Page images
PDF
EPUB

The 7. Chapter

Of their departure from Leyden, and other things ther aboute, with their arivall at Southhamton, were they all mete togeather, and tooke in ther provissions.

A

T length, after much travell and these debates, all things were got ready and provided. A smale ship 1 was bought, and fitted in Holand, which was intended as to serve to help to transport them, so to stay in the cuntrie and atend upon fishing and shuch other affairs as might be for the good and benefite of the colonie when they came ther.' Another was hired at London, of burden about 9. score; and all other things gott in readines. So being ready to departe, they had a day of solleme humiliation, their pastor taking his texte from Ezra 8.21. And ther at the river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble our selves before our God, and seeke of him a right way for us, and for our children, and for all our substance. Upon which he spente a good parte of the day very profitably, and suitable to their presente occasion. The rest of the time was spente in powering out prairs to the Lord with great fervencie, mixed with abundance of tears. And the time being come that they must departe, they were 1 Of some .60. tune.—BRADFORD. The Speedwell. The name is nowhere mentioned in Bradford, and was first given in Morton, New Englands Memoriall, *5. 2 The idea of a small ship to remain with the settlers for fishing and other calls was also in the mind of Weston in 1622. See p. 257, infra.

• The Mayflower. Bradford does not give this name in his History, and the first mention will be found in Bradford's record of "The Falles of their grounds which came first over in the May-Flower, according as their lots were cast, 1623." Plymouth Col. Rec., XII. 4.

• "And when the ship was ready to carry us away, the Brethren that stayed having againe solemnly sought the Lord with us, and for us, and we further engaging ourselves mutually as before; they, I say, that stayed at Leyden feasted us that were to

accompanied with most of their brethren out of the citie, unto a towne sundrie miles of called Delfes-Haven, wher the ship lay goe at our Pastors house being large, where wee refreshed our selves after our teares, with singing of Psalmes, making joyfull melody in our hearts, as well as with the voice, there being many of the Congregation very expert in Musick; and indeed it was the sweetest melody that ever mine eares heard." Winslow, Hypocrisie Unmasked, *90. Mr. Dexter makes the reasonable suggestion that the Psalms thus used were those in Henry Ainsworth, The Book of Psalmes; Englished both in prose and meter, first printed in Amsterdam, in 1612. A copy of this issue was in Elder Brewster's library. The England and Holland of the Pilgrims, 543.

Winslow, Hypocrisie Unmasked, *97, summarizes the "wholesome counsel" given by Robinson:

"We were now ere long to part asunder, and the Lord knoweth whether ever he should live to see our faces again: but whether the Lord had appointed it or not, he charged us before God and his blessed Angels, to follow him no further than he followed Christ. And if God should reveal any thing to us by any other instrument of his, to be as ready to receive it, as ever we were to receive any truth by his Ministery: . For he was very confident the Lord had more truth and light yet to breake forth out of his holy Word. He took occasion also miserably to bewaile the state and condition of the Reformed Churches, who were come to a period in Religion, and would goe no further then the Instruments of their Reformation: as for example, the Lutherans, they could not be drawne to goe beyond what Luther saw, for whatever part of God's will he had further imparted and revealed to Calvin, they will rather die then embrace it. And so also, saith he, you see the Calvinists, they stick where he left them: A misery much to be lamented; For though they were precious shining lights in their times, yet God had not revealed his whole will to them: And were they now living, saith hee, they would bee as ready and willing to embrace further light, as that they had received. Here also he put us in mind of our Church-Covenant (at least that part of it) whereby wee promise and covenant with God and one with another, to receive whatsoever light or truth shall be made known to us from his written Word: but withall exhorted us to take heed what we received for truth, and well to examine and compare, and weigh it with other Scriptures of truth, before we received it; For, saith he, It is not possible the Christian world should come so lately out of such thick Antichristian darknesse, and that full perfection of knowledge should breake forth at once.

"Another thing hee commended to us, was, that wee should use all meanes to avoid and shake off the name of Brownist, being a meer nick-name and brand to make Religion odious, and the professors of it to the Christain world; and to that end, said hee, I should be glad if some godly Minister would goe over with you, or come to you, before my comming; For, said hee, there will bee no difference between the unconformable Ministers and you, when they come to the practise of the Ordinances out of the Kingdome: And so advised us by all means to endeavour to close with the godly

[graphic]

MERCHANT SHIP OF VENICE, 1629. See p. 148, infra

[ocr errors]

ready to receive them. So they lefte the goodly and pleasante citie, which had been ther resting place near · 12. years; but they knew they were pilgrimes,2 and looked not much on those things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest cuntrie, and quieted their spirits. When they [37] came to the place they found the ship 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 shipte and to take their leave of them. That night was spent with litle sleepe by the most, but with freindly entertainmente and 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 party of the Kingdome of England, and rather to study union then division; viz., how neare we might possibly, without sin close with them, then in the least measure to affect division or separation from them. And be not loath to take another Pastor or Teacher, saith hee, for that flock that hath two shepherds is not indangered, but secured by it. Many other things there were of great and weighty consequence which he commended to us." There is no other evidence that this summarizes the address or sermon of Robinson on the last day of the Pilgrims' stay in Leyden. Neal, History of the Puritans, I. 476, accepts it as such. See Sumner, in 3 Mass. Hist. Collections, IX. 69.

1 Of Delftshaven, Sir William Brereton wrote in 1634: "It might well be accounted a fine town subsisting of itself, seeing it is so curiously built, and so dainty a harbour for shipping even in the streets: but this depends upon and belongs unto Delph, being only intended as it is called, Delphshaven. No town in England worth such a haven." Travels, 5.

2 Heb. II. - BRADFORD.

* Dexter conjectures that it was on Friday, July 21/31 the Pilgrims set out from Leyden for Delftshaven, the port of Delft, on the Maas. "They doubtless left Leyden by the Vliet, which stretches south for a mile and then turns to the southwest. A few villages diversify the green expanse and near Ryswick the canal bends almost southeast to Delft. Passing through this picturesque city, it continues to Delfshaven. The distance is perhaps twenty-five miles and the journey must have occupied six or eight hours." England and Holland of the Pilgrims, 587. Young gives the distance as about fourteen miles.

"After this they [the Brethren that stayed] accompanyed us to Delphs Haven, where wee were to imbarque, and there feasted us again." Winslow, Hypocrisie Unmasked, 91.

dolfull was the sight of that sadd and mournfull parting; to see what sighs and sobbs and praires did sound amongst them, what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches peirst each harte; that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the key as spectators, could not refraine from tears. Yet comfortable and sweete it was to see shuch lively and true expressions of dear and unfained love. But the tide (which stays for no man) caling them away that were thus loath to departe, their Reve[ren]d pastor falling downe on

[graphic]

DELFTSHAVEN, 17-1

his knees, (and they all with him,) with watrie cheeks commended 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 the last leave to many of them.2

1 From a plan of unknown date, but believed to be of the early eighteenth century. Part of the wharf A has been removed, but on it is said to have been in the seventeenth century a "poorhouse for travellers." Here the Pilgrims may have passed the night before embarking.

2 "And after prayer performed by our Pastor, where a flood of teares was poured out, they accompanyed us to the Ship, but were not able to speake one to another for the abundance of sorrow to part: but wee onely going aboard (the ship lying to the key)

« PreviousContinue »