Yet I may not omitte the fruite that came heerby, for by these so publick troubles; in so many eminente places, their cause became famouss, and occasioned many to looke into the same; and their godly cariage and christian behaviour was shuch as left a deep Impression in the minds of many. And though some few shrunk, at these first conflicts, and sharp beginings (as it was no marvell) yet many more came on, with fresh courage, and greatly animated others. And in the end, notwithstanding all these stormes of oppossicion, they all gat over at length, some at one time, and some at an other, and some in one place, and some in an other, And mete togeather againe according to their desires, with no small rejoycing.1

were never seen) the winter going before, which caused much corn to fall away." In May license was given to import, duty free and during pleasure, all manner of corn and grain; and in June a royal proclamation was issued for preventing and remedying the dearth of grain and other victuals.

1 Dexter estimates the number reaching Amsterdam at not less than one hundred and twenty-five. "Clyfton probably was their teacher. Robinson surely was their pastor. Presumably they had no elder." The England and Holland of the Pilgrims, 449.

In his Of Religious Communion, Private and Public, printed in 1614, Robinson devotes a chapter (111.) to the question of "flight in persecution." In it he writes: "If we principally sought our earthly good, or safety, why did we not abide at home, or why return we not thither, applying ourselves to the times, as so many thousands do? that I may not allege, that by seeking such a kingdom of heaven, or church, as out of which we should throw our children, as he [Thomas Helwisse] hath done, which we might do safely enough, if without sin, we could procure to ourselves much more earthly help and furtherance, in the country where we live, as he knew well. And for drawing over the people, I know none of the guides, but were as much drawn over by them, as drawing them. The truth is, it was Mr. Helwisse, who above all, either guides or others, furthered this passage into strange countries: and if any brought oars, he brought sails, as I could show in many particulars, and as all that were acquainted with the manner of our coming over, can witness with me. . . . As we, then, shall perceive either our flying or abiding to be most for God's glory and the good of men, especially of our family and those nearest unto us, and for our own furtherance in holiness; and as we have strength to wade through the dangers of persecutions, so we with good conscience to use the one or other, which, our hope and comfort also is, we have done in these our days of sorrow; some of us coming over by banishment, and others otherwise." Works, III. 159, 164.

...

.3. Chapter

Of their setling in Holand, and their maner of living, and entertainmente ther.

B

EING now come into the Low countries,' they saw many

goodly and fortified cities, strongly walled and garded with tropes of armed men. Also they heard a strange,

1 In this history the Low Provinces mean the two provinces of Holland and Zeeland. South of the Scheldt, the land had been so harried and overrun by the contending armies, and the influence of Spain was still so strongly felt, that a speedy recovery from the devastation was hardly to be expected. North of the Scheldt the situation was entirely different, in spite of a war of thirty years' duration. The wealth and enterprise of the southern provinces had sought and found a refuge in the northern, and Holland and Zeeland contained the trading cities of the world, furnishing the carrying trade even for their enemies, the Spaniards. The corn trade of the Baltic, the timber commerce of western Europe and the cloth industry formerly belonging to Flanders, centred in Holland. So profitable was the Dutch commerce in a time of war, owing to their command of the sea, that peace was opposed, lest it should put an end to the wealth that poured into the country, and enabled it to support the taxation and expenses of war. Amsterdam, the great commercial city of Europe, had a population of about 100,000 souls, and from its wharves sailed the fleets of merchant vessels, forty on the route to the Indies, and eight hundred, twice a year, to the Baltic. Trade had become the passion of the Dutch, and their battles were fought by mercenaries, paid from the profits of trade. The Levant, the East Indies, and finally America, came within their activity for commerce and discovery. It was the offer in 1614 of a commercial monopoly of forty years for newly discovered passages, ports or lands, that led to the formation of the New Netherland Company, and the Dutch settlement on the island of Manhattan.

In 1609 Overbury reported that in Holland "no one is extraordinarily rich and few are very poor." The people were generally prosperous; but Amsterdam suffered in its location. In 1634, Brereton found it "a most flourishing city, which maintains as great a trade as any city in Christendom, yet most inconveniently seated in many respects, the air so corrupt and unwholesome, especially in winter-time, when most part of the country round about overflowed. Here no fresh-water, no water to brew withal, but what is fetched from Weesoppe [Weesp], six English miles distant. Hence they have

and uncouth language, and beheld the differente manners, and custumes of the people, with their strange fashons, and attires; all so farre differing from that of their plaine countrie villages (wherin they were bred, and had so longe lived) as it seemed they were come into a new world. But these were not the things, they much looked on, or long tooke up their thoughts; for they had other work in hand, and an other kind of warr to wage, and maintaine. For though they saw faire, and bewtifull cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of welth and riches, yet it was not longe before they saw the grimme and grisly face of povertie coming upon them like an armed man; with whom they must bukle, and incounter, and from whom they could not flye; but they were armed with faith, and patience against him, and all his encounters; and though they were sometimes foyled, yet by Gods assistance they prevailed, and got the victorie.

Now when Mr. Robinson, Mr. Brewster, and other principall members were come over 1 (for they were of the last and stayed to help the weakest over before them) shuch things were [12] thought on as were necessarie for their setling, and best ordering of the church affairs.' And when they had lived at Amsterdam aboute much beer; . . . no water to wash withal but rain-water preserved in rain-bags; little fire to be afforded in this country, except turf. . . the most of the wood burnt brought' out of Denmark, Norway, which is here used; the coals come from Newcastle." Travels, 65.

1 Cotton Mather relates an incident which was probably a tradition in his day of Bradford's landing in Holland. "Where, he was not long ashore ere a viper seized on his hand; that is an officer, who carried him into the Magistrates: unto whom an envious passenger had accused him as having fled out of England. When the Magistrates understood the true cause of his coming thither, they were well satisfied with him: and so he repaired joyfully unto his brethren at Amsterdam, Where the difficulties to which he afterwards stooped, in learning and serving of a Frenchman at the working of silks, were abundantly compensated by the delight wherewith he sat under the shadow of our Lord in his purely-dispensed Ordinances." Magnalia, Book 11. 3 (ed. 1702).

2 The very slight differences between the Dutch reformed churches and that of the Puritans offered no obstacle to an almost complete union in faith. Robinson in his Apology said: "We do profess before God and men, that such is our accord, in the case