discoveries of the adjacent parts, and gave the name to Book I. Cape Cod and Marthas Vineyard.

Captain Henry Hudson, commissioned by king James I. in 1608, sailed, in the employment of several London 1608. merchants, to North-America. He came upon the coast in about 40 degrees of north latitude, and made a discovery of Long-Island and Hudson's river. He proceeded up the river as far as the latitude of 43, and called it by his own

name.

About two years after he made a second voyage to the 1610. river, in the service of a number of Dutch merchants; and, some time after, made sale of his right to the Dutch. The right to the country, however, was antecedently in king James, by virtue of the discovery which Hudson had made under his commission. The English protested against the sale; but the Dutch, in 1614, under the Amsterdam WestIndia company, built a fort nearly on the same ground where the city of Albany now is, which they called fort Aurania, Sir Thomas Dale, governor of Virginia, directly after dispatched captain Argall to dispossess the Dutch, and they submitted to the king of England, and under him to the governor of Virginia.*

The same year captain John Smith, who some years be- 1614, fore had been governor of Virginia, made a voyage to this part of the continent. He ranged the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod; made a discovery of the river Pascataqua, and the Massachusetts islands. On his return to England, he published a description of the country, with a map of the sea coast, and gave it the name of New-England.

settled,

In 1620, a number of pious people, part of Mr. John NewRobinson's church and congregation, who, by the violence Plymouth of persecution, had been driven from their pleasant seats 1620. and enjoyments in England, arrived on the coast; and, after braving every danger, and enduring almost every hardship and distress of which human nature is capable, effected a permanent settlement in this part of North-America. They gave it the name of New-Plymouth, By voluntary compact they formed themselves into a small commonwealth, and had a succession of governors. They settled all that part of Massachusetts included in the county of Plymouth. By making permanent settlements, to which others might resort, on their first arrival in New-England, or afterwards in times of distress; by making treaties with the Indians, by which the peace of the country was preserved; by their knowledge of it, and the experience * Smith's history of New-York, p. 2.

Book I. which they had gained, they were of peculiar advantage to those who came over and made settlements after them. They were a pious, industrious people, and exhib. ited towards each other the most striking examples of fraternal affection. They continued a distinct colony for about seventy years, until their incorporation, by the charter of William and Mary, in 1691, with the colony of Massachusetts and the province of Maine.

Patent of

3, 1620.

November 3d, 1620, just before the arrival of Mr. RobNew-Eng- inson's people in New-England, king James the first, by land, Nov. letters patent, under the great seal of England, incorporated the duke of Lenox, the marquises of Buckingham and Hamilton, the earls of Arundel and Warwick, and others, to the number of forty noblemen, knights and gentlemen, by the name" of the council established at Plymouth in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling and governing of New-England in America"-" and granted unto them, and their successors and assigns, all that part of America, lying and being in breadth from forty degrees of north latitude, from the equinoctial line, to the forty eighth degree of said northerly latitude inclusively, and in length of, and within all the breadth aforesaid, throughout the main lands from sea to sea." The patent ordained that this tract of country should be called New-England in America, and by that name have continuance for ever.

Patent of Massachusetts,

March 19, 1628.

Confirmed

This grant is the broad basis on which stand all the other grants made to the colonies in New-England. This prepared the way for future grants and the immediate settlement of New-England.

On the 19th of March, 1628, the Plymouth company granted unto Sir Henry Roswell, Sir Joha Young, knights, Thomas Southcoat, John Humphry, John Endicott and Simon Whitcomb, their heirs and assigns forever, all that part of New-England in America, which lies and extends between Merrimack river and Charles river, in the bottom of Massachusetts bay, and three miles to the north and south of every part of Charles river, and three miles south of the southernmost part of said bay, and three miles to the northward of every part of Merrimack river, and "all lands and hereditaments whatsoever lying within the limits aforesaid north and south, in latitude and breadth; and in length and longitude, of and within all the breadth aforesaid throughout the main lands there, from the Atlantic sea and ocean on the east part, to the south sea on the west part."

March 4, On the 4th of March, 1629, king Charles the first con1629. firmed this patent under the great seal of England. This

was the patent of Massachusetts bay, under which the set- Book I. tlement of that colony immediately commenced.

science in

At this time, liberty of conscience could not be enjoyed No liberty in the parent country. No indulgence was granted even of conto the most pious, loyal, and conscientious people, who England. would not strictly conform to the habits, ceremonies, and worship of the church of England. All non-conformists were exposed to fines, imprisonments, the ruin of their families, fortunes, and every thing which ought to be dear to men. The most learned, pious, orthodox, and inoffensive people, who did not conform to the church of England, were treated, by the king and his bishops, with far greater severity, than drunkards, sabbath breakers, or even the most notorious debauchees. They were condemned, in the spiritual courts, without juries; without having the witnesses against them brought into court, to depose face to face; and, sometimes, without knowing the crime alledged against them, or who were the witnesses by whom it was. to be proved. Many of the pious people in England, were 1629. so harassed and persecuted for their non-conformity, that they determined, if possible, rather to make settlements in a dreary wilderness, at the distance of three thousand miles from their native couuntry, than endure the persecution and sufferings, to which they were constantly exposed from the hands of those who ought to have cherished and defended them. This cruel treatment of our venerable ancestors, was the cause of the settlement of the New-England colonies and churches. It will ever be the distin- New-Engguishing glory of these colonies, that they were not origi- land setnally formed for the advantages of trade and worldly emol- tled for the ument, but for the noble purposes of religion, the enjoy- religion. ment of liberty of conscience in the worship and ordinances of God. The pious fathers of these colonies wished to enjoy the uncorrupted gospel, administered in all its ordinances in purity and power, and to transmit the invaluable blessings of civil and religious liberty to their remotest posterity. With these views they left their native country, their pleasant seats and enjoyments in Europe, and made settlements in the wilds of America.

purposes of

The same year in which the patent of Massachusetts received the royal confirmation, Mr. John Endicott was sent. over, with about three hundred people, by the patentees, to prepare the way for the settlement of a permanent colony in that part of New-England. They arrived at Naum- Salem setkeak in June, and began a settlement, which they named led, June Salem. This was the first town in Massachusetts, and the second in New-England.

24th.

BOOK I.

Charles

About a hundred of the planters who came over with Mr. Endicott, removed very soon to Mishawam, and began a plantation at that place. Here they erected a very spatown set- cious house, and made other preparations for the accommodation of those who were expected from England the next year. They called their settlement Charlestown.

tled.

1629

1630,

Gov, Win

throp ar

rives at Charles

10th.

At a meeting of the company for the planting of the Massachusetts, in England, August 29th, it was voted, that the patent and government of the plantation be transferred to New-England.*

The next year, therefore, seventeen ships were prepared, with all necessaries for the settlement of a colony. Eleven or twelve of these ships made a safe arrival in New-England by the middle of July, and they all arrived before the close of the year. In these came over governor Winthrop, and the magistrates of the colony, who had been previously chosen in England. With them also came a number of ministers, to illuminate the infant churches, and preach in the wilderness the glad tidings of salvation.

On the 10th or 12th of July, governor Winthrop arrived at Charlestown, with about fifteen hundred people. They encamped in cottages, booths, and tents, upon Charlestown, July town hill. Their place of public worship was under a large spreading tree. Here Messrs. Wilson and Phillips preached their first sermons to these pious pilgrims. In the ships which arrived this year, there came over about seventeen hundred people. In this and the last year, there Towns set- came into New-England two thousand planters. These

tled in

Massachusetts,

1630.

settled about nine or ten towns or villages. A considerable number settled at Boston and Charlestown. Many of the principal characters fixed their abode in these towns. Governor Winthrop lived in the great house, which had been erected the preceding year at Charlestown. Mr. Isaac Johnston, who married the lady Arabella, sister of the earl of Lincoln, and who had the best estate of any of the company, fixed his residence at Boston. He was the great promoter of the settlement of the capital of the Massachusetts. Sir Richard Saltonstall, who was another of the magistrates, with his company, settled at Watertown. They made choice of Mr. Phillips for their pastor. Mr. Pyncheon, and another company, began a settlement at Roxbury, and the famous Mr. John Elliot and Mr. Weld, who came into New-England the next year, were clected their ministers. Other companies settled Medford and Weymouth. Boston and Charlestown, the first year, con*Prince's Chron. p. 192. + Ibid. part ii. p. 10. + Ibid. p. 240, Ibid. part ii. sect. 2, p. 2.

sidered themselves as one company, and chose Mr. Wilson Book 1. for their pastor.

In one of the first ships which arrived this year, came 1630. over the Rev. Mr. John Warham, Mr. John Maverick, Mr. Rossiter, Mr. Ludlow, Mr. Henry Wolcott, and others of Mr. Warham's church and congregation, who first settled the town of Windsor, in Connecticut. Mr. Rossiter and Mr. Ludlow were magistrates. Mr. Wolcott had a fine estate, and was a man of superior abilities. This was an honourable company. Mr. Warham had been a famous minister in Exeter, the capital of the county of Devonshire. The people who came with him, were from the three counties of Devonshire, Dorsetshire, and Somersetshire.

Some time before the 20th of March, just as they were about to embark for New-England, upon a day of solemn fasting and prayer, they were formed into a congregational church, in the new hospital at Plymouth, in England. They then made choice of Mr. Warham and Mr. Maverick to be their pastor and teacher, and they were ordained, or re-installed to the care of this particular church. The famous Mr. White, of Dorchester, preached and assisted on this occasion.t

They sailed from Plymouth, in England, on the 20th of March, in the ship Mary and John, of 400 tons, and arri- Mr. Warved at Nantasket on the Lord's day, May 30th. The next ham arday, captain Squeb, master of the ship, put them and their rives, May 30th, with goods on shore, at Nantasket point, and, in this situation, the first left them to shift for themselves. But, by the assistance tlers of of some of the old planters, they obtained a boat, and pro- Windsor. ceeded up Charles river, to the place since called Watertown. Here they landed their goods, and erected a shelter to cover them; but as they had many cattle, and found a neck of land at Mattapan, affording good accommodations for them, they soon removed and began a settlement there. They named their town Dorchester.

Sir Richard Saltonstall's people, who settled at Water- 1630. town, were the first settlers of Weathersfield, in Connecti- Planters of cut. Mr. Phillips, who was elected their pastor, at Wa- Weathtertown, had been minister at Boxford, in the county of ersfield. Essex. Most of them were, probably, the people of his former charge, and from the same county.

The emigrants who came into New-England with Mr. Mortality Endicott and governor Winthrop, soon after their arrival, and losses

+ Prince's Chron. p. 200.

Ibid. p. 207. Captain Squeb was, afterwards, obliged to pay damages for this conduct.

years.