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Section 1 - [Death of the Rev. John Robinson and Robert Cushman]
Sentence 1: About the beginning of April they heard of Captain Standish his arrival, and sent a boat to fetch him home, and the things he had brought.
Sentence 2: Welcome he was, but the news he brought was sad in many regards; not only in regard of the former losses before related, which their friends had suffered, by which some in a manner were undone, others much disabled from doing any further help, and some dead of the plague.
Sentence 3: But also that Mr. Robinson their pastor was dead, which struck them with much sorrow and sadness, as they had cause.
Sentence 4: His and their adversaries had been long and continually plotting how they might hinder his coming hither, but the Lord had appointed him a better place; concerning whose death and manner thereof, it will appear by these few lines writ to the Governor and Mr. Brewster:
Sentence 1: Loving and Kind Friends, etc.
Sentence 2: I know not whether this will ever come to your hands or miscarry, as other my letters have done.
Sentence 3: Yet in regard of the Lord's dealing with us here, I have had a great desire to write unto you.
Sentence 4: Knowing your desire to bear a part with us, both in our joys and sorrows, as we do with you.
Sentence 5: These are therefore to give you to understand that it hath pleased the Lord to take out of this vale of tears, your and our loving and faithful pastor and my dear and Reverend brother, Mr. John Robinson who was sick some eight days.
Sentence 6: He began to be sick on Saturday in the morning, yet the next day, being the Lord's day, he taught us twice.
Sentence 7: And so the week after grew weaker, every day more than other; yet he felt no pain, but weakness all the time of his sickness.
Sentence 8: The physic he took wrought kindly in man's judgment, but he grew weaker every day, feeling little or no pain, and sensible to the very last.
Sentence 9: He fell sick the 22 of February and departed this life the 1 of March.
Sentence 10: He had a continual inward ague, but free from infection, so that all his friends came freely to him.
Sentence 11: And if either prayers, tears or means would have saved his life, he had not gone hence.
Sentence 12: But he having faithfully finished his course and performed his work which the Lord had appointed him here to do, he now resteth with the Lord in eternal happiness.
Sentence 1: We wanting him and all church governors, yet we still by the mercy of God continue and hold close together in peace and quietness; and so hope we shall do, though we be very weak.
Sentence 2: Wishing (if such were the will of God) that you and we were again united together in one, either there or here.
Sentence 3: But seeing it is the will of the Lord thus to dispose of things, we must labour with patience to rest contented till it please the Lord otherwise to dispose.
Sentence 1: For news |140| here is not much, only as in England we have lost our old King James, who departed this life about a month ago; so here they have lost the old prince, Grave Maurice.
Sentence 2: Who both departed this life since my brother Robinson, and as in England we have a new King, Charles, of whom there is great hope; so here they have made Prince Hendrick general in his brother's place, etc.
Sentence 3: Thus with my love remembered, I take leave and rest
Sentence 1: Your assured loving friend,
Roger White
Leyden, April 28
Anno 1625
Sentence 1: Thus these two great princes, and their pastor, left this world near about one time.
Sentence 2: Death makes no difference.
Sentence 1: He further brought them notice of the death of their ancient friend Mr. Cushman, whom the Lord took away also this year, and about this time; who was as their right hand with their friends the Adventurers, and for divers years had done and agitated all their business with them, to their great advantage.
Sentence 2: He had writ to the Governor but some few months before of the sore sickness of Mr. James Sherley (who was a chief friend to the Plantation) and lay at the point of death, declaring his love and helpfulness in all things; and much bemoaned the loss they should have of him, if God should now take him away, as being the stay and life of the whole business.
Sentence 3: As also his own purpose this year to come over and spend his days with them.
Sentence 4: But he that thus writ of another's sickness knew not that his own death was so near.
Sentence 5: It shows also that a man's ways are not in his own power, but in His hands who hath the issues of life and death.
Sentence 6: Man may purpose, but God doth dispose.
Sentence 1: Their other friends from Leyden writ many letters to them, full of sad laments for their heavy loss; and though their wills were good to come to them, yet they saw no probability of means how it might be effected, but concluded as it were that all their hopes were cut off.
Sentence 2: And many, being aged, began to drop away by death.
Sentence 1: All which things before related, being well weighed and laid together, it could not but strike them with great perplexity, and to look humanly on the state of things as they presented themselves at this time.
Sentence 2: It is a marvel it did not wholly discourage them and sink them.
Sentence 3: But they gathered up their spirits, and the Lord so helped them, whose work they had in hand, as now when they were at lowest [Note 1] they began to rise again, and being stripped in a manner of all human helps and hopes, He brought things about otherwise, in His divine providence as they were not only upheld and sustained, but their proceedings both honoured and imitated by others.
Sentence 4: As by the sequel will more appear, if the Lord spare me life and time to declare the same.
Section 2 - [Corn-Growing and Down-East Trucking]
Sentence 1: Having now no fishing business or other things to intend, but only their trading and planting, they set themselves to follow the same with the best industry they could.
Sentence 2: The Planters finding their corn (what they could spare from their necessities) to be a commodity (for they sold it at 6s a bushel) used great diligence in planting the same.
Sentence 3: And the Governor and such as were designed to manage the trade (for it was retained for the general good |141| and none were to trade in particular) they followed it to the best advantage they could.
Sentence 4: And wanting trading goods, they understood that a plantation which was at Monhegan and belonged to some merchants of Plymouth, was to break up and divers useful goods were there to be sold.
Sentence 5: The Governor and Mr. Winslow took a boat and some hands and went thither. [Note 2]
Sentence 6: But Mr. David Thompson, who lived at Piscataqua, understanding their purpose, took opportunity to go with them which was some hindrance to them both.
Sentence 7: For they, perceiving their joint desires to buy, held their goods at higher rates, and not only so, but would not sell a parcel of their trading goods except they sold all.
Sentence 8: So lest they should further prejudice one another, they agreed to buy all and divide them equally between them.
Sentence 9: They bought also a parcel of goats which they distributed at home as they saw need and occasion, and took corn for them of the people, which gave them good content; their moiety of the goods came to above £400 sterling.
Sentence 1: There was also that spring a French ship cast away at Sagadahoc, [Note 3] in which were many Biscay rugs and other commodities, which were fallen into these men's hands, and some other fishermen at Damariscove; which were also bought in partnership and made their part arise to above £500.
Sentence 2: This they made shift to pay for, for the most part, with the beaver and commodities they had got the winter before, and what they had gathered up that summer.
Sentence 3: Mr. Thompson having something overcharged himself, desired they would take some of his, but they refused except he would let them have his French goods only, and the merchant (who was one of Bristol) would take their bill for to be paid the next year.
Sentence 4: They were both willing, so they became engaged for them and took them. By which means, they became very well furnished for trade, and took off thereby some other engagements which lay upon them, as the money taken up by Captain Standish and the remains of former debts.
Sentence 1: With these goods and their corn after harvest, they got good store of trade, so as they were enabled to pay their engagements against the time, and to get some clothing for the people, and had some commodities beforehand.
Sentence 2: But now they began to be envied, and others went and filled the Indians with corn and beat down the price, giving them twice as much as they had done, and undertraded them in other comodities also. [Note 4]
Sentence 1: This year they sent Mr Allerton into England, and gave him order to make a composition with the Adventurers upon as good terms as he could, unto which some way had been made the year before by Captain Standish.
Sentence 2: But yet enjoined him not to conclude absolutely till they knew the terms and had well considered of them, but to drive it to as good an issue as he could, and refer the conclusion to them.
Sentence 3: Also, they gave him a commission under their hands and seals to take up some money, provided it exceeded not such a sum specified, for which they engaged themselves and gave him order how to lay out the same for the use of the Plantation.
Sentence 1: And finding they ran a great hazard to go so long voyages in a small open boat, especially the winter season, they began to think how they might get a small pinnace, [Note 5] as for the reason aforesaid; so also because others had raised the price with the Indians above the half of what they had formerly given, so as in such a boat they could not |143| [Note 6] carry a quantity sufficient to answer their ends.
Sentence 2: They had no ship carpenter amongst them, neither knew how to get one at present; but they having an ingenious man that was a house carpenter, who also had wrought with the ship carpenter that was dead when he built their boats; at their request he put forth himself to make a trial that way of his skill.
Sentence 3: And took one of the biggest of their shallops and sawed her in the middle, and so lengthened her some five or six foot, and strengthened her with timbers, and so built her up and laid a deck on her.
Sentence 4: And so made her a convenient and wholesome vessel, very fit and comfortable for their use, which did them service seven years after.
Sentence 5: And they got her finished and fitted with sails and anchors the ensuing year.
Sentence 1: And thus passed the affairs of this year.
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