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treason and rebellion, and published a book against them full of scoffs and invectives. And a letter also was produced against him, written by his own hand to his old friend, Mr. Jefferies, 1634, which will give a full character of his disposition towards those of the Massachusetts, which letter here follows:

"My very good gossip, if I should commend myself to you, you would reply with this proverb, propria laus sordat in ore; but to leave impertinent salutes, and really proceed, you shall hereby understand, that although when I was first sent to England to make complaint against Ananias and the brethren, I effected the business but superficially (through the brevity of time.) I have at this time taken deliberation, and brought the matter to a better pass. And it is thus brought about, that the king hath taken the matter into his own hands. The Massachusetts patent, by an order of the council, was brought in view; the privileges therein granted well scanned upon, and at the council board in publick and in the presence of Sir Richard Saltonstall and the rest, it was declared (for manifold abuses therein discovered) to be void. The king hath reassumed the whole business into his own hands, appointed a committee of the board, and given order for a general governour of the whole territory to be sent over. The commission is past the privy seal; I did see it, and the same was, 1 mo. of May, sent to my lord Keeper to have it pass the great seal for confirmation, and I now stay to return with the governour, by whom all complainants shall have relief. So that now Jonas being set ashore, may safely cry, repent, you cruel schismaticks; repent, there are as yet but forty days. If Jove vouchsafe to thunder, the charter and kingdom of the separatists will fall asunder. Repent, you cruel schismaticks,repent. These things have happened, (and I shall see, notwithstanding their boasting and false alarums in the Massachusetts with forged cause of thanksgivings,) their merciless cruelty rewarded according to the merit of the fact, with condign punishment, for coming into those parts, like Samson's foxes with firebrands at their tails,

The king and council are really possessed of their pre-. posterous loyalty, and irregular proceedings, and are incensed against them. And although they be so opposite to the Catholic axioms, yet they will be compelled to perform them, or at least wise suffer them to be put in practice to their sorrow. In matter of restitution and satisfaction more than mystically, it must be performed visibly, and in such sort, as will be subject to the senses, in a very lively image. My lord of Canterbury, with my lord privy seal, having caused all Mr. Cradock's letters to be viewed, and his apology for the brethren particu. larly heard, protested against him and Mr. Humphreys, that they were a couple of imposterous knaves, so that for all their great friends they departed the council chamber in our view, with a pair of cold shoulders. I have staid long, yet have not lost my labour, although the brethren have found their hopes frustrated, so that it follows by consequence that I shall see my desire upon mine ene mies; and if Jo. Grant had not betaken himself to flight, I had taught him to sing clamari in the fleet before this time; and if he return before I depart, he will pay dear for his presumption. For here he finds me a second Perseus. I have uncased Medusa's head, and struck the brethren into astonishment. They find, and yet will more to their shame, that they abuse the word, and are to blame to presume so much; that they are but a word and a blow to them that are without. Of these particulars I thought good, by so convenient a messenger, to give you notice, lest you should think I had died in obscurity, as the brethren vainly intended I should, and basely practised, abusing justice to their sinister practices, as by the whole body of the committee it was, una voce, concluded to be done, to the dishonour of his majesty. And as for Ratcliff, he was comforted by their lordships with the cropping of Mr. Winthrop's ears, which shews what opinion is held amongst them of K. Winthrop, with all his inventions, and his Amsterdam fantastical ordinances; his preachings, marriages, and other abusive ceremonies, which do exemplify his de

testation to the church of England, and the contempt of
his majesty's authority, and wholesome laws, which are
and will be established in those parts, invita minerva, with
these. I thought to salute you as a friend, by an epistle,
because I am bound to love you as a brother by the gos-
pel, resting
Your loving friend,

Dated 1 mo. May, 1634. THOMAS MORTON." Yet notwithstanding all these vain boastings of his, he lived to see all his hopes frustrate, and his great brags vanish into the air; for after all his vain attempts, he came back to New England without money or friends. He was kept in prison about a year, in expectation of evidence out of England, and then called before the court again, and after some debate what to do with him, he was fined 100 pounds and set at liberty; for having nothing, he would have been but a charge to have kept him longer under such restraint, and they did not think meet to inflict corporal punishment upon him because of his age, being at this time both old, and labouring under many infirmities of body; but chose rather to give him his liberty, that he might procure his fine, or at least go out of the jurisdiction, as he did soon after, for he removed to Agamenticus, where he lived poor and despised, and died within two years after.

February 26, 1644, the country's ammunition for greater security was sent to Roxbury and ordered to be lodged at the house of J. Johnson, the Surveyor General; but by some unknown accident the house was fired at noon day, and all that belonged to his dwelling house was, together with the country's store of seventeen barrels of powder, destroyed by the said fire, none of the inhabitants Jaring to lend any helping hand to save their neighbour's goods, for fear of losing their own lives ; and if the wind had not been favourable it might have endangered all the houses adjoining; but God doth often in judgment remember mercy.

Every one was ready to make their observations of that accident, amongst which, as to the particular case, these seemed to be very obvious to wise men: First,

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There was not that due care taken to pay for it, which ought, the debt being of divers years standing. Secondly, The overruling party in the court had denied a supply to some of their neighbours not long before, in some distress, which is not according to our Saviour's rule, who requires that he that hath two coats should give or lend to him that hath none. Thirdly, Some were apt to think it was a great oversight to place their powder and ammunition so far out of the center of the country, (if any exigent should have fallen out that should have required a present supply of ammunition,) and more confidence possibly was put in the officer than he deserved to be betrusted with such a charge, he having never really approved himself of more fidelity or ability than other men, to discharge the trust committed to him.

Much hurt was about the same time done by fire in other places, as at Mr. Downing's farm at Salem. That which was most remarkable happened in the journey of some of Hingham towards Seakonk, to make preparation for a new plantation there. The place was not long before concluded by the commissioners to belong to Plymouth, yet was it granted to some of the Massachusetts with their consent, for a plantation. Mr. Peck, and three others of said Hingham, were removing thither, and making their stage in an Indian wigwam by the way, by some occasion or other it took fire, and though they were four there present, and laboured to the utmost to prevent the damage of the fire, yet were three of their horses consumed thereby, and the value of fifty pounds in goods. In the year 1645, the Swedes' fort at Delaware was burnt down, with all the buildings in it, and all their powder and goods blown up. It happened in the night, by the negligence of a servant, who fell asleep, leaving a candle burning. At Hartford and at Hingham also were houses burnt down that year.

CHAP. L.

The colonies of Connecticut and New Haven disturbed by the Dutch at Manhatoes, and the Swedes at Delaware Bay, during this lustre, from 1641 to 1645.

THE Dutch, who had seated themselves upon Hudson's river, about the same time that the English began to plant at Patuxet or Plymouth, were the first that discovered the river of Connecticut, and gave some intimation thereof to their friends at Plymouth, but it being neglected by them, they took possession of it themselves, which they were not willing to quit to the use of the Massachusetts, although they had made no other use thereof, but for a place whereon to build an house for trading with the Indians. On that occasion, in June 1641, letters came from the governour of Connecticut to the Massachusetts to advise about the difference between them and the Dutch. The Dutch governour had pres sed them hard for his interests in all Hartford,&c. to which he could lay no other claim, but by the law of possession, or primer seisin. At least he demanded so much as one could see from their trading house, alleging they had purchased so much of the Pequots, and threatened force of arms to make it good. They of the river alleged their purchase of other Indians, the true owners of the place, with other arguments of patent, both of Saybrook and of the Massachusetts, &c.

The governour and council returned answer without determining the case on either side, but advising to a more moderate way, viz. of yielding more land to the Dutch house, for they had left them but thirty acres. But the Dutch would not be satisfied, but prepared to send soldiers to be billeted at their house there. But it pleased the Lord to disappoint their purpose at that time, for the Indians falling out with them, killed some of their men at the fort of Aurania, whereby they were forced to keep their soldiers at home to defend themselves. And a gentleman at that time going for England, that pre

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