY FREEMAN AND BOLLES, WASHINGTON STREET. TO THE HONORABLE WILLIAM PRESCOTT, LL.D. IN TOKEN OF HIGH ESTEEM AND SINCERE REGARD, THIS VOLUME IS RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED BY HIS OBLIGED FRIEND AND PASTOR.

Preface

. This volume will be found to contain an authentic History of the Pilgrim Fathers who planted the Colony of Plymouth, from their origin in John Robinson's con gregation in 1602, to his death in 1625, written by themselves. Some account of the nature of these Chronicles, and of the circumstances which led to their compilation in this form, may not be unacceptable to the reader. It is well known to those who are familiar with the early history of New England, that William Bradford, the second governor of Plymouth, wrote a History of that People and Colony from 1602 to 1647, in 270 folio pages ; which was used by Morton in compiling his Memorial, by Hutchinson in writing his History of Massachusetts, and by Prince in digesting his Annals of New England. The manuscript of this valuable work, being deposited with Prince's library in the tower of the Old South Church in this city, disap peared in the War of the Revolution, when this church

PREFACE.

. VI was occupied by the British troops, and has long since been given up by our historians as lost. The most important part of this lost History I have had the good fortune to recover. On a visit at Plymouth, a few Years since, I found in the records of the First Church a narrative, in the hand-writing of Secretary Morton, which, on comparing it with the large extracts in Hutchinson 1 and Prince,2 I recognised as the identical History of Governor Bradford ; a fact put beyond all doubt by a marginal note of Morton at the beginning of it, in which he says, " This was originally penned by Mr. William Bradford, governor of New Plymouth." This fact of the real authorship of the document seems to bave escaped the observation of all who had pre ceded me in examining the records, such as Judge Davis, Mr. Bancroft, and even of Hazard, who attri butes it expressly to Nathaniel Morton.3 Hazard copied and printed the larger part of it, as a work of Morton's, in his valuable collection of State Papers, though in a very incomplete and inaccurate form, not being able always to decipher the cramped and abbre viated characters in which it is written, and being frequently obliged to leave blank spaces in his page. 1 By comparing the second chapter in this volume with the first article in Hutchinson's Appendix, ii. 449-451, which he quotes from Bradford, it will be found that they agree nearly word for word. 2 The extracts in Prince are too numerous to be referred to ; the prin cipal are on pages 114, 120, 128, 130, 140-145, 147, 155, 160. 3 Hazard's State Papers, i. 349.

PREFACE.

. VII By the favor of the Plymouth Church I was permitted to make a new transcript of this very important paper, the entire accuracy of which has been secured by its careful collation with another copy made by the Rev. William P. Lunt, of Q.uincy, who kindly savored me with the loan of it. The value of this document de pends upon its authorship, and cannot be over-estimated. It takes precedence of every thing else relating to the Pilgrims, in time, authority, and interest. It will be found to contain a detailed history of their rise in the north of England, their persecutions there, their difficult and perilous escape into Holland, their residence in that hospitable land for twelve years, the causes which led to their emigration, and the means which they adopted to transport themselves to Ame rica.

The next document is Bradford's and Winslow's Journal of the first settlement of the Colony, containing a minute diary of events from the arrival of the May flower at Cape Cod, November 9, 1620, to the return of the Fortune, December 11, 1621. This document joins on to the former, making a continuous narrative* It was printed in London in 1622, with a Preface signed by G. Mourt, and has since been usually cited as Mourt's Relation. It will be seen from the notes on pages 113 and 115 of this volume, that Mourt was probably George Morton, the father of Nathaniel, the Secretary, then resident in England, that he had no

PREFACE.

. VIII hand in writing the Journal, but that it was actually written by Bradford and Winslow, a circumstance which gives to it new value and interest, and confers on it the highest authority. In 1625 this Relation was abridged by Purchas, and printed in the fourth volume of his Pilgrims. This abridgment, comprising only about half of the original, and abounding with errors, was reprinted in 1802 in the eighth volume of the Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Soci ety. In 1822, after an interval of twenty years, the portions omitted by Purchas were reprinted in the nineteenth volume of the same Collections, from a manuscript copy of the original edition, made at Phil adelphia. The transcriber, however, omitted some important passages, and committed many errors in copying. The parts of the work being thus disjointed, and printed in separate volumes, rendered the reading of it extremely difficult and repulsive.

The present is the only correct and legible reprint that has been made since the appearance of the original in 1622. The third paper is Robert Cushman's Discourse, delivered at Plymouth in November, 1621, reprinted from an old copy in the library of the American Anti quarian Society. The fourth document is Edward Winslow's Relation, entitled "Good News from New England," which takes up the narrative where it was left off by the former Journal, and brings it down to September 10, 1623.

PREFACE.

. IX This book was printed in London in 1624, was abridged by Purchas in the same way as the former Relation, was reprinted in the same fragmentary man ner by the Massachusetts Historical Society in 1802, and the omissions in a separate volume in 1822. It is now reprinted for the first time entire, and in a legible form, from the original London edition, for which, as well as for the original of Bradford's and Winslow's Journal, I am indebted to the rich library of Harvard College. Next in order is Edward Winslow's " Brief Narra tion of the true grounds or cause of the first planting of New England," which was printed at London in 1646, at the end of his Answer to Gorton. No copy of this rare book is known to exist in this country. The manuscript from which I print was kindly copied for me by the Rev. George E. Ellis, of Charlestown, from the printed volume in the British Museum.

In this paper we have the original of Robinson's celebrated farewell address to the Pilgrims at Leyden, and several facts relating to them not recorded elsewhere. The sixth paper is a Dialogue, written by Governor Bradford, which has never before appeared in print. A fragment of it, written with his own hand, I found among the manuscripts in the cabinet of the Massa chusetts Historical Society ; but the entire work I obtained from the records of the First Church in Ply mouth, into which it was copied by Secretary Morton. b

PREFACE.

. X The next document is a Memoir of Elder Brewster, written by Governor Bradford as part of his History, and also copied by Morton into the Church records. The volume closes with some letters of John Robin son, and of the Pilgrims at Leyden and Plymouth, procured from the records of the Plymouth Church and from Governor Bradford's Letter Book. The value of these contemporaneous documents cannot be overstated. They are the earliest chronicles of New England. We have here the first book of our history, written by the actors themselves. We should esteem it a fortunate circumstance, a peculiar privi lege, that we thus have the whole story of the origin of this earliest of our northern colonies in the very words of the first planters.1 In authority and importance nothing can exceed them ; and 1 feel that I have been engaged in a useful as well as interesting labor in collecting together and illustrating these scattered memorials of the Fathers.

The notes will be found to be copious and various, touching upon all points, and in all cases referring to authorities from which the statements may be verified, and fuller information be obtained. Considering myself as engaged in erecting another monument to the memory of the Pilgrims, I have spared neither labor nor expense in endeavouring to render the work accurate and complete. If the 1 " Quis est autem, quem non moveat clarissimis monumentis testata consignataque antiquitas ? " Cicero de Divinatione, lib. i. 40.

PREFACE.

. XI reader shall derive from its perusal the same satisfaction which I have found in its compilation, I shall feel myself abundantly remunerated for this labor of love. Regarding these documents as the only authentic chronicles of those times, I have considered all devia tions from them in subsequent writers as errors, and when they have fallen under my notice, I have not scrupled to point them out. In this I have no other object in view than historical accuracy ; and accord ingly for whatever errors I may have fallen into, I shall hold myself equally obnoxious to criticism. The portrait of Governor Winslow at the beginning of the volume, so beautifully engraved by House, is an accurate copy of the original picture painted in Lon don in 1651, in his 57th year. This picture, the only portrait that we have of any of the Pilgrims, has been handed down in the family ever since it was painted, one hundred and ninety years ago, and was kept till within a few years at the seat of the Winslows, in Marshfield.

It is now the property of Mr. Isaac Wins low, of Boston, the only surviving male descendant of the Governor, by whose kindness I have been permitted to have it engraved, and who has deposited it, with other portraits of his ancestors, in the hall of the Mas sachusetts Historical Society. The coat of arms was probably painted at the same time with the picture, and has always been an heirloom in the family. The sac-simile of Winslow's signature was copied from a

PREFACE.

. XII letter written by him to Governor Winthrop, from his seat at " Careswell, this 17th of the last month, 1639." The original is in the archives of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and it was printed by Hutchinson in his Collection of Original Papers, page 110. The map of Plymouth, on page 160, is copied by permission, on an enlarged scale, from the accurate map of the State, now in preparation under the direc tion of Simeon Borden, Esq., and the map of Cape Cod, on page 116, is partly reduced from Major Gra ham's beautiful chart, and partly composed from recent surveys made for the State map. The engraving of the Mayflower on page 108 is copied from one of Sir Walter Raleigh's ships in De Bure, and is a correct representation of the vessels of that day. The chairs of Winslow, Carver, and Brewster, are faithfully drawn from the originals, the first of which is preserved in the Hall of the Massachusetts Historical Society, and the last two in the Pilgrim Hall, at Plymouth.

The seal of the Colony is taken from the title-page of the Book of the General Laws of New Plymouth, printed in 1685. Judge Davis says, " it originated probably in Mr. Cushman's advice to Governor Bradford in a letter from England, Dec. 18, 1624: 'Make your corporation as formal as you can, under the name of the Society in Plymouth in New England.' Of this seal the Colony was deprived in the rapacious days of Andros. On a return to the old paths, the Governor

PREFACE.

. XIII was requested to procure its restoration. If this appli cation were successful, the seal has since been lost." In regard to the minuteness of some of the particulars recorded in the ensuing pages, no better apology can be offered than that of the Roman annalist : " Pleraque eorum quæ referam parva forsitan et levia memoratu videri, non nescius sum. Non tamen sine usu fuerit introspicere ilia, primo adspectu levia, ex quis magnarum sæpe rerum motus oriuntur."1 — " If any tax me for wasting paper with recording these small matters, such may consider that small commonwealths bring forth matters of small moment ; the reading whereof yet is not to be despised by the judicious, because small things in the beginning of natural or politic bodies are as remarkable as greater in bodies full grown."2 Boston, June 1, 1841. 1 Tacitus, Ann. lib. iv. 32. 2 Gov.

Dudley's Letter to the Countess of Lincoln. LIST OF THE ENGRAVINGS. Page. 1. Portrait of Governor Winslow i 2. The Mayflower 108 3. Map of Cape Cod 116 4. Map of Plymouth Bay ..... 160 5. Governor Winslow's Chair ..... 238 6. Governor Carver's Chair ..... 458 7. Elder Brewster's Chair ..... 470 8. Seal of Plymouth Colony .... Back Title. CONTENTS. Chap Page. Gov. Bradford's History of Plymouth Colony . 1 I. The first beginnings of this church and people . . 19 II. Their departure into Holland, and their troubles thereabout, with some of the many difficulties they found and met withal ..... 25 III. Their settling in Holland, and their manner of living and entertainment there . . . . .33 IV. The reasons and causes of their removal from Holland 44 V. The means they used for preparation to this weighty voyage . . . . . . . 52 VI.

The conditions of their agreement with several merchant adventurers towards the voyage ... 80 VII. Their departure from Leyden, and embarkation from Delft-Haven . . . . . .86 VIII. The troubles that befell them on the coast of England, and in their voyage incoming over into New England, and their arrival at Cape Cod ... 97 Bradford's and Winslow's Journal . . . 109 IX. The first planters' combination by entering into a body politic together; with their proceedings in discovery of a place for their settlement and habitation . . 117 X. Their landing and settling at New Plymouth . . 163 XI. A Journey to Pokanoket, the habitation of the great king Massasoit ; the message, and the answer and entertainment they received from him .... 202 XII. A Voyage to the kingdom of Nauset, to seek a boy that had lost himself in the woods ; and the accidents that befell them in that voyage .... 214 XIII.

A Journey to the kingdom of Namaschet, in defence of the great king Massasoit against the Narragansetts, and to revenge the supposed death of Tisquantum . . CONTENTS XVI CH4P. Pj°E- XIV. A Relation of their voyage to the Massachusetts, and what happened there . . . • • 224 XV. A Letter from Edward Winslow to a friend in England, setting forth a brief and true declaration of the worth of the Plantation at Plymouth; as also certain useful directions for such as intend a voyage into New England 230 XVI. Robert Cushman's reasons and considerations touching the lawfulness of removing out of England into the parts of America ..... 239 Cushman's Discourse ..... 253 XVII. The state of the Colony, and the need of public spirit in the Colonists ..... 255 Winslow's Relation ..... 269 XVIII. The first planters menaced by the Narragansetts, and their second voyage to the Massachusetts . . 280 XIX.

The planting of Weston's Colony at Weymouth, and sundry excursions after corn . . . 296 XX. Winslow's second journey to Pokanoket, to visit Massasoit in his sickness . . . . .313 XXI. Standish's expedition against the Indians of Weymouth, and the breaking up of Weston's Colony at that place 327 XXII. The first allotment of lands, and the distressed state of the Colony ...... 346 XXIII. The manners, customs, religious opinions and ceremonies of the Indians ...... 354 XXIV. The situation, climate, soil, and productions of New England ...... 368 Winslow's Brief Narration .... 377 XXV. The true grounds or cause of the first planting of New England ...... 379 Gov. Bradford's Dialogue .... 409 XXVI. A Dialogue, or the Sum of a Conference between some Young Men born in New England, and sundry Ancient Men that came out of Holland and Old England. . 414 Gov.

Bradford's Memoir of Elder Brewster . 459 XXVII. Memoir of Elder William Brewster . . .461 XXVIII. Letters GOV. BRADFORD'S HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH COLONY.

Christian Reader, I have looked at it as a duty incumbent on me to commit to writing the first beginnings and after pro gress of the Church of Christ at Plymouth in New England ; forasmuch as I cannot understand that there is any thing particularly extant concerning it, and al most all the members of the said church, both elders and others, being deceased, by whom intelligence of matters in that behalf might be procured.1 I dare not charge the reverend elders of that church who are gone to their rest, with any neglect on that behalf; for when they were in Holland, they were necessitated to defend the cause of Christ by writing against opposites of several sorts ; so as such like employs, together with the constant and faithful discharge of the duties of their offices, probably took up the greatest part of their time ; and since the church parted, and a considerable part thereof came unto this going down of the sun, it might be neglected partly on the account that divers writings, some whereof being put forth in print, 1 In 1679, the year previous to who came over in the Mayflower. the date of this Preface, twelve only See Hutchinson's History of Mas were living of the hundred and one sachusetts, ii. 456. did point at and in a great measure discriminate the affairs of the church ; forasmuch as then the small com monwealth, in our first beginning at New Plymouth, consisted mostly of such as were members of the church which was first begun and afterwards carried on in Leyden, in Holland, for about the space of twelve years, and continued and carried on at Ply mouth, in New England, a small part whereof remain eth until this day.

If any thing was done on this kind by those worthy leaders, I suppose the blame is rather to be laid on those which had the first view of their studies, and had their books and writings in custody after their decease ; for I am persuaded that such was their faithfulness and prudence, as that, they did not wholly neglect this matter.1 Some years since it pleased God to put an impulse upon my spirit to do something in a historical way con cerning New England, more especially with respect to the Colony of New Plymouth ; which was entitled Neio England' 's Memorial ; 2 in which I occasionally 1 The records of John Robinson's church at Leyden contained, no doubt, some account of its origin and its memorable vicissitudes in England and Holland. These records, however, were probably lost when the remnants of that church were scattered after his death in 1625.

The church at Plymouth had no settled pastor till 1629, and af terwards, for long intervals, was destitute of a regular ministry until 1669. when John Cotton, son of the famous John Cotton, of Boston, was ordained. No records were kept by either of his three prede cessors, Ralph Smith, Roger Wil liams, and John Reyner. There cords of the church, previous to his settlement, are in the handwriting of Secretary Morton. MS. Re~- cords of Plymouth Ch. and Mass. Hist. Coll. iv. 107. 2 This work was printed at Cam bridge in 1669, in a small quarto volume, of 198 pages, and the ex pense was defrayed by a contribution in the several towns in the Co lony. The greatest part of Mor ton's information was "borrowed," as he informs us, " from his much honored uncle, Mr. William Brad ford, and such manuscripts as he left in his study."

Prince, the New England annalist, whose copy of the first edition of the Memorial is now before me, enriched with his marginal notes and emendations, says that " Morton's History, from the beginning of the Plymouth peo ple to the end of 1646, is chiefly Gov. Bradford's manuscript, abbretook notice of God's great and gracious work in erect ing so many churches of Christ in this wilderness. But it was judged by some that were judicious that I was too sparing and short in that behalf ; the consider ation whereof put me on thought of recollecting some thing more particularly relating to the church of Ply mouth. But it pleased the Lord so to dispose, that having accomplished my desires, some time after the finishing of this work I was solicited to lend it to a reverend friend at Boston, where it was burned in the first fire that was so destructive at Boston, in the year 1667. 1 Yet, notwithstanding, I have, through the goodness of God, crowded through many difficulties to achieve it the second time ; and, for that end, did once again repair to the study of my much honored uncle, William Bradford, Esquire, deceased,2 for whose care and faithfulness in such like respects we stand bound ; as firstly and mostly to the Lord, so seconda rily to him and his, whose labors in such respect might viated."

In fact, Morton's chief merit is that of a diligent, but not always accurate copyist of his un cle's documents. He would have done a much greater service by causing Gov. Bradford's History to be printed entire. It is the loss of that work that now gives so much value to his extracts and compila tions. The fifth edition of the Me morial, greatly enlarged by the valuable notes of the learned ed itor, Judge Davis, was printed at Boston in 1826, in an octavo vol ume of 480 pages. See Plymouth Colony Laws, p. 153, Morton's Me morial, p. 10, and Prince's Annals, p. xx. Memorial in 1669 ; and the date of " the first fire that was so destruc tive at Boston" was Nov. 27, 1676. The reverend friend to whom the manuscript had been lent, was In crease Mather, whose church was destroyed by this fire, as well as his dwelling-house, and a part of his library.

Increase Mather had married a daughter of John Cot ton, of Boston ; and her brother be ing at this time the minister of Plymouth, this circumstance pro bably led to an acquaintance be tween Mather and Secretary Mor ton. See Hutchinson's Massachu setts,!. 349, Snow's History of Bos ton, p. 164, and Cotton Mather's Memoirs of his Father, p. 79. 2 Gov. Bradford died May 9, 1657, in his 69th year. 1 This is unquestionably an er ror; it should be 1676. For the writer says he began this compilation after the publication of the fitly have been published to the world, had they not been involved in and amongst particulars of other nature. Gentle reader, I humbly crave thy patience, and ac ceptance of this small treatise, so as to read it over considerately ; wherein so doing thou wilt discern much of the goodness, mercy, and power of God ; who as at the first brought this fabric of the world out of the womb of nothing, hath brought so many famous churches of Christ out of so small beginnings ; with many other useful considerations that thou mayest meet with in the serious perusal thereof.

So leaving thee and this small work to the blessing of the only wise God, I remain thine in Christ Jesus, Nathaniel Morton.1 Plymouth, in New England, January 13.A, 1680. 1 Nathaniel Morton was the son of George Morton, who had married in England a sister of Gov. Bradford, and came over to Plym outh with his family in July, 1623, in the ship Ann. His father died in June, 1624, when Nathaniel was twelve years old. In 1645 he was chosen Secretary of the Colony Court, and continued in this office till his death, June 28, 1685, in his 73d year. His residence in Plymouth was by the side of Wel lingsly Brook, half a mile south of the village. See Judge Davis's Preface to Morton's Memorial, pp. iv. and 101, and Mass. Hist. Coll. xiii. 178. INTR

Introduction

. an introduction to the ecclesiastical history of the church of christ at plymouth, in new england, as followeth.1 It is well known to the godly and judicious, how that ever since the first breaking out of the light of the Gospel in our honorable nation of England, — which was the first of nations whom the Lord adorned there with, after that gross darkness of Popery, which had covered and overspread the Christian world, — what wars and oppositions ever since Satan hath raised, maintained, and continued against the saints from time to time, in one sort or other ; sometimes by bloody death and cruel torments, otherwhiles imprisonments, banishments, and other hard usages ; as being loth his kingdom should go down, the truth prevail, and the churches of God revert to their ancient purity, and recover their primitive order, liberty, and beauty.

But when he could not prevail by these means against the main truths of the Gospel, but that they began to take footing in many places, being watered with the blood of the martyrs and blessed from heaven with a gracious 1 This was originally penned by Mr. William Bradford, Governor of New Plymouth. — Morton's Note. increase ; he then began to take him to his ancient stratagems, used of old against the first Christians ; that when by the bloody and barbarousness J of the heathen emperor he could not stop and subvert the course of the Gospel, but that it speedily overspread with a wonderful celerity to the then best known parts of the world, he then began to sow errors, heresies, and wonderful desertions amongst the professors them selves, working upon their pride and ambition, with other corrupt passions incident to all mortal men, yea to the saints themselves in some measure ; by which woful effects followed, as not only bitter contentions and heart-burnings, schisms, with other horrible con fusions, but Satan took occasion and advantage thereby to foist in a number of vile ceremonies, with many unprofitable canons and decrees, which have since been as snares to many peaceable poor souls even to this day ; so, as in the ancient times the persecution by the heathen and their emperors was not greater than of the Christians, one against another, the Arians' and other their accomplices' against the orthodox and true Christians (as witnesseth Socrates in his second book, saith he) " was no less than that of old practised to wards the Christians when they were compelled and drawn to sacrifice to idols ; for many endured sundry kinds of torments, others racking, and dismembering of their joints, confiscating of their goods, some be reaved of their native soil, others departed this life under the hands of the tormentor, and some died in banishment, and never saw their country again." 2 The like method Satan hath seemed to hold in these 1 So in the MS. 2 Eccles.

Hist. lib. ii. cap. 27. lo 1558, 1554, 1555, latter times, since the truth began to spring and spread after the great defection made by Antichrist, the Man of Sin. For to let pass the many examples in sundry nations, in several places of the world, and instances of our own, whenas the old serpent could not prevail by those fierv flames, and other his cruel tragedies, which he by his instruments put in ure every where in the days of Queen Mary and before, he then began another kind of war, and went more closely to work, not only to oppugn, but even to ruinate and destroy the kingdom of Christ bv more secret and subtile means, by kind ling the flames of contention and sowing the seeds of discord and bitter enmity amongst the professors and seeming reformed themselves. For when he could not prevail by the former means against the principal doctrines of faith, he bent his force against the holy disci pline and outward regiment of the kingdom of Christ, by which those holy doctrines should be confirmed, and true piety maintained amongst the saints and people of God.

Mr. Fox recordeth how that, besides those worthy martyrs and confessors which were burned in Queen Mary's days and otherwise tormented, many, both stu dents and others, fled out of the land, to the number of eight hundred, and became several congregations at Wesel, Frankfort, Basle, Emden, Marburg, Strasburg, and Geneva, &C.1 Amongst whom, especially those at Frankfort, began a bitter war of contention and per secution about the ceremonies and service book, and other popish and antichristian stuff, the plague of Eng land to this day, which are like the high places in 1 Fox, Acts and Monuments, iii. 40. See also Strype's Memorials, iii. 146, and Fuller's Ch. Hist, of Britain, ii. 405. Israel which the prophets cried out against, and were their ruin ; which the better part sought, according to the purity of the Gospel, to root out and utterly destroy, and the other part, under veiled pretences, for their own ends and advancement, sought as stiffly to continue, maintain, and defend ; as appeareth by the Discourse thereof published in print anno 1575, a book that deserves better to be known and considered than it is.1 The one side labored to have the right worship of God and discipline of Christ established in the church according to the simplicity of the Gospel, without the mixture of men's inventions, and to have and to be ruled by the laws of God's word, dispensed in those offices and by those officers of pastors and teachers and elders, according to the Scriptures.