and so tye the lands to Plimoth as farmes for the same; and ther they might keepe their catle and tillage by some servants, and retaine their dwellings here. And so some spetiall lands were granted at a place generall, called Greens Harbor,' wher no allotments had been in the former divission, a plase very weell meadowed, and fitt to keep and rear catle, good store. But alass! this remedy proved worse then the disease; for within a few years those that had thus gott footing ther rente them selves away, partly by force, and partly wearing the rest with importunitie and pleas of necessitie, so as they must either suffer them to goe, or live in continuall opposition and contention. And others still, as they conceived them selves straitened, or to want accommodation, broak away under one pretence or other, thinking their owne conceived necessitie, and the example of others, a warrente sufficente for them. And this, I fear, will be the ruine of New-England, at least of the churches of God ther, and will provock the Lords displeasure against them.3 [193] 1 It is not known when these lands were granted at Green's Harbor, which in 1640 became known as Rexhame, and before 1641 as Marshfield. Before 1633 an agreement had been made with William Gibson, John Shaw and others, to cut a passage between Green's Harbor and Duxbury bay, but the performance of the contract had not been completed in that year, when the General Court directed the contractors to finish it or pay the cost. Plymouth Col. Rec., 1. 13. Winslow, in 1636, received a grant of land to be taken "at or about his ground at Greens Harbour." Ib. 41. 2 "And whereas some gather the ground to be naught, and soone out of heart, because Plimouth men remove from their old habitations, I answer, they do no more remove from their habitation, than the Citizen which hath one house in the Citie and another in the Countrey, for his pleasure, health and profit. For although they have taken new plots of ground, and build houses upon them, yet doe they retaine their old houses still, and repaire to them every Sabbath day; neither doe they esteeme their old lots worse than when they first tooke them: what if they doe not plant on them every yeare? I hope it is no ill husbandry to rest the land, nor is alwayes that the worst that lies sometimes fallow." Wood, New Englands Prospect, *11. * In spite of Bradford's anxiety about the future of the colonies and churches, the church of New Plymouth had in this very year shown its influence upon its neighbors in the Bay. The Boston church had written to the elders and brethren of the churches in Plymouth, Salem and elsewhere, asking if one person might be a civil magistrate and a ruling elder at the same time, and, if not, which office should be laid down. The This year, Mr. William Perce1 came into the cuntry, and brought goods and passenger, in a ship caled the Lyon, which belonged cheefly to Mr. Sherley, and the rest of the London partners, but these hear had nothing to doe with her. In this ship (besides beaver which they had sent home before) they sent upward of 8ooli. in her, and some otter skines; and also the coppies of Mr. Allertons accounts, desiring that they would also peruse and examene them, and rectifie shuch things as they should find amise in them; and the rather because they were better acquaynted with the goods bought ther, and the disbursments made, then they could bee here; yea, a great part were done by them selves, though Mr. Allerton brougt in the accounte, and sundry things seemed to them obscure and had need of clearing. Also they sente a booke of exceptions against his accounts, in shuch things as they could manifest, and doubted not but they might adde more therunto. And also shewed them how much Mr. Allerton was debtor to the accounte; and desired, seeing they had now put the ship White-Angell, and all, wholy into his power, and tyed their hands here, that they could not call him to accounte for any thinge, till the time was expired which they had given him, and by that time other men would get first question "was agreed by all negatively, the second doubtfully." Hubbard places the solution on a "conference with the chief of Plymouth (to whose opinion those of Boston did much adhere in their church matters, as those of Salem had done before)." Winthrop, History, 1. *81; Hubbard, 186. Roger Williams was one of those consulted, for he rejoiced in the determination that the two swords might not be in the same hands. 4 Mass. Hist. Collections, vi. 185. 1 Peirce left the English coast in July, and under date September 16, Winthrop records his arrival: "In the evening, Mr. Peirce, in the ship Lyon, arrived, and came to an anchor before Boston. He brought one hundred and twenty-three passengers, whereof fifty children, all in health; and lost not one person by the way, save his carpenter, who fell overboard as he was caulking a port. They had been twelve weeks aboard, and eight weeks from the Land's End." As the sixteenth was the Lord's day, the letters brought by the vessel were not delivered until Monday. A bill of lading of goods sent to the younger Winthrop by the Lyon is in the Massachusetts Historical Society, and is printed in Proceedings, III. 27. The contents of two "drie fats" are in 3 Mass. Hist. Collections, 1x. 248. |