Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation' Part 9

years; but they knew they were pilgrimes,[V] & looked not much on those things, but lift up their eyes to y^e heavens, their dearest c.u.n.trie, and quieted their spirits. When they [37] came to y^e place they found y^e s.h.i.+p and all things ready; and shuch of their freinds as could not come with them followed after them, and sundrie also came from Amsterdame to see them s.h.i.+pte and to take their leave of them. That night was spent with litle sleepe by y^e most, but with freindly entertainmente & christian discourse and other reall expressions of true christian love. The next day, the wind being faire, they wente aborde, and their freinds with them, where truly dolfull was y^e sight of that sade and mournfull parting; to see what sighs and sobbs and praires did sound amongst them, what tears did gush from every eye, & pithy speeches peirst each harte; that sundry of y^e Dutch strangers y^t stood on y^e key as spectators, could not refraine from tears. Yet comfortable & sweete it was to see shuch lively and true expressions of clear & unfained love. But the tide (which stays for no man) caling them away y^t were thus loath to departe, their Re[~v][=e]^d: pastor falling downe on his knees, (and they all with him,) with watrie cheeks co[=m]ended them with most fervente praiers to the Lord and his blessing. And then with mutuall imbrases and many tears, they tooke their leaves one of an other; which proved to be y^e last leave to many of them.

Thus hoysing saile,[W] with a prosperus winde they came in short time to Southhamton, wher they found the bigger s.h.i.+p come from London, lying ready, w^th all the rest of their company. After a joyfull wellcome, and mutuall congratulations, with other frendly entertainements, they fell to parley aboute their bussines, how to dispatch with y^e best expedition; as allso with their agents, aboute y^e alteration of y^e conditions. M^r. Carver pleaded he was imployed hear at Hamton, and knew not well what y^e other had don at London. M^r. Cushman answered, he had done nothing but what he was urged too, partly by y^e grounds of equity, and more espetialy by necessitie, other wise all had bene dasht and many undon. And in y^e begining he aquainted his felow agents here with, who consented unto him, and left it to him to execute, and to receive y^e money at London and send it downe to them at Hamton, wher they made y^e provissions; the which he accordingly did, though it was against his minde, & some of y^e marchants, y^t they were their made. And for giveing them notise at Leyden of this change, he could not well in regarde of y^e shortnes of y^e time; againe, he knew it would trouble them and hinder y^e bussines, which was already delayed overlong in regard of y^e season of y^e year, which he feared they would find to their cost. But these things gave not contente at presente. Mr. Weston, likwise, came up from London to see them dispatcht and to have y^e conditions confirmed; but they refused, and answered him, that he knew right well that these were not according to y^e first agreemente, neither could they yeeld to them without y^e consente of the rest that were behind. And indeed they had spetiall charge when they came away, from the cheefe of those that were behind, not to doe it. At which he was much offended, and tould them, they must then looke to stand on their owne leggs. So he returned in displeasure, and this was y^e first ground of discontent betweene them. And wheras ther wanted well near 100^li. to clear things at their going away, he would not take order to disburse a penie, but let them s.h.i.+ft as they could. [38] So they were forst to selle of some of their provissions to stop this gape, which was some 3. or 4. score firkins of b.u.t.ter, which comoditie they might best spare, haveing provided too large a quant.i.tie of y^t kind. Then they write a leter to y^e marchants & adventures aboute y^e diferances concerning y^e conditions, as foloweth.

Aug. 3. An^o: 1620.

Beloved freinds, sory we are that ther should be occasion of writing at all unto you, partly because we ever expected to see y^e most of you hear, but espetially because ther should any differance at all be conceived betweene us. But seing it faleth out that we cannot conferr togeather, we thinke it meete (though brefly) to show you y^e just cause & reason of our differing from those articles last made by Robart Cushman, without our comission or knowledg. And though he might propound good ends to himselfe, yet it no way justifies his doing it.

Our maine diference is in y^e 5. & 9. article, concerning y^e deviding or holding of house and lands; the injoying wherof some of your selves well know, was one spetiall motive, amongst many other, to provoke us to goe. This was thought so reasonable, y^t when y^e greatest of you in adventure (whom we have much cause to respecte), when he propounded conditions to us freely of his owne accorde, he set this downe for one; a coppy wherof we have sent unto you, with some additions then added by us; which being liked on both sids, and a day set for y^e paimente of moneys, those of Holland paid in theirs. After y^t, Robart Cushman, M^r. Peirce, & M^r. Martine, brought them into a better forme, & write them in a booke now extante; and upon Robarts shewing them and delivering M^r. Mullins a coppy therof under his hand (which we have), he payd in his money. And we of Holland had never seen other before our coming to Hamton, but only as one got for him selfe a private coppy of them; upon sight wherof we manyfested uter dislike, but had put of our estats & were ready to come, and therfore was too late to rejecte y^e vioage. Judge therfore we beseech you indiferently of things, and if a faulte have bene co[=m]ited, lay it wher it is, & not upon us, who have more cause to stand for y^e one, then you have for y^e other. We never gave Robart Cushman comission to make any one article for us, but only sent him to receive moneys upon articles before agreed on, and to further y^e provissions till John Carver came, and to a.s.siste him in it. Yet since you conceive your selves wronged as well as we, we thought meete to add a branch to y^e end of our 9. article, as will allmost heale that wound of it selfe, which you conceive to be in it. But that it may appeare to all men y^t we are not lovers of our selves only, but desire also y^e good & inriching of our freinds who have adventured your moneys with our persons, we have added our last article to y^e rest, promising you againe by leters in y^e behalfe of the whole company, that if large profits should not arise within y^e 7. years, y^t we will continue togeather longer with you, if y^e Lord give a blessing.[X] This we hope is sufficente to satisfie any in this case, espetialy freinds, since we are asured y^t if the whole charge was devided into 4. parts, 3. of them will not stand upon it, nether doe regarde it, &c. We are in shuch a streate at presente, as we are forced to sell away 60^li.

worth of our provissions to cleare y^e Haven, & withall put our selves upon great extremities, scarce haveing any b.u.t.ter, no oyle, not a sole to mend a shoe, [39] nor every man a sword to his side, wanting many muskets, much armoure, &c. And yet we are willing to expose our selves to shuch eminente dangers as are like to insue, & trust to y^e good providence of G.o.d, rather then his name & truth should be evill spoken of for us. Thus saluting all of you in love, and beseeching the Lord to give a blesing to our endeavore, and keepe all our harts in y^e bonds of peace & love, we take leave & rest,

Yours, &c.

Aug. 3. 1620.

It was subscribed with many names of y^e cheefest of y^e company.

At their parting M^r. Robinson write a leter to y^e whole company, which though it hath already bene printed, yet I thought good here likwise to inserte it; as also a breefe leter writ at y^e same time to M^r. Carver, in which y^e tender love & G.o.dly care of a true pastor appears.

My dear Brother,--I received inclosed in your last leter y^e note of information, w^ch I shall carefuly keepe & make use of as ther shall be occasion. I have a true feeling of your perplexitie of mind & toyle of body, but I hope that you who have allways been able so plentifully to administer comforte unto others in their trials, are so well furnished for your selfe as that farr greater difficulties then you have yet undergone (though I conceive them to have been great enough) cannot oppresse you, though they press you, as y^e Aspostle speaks.

The spirite of a man (sustained by y^e spirite of G.o.d) will sustaine his infirmitie, I dout not so will yours. And y^e beter much when you shall injoye y^e presence & help of so many G.o.dly & wise bretheren, for y^e bearing of part of your burthen, who also will not admitte into their harts y^e least thought of suspition of any y^e least negligence, at least presumption, to have been in you, what so ever they thinke in others. Now what shall I say or write unto you & your goodwife my loving sister? even only this, I desire (& allways shall) unto you from y^e Lord, as unto my owne soule; and a.s.sure your selfe y^t my harte is with you, and that I will not forslowe my bodily coming at y^e first oppertunitie. I have writen a large leter to y^e whole, and am sorie I shall not rather speak then write to them; & the more, considering y^e wante of a preacher, which I shall also make sume spurr to my hastening after you. I doe ever co[=m]end my best affection unto you, which if I thought you made any doubte of, I would express in more, & y^e same more ample & full words. And y^e Lord in whom you trust & whom you serve ever in this bussines & journey, guid you with his hand, protecte you with his winge, and shew you & us his salvation in y^e end, & bring us in y^e mean while togeather in y^e place desired, if shuch be his good will, for his Christs sake.

Amen.

Yours, &c.

Jo: R.

July 27. 1620.

This was y^e last letter y^t M^r. Carver lived to see from him. The other follows.

[Y]Lovinge Christian friends, I doe hartily & in y^e Lord salute you all, as being they with whom I am presente in my best affection, and most ernest longings after you, though I be constrained for a while to be bodily absente from you. I say constrained, G.o.d knowing how willingly, & much rather then otherwise, I would have borne my part with you in this first brunt, were I not by strong necessitie held back for y^e present. Make accounte of me in y^e mean while, as of a man devided in my selfe with great paine, and as (naturall bonds set a side) having my beter parte with [40] you. And though I doubt not but in your G.o.dly wisdoms, you both foresee & resolve upon y^t which concerneth your presente state & condition, both severally & joyntly, yet have I thought it but my duty to add some furder spurr of provocation unto them, who rune allready, if not because you need it, yet because I owe it in love & dutie. And first, as we are daly to renew our repentance with our G.o.d, espetially for our sines known, and generally for our unknowne trespa.s.ses, so doth y^e Lord call us in a singuler maner upon occasions of shuch difficultie & danger as lieth upon you, to a both more narrow search & carefull reformation of your ways in his sight; least he, calling to remembrance our sines forgotten by us or unrepented of, take advantage against us, & in judgmente leave us for y^e same to be swalowed up in one danger or other; wheras, on the contrary, sine being taken away by ernest repentance & y^e pardon therof from y^e Lord sealed up unto a mans conscience by his spirite, great shall be his securitie and peace in all dangers, sweete his comforts in all distresses, with hapie deliverance from all evill, whether in life or in death.

Now next after this heavenly peace with G.o.d & our owne consciences, we are carefully to provide for peace with all men what in us lieth, espetially with our a.s.sociats, & for y^e watchfullnes must be had, that we neither at all in our selves doe give, no nor easily take offence being given by others. Woe be unto y^e world for offences, for though it be necessarie (considering y^e malice of Satan & mans corruption) that offences come, yet woe unto y^e man or woman either by whom y^e offence cometh, saith Christ, Mat. 18. 7. And if offences in y^e unseasonable use of things in them selves indifferent, be more to be feared then death itselfe, as y^e Apostle teacheth, 1. Cor. 9.

15. how much more in things simply evill, in which neither honour of G.o.d nor love of man is thought worthy to be regarded. Neither yet is it sufficiente y^t we keepe our selves by y^e grace of G.o.d from giveing offence, exepte withall we be armed against y^e taking of them when they be given by others. For how imperfect & lame is y^e work of grace in y^t person, who wants charritie to cover a mult.i.tude of offences, as y^e scriptures speake. Neither are you to be exhorted to this grace only upon y^e co[=m]one grounds of Christianitie, which are, that persons ready to take offence, either wante charitie, to cover offences, of wisdome duly to waigh humane frailtie; or lastly, are grosse, though close hipocrites, as Christ our Lord teacheth, Mat.

7. 1, 2, 3, as indeed in my owne experience, few or none have bene found which sooner give offence, then shuch as easily take it; neither have they ever proved sound & profitable members in societies, which have nurished this touchey humor. But besids these, ther are diverse motives provoking you above others to great care & conscience this way: As first, you are many of you strangers, as to y^e persons, so to y^e infirmities one of another, & so stand in neede of more watchfullnes this way, least when shuch things fall out in men & women as you suspected not, you be inordinatly affected with them; which doth require at your hands much wisdome & charitie for y^e covering & preventing of incident offences that way. And lastly, your intended course of civill comunitie will minister continuall occasion of offence, & will be as fuell for that fire, excepte you dilligently quench it with brotherly forbearance. And if taking of offence causlesly or easilie at mens doings be so carefuly to be avoyded, how much more heed is to be taken y^t we take not offence at G.o.d him selfe, which yet we certainly doe so oft[=e] as we doe murmure at his providence in our crosses, or beare impatiently shuch afflictions as wherwith he pleaseth to visite us. Store up therfore patience against y^e evill day, without which we take offence at y^e Lord him selfe in his holy & just works.

A 4. thing ther is carfully to be provided for, to witte, that with your co[=m]one imployments you joyne co[=m]one affections truly bente upon y^e generall good, avoyding as a deadly [41] plague of your both co[=m]one & spetiall comfort all retirednes of minde for proper advantage, and all singularly affected any maner of way; let every man represe in him selfe & y^e whol body in each person, as so many rebels against y^e commone good, all private respects of mens selves, not sorting with y^e generall conveniencie. And as men are carfull not to have a new house shaken with any violence before it be well setled & y^e parts firmly knite, so be you, I beseech you, brethren, much more carfull, y^t the house of G.o.d which you are, and are to be, be not shaken with unnecessarie novelties or other oppositions at y^e first setling therof.

Lastly, wheras you are become a body politik, using amongst your selves civill govermente, and are not furnished with any persons of spetiall eminencie above y^e rest, to be chosen by you into office of goverment, let your wisdome & G.o.dlines appeare, not only in chusing shuch persons as doe entirely love and will promote y^e co[=m]one good, but also in yeelding unto them all due honour & obedience in their lawfull administrations; not behoulding in them y^e ordinarinesse of their persons, but G.o.ds ordinance for your good, not being like y^e foolish mult.i.tud who more honour y^e gay coate, then either y^e vertuous minde of y^e man, or glorious ordinance of y^e Lord. But you know better things, & that y^e image of y^e Lords power & authoritie which y^e magistrate beareth, is honourable, in how meane persons soever. And this dutie you both may y^e more willingly and ought y^e more conscionably to performe, because you are at least for y^e present to have only them for your ordinarie governours, which your selves shall make choyse of for that worke.

Sundrie other things of importance I could put you in minde of, and of those before mentioned, in more words, but I will not so farr wrong your G.o.dly minds as to thinke you heedless of these things, ther being also diverce among you so well able to admonish both them selves & others of what concerneth them. These few things therfore, & y^e same in few words, I doe ernestly co[=m]end unto your care & conscience, joyning therwith my daily incessante prayers unto y^e Lord, y^t he who hath made y^e heavens & y^e earth, y^e sea and all rivers of waters, and whose providence is over all his workes, espetially over all his dear children for good, would so guide & gard you in your wayes, as inwardly by his Spirite, so outwardly by y^e hand of his power, as y^t both you & we also, for & with you, may have after matter of praising his name all y^e days of your and our lives. Fare you well in him in whom you trust, and in whom I rest.

An unfained wellwiller of your hapie success in this hopefull voyage, JOHN ROBINSON.

This letter, though large, yet being so frutfull in it selfe, and suitable to their occation, I thought meete to inserte in this place.

All things being now ready, & every bussines dispatched, the company was caled togeather, and this letter read amongst them, which had good acceptation with all, and after fruit with many. Then they ordered & distributed their company for either s.h.i.+pe, as they conceived for y^e best. And chose a Governor & 2. or 3. a.s.sistants for each s.h.i.+pe, to order y^e people by y^e way, and see to y^e dispossing of there provissions, and shuch like affairs. All which was not only with y^e liking of y^e maisters of y^e s.h.i.+ps, but according to their desires.

Which being done, they sett sayle from thence aboute y^e 5. of August; but what befell them further upon y^e coast of England will appeare in y^e nexte chapter.

The 8. Chap.

_Off the troubls that befell them on the coaste, and at sea being forced, after much trouble, to leave one of ther s.h.i.+ps & some of their companie behind them._

[42] Being thus put to sea they had not gone farr, but M^r. Reinolds y^e master of y^e leser s.h.i.+p complained that he found his s.h.i.+p so leak as he durst not put further to sea till she was mended. So y^e m^r. of y^e biger s.h.i.+p (caled M^r. Jonas) being consulted with, they both resolved to put into Dartmouth & have her ther searched & mended, which accordingly was done, to their great charg & losse of time and a faire winde. She was hear thorowly searcht from steme to sterne, some leaks were found & mended, and now it was conceived by the workmen & all, that she was sufficiente, & they might proceede without either fear or danger. So with good hopes from hence, they put to sea againe, conceiving they should goe comfortably on, not looking for any more lets of this kind; but it fell out otherwise, for after they were gone to sea againe above 100. leagues without the Lands End, houlding company togeather all this while, the m^r. of y^e small s.h.i.+p complained his s.h.i.+p was so leake as he must beare up or sinke at sea, for they could scarce free her with much pumping. So they came to consultation againe, and resolved both s.h.i.+ps to bear up backe againe & put into Pli[=m]oth, which accordingly was done. But no spetiall leake could be founde, but it was judged to be y^e generall weaknes of y^e s.h.i.+pe, and that shee would not prove sufficiente for the voiage. Upon which it was resolved to dismise her & parte of y^e companie, and proceede with y^e other s.h.i.+pe. The which (though it was greevous, & caused great discouragmente) was put in execution. So after they had tooke out such provission as y^e other s.h.i.+p could well stow, and concluded both what number and what persons to send bak, they made another sad parting, y^e one s.h.i.+p going backe for London, and y^e other was to proceede on her viage. Those that went bak were for the most parte such as were willing so to doe, either out of some discontente, or feare they conceived of y^e ill success of y^e vioage, seeing so many croses befale, & the year time so farr spente; but others, in regarde of their owne weaknes, and charge of many yonge children, were thought least usefull, and most unfite to bear y^e brunte of this hard adventure; unto which worke of G.o.d, and judgmente of their brethern, they were contented to submite. And thus, like Gedions armie, this small number was devided, as if y^e Lord by this worke of his providence thought these few to many for y^e great worke he had to doe.

But here by the way let me show, how afterward it was found y^t the leaknes of this s.h.i.+p was partly by being over masted, and too much pressed with sayles; for after she was sould & put into her old trime, she made many viages & performed her service very sufficiently, to y^e great profite of her owners. But more espetially, by the cuning & deceite of y^e m^r. & his company, who were hired to stay a whole year in y^e c.u.n.trie, and now fancying dislike & fearing wante of victeles, they ploted this strategem to free them selves; as afterwards was knowne, & by some of them confessed. For they apprehended y^t the greater s.h.i.+p, being of force, & in whom most of y^e provissions were stowed, she would retayne enough for her selfe, what soever became of them or y^e pa.s.sengers; & indeed shuch speeches had bene cast out by some of them; and yet, besids other incouragments, y^e cheefe of them that came from Leyden wente in this s.h.i.+pe to give y^e m^r. contente. But so strong was self love & his fears, as he forgott all duty and [43]

former kindnesses, & delt thus falsly with them, though he pretended otherwise. Amongest those that returned was M^r. Cushman & his familie, whose hart & courage was gone from them before, as it seems, though his body was with them till now he departed; as may appear by a pa.s.sionate letter he write to a freind in London from Dartmouth, whilst y^e s.h.i.+p lay ther a mending; the which, besids y^e expressions of his owne fears, it shows much of y^e providence of G.o.d working for their good beyonde man's expectation, & other things concerning their condition in these streats. I will hear relate it. And though it discover some infirmities in him (as who under temtation is free), yet after this he continued to be a spetiall instrumente for their good, and to doe y^e offices of a loving freind & faithfull brother unto them, and pertaker of much comforte with them.

The letter is as followth.

To his loving friend Ed: S.[Z] at Henige House in y^e Duks Place, these, &c.

Dartmouth, Aug. 17.

Loving friend, my most kind remembrance to you & your wife, with loving E. M. &c. whom in this world I never looke to see againe. For besids y^e eminente dangers of this viage, which are no less then deadly, an infirmitie of body hath ceased me, which will not in all lie^{c}lyhoode leave me till death. What to call it I know not, but it is a bundle of lead, as it were, crus.h.i.+ng my harte more & more these 14. days, as that allthough I doe y^e acctions of a liveing man, yet I am but as dead; but y^e will of G.o.d be done. Our pina.s.s will not cease leaking, els I thinke we had been halfe way at Virginia, our viage hither hath been as full of crosses, as our selves have been of crokednes. We put in hear to tri[=m]e her, & I thinke, as others also, if we had stayed at sea but 3. or 4. howers more, shee would have sunke right downe. And though she was twise tri[=m]ed at Hamton, yet now shee is open and leakie as a seive; and ther was a borde, a man might have puld of with his fingers, 2 foote longe, wher y^e water came in as at a mole hole. We lay at Hamton 7. days, in fair weather, waiting for her, and now we lye hear waiting for her in as faire a wind as can blowe, and so have done these 4. days, and are like to lye 4. more, and by y^t time y^e wind will happily turne as it did at Hampton. Our victualls will be halfe eaten up, I thinke, before we goe from the coaste of England, and if our viage last longe, we shall not have a months victialls when we come in y^e countrie. Neare 700^li.

hath bene bestowed at Hampton, upon what I know not. Mr. Martin saith he neither can nor will give any accounte of it, and if he be called upon for accounts he crieth out of unthankfullnes for his paines & care, that we are susspitious of him, and flings away, & will end nothing. Also he so insult[=e]h over our poore people, with shuch scorne & contempte, as if they were not good enough to wipe his shoes.

It would break your hart to see his dealing,[AA] and y^e mourning of our people. They complaine to me, & ala.s.s! I can doe nothing for them; if I speake to him, he flies in my face, as mutinous, and saith no complaints shall be heard or received but by him selfe, and saith they are forwarde, & waspish, discontented people, & I doe ill to hear them. Ther are others y^t would lose all they have put in, or make satisfaction for what they have had, that they might departe: but he will not hear them, nor suffer them to goe ash.o.r.e, least they should rune away. The sailors also are so offended at his ignorante bouldnes, in medling & controuling in things he knows not what belongs too, as y^t some threaten to misscheefe him, others say they will leave y^e s.h.i.+pe & goe their way. But at y^e best this cometh of it, y^t he maks him selfe a scorne & laughing stock unto them. As for M^r. Weston, excepte grace doe greatly swaye with him, he will hate us ten times more then ever he loved us, for not confirming y^e conditions. But now, since some pinches have taken them, they begine to reveile y^e trueth, & say M^r. Robinson was in y^e falte who charged them never to consente to those conditions, nor chuse me into office, but indeede apointed them to chose them they did chose.[AB] But he & they will rue too late, they may [44] now see, & all be ashamed when it is too late, that they were so ignorante, yea, & so inordinate in their courses. I am sure as they were resolved not to seale those conditions, I was not so resolute at Hampton to have left y^e whole bussines, excepte they would seale them, & better y^e vioage to have bene broken of then, then to have brought such miserie to our selves, dishonour to G.o.d, & detrimente to our loving freinds, as now it is like to doe. 4. or 5.

of y^e cheefe of them which came from Leyden, came resolved never to goe on those conditions. And M^r. Martine, he said he never received no money on those conditions, he was not beholden to y^e marchants for a pine, they were bloudsuckers, & I know not what. Simple man, he indeed never made any conditions w^th the marchants, nor ever spake with them. But did all that money flie to Hampton, or was it his owne?

Who will goe & lay out money so rashly & lavishly as he did, and never know how he comes by it, or on what conditions? 2^ly. I tould him of y^e alteration longe agoe, & he was contente; but now he dominires, & said I had betrayed them into y^e hands of slaves; he is not beholden to them, he can set out 2. s.h.i.+ps him selfe to a viage. When, good man?

He hath but 50^li. in, & if he should give up his accounts he would not have a penie left him, as I am persuaded,[AC] &c. Freind, if ever we make a plantation, G.o.d works a mirakle; especially considering how scante we shall be of victualls, and most of all ununited amongst our selves, & devoyd of good tutors & regimente. Violence will break all.

Wher is y^e meek & humble spirite of Moyses? & of Nehemiah who reedified y^e wals of Jerusalem, & y^e state of Israell? Is not y^e sound of Rehoboams braggs daly hear amongst us? Have not y^e philosophers and all wise men observed y^t, even in setled co[=m]one welths, violente governours bring either them selves, or people, or boath, to ruine; how much more in y^e raising of co[=m]one wealths, when y^e morter is yet scarce tempered y^t should bind y^e wales. If I should write to you of all things which promiscuously forerune our ruine, I should over charge my weake head and greeve your tender hart; only this, I pray you prepare for evill tidings of us every day. But pray for us instantly, it may be y^e Lord will be yet entreated one way or other to make for us. I see not in reason how we shall escape even y^e gasping of hunger starved persons; but G.o.d can doe much, & his will be done. It is better for me to dye, then now for me to bear it, which I doe daly, & expecte it howerly; haveing received y^e sentance of death, both within me & without me. Poore William King & my selfe doe strive[AD] who shall be meate first for y^e fishes; but we looke for a glorious resurrection, knowing Christ Jesus after y^e flesh no more, but looking unto y^e joye y^t is before us, we will endure all these things and accounte them light in comparison of y^t joye we hope for. Remember me in all love to our freinds as if I named them, whose praiers I desire ernestly, & wish againe to see, but not till I can with more comforte looke them in y^e face. The Lord give us that true comforte which none can take from us. I had a desire to make a breefe relation of our estate to some freind. I doubte not but your wisdome will teach you seasonably to utter things as here after you shall be called to it. That which I have writen is treue, & many things more which I have forborne. I write it as upon my life, and last confession in England. What is of use to be spoken [45] of presently, you may speake of it, and what is fitt to conceile, conceall. Pa.s.s by my weake maner, for my head is weake, & my body feeble, y^e Lord make me strong in him, & keepe both you & yours.

Your loving friend, ROBART CUSHMAN.

Dartmouth, Aug. 17. 1620.

These being his conceptions & fears at Dartmouth, they must needs be much stronger now at Plimoth.

The 9. Chap.

_Of their vioage, & how they pa.s.sed y^e sea, and of their safe arrivall at Cape Codd._

SEPT^R: 6. These troubls being blowne over, and now all being compacte togeather in one s.h.i.+pe,[AE] they put to sea againe with a prosperus winde, which continued diverce days togeather, which was some incouragmente unto them; yet according to y^e usuall maner many were afflicted with sea-sicknes. And I may not omite hear a spetiall worke of G.o.ds providence. Ther was a proud & very profane yonge man, one of y^e sea-men, of a l.u.s.tie, able body, which made him the more hauty; he would allway be contemning y^e poore people in their sicknes, & cursing them dayly with gre[=e]ous execrations, and did not let to tell them, that he hoped to help to cast halfe of them over board before they came to their jurneys end, and to make mery with what they had; and if he were by any gently reproved, he would curse and swear most bitterly. But it plased G.o.d before they came halfe seas over, to smite this yong man with a greeveous disease, of which he dyed in a desperate maner, and so was him selfe y^e first y^t was throwne overbord. Thus his curses light on his owne head; and it was an astonishmente to all his fellows, for they noted it to be y^e just hand of G.o.d upon him.

After they had injoyed faire winds and weather for a season, they were incountred many times with crosse winds, and mette with many feirce stormes, with which y^e s.h.i.+pe was shroudly shaken, and her upper works made very leakie; and one of the maine beames in y^e midd s.h.i.+ps was bowed & craked, which put them in some fear that y^e s.h.i.+pe could not be able to performe y^e vioage. So some of y^e cheefe of y^e company, perceiveing y^e mariners to feare y^e suffisiencie of y^e s.h.i.+pe, as appeared by their mutterings, they entred into serious consulltation with y^e m^r. & other officers of y^e s.h.i.+p, to consider in time of y^e danger; and rather to returne then to cast them selves into a desperate & inevitable perill. And truly ther was great distraction & differance of opinion amongst y^e mariners them selves; faine would they doe what could be done for their wages sake, (being now halfe the seas over,) and on y^e other hand they were loath to hazard their lives too desperatly.

But in examening of all opinions, the m^r. & others affirmed they knew y^e s.h.i.+p to be stronge & firme under water; and for the buckling of y^e maine beame, ther was a great iron scrue y^e pa.s.sengers brought out of Holland, which would raise y^e beame into his place; y^e which being done, the carpenter & m^r. affirmed that with a post put under it, set firme in y^e lower deck, & otherways bounde, he would make it sufficiente. And as for y^e decks & uper workes they would calke them as well as they could, and though with y^e workeing of y^e s.h.i.+p they [46]

would not longe keepe stanch, yet ther would otherwise be no great danger, if they did not overpress her with sails. So they co[=m]ited them selves to y^e will of G.o.d, & resolved to proseede. In sundrie of these stormes the winds were so feirce, & y^e seas so high, as they could not beare a knote of saile, but were forced to hull, for diverce days togither. And in one of them, as they thus lay at hull, in a mighty storme, a l.u.s.tie yonge man (called John Howland) coming upon some occasion above y^e grattings, was, with a seele of the s.h.i.+pe throwne into [y^e] sea; but it pleased G.o.d y^t he caught hould of y^e top-saile halliards, which hunge over board, & rane out at length; yet he held his hould (though he was sundrie fadomes under water) till he was hald up by y^e same rope to y^e brime of y^e water, and then with a boat hooke & other means got into y^e s.h.i.+pe againe, & his life saved; and though he was something ill with it, yet he lived many years after, and became a profitable member both in church & co[=m]one wealthe. In all this viage ther died but one of y^e pa.s.sengers, which was William b.u.t.ten, a youth, servant to Samuell Fuller, when they drew near y^e coast. But to omite other things, (that I may be breefe,) after longe beating at sea they fell with that land which is called Cape Cod; the which being made & certainly knowne to be it, they were not a litle joyfull. After some deliberation had amongst them selves & with y^e m^r.

of y^e s.h.i.+p, they tacked aboute and resolved to stande for y^e southward (y^e wind & weather being faire) to finde some place aboute Hudsons river for their habitation. But after they had sailed y^t course aboute halfe y^e day, they fell amongst deangerous shoulds and roring breakers, and they were so farr intangled ther with as they conceived them selves in great danger; & y^e wind shrinking upon them withall, they resolved to bear up againe for the Cape, and thought them selves hapy to gett out of those dangers before night overtooke them, as by G.o.ds providence they did. And y^e next day they gott into y^e Cape-harbor wher they ridd in saftie. A word or too by y^e way of this cape; it was thus first named by Capten Gosnole & his company,[AF] Anno: 1602, and after by Capten Smith was caled Cape James; but it retains y^e former name amongst seamen. Also y^t pointe which first shewed those dangerous shoulds unto them, they called Pointe Care, & Tuckers Terrour; but y^e French & Dutch to this day call it Malabarr, by reason of those perilous shoulds, and y^e losses they have suffered their.

Being thus arived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees & blessed y^e G.o.d of heaven, who had brought them over y^e vast & furious ocean, and delivered them from all y^e periles & miseries therof, againe to set their feete on y^e firme and stable earth, their proper elemente. And no marvell if they were thus joyefull, seeing wise Seneca was so affected with sailing a few miles on y^e coast of his owne Italy; as he affirmed,[AG] that he had rather remaine twentie years on his way by land, then pa.s.s by sea to any place in a short time; so tedious & dreadfull was y^e same unto him.

But hear I cannot but stay and make a pause, and stand half amased at this poore peoples presente condition; and so I thinke will the reader too, when he well considers [47] y^e same. Being thus pa.s.sed y^e vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before in their preparation (as may be remembred by y^t which wente before), they had now no freinds to wellcome them, nor inns to entertaine or refresh their weatherbeaten bodys, no houses or much less townes to repaire too, to seeke for succoure. It is recorded in scripture[AH] as a mercie to y^e apostle & his s.h.i.+pwraked company, y^t the barbarians shewed them no smale kindnes in refres.h.i.+ng them, but these savage barbarians, when they mette with them (as after will appeare) were readier to fill their sids full of arrows then otherwise. And for y^e season it was winter, and they that know y^e winters of y^t c.u.n.trie know them to be sharp & violent, & subjecte to cruell & feirce stormes, deangerous to travill to known places, much more to serch an unknown coast. Besids, what could they see but a hidious & desolate wildernes, full of wild beasts & willd men? and what mult.i.tuds ther might be of them they knew not. Nether could they, as it were, goe up to y^e tope of Pisgah, to vew from this willdernes a more goodly c.u.n.trie to feed their hops; for which way soever they turnd their eys (save upward to y^e heavens) they could have litle solace or content in respecte of any outward objects. For su[=m]er being done, all things stand upon them with a wetherbeaten face; and y^e whole countrie, full of woods & thickets, represented a wild & savage heiw. If they looked behind them, ther was y^e mighty ocean which they had pa.s.sed, and was now as a maine barr & goulfe to seperate them from all y^e civill parts of y^e world. If it be said they had a s.h.i.+p to sucour them, it is trew; but what heard they daly from y^e m^r. & company? but y^t with speede they should looke out a place with their shallop, wher they would be at some near distance; for y^e season was shuch as he would not stirr from thence till a safe harbor was discovered by them wher they would be, and he might goe without danger; and that victells consumed apace, but he must & would keepe sufficient for them selves & their returne.