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Section 1 - [Squanto and Massasoit ]
Sentence 1: At the spring of the year they had appointed the Massachusetts to come again and trade with them, and began now to prepare for that voyage about the latter end of March; but upon some rumors heard, Hobomok, their Indian, told them upon some jealousies [Note 1] he had, he feared they were joined with the Narragansetts and might betray them if they were not careful.
Sentence 2: He intimated also some jealousy of Squanto, by what he gathered from some private whisperings between him and other Indians. |71|
Sentence 1: But they had not been gone long, but an Indian belonging to Squanto's family came running in seeming great fear and told them that many of the Narragansetts, with Corbitant and he thought also Massasoit, were coming against them, and he got away to tell them, not without danger; and being examined by the Governor, he made as if they were at hand, and would still be looking back as if they were at his heels.
Sentence 2: At which the Governor caused them to take arms and stand on their guard, and supposing the boat to be still within hearing (by reason it was calm) caused a warning piece or two to be shot off, the which they heard and came in.
Sentence 3: But no Indians appeared; watch was kept all night, but nothing was seen.
Sentence 4: Hobomok was confident for Massasoit, and thought all was false; yet the Governor caused him to send his wife privately, to see what she could observe (pretending other occasions), but there was nothing found, but all was quiet.
Sentence 5: After this they proceeded on their voyage to the Massachusetts, and had good trade, and returned in safety, blessed be God.
Sentence 1: But by the former passages, and other things of like nature, they began to see that Squanto sought his own ends and played his own game, by putting the Indians in fear and drawing gifts from them to enrich himself, making them believe he could stir up war against whom he would, and make peace for whom he would.
Sentence 2: Yea, he made them believe they kept the plague buried in the ground, and could send it amongst whom they would, which did much terrify the Indians and made them depend more on him, and seek more to him, than to Massasoit.
Sentence 3: Which procured him envy and had like to have cost him his life; for after the discovery of his practices, Massasoit sought it both privately and openly, which caused him to stick close to the English, and never durst go from them till he died. [Note 2]
Sentence 4: They also made good use of the emulation that grew between Hobomok and him, which made them carry more squarely.
Sentence 5: And the Governor seemed to countenance the one, and the Captain the other, by which they had better intelligence, and made them both more diligent. |72|
Sentence 1: Now in a manner their provisions were wholly spent, and they looked hard for supply but none came.
Sentence 2: But about the latter end of May, they spied a boat at sea (which at first they thought had been some Frenchman), but it proved a shallop which came from a ship which Mr. Weston and another had set out afishing, [Note 3] at a place called Damariscove, forty leagues to the eastward of them, where were that year many more ships come afishing. [Note 4]
Sentence 3: This boat brought seven passengers and some letters, but no victuals nor any hope of any.
Sentence 4: Some part of which [letters] I shall set down.
Section 2 - [Fair Words, no Food, but More Mouths to Feed]
Sentence 1: Mr. Carver, in my last letters by the Fortune, in whom Mr. Cushman went, and who I hope is with you, for we daily expect the ship back again.
Sentence 2: She departed hence, the beginning of July with 35 persons, though not over-well provided with necessaries, by reason of the parsimony of the Adventurers.
Sentence 3: I have solicited them to send you a supply of men and provisions before she come; they all answer they will do great matters when they hear good news, nothing before.
Sentence 4: So faithful, constant and careful of your good are your old and honest friends, that if they hear not from you, they are like to send you no supply, etc.
Sentence 1: I am now to relate the occasion of sending this ship, hoping if you give credit to my words, you will have a more favourable opinion of it than some here, (whereof Pickering is one), who taxed me to mind my own ends, which is in part true, etc.
Sentence 2: Mr. Beauchamp [Note 5] and myself bought this little ship and have set her out, partly if it may be, to uphold the Plantation, as well as to do others good as ourselves, and partly to get up what we are formerly out; though we are otherwise censured, etc.
Sentence 3: This is the occasion we have sent this ship, and these passengers, on our own account.
Sentence 4: Whom we desire you will friendly entertain and supply with such necessaries as you can spare, and they want, etc.
Sentence 5: And among other things, we pray you lend or sell them some seed corn, and if you have the salt remaining of the last year, that you will let them have it for their present use, and we will either pay you for it or give you more when we have set our salt-pan to work; which we desire may be set up in one of the little islands in your bay, etc.
Sentence 6: And because we intend, if God please, |73| (and the generality do it not) to send within a month another ship who, having discharged her passengers, shall go to Virginia, etc.
Sentence 7: And it may be we shall send a small ship to abide with you on the coast, which I conceive may be a great help to the Plantation.
Sentence 8: To the end our desire may be effected, which I assure myself will be also for your good, we pray you give them entertainment in your houses the time they shall be with you, that they may lose no time, but may presently go in hand to fell trees and cleave them, to the end lading may be ready and our ship stay not.
Sentence 1: Some of the Adventurers have sent you herewithall some directions for your furtherance in the common business; who are like those St. James speaks of, that bid their brother eat, and warm him, but give him nothing, [Note 6] so they bid you make salt, and uphold the Plantation, but send you no means wherewithal to do it, etc.
Sentence 2: By the next we purpose to send more people on our own account, and to take a patent; that if your people should be as unhuman as some of the Adventures, not to admit us to dwell with them, which were extreme barbarism and which will never enter into my head, to think you have any such Pickerings amongst you.
Sentence 3: Yet to satisfy our passengers I must of force do it, and for some other reasons not necessary to be written, etc.
Sentence 1: I find the general so backward, and your friends at Leyden so cold, that I fear you must stand on your legs and trust (as they say) to God and yourselves.
Sentence 1: Subscribed, Your living Friend, Thomas Weston
Sentence 1: Sundry other things I pass over, being tedious and impertinent.
Sentence 1: All this was but cold comfort to fill their hungry bellies; and a slender performance of his former late promise; and as little did it either fill or warm them, as those the Apostle James spake of, by him before mentioned.
Sentence 2: And well might it make them remember what the Psalmist saith, Psalm cxviii.8, "It is better to trust in the Lord than to have confidence in man."
Sentence 3: And Psalm cxlvi, "Put not your trust in princes," (much less in merchants) "nor in the son of man, for there is no help in them." v.5. "Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God."
Sentence 1: And as they were now failed of supply by him and others in this their greatest need and wants, which was caused by him and the rest who put so great a company of men upon them as the former company were, without any food, and came at such a time, as they must live almost a whole year before any could |74| be raised, except they had sent some.
Sentence 2: So upon the point they never had any supply of victuals more afterwards (but what the Lord gave them otherwise), for all [that] the company sent at any time was always to short for those people that came with it.
Sentence 1: There came also by the same ship other letters, but of later date, one from Mr. Weston, another from a part of the Adventurers as followeth:
Sentence 1: Mr. Carver, Since my last, to the end we might the more readily proceed to help the general, at a meeting of some of the principal Adventurers, a proposition was put forth and allowed by all present (save Pickering) to adventure each man the third part of what he formerly had done, and there are some other that follow his example and will adventure no further.
Sentence 2: In regard whereof, the greater part of the Adventurers being willing to uphold the business, finding it no reason that those that are willing should uphold the business of those that are unwilling, whose backwardness doth discourage those that are forward, and hinder other new Adventurers from coming in.
Sentence 3: We having well considered thereof, have resolved, according to an article in the agreement ("that it may be lawful by a general consent of the Adventurers and planters, upon just occasion, to break off their joint stock") to break it off; and do pray you to ratify and confirm the same on your parts.
Sentence 4: Which being done, we shall the more willingly go forward for the upholding of you with all things necessary.
Sentence 5: But in any case you must agree to the articles, and send it by the first under your hands and seals.
Sentence 7: Your living friend, Thomas Weston
Sentence 8: Jan. 17, 1621 [22]
Sentence 1: Another letter was writ from part of the Company of the Adventurers to the same purpose, and subscribed with nine of their names, whereof Mr. Weston's and Mr. Beauchamp's were two.
Sentence 2: These things seemed strange unto them, seeing this unconstancy and shuffling; it made them to think there was some mystery in the matter.
Sentence 3: And therefore the Governor concealed these letters from the public, only imparted them to some trusty friends for advice, who concluded with him that this tended to disband and scatter them (in regard of their straits); and if Mr. Weston and others, who seemed to run in a particular way should come over with shipping so provided as his letters did intimate, the most would fall to him, to the prejudice of themselves and the rest of the Adventurers their friends, from whom as yet they heard nothing.
Sentence 1: And it was doubted whether he had not sent |75| over such a company in the former ship, [Note 7] for such an end.
Sentence 2: Yet they took compassion of those seven men which this ship, which fished to the eastward, had kept till planting time was over, and so could set no corn.
Sentence 3: And also wanting victuals, for they turned them off without any, and indeed wanted for themselves.
Sentence 4: Neither was their salt-pan come, so as they could not perform any of those things which Mr. Weston had appointed; and might have starved if the Plantation had not succoured them, who, in their wants, gave them as good as any of their own.
Sentence 5: The ship [Note 8] went to Virginia, where they sold both ship and fish, of which (it was conceived) Mr. Weston had a very slender account.
Section 3 - [Letters which came in the Charity]
Sentence 1: After this came another of his ships, [Note 9] and brought letters dated the 10th of April, from Mr. Weston, as followeth:
Sentence 1: Mr. Bradford, these, etc.
Sentence 2: The Fortune is arrived, of whose good news touching your estate and proceedings I am very glad to hear.
Sentence 3: And howsoever he was robbed on the way by the Frenchmen, yet I hope your loss will not be great, for the conceit of so great a return doth much animate the Adventurers, so that I hope some matter of importance will be done by them, etc.
Sentence 4: As for myself, I have sold my adventure and debts unto them, so as I am quit [Note 1] of you, and you of me for that matter, etc.
Sentence 1: Now, though I have nothing to pretend as an adventurer amongst you, yet I will advise you a little for your good, if you can apprehend it.
Sentence 2: I perceive and know as well as another, the dispositions of your Adventurers, whom the hope of gain hath drawn on to this they have done; and yet I fear that hope will not draw them much further.
Sentence 3: Besides, most of them are against the sending of them of Leyden, for whose cause this business was first begun, and some of the most religious (as Mr. Greene by name) excepts against them.
Sentence 4: So that my advice is (you may follow it if you please) that you forthwith break off your joint stock, which you have warrant to do both in law and conscience, for the most part of the Adventurers have given way unto it by a former letter.
Sentence 4: And the means you have there, which I hope will be to some purpose by the trade of this spring, may with the help of some friends here, bear the charge of transporting those of Leyden.
Sentence 5: And when they are with you, I make no question, but by God's help you will be able to subsist of yourselves; but I shall leave you to your discretion.
Sentence 1: I desired divers of the Adventurers, as Mr. Peirce, Mr. Greene, and others, if they had anything to send you, either victuals or letters, to send them by these ships; and, marveling they sent not so much as a letter, I asked our passengers what letters they had, and with some difficulty one of them told me he had one, which was delivered to him with |76| great charge of secrecy, and for more security to buy a pair of new shoes and sew it between the soles for fear of intercepting.
Sentence 2: I, taking the letter, wondering what mystery might be in it, broke it open and found this treacherous letter subscribed by the hands of Mr. Pickering and Mr. Greene.
Sentence 3: Which letter, had it come to your hands without answer, might have caused the hurt, if not the ruin, of us all.
Sentence 4: For assuredly if you had followed their instructions and showed us that unkindness which they advise you unto, to hold us in distrust as enemies, etc., it might have been an occasion to have set us together by the ears, to the destruction of us all; for I do believe that in such a case, they, knowing what business hath been between us, not only my brother but others also would have been violent and heady against you, etc.
Sentence 1: I meant to have settled the people I before and now send, with or near you, as well for their as your more security and defense, as help on all occasions.
Sentence 2: But I find the Adventurers so jealous and suspicious, that I have altered my resolution and given order to my brother and those with him to do as they and himself shall find fit.
Sentence 1: Your loving friend, Thomas Weston
Sentence 2: April 10, 1621. [Note 2]
Sentence 1: Some Part of Mr. Pickering's Letter Before Mentioned
Sentence 1: To Mr. Bradford and Mr. Brewster, etc.
Sentence 1: My dear love remembered unto you all, etc.
Sentence 2: The company hath bought out Mr. Weston, and are very glad they are freed of him, he being judged a man that thought himself above the general, and not expressing so much the fear of God as was meet in a man to whom such trust should have been reposed in a matter of so great importance.
Sentence 3: I am sparing to be so plain as indeed is clear against him, but a few words to the wise.
Sentence 1: Mr. Weston will not permit letters to be sent in his ships, nor anything for your good or ours, of which there is some reason in respect of himself, etc.
Sentence 2: His brother Andrew, whom he doth send as principal in one of these ships, is a heady young man and violent, and set against you there and the company here; plotting with Mr. Weston their own ends, which tend to your and our undoing in respect of our estates there, and prevention of our good ends. [Note 3]
Sentence 3: For by credible testimony we are informed his purpose is to come to your colony, pretending he comes for and from the Adventurers, and will seek to get what you have in readiness |77| into his ships, as if they came form the Company; and possessing all, will be so much profit to himself.
Sentence 4: And further to inform themselves what special places or things you have discovered, to the end that they may suppress and deprive you, etc.
Sentence 1: The Lord, who is the watchman of Israel and sleepeth not, preserve you and deliver you from unreasonable men.
Sentence 2: I am sorry that there is cause to admonish you of these things concerning this man.
Sentence 3: So I leave you to God, who bless and multiply you into thousands, to the advancement of the glorious gospel of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
Sentence 1: Your loving friends, Edward Pickering, William Greene
Sentence 1: I pray conceal both the writing and delivery of this letter, but make the best use of it.
Sentence 2: We hope to set forth a ship ourselves within this month.
Sentence 1: The Heads of his Answer [Note 4]
Sentence 1: Mr. Bradford, this is the letter that I wrote unto you of; which to answer in every particular is needless and tedious.
Sentence 2: My own conscience and all our people can and I think will testify that my end in sending the ship Sparrow was your good, etc.
Sentence 3: Now I will not deny but there are many of our people rude fellows, as these men term them; yet I presume they will be governed by such as I set over them, and I hope not only to be able to reclaim them from that profaneness that may scandalize the voyage, but by degree to draw them to God, etc.
Sentence 4: I am so far from sending rude fellows to deprive you either by fraud or violence of what is yours, as I have charged the master of the ship Sparrow not only to leave with you 2000 of bread, but also a good quantity of fish, [Note 5] etc.
Sentence 5: But I will leave it to you to consider what evil this letter would or might have done, had it come to your hands and taken the effect the other desired.
Sentence 1: Now if you be of the mind that these men are, deal plainly with us, and we will seek our residence elsewhere; if you are as friendly as we have thought you to be, give us the entertainment of friends; and we will take nothing from you, neither meat, drink nor lodging, but what we will in one kind or other pay you for, etc.
Sentence 2: I shall leave in the country a little ship (if God send her safe thither) with mariners and fishermen to stay there.
Sentence 3: Who shall coast and trade with the savages and the old plantation. [Note 6]
Sentence 4: It may be we shall be as helpful to you as you will be to us.
Sentence 5: I think I shall see you the next spring, and so I commend you to the protection of God, who ever keep you.
Sentence 1: Your loving friend, Thomas Weston |78|
Sentence 1: Thus all their hopes in regard of Mr. Weston were laid in the dust; and all his promised help turned into an empty advice, which they apprehended was neither lawful nor profitable for them to follow.
Sentence 2: And they were not only thus left destitute of help in their extreme wants, having neither victuals nor anything to trade with; but others prepared and ready to glean up what the country might have afforded for their relief.
Sentence 1: As for those harsh censures and suspicions intimated in the former and following letters; they desired to judge as charitably and wisely of them as they could, weighing them in the balance of love and reason; and though they (in part) came from godly and loving friends, yet they conceived many things might arise from over-deep jealousy and fear, together with unmeet provocations, though they well saw Mr. Weston pursued his own ends and was embittered in spirit.
Sentence 2: For after the receipt of the former letters, the Governor received one from Mr. Cushman (who went home in the ship) and was always intimate with Mr. Weston (as former paassages declare) and it was much marveled that noghing was heard from him all this while.
Sentence 3: But it should seem it was the difficulty of sending, for this letter was directed as the letter of a wife to her husband, who was here, and brought by him to the Governor.
Sentence 4: It was as followeth:
Sentence 1: Beloved Sir, I heartily salute you, with trust of your health and many thanks for your love.
Sentence 2: By God's providence we got well home the 17 of February, being robbed by the Frenchmen by the way, and carried by them into France, and were kept there 15 days, and lost all that we had that was worth taking; but thanks be to God, we escaped with our lives and ship. [Note 7]
Sentence 3: I see not that it worketh any discouragement here; I purpose by God's grace to see you shortly, I hope in June next or before.
Sentence 4: In the mean space know these things, and I pray you be advertised a little.
Sentence 5: Mr. Weston hath quite broken off from our company, through some discontents that arose betwixt him and some of our Adventurers, and hath sold all his adventures, and hath now sent three small ships for his particular plantation.
Sentence 6: The greatest whereof, being 100 tons, [Note 8] Mr. Reynolds goeth master, and he with the rest purposeth to come himself, for what end I know not.
Sentence 1: The people which they carry are no men for us; wherefore I pray you entertain them not, neither exchange man for man with them, except it be some of your worst.
Sentence 2: He [Note 9] hath taken a patent for himself; if they offer to buy anthing of you, let it be such as you can spare, and let them give the worth of it.
Sentence 3: If they borrow anything of you, let them leave a good pawn, etc.
Sentence 4: It is like he |78 [Note 2]| will plant to the southward of the Cape, for William Trevore hath lavishly told but what he knew or imagined of Capawack, Mohegan dna the Narragansetts. [Note 1]
Sentence 5: I fear these people will hardly deal so well with the savages as they should.
Sentence 6: I pray you therefore signify to Squanto that they are a distinct body from us, and we have nothing to do with them, neither must be blamed for their faults, much less can warrent their fidelity.
Sentence 1: We are about to recover our losses in France.
Sentence 2: Our friends at Leyden are well and will come to you as many as can this time.
Sentence 3: I hope all will turn to the best.
Sentence 4: Wherefore I pray you be not discouraged, but gather up yourself, to go through these difficulties cheerfully and with courage in that place wherein God hath set you, until the day of refreshing come.
Sentence 5: And the Lord God of sea and land bring us comfortably together again, if it may stand with His glory.
Sentence 1: Yours, Robert Cushman
Sentence 2: [March or April 1623]
Sentence 1: On the other side of the leaf, in the same letter, came these few lines from Mr. John Peirce, in whose name the Patent was taken, and of whom more will follow, to be spoken in its place.
Sentence 1: Worthy Sir, I desire you to take into consideration that which is written on the other side, and not any way to damnify your own colony, whose strength is but weakness, and may thereby be more enfeebled.
Sentence 2: And for the letters of association, by the next ship we send I hope you shall receive satisfaction.
Sentence 3: In the meantime, whom you admit I will approve.
Sentence 4: But as for Mr. Weston's company, I think them so base in condition (for the most part) as in all appearance not fit for an honest man's company; I wish they prove otherwise.
Sentence 5: My purpose is not to enlarge myself, but cease in these few lines, and so rest
Sentence 1: Your loving friend, John Peirce
Section 4 - [Desperate Straits; Succour from Virginia]
Sentence 1: All these things they pondered and well considered; yet concluded to give his men friendly entertainment, partly in regard of Mr. Weston himself, considering what he had been unto them and done for them, and to some more especially; and partly in compassion to the people, who were now come into a wilderness (as themselves were) and were by the ship [Note 2] to be presently put ashore (for she was to carry other passengers to Virginia, who lay at great charge); and they were altogether unacquainted and knew not what to do.
Sentence 2: So as they had received his former company of seven men and victualed them as their own hitherto, so they also received these (being about sixty listy men) and gave |79| housing for themselves and their goods.
Sentence 3: And many being sick, they had the best means the place could afford them.
Sentence 4: They stayed here the most part of the summer till the ship came back again from Virginia.
Sentence 5: Then, by his direction or those whom he set over them, they removed into the Massachusetts Bay, he having got a patent for some part there (by light of their former discovery in letters sent home).
Sentence 6: Yet they left all their sick folk here till they were settled and housed; but of their victuals they had not any, though they were in great want, nor anything else in recompense of any courtesy done them; neither did they desire it, for they saw they were an unruly company and had no good government over them, and by disorder would soon fall into wants if Mr. Weston came not the sooner amongst them; and therefore, to prevent all after occasion, would have nothing of them. [Note 3]
Sentence 1: Amidst these straits, and the desertion of those from whom they had hoped for supply, and when famine began now to pinch them sore, they not knowing what to do, the Lord (who never fails His) presents them with an occasion beyond all expecation; this boat which came form the eastward brought them a letter from a stranger of whose name they had never heard before, [Note 4] being a captain of a ship come there a-fishing.
Sentence 2: This letter was as followeth, being thus inscribed:
Sentence 1: To all his good friends at Plymouth, these etc.
Sentence 1: Friends, Countrymen, and Neighbours: I salute you, and wish you all health and happiness in the Lord.
Sentence 2: I make bold with these few lines to trouble you, because unless I were unhuman I can do no less.
Sentence 3: Bad news doth spread itself too far; yet I will so far inform you that myself, with many good friends in the south colony of Virginia have received such a blow that 400 persons large [Note 5] will not make good our losses.
Sentence 4: Therefore I do intreat you (although not knowing you) that the old rule which I learned when I went to school may be sufficient; that is, Happy is he who other men's harms doth make to beware.
Sentence 5: And now again and again, wishing all those that willingly would serve the Lord, all health and happiness in this world and everlasting peace in the world to come.
Sentence 1: Yours, John Huddleston
Sentence 1: By this boat the Governor returned a thankful answer, as was meet, and sent a boat of their own with them, which was piloted by them, in which Mr. Winslow was sent to procure what provisions he could of the ships; who was kindly received by the foresaid gentlemen, who not only spared what he |90 [Note 6]| could, but writ to others to do the like.
Sentence 2: By which means he got some good quantity and returned in safety.
Sentence 3: By which the Plantation had a double benefit; first, a present refreshing by the food brought and, secondly, they knew the way to those parts for their benefit hereafter.
Sentence 4: But what was got, and this small boat brought, being divided among so many, came but to a little; yet by God's blessing it upheld them till harvest.
Sentence 5: It arose but to a quarter of a pound of bread a day to each person, and the Governor caused it to be daily given them; otherwise, had it been in their own custody, they would have ate it up and then starved; but thus, with what else they could get, they made pretty shift till corn was ripe.
Section 5 - [The Fort Built; Visitors from Virginia Received]
Sentence 1: This summer they built a fort with good timber, both strong and comely, which was of good defense, made with a flat foor and battlements, on which their ordnance were mounted, and where they kept constant watch, especially in time of danger.
Sentence 2: It served them also for a meeting house and was fitted accordingly for that use.
Sentence 3: It was a great work for them in this weakness and time of wants, but the danger of the time required it; and both the continual rumors of the fears form the Indians here, especially the Narragansetts, and also the hearing of that great massacre in Virginia, made all hands willing to dispatch the same. [Note 7]
Sentence 1: Now the welcome time of harvest approached, in which all had their hungry bellies filled.
Sentence 2: But it arose but to a little, in comparison of a full year's supply; partly because they were not yet well acquainted with the manner of Indian corn (and they had no other), also their many other employments; but chiefly their weakness for want of food, to tend it as they should have done.
Sentence 3: Also, much was stolen both by night and day before it became scarce eatable, and much more afterward.
Sentence 4: And though many were well whipped, when they were taken for a few ears of corn; yet hunger made others, whom conscience did not restrain, to venture.
Sentence 5: So as it well appeared that famine must still ensue, the next year also if not some way prevented, or supply should fail, to which they drust not trust.
Sentence 6: Markets there was none to go to, but only the Indians, and they had no trading comodities.
Sentence 1: Behold, now, another providence of God.
Sentence 2: A ship comes into the |91| harbor, one Captain Jones being chief therein. [Note 8]
Sentence 3: They were set out by some merchants to discover all the harbors between this and Virginia, and the shoals of Cape Cod, and to trade along the coast where they could.
Sentence 4: This ship had store of English beads (which were then good trade) and some knives; but would sell none but at dear rates and also a good quantity together.
Sentence 5: Yet they were glad of the occasion and fain to buy at any rate; they were fain to give after the rate of cento per cento, [Note 9] if not more; and yet pay away coat-beaver at 3s per pound, which in a few years after yielded 20s
Sentence 6: By this means they were fitted again to trade for beaver and other things, and intended to buy what corn they could.
Sentence 1: But I will here take liberty to make a little digression.
Sentence 2: There was in this ship a gentleman, by name Mr. John Pory. [Note 1]
Sentence 3: He had been secretary in Virginia and was now going home, passenger in this ship.
Sentence 4: After his departure he writ a letter to the Governor, in the postscript whereof he hath these lines:
Sentence 1: To yourself and Mr. Brewster, I must acknowledge myself in many ways indebted; whose books I would have you think very well bestowed on him, who esteemeth them such jewels.
Sentence 2: My haste would not suffer me to remember, much less to beg, Mr. Ainsworth's elaborate work upon the five books of Moses. [Note 2]
Sentence 3: Both his and Mr. Robinson's do highly commend the authors as being most conversant in the Scriptures, of all other.
Sentence 4: And what good (who knows) it may please God to work by them, through my hands (though most unworthy), who finds such high content in them.
Sentence 5: God have you all in his keeping.
Sentence 1: Your unfeigned and firm friend, John Pory
Sentence 1: These things I here insert for honour sake of the author's memory, which this gentleman doth thus ingeniously acknowledge.
Sentence 2: And himself, after his return, did this poor Plantation much credit amongst those of no mean rank.
Sentence 3: But to return. |92|
Section 6 - [A Voyage in Search of Corn]
Sentence 1: Shortly after harvest Mr. Weston's people who were now seated at the Massachusetts, and by disorder (as it seens) had made havoc of their provisions, began now to perceive that want would come upon them.
Sentence 2: And hearing that they here had bought trading commodities and intended to trade for corn, they writ to the Governor and disired they might join with them, and they would employ their small ship [Note 3] in the service; and further requested either to lend or sell them so much of their trading commodities as their part might come to, and they would undertake to make payment when Mr. Weston, or their supply , should come.
Sentence 3: The Governor condescended upon equal terms of agreement, thinking to go about the Cape to the southward with the ship, where some store of corn might be got.
Sentence 1: All things being provided, Captain Standish was appointed to go with them, and Squanto for a guide and interpreter, about the latter end of September; but the winds put them in again, and putting out the second time, he [Note 4] fell sick of a fever, so the Governor went himself.
Sentence 2: But they could not get about the shoals of Cape Cod for flats and breakers, neither could Squanto direct them better nor the master durst venture any further.
Sentence 3: So they put into Manamoyick Bay and got with [Note 5] they could there
Sentence 4: In this place Squanto fell sick of an Indian fever, bleeding much at the nose (which the Indians take for a symptom of death) and within a few days died there; desiring the Governor to pray for him that he might go to the Englishmen's God in Heaven; and bequeathed sundry of his things to sundry of his English friends as remembrances of his love; of whom they had a great loss.
Sentence 1: They got in this voyage, in one place and other, [Note 6] about 26 or 28 hogsheads of corn and beans, which was more than the Indians could well spare in these parts, for they set but a little till they got English hoes.
Sentence 2: And so were fain to return, being sorry they could not get about the Cape, to have been better laden.
Sentence 3: Afterward the Governor took a few men and went to the inland places to get what he could, and to fetch it home at the spring, which did help them something. |93|
Sentence 1: After these things, in February a messenger came from John Sanders, who was chief over Mr. Weston's men in the Bay of Massachusetts, who brought a letter showing the great wants they were fallen into; and he would have borrowed a hogshead of corn of the Indians, but they would lend him none.
Sentence 2: He desired advice whether he might not take it from them by force to succour his men till he came from the eastward whither he was going.
Sentence 3: The Governor and rest dissuaded him by all means from it, for it might so exasperate the Indians as might endanger their safety, and all of us might smart for it; for they had already heard how they had so wronged the Indians by stealing their corn, etc. as they were much incensed against them.
Sentence 4: Yea, so base were some of their own company as they went and told the Indians that their Governor was purposed to come and take their corn by force.
Sentence 5: The which, with other things, made them enter into a conspiracy against the English, of which more in the next.
Sentence 6: Herewith I end this year.
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