466

BREWSTER IN HOLLAND.

CHAP, that were kept longest in prison, and after bound over

XXVII.

1608.

to the assizes.1

After he came into Holland, he suffered much hardship after he had spent the most of his means, having a great charge and many children; and, in regard of his former breeding and course of life, not so fit for many employments as others were, especially such as were toilsome and laborious. Yet he ever bore his condition with much cheerfulness and contentation. Towards the latter part of those twelve years spent in Holland, his outward condition was mended, and he lived well and plentifully; for he fell into a way, by reason he had the Latin tongue, to teach many students who had a desire to learn the English tongue, to teach them English, and by his method they quickly attained it with great facility; for he drew rules to learn it by, after the Latin manner; and many gentlemen, both Danes and Germans, resorted to him, as they had time from other studies, some of them being great men's sons. He also had means to set up printing, by the help of some friends, and so had employment enough; and by reason of many books which would not be allowed to be printed in England, they might have had more than they could do.

See pages 26 and 27.

2 The words "of life" I restore from Bradford, in Hutchinson, ii.

460.

3 Among the books printed by Brewster at Leyden, was the following: "Commentarii Succincti et Dilucidi in Proverbia Salomonis. Authore Thomâ Cartwrightio, SS. Theologiæ in Academià Cantabrigiensi quondam Professore. Quibus adhibita est Præfatio clarissimi viri Johannis Polyandri, S. Theologiæ Professoris Leidensis. Lugduni Batavorum. Apud Guliel

mum Brewsterum, in vico Chorali. 1617." 8vo. pp. 1513. A copy of this work is now in the possession of the Pastor of the First Church in Plymouth, having been presented to that Church in 1828 by the Hon. John Davis, LL.D. the learned editor of Morton's New England's Memorial. Another copy is in the library of the Pilgrim Society at Plymouth. See Thacher's Plymouth, p. 270.

It appears from the following extracts of letters written by Sir Dudley Carleton to Secretary Naun

BREWSTER IN AMERICA.

467

XXVII.

But now removing into this country, all these things CHAP. were laid aside again, and a new course of living must be submitted to; in which he was no way unwilling 1620. to take his part and to bear his burden with the rest, living many times without bread or corn many months together, having many times nothing but fish, and often wanting that also; and drank nothing but water for many years together, yea, until within five or six years of his death. And yet he lived, by the blessing of God, in health until very old age; and besides that, he would labor with his hands in the fields as long as he was able. Yet when the Church had no other minister, he taught twice every sabbath, and that both powerfully and profitably, to the great contentment of the hearers, and their comfortable edification. Yea, many were brought to God by his ministry. He did more in their behalf in a year, than many that have their hundreds a year do in all their lives.

ton, from the Hague in 1619, that Brewster was at this time an object of suspicion and pursuit to the English government on account of certain obnoxious books which he had printed.

"July 22. One William Brewster, a Brownist, hath been for some years an inhabitant and printer at Leyden, but is now within three weeks removed from thence and gone back to dwell in London, where he may be found out and examined, not only of this book De Regimine Ecclesiæ Scoticana, but likewise of Perth Assembly, of which if he was not the printer himself, he assuredly knows both the printer and author; for, as I am informed, he hath had, whilst he remained here, his hand in all such books as have been sent over into England and Scotland; as particularly a book in folio, entitled A Confutation of the Rhemists' Trans

lation, Glosses and Annotations of
the New Testament, anno 1618,
was printed by him. So was an-
other in 18mo, De verâ et genuinâ
Jesu Christi Domini et Salvatoris
nostri Religione, of which I send
your honor herewith the title page;
and if you will compare that, which
is underlined therein, with the
other, De Regimine Ecclesia Scoti-
cana, of which I send your honor
the title-page likewise, you will
find it is the same character; and
the one being confessed (as that
De verâ et genuinâ Jesu Christi,
&c. Religione, Brewster doth openly
avow,) the other cannot well be
denied."-"Aug. 20. I have made
good inquiry after William Brew-
ster, at Leyden, and am well as-
sured that he is not returned thither;
neither is it likely he will, having
removed from thence both his fam-
ily and goods."-" Sept. 12. In my
last I advertised your honor that

468

BREWSTER'S PRIVATE CHARACTER.

XXVII.

CHAP. For his personal abilities, he was qualified above many. He was wise and discreet and well spoken, having a grave, deliberate utterance; of a very cheerful spirit, very sociable and pleasant amongst his friends, of an humble and modest mind, of a peaceable disposition, undervaluing himself and his own abilities, and sometimes overvaluing others; inoffensive and innocent in his life and conversation, which gained him the love of those without as well as those within. Yet he would tell them plainly of their faults and evils, both publicly and privately; but in such a manner as usually was well taken from him. He was tender-hearted, and compassionate of such as were in misery, but especially of such as had been of good estate and rank, and were fallen into want and poverty, either for goodness and religion's sake, or by the injury and oppression of others. He would say, of all men these deserved to be most pitied; and none did more offend

Brewster was taken at Leyden;
which proved an error, in that the
schout, who was employed by the
magistrates for his apprehension,
being a dull drunken fellow, took
one man for another. But Brewer,
who set him on work, and being a
man of means bare the charge of his
printing, is fast in the University's
prison; and his printing letters,
which were found in his house in a
garret, where he had hid them, and
his books and papers, are all seized
and sealed up. I expect to-morrow
to receive his voluntary confession
of such books as he hath caused to
be printed by Brewster for this
year and a half or two years past;
and then I intend to send one ex-
pressly to visit his books and pa-
pers, and to examine him particu-
larly touching Perth Assembly, the
discourse De Regimine Ecclesia
Scoticana, and other Puritan pam-

phlets, which I have newly recovered."-"Sept. 18. It appears that this Brewer, and Brewster, whom this man set on work, having kept no open shop, nor printed many books fit for public sale in these provinces, their practice was to print prohibited books to be vented underhand in his Majesty's kingdom."—" Jan. 19, 1620. Unless Brewer undertakes to do his uttermost in finding out Brewster, (wherein I will not fail likewise of all other endeavours) he is not like to be at liberty; the suspicion whereof keeps him from hence, for as yet he appears not in these parts." Carleton's Letters, pp. 380, 386, 359, 390, 437. It appears from page 71, that in May, 1619, Brewster was in England. It is probable he did not return to Leyden, but kept close till the Mayflower sailed.

HIS OFFICIAL CHARACTER.

469

XXVII.

and displease him, than such as would haughtily and CHAP. proudly carry and lift up themselves, being risen from nothing, and having little else in them but a few fine clothes or a little riches more than others.

In teaching, he was very stirring, and moving the affections; also very plain and distinct in what he taught; by which means he became the more profitable to the hearers. He had a singular good gift in prayer, both public and private, in ripping up the heart and conscience before God, in the humble confession of sin, and begging the mercies of God in Christ for the pardon thereof. He always thought it were better for ministers to pray oftener, and divide their prayers, than to be long and tedious in the same; except upon solemn and special occasions, as on days of Humiliation and the like. His reason was that the heart and spirits of all, especially the weak, could hardly continue and stand bent (as it were,) so long towards God, as they ought to do in that duty, without flagging and falling off.

For the government of the church, which was most proper to his office, he was careful to preserve good order in the same, and to preserve purity both in the doctrine and communion of the same, and to suppress any error or contention that might begin to arise amongst them; and accordingly God gave good success to his endeavours herein all his days, and he saw the fruit of his labors in that behalf. But I must break off, having thus touched a few heads of things.'

BREWSTER'S FAMILY.