were ratified two days after by the Governor, and the fort and town of New Amsterdam surrendered to the English. Sept. 24th, Fort Orange surrendered to Cartwright, and Oct 1st, the Dutch and Swedes on Delaware River and Bay capitulated to Sir Robert Carr.'

Meantime the Massachusetts General Court assembled on the 3d of August. The King's Commission, &c., having been read, it was first resolved “to bear faith and true allegiance to his Majesty, and adhere to their Patent, so dearly obtained, and so long enjoyed by undoubted right in the sight of God and men;" and then it was determined to raise a number of men, not exceeding two hundred, at the charge of the Colony, for his Majesty's service against the Dutch. Officers were appointed and commissioned, and orders were given to the Treasurer to disburse the necessary sums of money; all which being thus agreed upon, the Court despatched away two gentlemen," Thomas Clark and John Pynchon, "as their messengers to the Commisssioners, by that time supposed to be arrived near to, or before, the Manhattoes, to inform them of the Court's proceedings as to their supply." The men were raised, but, in consequence of the capitulation of the Dutch, were never called upon to march.

The Court now proceeded to the consideration of his Majesty's letter of June 28, 1662, the reply to which, says the King,3 "did not answer our expectations, nor the professions made by your messengers," and made some change in the law relating to the adinission of freemen. On the 10th of September an Order was published, prohibiting complaints to the Commissioners. These gentlemen had not chosen to impart to the Massachusetts government their instructions relative to the Colonies. This conduct gave offence, and, "with some words and carriages, distasteful to the people, falling from some of them, and, in particular, Mr. Samuel Maverick, on his first arrival in Piscataqua River, menacing the constable of Portsmouth, whiles he was in the exercise of his office, occasioned in the hearts and minds of the people a deep sense of the sad events threatening this Colony, in case the Commissioners should improve their power in such a manner as they feared they would; on whose general solicitude for the preserving of their enjoyments, according to their present constitution, granted to this Colony by his Majesty's royal Charter under the Great Seal of England, the General Court, consisting of Governor, Deputy Governor, Magistrates, and deputies of the several towns, resolved immediately to make their addresses to his Majesty," which was accordingly done, Oct. 25, 1664. Letters of entreaty were also sent to Robert Boyle and the Earls of Clarendon and Manchester."

Mr. Whiting, of Connecticut, who happened to be in Boston when the Commissioners arrived from England, hastened back to give information of their extraordinary powers, as evidenced in their conduct previous to their departure for New Netherlands, and to communicate the apprehensions which were entertained by Massachusetts. The alarm became uni

that harbour." Not being able to determine whether or not the Massachusetts forces proceeded to "Manhadoes." the reader is left to form his own opinion on the subject. See page 577; Smith's New York, pp 19, 22; Hutchinson, i. 212; Davis's Morton, p. 311; Danforth Papers, in Mass. Hist. Coll XVIII. 94.

Hutchinson, i. 211, 212; Chalmers, pp. 573-4; History of the Revolt, i. 116-18; Smith, pp. 12-23; Thompson, i. 121-6, ii. 313-16; Trumbull's Connecticut, i. 267 ; Holmes's Annals, i. 334-5.

2 Danforth Papers, in Mass. Hist. Coll. xv. 93-4; Hutchinson, i. 212.

3 Letter of April 23, 1664, in Hazard, ii. 634-7.

4 See the Address in Hutchinson, i. 460-4. The authorities are, Hutchinson, i. 212-13, Danforth Papers, in Hist. Coll. xvIII. 94-5; Hutch. Coll. Papers, p. 422.

The letter to Boyle, dated Oct. 19, 1664, is in Hutch. Coll. Papers, pp. 338-9. The letter to Clarendon was dated Nov. 7th. See Boyle's reply, Mass. Hist. Coll, XVIII. 49; Clarendon's reply, Hutchinsor, i. 464, 465,

versal. It was said that a yearly revenue of £5000 was to be raised in Massachusetts for the King, "whereupon," say the Commissioners, "Major Hawthorne made a seditious speech at the head of his Company," and Endicott whose life was fast drawing to a close-addressed the people "at their meeting-house in Boston." Such was the report which was carried to Connecticut. New Haven, as we have seen, had been included in Charles's Charter to this Colony, but had persisted in refusing to acknowledge that Charter, and had maintained her independence until the present time. She was now urged to incorporate herself with Connecticut without delay. On the 1st of September the Commissioners of the United Colonies met at Hartford; the case was laid before them, and a speedy union of the two Colonies recommended, as absolutely necessary, not only for the safety of New Haven, but for the welfare of the whole Confederacy.1

Connecticut had much to fear from the visit of the Commissioners. The Duke of York's Patent, as has been mentioned, included Long Island, which had been claimed by Connecticut. The Duke and Duchess of Hamilton had petitioned the King to restore to them a tract of sixty miles square, on the eastern side of Connecticut River," which had been granted to their father, James Marquis Hamilton, in 1635, and his Majesty had, on May 6, 1664, referred the case to the determination of the Commissioners whom he had appointed "to settle the affairs of New England." Moreover the boundaries between the Colony and her neighbors were unsettled and in dispute; and it was said that Massachusetts had encroached upon her northern and eastern limits. Thus beset on every side, Connecticut saw, or fancied she saw, the necessity of conciliating the royal emissaries, and thus obtaining the favor of the King. The Assembly, therefore, on the 13th of October, ordered a present of five hundred bushels of corn to be made to the King's Commissioners; committees were appointed to settle the boundaries between Connecticut and the Duke of York's Grant,' Massachusetts, and Rhode Island; and a deputation was

'Trumbull, i. 252-66, 269-71, 515-21; Hutch. Coll. Papers, p. 417; Danforth Papers, in Mass Hist. Coll. xv. 56-7, 60; Hazard, ii, 496-8. At this same meeting of the Commissioners was presented and read a letter from his Majesty, dated June 20, 1663, and directed "to the Governor and Assistants of the Massachusetts, Plymouth, New Haven, and Conecticot Colonies," in answer to a petition from the proprietors of the Narragansett Country, in which the King commands that the said proprietors "be permitted peacably to improve theire Collonie and Plantation," and recommends them to the "naighborrly kindnes and protection" of the Colonies abovementioned. Hereupon the Commissioners write" to the Governor and Councell of Providence Plantations," saying "we desire you, and, in obeidience unto the pursuance of his Majesties order, shall expect, that some effectuall course be by you attended, that may for the future reclaime youer people from such injuriouse and disturbing carriages, as they have formerly to frequently used." Hazard, ii. 498-9; Mass. Hist. Coll. V. 230, 241-2.

2 See pages 217, 309-10; Trumbull, i. 272, 524-5.

3 The gentlemen appointed "to accompany John Winthrop, Esqr.," (who, it seems from this, had returned to Connecticut after the capitulation of the Dutch) "to New Yorke," were Matthew Allyn, Senr., Nathan Gould, James Richards, and Fitz-John Winthrop; and I have no evidence that these gentlemen were the "several magistrates and principal gentlemen of Connecticut" who joined Nichols before New Amsterdam, as rashly stated in the note on page 577. The Articles of Capitulation were signed by Gov. Winthrop and Wyllys alone, from Connecticut. See Trumbull, i. 267, 272, 273 525-6; Thompson's Long Island, i. 125, 126 -7, ii. 318.

4 When the inhabitants of Rhode Island applied to Charles II. for a Charter, they petitioned that it might include the Narragansett Country. This caused a dispute between Clark and Winthrop, the agents of Rhode Island and Connecticut; for the Charter just granted to the latter Colony included all that part of New England "bounded on the east by the Narrogancett River, commonly called Narrogancett Bay, and from the said Narrogancet Bay on the east to the South Sea on the west," thus taking in a great part of Rhode Island. Upon Clark's complaint of this encroach

sent to New Haven, with instructions "to require the inhabitants, in his Majesty's name, to submit to the government established by his Majesty's gracious grant."

In consequence of these proceedings, and the decision of his Majesty's Commissioners, at New York, Nov. 30, 1664, relative to the boundaries of Connecticut, a General Court met at New Haven December 13th, when it was resolved that, in loyalty to the King's Majesty, when an authentic copy of the determination of his Majesty's Commissioners is published, to be recorded with us, if thereby it shall appear to our committee that we are, by his Majesty's authority, now put under Connecticut Patent, we shall submit, by a necessity brought upon us by the means of Connecticut aforesaid; but with a salvo jure of our former rights and claims, as a people who have not yet been heard in point of plea."

992

The Dutch being reduced, Carr, Cartwright, and Maverick returned to Boston, leaving Colonel Nichols at New York, and on the 15th of February, 1664-5, met the Governor and magistrates at the Governor's house, when they made known their intention to go to Plymouth on the next day, and requested that orders might be given for all the inhabitants to assemble the next Election-day, and that persons might be appointed to go with them to show them the bounds of the Patent. The latter proposition was readily acceded to, but to the former objections were made, to which Cartwright replied, "that the motion was so reasonable, that he that would not attend it was a traitor," and the Commissioners sent letters about the country, in their own name, desiring the people to assemble."

Proceeding to Plymouth the Commissioners presented to the General Court of the Colony, on the 22d of February, the King's letter of April 23, 1664, and a paper of" Propositions. 4 They "had but one plaint to them, which was, that the Governor [Thomas Prince] would not let a man enjoy a farm of four miles square, which he had bought of an Indian; the com

ment the Connecticut Charter "was called in again, and it had never been returned, but upon a report that the agents, Mr. Winthrop and Mr. Clarke, were agreed by mediation of friends." The question of difference "concerning the right meaning of certain bounds set down in a Patent lately granted to the Colony of Connecticut," was left for settlement to five referees, mutually nominated and chosen by the two agents, who came to a decision, which was solemnly ratified by Winthrop and Clark on the 17th of April, 1663. Upon this agreement the Connecticut Patent was restored, and a Charter granted to Rhode Island, which recites the agreement, and confirms to the Colony all that part of New England containing the Naragansett Bay, and countries and parts adjacent, bounded on the west, or westerly, to the middle or channel of a river called and known by the name of Pawcatuck, alias Pawcawtuck, River, and extending towards the east, or eastwardly, to the most westwardly line of Plymouth Colony, and bounded on the south by the Ocean, and, in particular, the lands belonging to the towns of Providence, Pawtuxet, Warwick, Misquammacock, alias Pawcatuck, and the rest upon the main land, together with Rhode-Island, Block-Island, and all the rest of the islands and banks in the Narragansett Bay, and bordering upon the coast of the tract aforesaid, (Fisher's Island only excepted,) any grant or clause in a late.Grant to the Governor and Company of Connecticut Colony to the contrary thereof in anywise notwithstanding; the aforesaid Pawcatuck River having been yielded, after much debate, for the fixed and certain bounds between these said Colonies, by the agents thereof." Brinley's Account, in Mass. Hist. Coll. v. 218; Roger Williams's letter, in R. I. Hist. Coll. 111. 162; Hazard, ii. 604; R. I. Hist. Coll. IV. 257-8, 259; the Decision of the Referees, ibid. 111. 200-1, and Mass. Hist. Coll. V. 243-9.

1 Trumbull, i. 272 -3.

2 Ibid. 273-4, 525-30; Smith's New York, p. 26; Thompson's Long Island, i. 126-7.

3 Danforth Papers, in Mass. Hist. Coll. xv. 95-6; Hutchinson, i. 213–14.

4 The answers to these Propositions (which, with the Propositions themselves, may be found in Davis's Morton, pp. 417-19, and in Hutchinson, i. 214-15,) were not finally drawn up until the 4th of May, when the General Court ordered "Mr. Constant Southworth, treasurer, to present these to his Majesty's Commissioners, at Boston, with all convenient speed."

plaint soone submitted to the Governor, when he understood the unreasona. bleness by it." The Colonists "shewed their Charter, and gave a copy of it to the Commissioners, and told them they were so poore they could not renew it." The Commissioners offered to have it renewed at their own expense, "if they would let his Majesty choose one of three (whose rames themselves should send to the King) to be their Governor," every third or fifth year; but the Assembly, upon due consideration, "with many thankes to the Commissioners, and great protestations of their loyalty to the King, chose to be as they were." 1

The Commissioners next proceeded to Rhode Island, accompanied by Governor Prince and Major Josiah Winslow. Being met by Roger Wil liams and others, as Commissioners on the part of Rhode Island, they settled the disputed boundary between that Colony and Plymouth, and ** appoynted the water, lying next to the Narhyganset Island, (the naturall bounds of each Colony) to be their bounds, untill his Majestyes pleasure be farther known." This business being concluded, Prince and Winslow returned home. On the 4th of March the Commissioners drew up their " Proposals" to be presented to the General Assembly of the Colony, when it should meet in May. They received the petition of Gorton, Holden, Wickes, and Greene, in the behalf of themselves and others of the town of Warwick," telling how they had been "evilly intreated by divers of their countrymen, more especially by them of the Massachusetts," and praying for redress and satisfaction. On the 13th of the same month they wrote a letter to the Governor and Council of Massachusetts, requesting that a map of the ** limits of their jurisdiction" might be prepared. This letter was enclosed in one to Governor Prince, of Plymouth, in which they say, "Thursday next [March 17, 1664-5,] we intend for Narroganset, and so on to Connecticut." 2

Arrived in the Narragansett Country, they received petitions from the Sachems, complaining of many acts of violence and injustice which the Massachusetts had done to them." Two of the Sachems surrendered "themselves, people, and country into his royall Majestyes protection, before his Commissioners, and delivered to them that very deed made in 1644, which had been carefully kept by Mr. Gorton," as also presents for the King and Queen of England. Hereupon the Commissioners, by an instrument dated at Petaquammetuck, or Peteqomscut, March 20, 1664-5, ordered that the Narragansett and Nyantic countries, as far as Pawcatuck River on the west, should be henceforth called the King's Province, and that no person, of any Colony whatsoever, presume to exercise any jurisdiction within the said Province, without license from them, his Majesty's Commissioners. They adjudged Captain Atherton's purchase to be void, and ordered all the inhabitants within the "King's Province" to remove by the end of the ensuing September, if, before that time, the Indian Sachems should pay three hundred fathoms of " Peag to any one of the "pretended purchasers." On this same day they issued Commissions to Roger Williams,

1 The King's letter to Plymouth is in Davis's Morton, pp. 312-14, and Baylies's Memoir, Part 11. pp. 55-7. See Morton, pp. 310-12; the Narrative of the Commissioners, in Hutchinson's Collection of Papers, pp. 416-17.

2 Roger Williams's letters, in R. I. Hist. Coll. 11. 162, 164; the Commissioners' Narrative, in Hutch. Coll. Papers, pp 414-15; Danforth Papers, in Mass. Hist. Coll. XVIII. 59; letter of the Commissioners to Gov. Prince, ibid. v. 192-3. The Proposals of the Commissioners were laid before the Assembly, by the Governor, in May, 1665. They are printed, with the answers of the Assembly, their Addresses to the King and Chancellor Clarendon, and their Reasons, "why the King's Province should remain to the Colony," and "for settling the Eastern line according to the Charter," in Mass. Hist. Coll. xvII. 94-103. Gorton's Petition, dated at Warwick, March 4, 1664-5, may be found in R. I. Hist. Coll. 11. 231-3, and also in Mass. Hist. Coll. xvi. 65-70; and the answer of the Mass. General Court thereto, dated May 30, 1665, in R. I. Hist. Coll. 11. 233-45.

3 See it in R. I. Hist. Coll. III. 179-81.

Benedict Arnold, and twelve others, constituting them Justices of the Peace throughout the Province, "to govern it untill his Majestyes pleasure be farther known." On the 21st they sent a declaration to Amos Richardson,1 of Boston, one of the proprietors of the Quidneset and Namcook Purchases, and to Captain Prentice and Roger Plaisted. They sent a messenger to Connecticut, with the King's letter of April 23, 1664, and a letter from themselves, requesting "that they might have something in writing to return to the King, concerning the grant of sixty miles square, on the eastern side of Connecticut River, to James Marquis of Hamilton, and to know in what particulars it was desired that they should be solicitors to his Majesty for the advantage of the Colony." They granted a protection to John Porter, Jun., "an high offender against God, his Majesty's authority, laws, and the peace of his good subjects here, who, breaking prison, made his escape out of the hands of justice;" and issued a warrant for the seizure of the cattle on the farm of Capt. Daniel Gookin (in the "King's Province")" which were supposed to be Whalyes or Gonghs." Proceeding to Southertown, the Commissioners there held their Courts. Crossing the Pawcatuck, they visited New-London. Here, on the 27th of March, they published an Order "that the heirs or assigns of Mr. Haynes be suffered to enjoy the lands" at Pawcatuck, granted to Mr. Haynes by the General Court of Connecticut in 1652 and 1653-4, "until such time as his Majesty's pleasure be further known concerning the same." Retracing their steps, they visited Warwick. Here they heard the complaints of some of the proprietors of Misquamicut, (now Westerly,) and on the 4th of April issued an Order for their protection, at the same time declaring "all gifts or grants of any lands lying on the eastern side of Pawcatuck River, and a north line drawn to the Massachusetts, from the midst of the ford near to Thomas Shaw's house, and in the King's Province, made by his Majesty's Colony of the Massachusetts, to any person whatsoever, or by that usurped authority called the United Colonies," to be void, and commanding "all such as are therein concerned to remove themselves and their goods from the said lands before the nine and twentieth day of September next" ensuing. On the 8th the Commissioners published a declaration," that the Commission issued by them on the 20th of March preceding, to Williams and others, should continue in force only until the 3d of May, "and that then and thenceforward the Governor and Deputy Governor, and all the Assistants for the time being, of his Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island, shall be, and exercise the authority of, Justices of the Peace in the King's Prov ince, and do whatever they think best for the peace and safety of the said Province; and, in matters of greater consequence, any seven of them, whereof the Governor or Deputy Governor shall be one, shall be a Court to determine any business." A dispute having arisen between King Philip and the Plymouth Indians on the one side, and the Narragansetts on the other, "a great assembly" convened at Warwick for the determination of the difficulty, when Philip's whole territory was challenged by the Narragansett Sachems. Roger Williams being summoned by the Commissioners to testify in the case, "declared such transactions between old Canonicus and Ousamaquin that the Commissioners were satisfied, and confirmed unto the ungrateful monster [Philip] his country," declaring "that the King had not given them any Commission to alter the Indians' laws and customs, which they observed amongst themselves."7

See it in Mass. Hist. Coll. xvII. 91-2, and also in R. I. Hist. Coll. 111. 262, IV. 262-3.

6 It is in Mass. Hist. Coll. xv11. 92-3, and also in R. I. Hist. Coll. . 181-2, Iv, 263-4.

7 The authorities are, Hutchinson, i. 229; Commissioners' Narrative, in Coll. Pa36

VOL. VI. SECOND SERIES.