river, for the space of forty leagues along the sea shore, toward the west and southwest as far as the confines of Virginia. The title held by the Earl of Warwick had been derived from the Council of Plymouth in England; and it had been confirmed to him by a royal patent from Charles I. Whatever right and title therefore they possessed in the immense territories included in this patent, they transferred in full force and vigor to the said patentee.

II. EARLY HISTORY OF THE THREE COLONIES.

During the first years of their residence in Connecticut the colonists endured extreme privations. They were sometimes assailed by the hostile Indians, who viewed the encroachments of the strangers into their own hereditary domains with astonishment, and a not unreasonable jealousy. The most numerous and powerful of these belonged to the tribe of Pequots. A number of murders were committed by them from time to time, and the colonists lived in constant and imminent peril. An appeal for aid was at length made to the parent colony of Massachusetts; in answer to which an expedition numbering ninety men, was sent forth under Captain Endicott, to avenge the outrages committed and punish the offenders. Nothing of moment was effected by this force, except still more deeply to exasperate the savages. Various acts of hostility ensued between the two races. Famine and disease began

to afflict the colonists. The war was afterward resumed by the colony of Massachusetts in consequence of these events, and carried on with greater vigor; inasmuch as the very existence of the settlements made in Connecticut seemed to depend upon the energy of their co-operation and assistance. An Indian village was burned and six hundred persons perished in the flames, and by the fire of their assailants. The savages were eventually conquered, and a treaty was concluded between them and the colonists, by which the former agreed to maintain amicable relations with them, to abandon their native territory, to change their name from Pequot to Narragansett, to pay an annual tribute to the English; and it was agreed that all disputes between the several neighboring tribes should be referred for settlement to the magistrates of the colony,

In the year 1638 the town of New Haven was founded by emigrants from London, under the guidance of the Rev. John Davenport. He and his associates sailed in the first instance for Boston. After arriving in the colony of Massachusetts, they determined to establish a distinct and independent community; although persevering efforts were made to retain them at Boston, in consequence of the very considerable wealth which the chief men of the company possessed. But they could not be diverted from their resolution; and Mr. Davenport, accompanied by several leading men, proceeded to visit the region in which New

Haven now stands. In December, 1638, he and his associates purchased a tract of land from the Indians, who still occupied that territory; and entered into a treaty of perpetual friendship with them. The foundations of the colony was then laid under favorable auspices, chiefly in consequence of the superior amount of wealth possessed by the settlers, and expended by them in the undertaking.

In January, 1639, the three original colonies of Windsor, Hartford, and Weatherfield, assembled at Hartford, for the purpose of adopting a constitution and government. This was an important event in giving consistency and unity to the entire community. The constitution which they framed will be found reprinted in Part I. of the following work. Its various provisions in regard to the election of officers; the number and powers of their representatives; the reservation of certain important franchises and functions in the hands of the people; the independence of the action of their magistrates; the jealousy with which their liberties were guarded; the equitable manner with which taxes were to be imposed upon the citizens; and the rigor with which penalties for offenses were to be inflicted;-in all these we see the germs of those great principles of civil and religious liberty for which their authors had endured so much, and of which they possessed so clear and so discriminating a conception.

In accordance with the provisions of this consti

tution, the freemen of the three towns convened in Hartford in April, 1639, and elected the first officers under the new consolidated arrangement. John Haynes was appointed governor, six eminent citizens were chosen magistrates. Roger Ludlow, the first of the six, was made deputy-governor. Representatives were selected to sit in the first General Assembly which was convened; and a number of laws were adopted for the government of the three communities. All these laws were remarkable for the jealousy and care with which the personal rights of the citizens or colonists were preserved. They enacted that no man's life should be taken away, or his reputation injured, or his person arrested, or his property damaged, or his family disturbed, except it should be by virtue of an express law of the colony, commanding and warranting it; or in case the law as it then stood should be deficient in reaching the matter, some plain and clear rule of the Scriptures, in the meaning of which all the magistrates concurred, should be made the standard by which the case was to decided.

III. FIRST CONSTITUTION OF THE COLONY OF NEW HAVEN. The colony of New Haven which had been established under the auspices, and had flourished thus far under the superintendence, of the Rev. Mr. Davenport, remained a year without any settled civil or religious constitution, except that involved in a brief and summary "Plantation-Cove

nant." Fresh accessions to their numbers arrived from time to time from England; and it became desirable that the whole community should be placed under the control of a uniform and benefi'cent code of civil and religious enactments. Accordingly on the 4th of June, 1639, all the "free planters" convened in a large barn, and these proceeded in a solemn manner to adopt a constitution for their mutual government. The proceedings were opened by a sermon from Mr. Davenport, who preached from these words: "Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars."

After the conclusion of the religious services Mr. Davenport introduced the special subject of their meeting; and proceeded to propound a series of questions for their discussion. The answers to these questions, which were eventually adopted by the assembly, form the constitution by which they resolved that they would thenceforth be governed. As this instrument was one of great interest, and is in itself not inferior in importance to those contained in the succeeding portions of this volume, we will here present it entire :

"Query I. Whether the scriptures do hold forth a perfect rule for the direction and government of all men in all duties which they are to perform to God and men, as well in families and commonwealth, as in matters of the church? This was assented unto by all, no man dissenting, as was expressed by holding up of the hands. Afterwards