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saith, that in the letters that he delivered of the Country to the Council in presence of the King, they writt they should observe his Majesty's Commands in all things and that they had given the Quakers liberty, the King hearing this clapt his hand on his breast said that he intended not soe, but] that they should not hang them, while further order. J. CURWINE.

There is no date to this letter, but as it relates to affairs just pending the sending of commissioners to New England, it must have been written in 1663 or '64.

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XI.

A PETITION FROM THE INHABITANTS OF MAINE TO CHARLES II., ABOUT 1680. IT IS WITHOUT DATE, BUT IT MUST HAVE BEEN PREPARED IN 1680, OR THE BEGINNING OF 1681,-ONE AT LEAST OF THE PETITION ERS DIED IN 1681, AND THE INDIAN WAR, TO WHICH REFERENCE IS MADE, ENDED IN 1679.

To the King's most excellent Majesty, the humble petition of your Majesty's freeborn subjects, the inhabitants of the province of Maine in N. E.

Humbly sheweth That your Majesty's father of ever blessed memory by his letters patent bearing date at Westminster in the fifty-first year of his reigne, did grant unto Sir Ferdinando Gorges his heires and assigns that tract of land called the Province of Maine, making the same equal with the Palatinate of Durham and to enjoy the like privileges to lay out and grant townships, to dispose of lands not disposed of before, and that noe law be exercised in the Province but such as were made and consented to by your Majesties freeholders inhabiting the said Province. And that your petitioners upon these invitations and incouragements did settle in the said province in greate numbers and in short time incre ased unto several towneships having amongst us several Courts of Judicature and Records and for divers years were governed according to their laws (agreeable to the laws of England) made by the Commissioners of Sir Ferdinando Gorges and the freeholders therein. That the Bostoners under pretence of an imaginary patent line did invade our rights and priviledges erecting their owne authority by causing the inhabitants to sweare fidelity to their government. That about the yeare 1661 upon our humble representation of these matters your Maj. was graciously pleased by your royal authority by

your royal letters of 1664 to that government to require them not farther to disturb nor meddle in the province, which they then refused to obey.

Whereupon your petitioners representing their grievances to your Majesties Commissioners in 1665, they solemnly restored and re-established your Majesties authority amongst us by which we administered the oaths of allegiance and proceeded to govern and -y to our former laws and so continued till about the year 1668 when Maj. Leveret, Walderne and others entered upon the province and with force of arms disturbed the inhabitants, then at a Court holden for your Majesty at Yorke in your Majesties province of Maine commanding all proceedings for the future to be managed by their own authority and laws; Since which time notwithstanding the greate loss sustained by the late Indian war we are still oppressed with heavy rates and taxes imposing the sum of three thousand pounds and upward to be collected and paid by the inhabitants of three towns (viz.) York, Wells and Kittery. Your petitioners humbly pray your Majesty to take the premises into your royal consideration and by your gracious letters to re-establish and confirm us under your royal authority granting liberty to tender consciences to impower such whose names we here humbly represent to govern according to the lawes and constitutions of this your Majesties province until your Majesties pleasure be further known therein, to which we shall in all readiness and duty submit. And your petitioners

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Richard Miller,

Richard Green,
Edmund Hammond,
Nic. Shapleigh,
Roger Davis,
Jos. Twisden,

James Wiggin, sen.,
Diggerie Jaffrie,
Stephen Jenkings,
John Morrill,

Adrian Frie,

John Miller,

Tho. Mussey,

Tho. Drafton,

Jasper Putnam,
Alexand. Cooper,

John Card,
Thom. Curtis,

Tho. Littlefield,

Tho. Bragdon,

James Wiggin, jun.,
John Moggerage,

John Ameradeath, sen.,

William Tetherly,

John Trickee,

Jabis Jenkins,

Rich. Bankes,

John Batson,

Jeremiah Shores,

Nath. Raines,

Nath. Donnel,

Jona. Nason,

Rich. Bray,

John Whiet,

John Ken,

John Green,

Jno. Pudington,

George Buren,

Rowland Young, sen.,

Samson Angier,

Joseph Daniel,

Jno. Bray,

Arthur Daniel,

Wm. More,

Francis Trickee,

Jno. Neale,
Peter Grant,
Nathan Beadford,

Geo. Inggerston,
Anth. Brackett,
Thad. Clarke,

John Davies,
Lawr. Davies,
Wm. Pearce,
Wm. Rogers,

Jno. Welding,

Jno. Skilling,

Jos. Ingerson,

Geo. Ingerson,
Philip Hues,

Steph. Leatherbee,
Rob. Hains,
Wm. Hains,

Tho. Bickford,
Henry Libbe,
Chris. Edgcom,
Jno. Jordan,
Sam. Jordan,
Domin. Jordan,
Jeremiah Jordan,
Wm. Mansfield,
Jno. Flee,
Andrew Bodon,
Peter Shaw,
Christo. Spurrell,

John Tinny,
James Randal,

Jno. Mackworth,

Jno. Simson,

Antho. Row,

Phillip Foxwell,

Waymouth Bickton,

Henry Elkings,

Tho. Mosse,

Jno. Barrett,

Robert Eadge (comb),
John Hill,

Wm. Scriven,

Richard Rogers.

XII.

LATE GOV. LINCOLN'S MSS. PAPERS.

PREFATORY NOTICE.

AMONG the memorials of the late Governor LINCOLN, to which value is attached by those acquainted with his favorite occupations, are a considerable number of rich and interesting manuscripts, relating to the Indian antiquities and historical annals connected with the territory, which is now chiefly contained within the limits of this State.

It may be observed, that the field of these researches, to an intelligent investigator, is not strictly confined to the original, or even the existing, geography of Maine ; but that it may be considered as extended in some measure over the whole surface which once formed the scene of contest between the French and English titles in this quarter-to the verge of the St. Lawrence on one side, and the banks of the various streams that bore at one time or another the customary appellation of St. Croix, which the French were apt to bestow upon any spot to which they set up the European right of discovery and conquest. The view, therefore, spreads over all the country claimed by them under the rather poetical description of Acadié, and the space included also in the charter of William and Mary, to the north and east of the Piscataqua. The large tract of territory embraced by this bold, and vague, and somewhat irregular outline-altered as it was from time to time by political treaties, negotiated it may be noticed in different places in Holland-forming the subject of fierce conflict, upon the debatable ground, between the national arms of France and England—and exhibiting moreover a spectacle of border or feudal warfare between the opposite occupants and combatants for possession-may be termed the Flanders, or in more modern phraseology, the Belgium, of America.

No antiquarian or historical survey, therefore, of those subjects, which engaged the attention of the distinguished author of these MMS., could be sufficiently comprised within any more certain or determinate boundary. No scope less ample would in fact afford a distinct and proper perspective, either to the general topics or particular events about which the chronicles and records of that long period are concerned; and a definite limitation of regard to such a portion of the country as lay within the mere

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