lish, but to declare openly for them, and act offensively against the Pequots. This conduct of the most powerful nation1 in this part of the country, threw such a damp on the other neighboring nations, that none of them joined with the Pequots, but left them to prosecute this war by themselves, and in which they were overcome by the English, and their Indian allies; and the war was soon ended in the almost total extirpation of the whole Pequot race.

2

In the beginning of the following year 1638, Rhode Island, by the Indians called Aquetneck, was settled by a number of people that came from Boston, and some of the other towns near it. This settlement had its beginning from the same cause that most of the others in New-England had; to wit, religious disputes. The departure of Mr. Williams, and those who left the Massachusetts with him, or had since followed them, did not put an end to these controversies, but they kept increasing, and spreading further and further: One pretended error produced many more of the same kind, and so fruitful was this metaphysical mischief, that a synod being convened at Cambridge, in the year 1637, 3 it very soon picked up, debated and condemned eighty errors, and like other synods before them, denied all mercy to those they supposed held these errors, both in this world and in the world to come.

4

God Almighty, in the early age of the world, confounded the language of mankind, while they remained in the Plains of Shinar, and by that means caused them to disperse and people the whole earth; so in the times I am writing of, he seems to have permitted discord, censoriousness, and the most unforgiving temper of mind, to prevail universally among the people, and to have made it a means of planting most parts of NewEngland. When we look back upon these people, who were men of strong natural powers, and many of them had much

(3) See Winthrop's summary of the proceedings in his Journal, I. 284-88. (4) The exact number is eighty-two.

learning; had lately left their native country, and all its delights, forsook all for Christ's sake and the gospel, and removed into a wilderness; were poor, were laborious, were pious sincere Christians; were devout and zealous to a fault; supported the most unblameable moral character of any people in any age or country; when after all this, and much more that might be truly said in their favor, to see them worrying one another without remorse, for meer trifles; to view them pursuing each other to banishment, and even to death, as though they had dissolved every social engagement, and cut asunder every tender tie, and were abandoned to furious madness, and unrelenting cruelty,-what shall we say?-what can we think? We can only deplore the miserable imperfections of human nature, and stand amazed at the stupendous miscarriages of the best of men!

The matters in dispute, and which were the ground of all these mighty contentions, and keen animosities, consisted chiefly in fine-spun subtilties, and useless metaphysical niceties; from the knowledge, belief, or disbelief of which, mankind could be made neither wiser or better. Indeed, in what man ner our religious ideas ought to be ranged, that is, which ought properly to precede, and which follow, was the principal point in dispute. And this grand uninttelligible [sic] question, raised such contentions, and bred such uneasiness in the churches in the Massachusetts colony, that many of considerable note, for piety, for estate and family, and for usefulness, came to a determination to remove once more into the wilderness, quite out of, and beyond the limits claimed by any of the colonies yet settled. The principal of these was William Coddington, Esq.; the father of Rhode-Island; he was a gentleman of (1) Mr. Coddington's career has been examined by Dr. Henry E. Turner, in his monograph, "William Coddington in Rhode Island colonial affairs," (Rhode Island Historical Tracts, No. 4). Dr. Turner dissents (p. 16) from the application to Coddington of the terms "Father of Rhode Island," or "Founder of Rhode Island," "in the sense in which Roger Williams may, with some propriety, be represented to be the father or founder of Providence."

family, and of a competent fortune, was chosen an assistant of the Massachusetts Colony, while they were in England, and came over to America with the governor, the charter, and the colony, in 1630, settled at Boston, and was one of its first and most considerable merchants. Mr. John Clark 1 was another; a man of sound understanding, sufficient knowledge, and much usefulness; who was afterwards this colony's agent in England, and procured its present charter; he gathered and was minister of the First Baptist Church at Rhode-Island.-Those who joined with them in this resolution to remove, were William Hutchinson, 2 John Coggeshall, William Aspinwall, Samuel Wilbore, John Porter, John Sanford, Edward Hutchinson, Thomas Savage, William Dyre, William Freeborn, Philip Shearman, John Walker, Richard Carder, William Baulston, Edward Hutchinson, jun. and Henry Bull.

4

3

These having resolved to remove, sent Mr. John Clark, and another with him, to Providence, to advise with Mr. Williams on the business, and to be informed where they might find a convenient place to make their new settlement. Mr. Williams recommended two places to their consideration, one by the Indians called So-wames, being the lands in and about the present town of Warren; the other, the island called Aquetneck, now Rhode-Island: But as they were determined to go out of every other jurisdiction, that they might, if possible, avoid future controversies, and were in doubt whether these lands were not within the claim of Plymouth Colony; for clearing up that doubt, Mr. Williams accompanied Mr. Clark to (1) Dr. Clarke published in London in 1652 "Ill newes from New England," (reprinted in the "Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society," series 4, II, 1-114).

(2) William Hutchinson. His wife Mrs. Anne Hutchinson was the occasion of no little excited feeling in the Massachusetts colony, in connection with the "Antinomian" difficulties.

(3) William Freeborne," (Callender, p. 84).

(4) "Perhaps Sowames is properly the name of the river where the two Swansey rivers meet and run together for near a mile." (Callender, p. 84).

Plymouth, where they were informed, that So-wames was within, and esteemed as the very garden of that colony; but that they had no claim to Aquetneck, and advised them to settle there, where they would be esteemed and treated as friends and neighbours. Upon that island they therefore now determined to sit down, if they could procure it of the Indians; and in order to do that, they prevailed on Mr. Williams to apply to the Narraganset sachem in their behalf, and, if possible, make a purchase of the said island for them. The king, or sachem of the Narraganset Indians, at this time, and perhaps a year or two before, was the young Myantonomo; Conanicus, 1 his uncle, having had the government for the kingdom, and guardianship of the young prince during his minority, had, when he came to an age fit to govern, delivered the regal authority into the hands of this his nephew. To him, therefore, did Mr. Williams now make application, for the purchase of RhodeIsland for his friends; and at length prevailed with him to make a grant of that whole island to Mr. Coddington, Mr. Clark, and their associates. -The sachem's deed, or grant, was signed the 24th day of March, 1633, old stile.

2

The Indians seem not to have been induced to part with this island, so much in consideration of any price that was paid them for it, as out of the great love and regard they bore to Mr. William's, as appears from the account he has left of this transaction, in his own hand writing. "It was not price nor money that could have purchased Rhode Island. Rhode Island was purchased by love; by the love and favor which that honored gentleman Sir Henry Vane, and myself, had with the great sachem Miantonomo, about the league which I procured between the Massachusetts English, &c. and the Narragansets, in the Pequot war."-"For the Indians were very shy and jeal

(1) The name "Canonicus," now written, is obviously a mis-spelling of the original form.

(2) It is printed in the appendix to Callender, p. 214-16.

(3) See "Publications of the Narragansett Club,” VI. 305-6. It is in the Providence Records, 1658.

ous of selling the lands to any, and chose rather to make a grant (or gift) of them to such as they affected.”

1

Having thus fairly acquired a just title to the finest island that is on the whole sea coasts of the northern British colonies, as well for its form and situation, as its fertile soil, and beautiful bays, capacious safe harbors, temperate climate, and healthful air, they immediately began a settlement at the northeastern part of the island, opposite to Mount Hope, and near a cove with a narrow entrance, which they esteemed to be a good harbor, and from which, it is probable, they named the place Portsmonth.-Here they incorporated themselves into a kind of body politic, and chose Mr. Coddington to be their judge and chief magistrate. 3 This was the beginning of the second town in the colony of Rhode-Island; and in the same year, considerable numbers from several towns in the Massachusetts, came and joined with them; and so much were they increased, within the course of this whole year, that in the fore part of the next, they separated; and a part of them removed toward the southwestern end of the island, where the bay forms as it were a crescent into the land, and a small island stretching its length, between the two head-lands, leaves at each end a convenient entrance into a safe and beautiful harbor. On the shores of this harbor they now began a new settlement; and as they had named that at the other end of the island Ports-Mouth, from the narrow entrance of the harbor; so having found here another fine harbor, or port, they, for that reason, named this place New-Port. This town, thus began in the year 1639, was the third, in order of time, planted in the colony; but the exceed

(1) In the absence of more definite evidence, it may be doubted whether this name, as well as that of Newport, may not have been the transfer of a local name in Old England.

(2) "Bodie politick." Dated Jan. 7, 1638. Printed in the R. I. Col. Records, I. 52-53. John Clarke's signature on this compact is plainly writteh with a final e.

(3) Judge." This office was "in imitation of the form of government which existed for a time among the Jews." (Knowles, p. 145),