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their debts of him, (as sume had done already by suing him,) and he would make all away here quickly out of their reach; and therfore prayed them to looke to things, and gett paymente of him ther, as it was all the reason they should, seeing they keept all the bonds and covenants they made with him in their owne hands; and here they could doe nothing by the course they had taken, nor had any thing to show if they should goe aboute it. But it pleased God, this ship, being first to goe to Verginia before she wente home, was cast away on that coast, not farr from Virginia,1 and their beaver was all lost (which was the first loss they sustained in that kind); but Mr. Peirce and the men saved their lives, and also their leters, and gott into Virginia, and so safly home. The accounts were now sent from hence againe to them. And thus much of the passages of this

year.

A part of Mr. Peirce his leter from Virginia.2

It was dated in Des[ember]: 25. 1632. and came to their hand the .7. of Aprill, before they heard any thing from England.

DEAR FREINDS, etc. The bruit of this fatall stroke that the Lord hath brought both on me and you all will come to your ears before this commeth to your hands, (it is like,) and therfore I shall not need to inlarg in perticulers, etc. My whole estate (for the most parte) is taken away; and so yours, in a great measure, by this and your former, losses [he means by the French and Mr. Allerton]. It is time to looke aboute us, before the wrath of the Lord breake forth to utter destruction. The good Lord give us all grace to search our harts and trie our ways, and turne unto the Lord, and humble our selves under his mightie hand, and seeke atonemente, etc. Dear freinds, you may know that

1 Peirce sailed from Boston for Virginia on October 27. News of the shipwreck upon a shoal four miles from Feake Isle, off Virginia Bay, November 2, was brought to New Plymouth April 7, and to Boston, April 10, 1633, by one of the mates, John Hodges. Winthrop says "Plimouth men lost four hogsheads, 900 pounds of beaver, and 200 otter skins." History, 1. *102.

* This letter was written on the reverse of folio 192 of the manuscript.

'The brackets are in the original мs.

all your beaver, and the books of your accounts, are swallowed up in the sea; your letters remaine with me, and shall be delivered, if God bring me home. But what should I more say? Have we lost our outward estates? yet a hapy loss if our soules may gaine; ther is yet more in the Lord Jehova then ever we had yet in the world. Oh that our foolish harts could yet be wained from the things here below, which are vanity and vexation of spirite; and yet we fooles catch after shadows, that flye away, and are gone in a momente, etc. Thus with my continuall remembrance of you in my poore desires to the throne of grace, beseeching God to renew his love and favoure towards you all, in and through the Lord Jesus Christ, both in spirituall and temp[o]rall good things, as may be most to the glory and praise of his name, and your everlasting good. So I rest,

Your afflicted brother in Christ,
WILLIAM PEIRCE.

Virginia, Des[ember] 25. 1632.

THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTA, LENOX AND TILA F NOVATIONS.

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EDWARD WINSLOW.

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year Mr. Ed: Winslow was chosen Governor.1

By the first returne this year, they had leters from Mr. Sherley of Mr. Allerton's further ill success, and the loss by Mr. Peirce, with many sadd complaints; but litle hope of any

1 Winslow had returned from England, sailing from London in the William and Francis, March 9, 1631-32, and reaching Boston, June 5, 1632. Winthrop, 1. *78. Bradford had now served twelve years as governor, and "now by importunity gat off." The temptations to hold office were not such as to lead to any contest for places, either of governor or of a member of the Council. The Court felt obliged at this time to discourage a refusal to hold office by imposing fines upon any who, having been elected, should refuse to hold and execute his office for the year. In the case of the governor the fine was fixed at twenty pounds sterling, and in that of a councillor, ten pounds. One who had served a year as governor might decline without any penalty. Winthrop, History, 1. *98; Plymouth Col. Rec., 1. 5.

The names of the governor's councillors or Assistants are given for the first time in the Records for this year - William Bradford, Myles Standish, John Howland, John Alden, John Doane, Stephen Hopkins and William Gilson. "We know from this History, that on the first election of Bradford as Governor, in 1621, Allerton was chosen his Assistant, and held the office, by re-election, for a number of years. In 1624, the number was increased to five, with which number, says Hubbard, 'they rested contented till the year 1633, when two more were added.' In an official letter written by Governor Bradford to Governor Winthrop, dated February 6, 1631–32, besides the signature of the Governor, it bears the names of Miles Standish, Samuel Fuller, John Alden, and Thomas Prence, who were probably the Assistants at that time. Winslow, who was then absent, may have completed the number.

"Respecting the time for the annual election of Governor and Assistants, we find in 1633, when the first record of the election of those officers appears, and in 1634, 1635, and 1636, that it took place at the General Court in January. They were to enter upon the duties of their office, however, on the ensuing March, which was the commencement of the civil year; though no particular day appears to have been assigned for that purpose. Prence was elected Governor in 1634, 'for the year following, and to enter upon the place the 1st of March or the 27th of the same.' Bradford was chosen in 1635, and was to enter upon his duties on the first Tuesday in March. Winslow, in 1636, was to enter upon the place the 1st of March. In 1633,

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