to establish such Lawes and ordynaunces as are for their better governem[en]t, and the same by such Officer or Officers as they shall by most voyces elect and choose to put in execučon And lastly the said President and Counsell do graunt and agree to and with the said John Peirce and his Associates and others contracted with and ymployed as aforesaid their heires and assignes, That when they haue planted the Landes hereby to them assigned and appoynted, That then it shalbe lawfull for them with the pryvitie and allowaunce of the President and Counsell as aforesaid to make choyce of and to enter into and to haue an addition of fiftie acres more for euery person transported into New England with like reservacons condicons and pryviledges as are aboue granted to be had and chosen in such place or places where no English shalbe then setled or inhabiting or haue made choyce of and the same entered into a booke of Actes at the tyme of such choyce so to be made or within tenne Myles of the same, excepting on the opposite side of some great Navigable Ryver as aforesaid. And that it shall and may be lawfull for the said John Peirce and his Associates their heires and assignes from tyme to tyme and at all tymes hereafter for their seuerall defence and savetie to encounter expulse repell and resist by force of Armes aswell by Sea as by Land and by all wayes and meanes whatsoeuer all such person and persons as without the especiall lycense of the said President or Counsell and their successors or the greater part of them shall attempt to inhabit within the seuerall presinctes and lymmyttes of their said Plantacon, Or shall enterpryse or attempt at any tyme hereafter distruccon, Invation, detryment or annoyaunce to the said Plantacon. And the said John Peirce and his associates and their heires and assignes do covennant and promyse to and with the said President and Counsell and their successors, That they the said John Peirce and his Associates from tyme to tyme during the said Seaven Yeeres shall make a true Certificat to the said President and Counsell and their successors from the chief Officers of the places respectyvely of euery person transported and landed in New England or shipped as aforesaid to be entered by the Secretary of the said President and Counsell into a Register book for that purpose to be kept And the said John Peirce and his Associates Jointly and seuerally for them their heires and assignes do covennant promyse and graunt to and with the said President and Counsell and their successors That the persons transported to this their particuler Plantačon shall apply themselves and their Labors in a large and competent manner to the planting setting making and procuring of good and staple commodyties in and vpon the said Land hereby graunted vnto them as Corne and silkgrasse hemp flaxe pitch and tarre sope ashes and potashes Yron Clapbord and other the like materialls. In witnes whereof the said President and Counsell haue to the one part of this p[rese]nte Indenture sett their seales1 And to th' other part hereof the said John Peirce in the name of himself and his said Associates haue sett to his seale geven the day and yeeres first aboue written. LENOX HAMILTON WARWICK SHEFFIELD FERD: GORGES On the Verso of the instrument is the following indorsement:- EDWARD COLLINGWOOD, Clerke. 1 This word looks a little like seale, with a punctuation mark following it. The sense would seem to require the plural; there were originally six seals affixed to the instrument. C. D[EANE]. Under each signature was originally a strip of parchment and a seal, of which four are still attached to the document. The sixth signature has been torn from the film. This Patent was first printed by Deane in 4 Mass. Hist. Collections, 11. 156. Anno 1622. Tthe spring of the year they had apointed the Massachusets to come againe and trade with them, and begane now to prepare for that vioag about the later end of March. But upon some rumors heard, Hobamak, their Indean, tould them upon some jealocies he had, he feared they were joyned with the Narighansets and might betray them if they were not carefull. He intimated also some jealocie of Squanto, by what he gathered from some private whisperings betweene him and other Indeans.1 But [71] they resolved to proseede, and sente out their shalop with. 10. of their cheefe men aboute the begining of Aprill, and both Sq[u]anto and Hobamake with them, in regarde of the jelocie betweene them. But they had not bene gone longe, but an Indean belonging to Squantos family 1 Hobbamock told of many secret passages that passed between Tisquantum and others, "having their meetings ordinarily abroad, in the woods; but if at home, howsoever, he was excluded from their secrecy; saying it was the manner of the Indians, when they meant plainly, to deal openly; but in this his practice there was no show of honesty." The Governor held a council and decided to disregard the charges. "As hitherto, upon all occasions, between them and us, we had ever manifested undaunted courage and resolution, so it would not now stand with our safety to mew up ourselves in our new-enclosed town; partly because our store was almost empty, and therefore must seek out for our daily food, without which we could not long subsist; but especially for that thereby they would see us dismayed, and be encouraged to prosecute their malicious purposes with more eagerness than ever they intended. Whereas, on the contrary, by the blessing of God, our fearless carriage might be the means to discourage and weaken their proceedings." Winslow, Good Newes, *5. Charlevoix says that to "secure the esteem of these barbarians, it is good not to allow them to despise us with impunity. You must even, outwardly, give contempt for contempt, if you would repress their insolence." History (Shea's ed.), 11. 27. 2 Winslow says they had turned the point of the harbor, called the Gurnet's Nose and becoming becalmed, had let fall their grapnel to set things to right and prepare to row. Good Newes, *6. Gurnet is a promontory containing about twenty-seven acres, and connected with Marshfield by a beach about seven miles long known as Duxbury (formerly Salt-house) beach. came runing in seeming great fear,' and tould them that many of the Narihgansets, with Corbytant, and he thought also Massasoyte, were coming against them; and he gott away to tell them, not without danger. And being examined by the Gov[erno]r, he made as if they were at hand, and would still be looking back, as if they were at his heels. At which the Gov[erno]r caused them to take armes and stand on their garde, and supposing the boat to be still within hearing (by reason it was calme) caused a warning peece or. 2. to be shote of, the which they heard and came in. But no Indeans apeared; watch was kepte all night, but nothing was seene. Hobamak was confidente for Massasoyt, and thought all was false;2 yet the Gov[erno]r caused him to send his wife privatly, to see what she could observe (preten[d]ing other occasions), but ther was nothing found, but all was quiet. After this they proseeded on their vioge to the 1 The Indian had wounded his face, and had the blood still fresh upon it. He reported a gathering of the natives at Namasket, about fifteen miles from Plymouth, and that he had received the blow for speaking in behalf of the English. The Indians, he reported, were resolved to take advantage of Captain Standish's absence to assault the town. 2 In expressing his confidence in Massasoit, Hobbamock said "he presumed he would neuer have undertaken any such act without his privity, himself being a pinse, that is, one of his chiefest champions or men of valor; it being the manner amongst them not to undertake such enterprises without the advice and furtherance of men of that rank. To this the Governor answered, he should be sorry that any just and necessary occasions of war should arise between him and any [of] the savages, but especially Massassowat; not that he feared him more than the rest, but because his love more exceeded towards him than any. Whereunto Hobbamock replied, there was no cause wherefore he should distrust him, and therefore should do well to continue his affections." Winslow, Good Newes, *7. The woman went to Pokanoket, Massasoit's place of residence, and finding no sign of any hostile movement, told the chief of Squanto's accusations. Massasoit naturally took offense, and came to Plymouth to clear himself, and showed his anger against Tisquantum. After his departure he sent a messenger to Governor Bradford "entreating him to give way to the death of Tisquantum, who had so much abused him." While admitting his guilt, Bradford sought to turn aside this demand, urging his usefulness as an interpreter, but the sachem was not to be pacified. He demanded Tisquantum as a subject, whom the Governor could not retain without violating the Massachusets, and had good trade, and returned in saftie, blessed be God. But by the former passages, and other things of like nature, they begane to see that Squanto sought his owne ends, and plaid his owne game, by putting the Indians in fear, and drawing gifts from them to enrich him selfe; making them beleeve he could stir up warr against whom he would, and make peace for whom he would. Yea, he made them beleeve they kept the plague buried in the ground, and could send it amongs whom they would, which did much terrifie the Indeans, and made them depend more on him, and seeke more to him then to Massasoyte, which proucured him envie, and had like to have cost him his life. For after the discovery of his practises, treaty. "Yet because he would not willingly do it without the Governor's approbation, offered him many beavers' skins for his consent thereto, saying that, according to their manner, their sachem had sent his own knife, and them [the messengers] therewith, to cut off his head and hands, and bring them to him." Bradford replied that it was not the manner of the English to sell men's lives at a price, but when they had deserved justly to die, to give them their reward. He sent for Tisquantum, who came and charged Hobbamock with his overthrow, but expressed a willingness to abide by the Governor's decision, though he knew what fate Massasoit had prepared for him. "But at the instant when our Governor was ready to deliver him into the hands of his executioners, a boat was seen at sea to cross before our town, and fall behind a headland [Manomet] not far off. Whereupon, having heard many rumors of the French, and not knowing whether there were any combination between the savages and them, the Governor told the Indians he would first know what boat that was ere he would deliver them [him] into their custody. But being mad with rage, and impatient at delay, they departed in great heat." The boat was the shallop from Weston's ship, the Sparrow. Winslow, Good Newes, *9. 1 "Here let me not omit one notable, though wicked practice of this Tisquantum; who, to the end, he might possess his countrymen with the greater fear of us, and so consequently of himself, told them we had the plague buried in our storehouse; which, at our pleasure, we could send forth to what place or people we would, and destroy them therewith, though we stirred not from home. Being, upon the forenamed brabbles, sent for by the Governor to this place, where Hobbamock was and some other of us, the ground being broke in the midst of the house, whereunder certain barrels of powder were buried, though unknown to him, Hobbamock asked him what it meant. To whom he readily answered, That was the place wherein the plague was buried, whereof he formerly told him and others. After this Hobbamock asked |