dress to her Majesty to be in him a scandalous and wicked accusation, unless I know his inducements. And I fear this censure may be of ill consequence to the province in time to come, by discouraging persons of worth and interest to venture in appearing for them, though the necessity should be never so great." While Sewall had thus cleared himself, the pliancy of others of the Council was imputed to their dependence on the governor for their places. "We advise you that you would not be so monstrously afraid of the governor's putting his negative upon you, the last Wednesday of May. Should you be negatived out of the Council for your fidelity to your country, it would be a much greater honor to you than to be there, and no great honor to them that are left behind."

The writer next deals with that vindication of the governor, which was at last, though slowly, obtained from the Representatives. He professes to account for it on the authority of two letters to Sir Henry Ashurst, one of them signed by some twenty members of the House. When the first direct action was had on the governor's case, "about forty-five members, more than two to one of the House, voted that they could not clear him." In a second trial, he fared no better. "The governor's friends were now at their wits' ends, and in humble wise besought the House that they would confine their vote unto the particular trade of Vetch, Borland, and Lawson [thus avoid

....

ing the question of his connection with Rouse, which was thought to be more certainly made. out]; and it was urged that Borland and Lawson had cleared the governor. .. Hereupon the flexible honest men, perfectly worried and wearied out of their lives by three weeks' altercations, did so many go over, as to make a sort of a vote of it." Appliances in which Dudley was skilful were said to have assisted the operation. "Besides the caresses of the table, which are enough to dazzle an honest countryman, who thinks every man means what he speaks, the influence which preferments and commissions have upon little men is inexpressible. It must needs be a mortal sin to disoblige a governor that has enabled a man to command a whole country town, and to strut among his neighbors with the illustrious titles of our Major, the Captain, or his Worship. Such magnificent grandeurs make many to stagger egregiously!"

Finally, the misconduct of the expedition against Port Royal is alleged as special matter of reproach. It is said that that post might have been easily carried at the beginning of the war, but that Dudley could not be persuaded to authorize a movement against it; and that afterwards, when Church was despatched to the eastern country, he "not only had the taking of the fort left out of his orders, but was positively forbidden to meddle with it." The disappointments and disgrace which followed are elaborately laid

to the governor's charge; and the conclusion is, "Under his admirable conduct an impoverished country has, as we are credibly informed, been put to above two-and-twenty thousand pounds' charge, only to be laughed at by their enemies and pitied by their friends."

The Queen was approached from the other side in a "Most Humble Defence and Apol- 1710. ogy against the most Unjust and False Nov. 10. Representation in an Address offered to her Majesty at Windsor." The Defence did not hesitate to affirm that Dudley had "administered the government to universal satisfaction. . . . . . Colonel Dudley and his countrymen are so good Christians that they have long since forgiven any supposed injury." Some of the petitioners against him, the Defence declares, were "gotten over a bowl of punch at Sir Charles Hobby's cost. [Sir Charles Hobby, reputed a free liver, was said to be an aspirant for Dudley's place.]

Since he [the governor] has had the honor to serve her Majesty in New England, he has done it with all truth and plainness and just moderation, being an instance of virtue, sobriety, and everything becoming religion, to the satisfaction of the Church of England in their government, as well as to all the other ministers, who every day visit him and bless him for his just administration."

No presumption in Dudley's favor in this controversy arises from his general character. He

was certainly not a man whom conscientious scruples would restrain from shameful conduct. Self-seeking and malignant, his malice found its natural object in the Commonwealth, which would not forget his faithlessness, and which resolutely rejected the demands of his cupidity. But in respect to a crime, nceding, if really committed, to be covered up with all sorts of disguises, it is not unlikely that the justly strong feeling of dislike to Dudley dictated suspicions of more than was true. From some of the crimes alleged, his prudence would have been likely to deter him. It is plausibly argued by Governor Hutchinson that, if his connection with the shipment of goods to be sold to the French by Rouse and others had amounted to anything more than connivance, the accomplices would scarcely have failed to denounce him when he approved those Acts of the General Court which condemned them to imprisonment and fines. Yet his inclination to protect Rouse is suspicious; and so strong was the persuasion of his criminality and of his cunning, that there were those who believed it to have been by his management that the business had been submitted to the General Court, to keep it from the cognizance of the common-law courts, where the investigation would have been conducted with more method and vigor, and the verdict would have been more decisive.

CHAPTER X.

ADMINISTRATION OF DUDLEY, CONTINUED.

IN the course of these transactions there had grown up between the governor and the Mathers a fierce enmity, which proved of excellent service to the College in bringing about its re-establishment on the basis of the ancient charter. It has been told above that, hostile as the Mathers had been to Dudley at the time of the Revolution, his arts and assiduities had brought them over, and he was not without obligation to their good offices at court for his appointment to be governor. On his arrival to assume that office, he paid an early visit to Cotton Mather, who availed 1702. himself of the interview to offer some ad- June 16. vice, which the governor may have thought officious, against his coming under the influence of Mr. Byfield and Mr. Leverett.

1686.

It was understood on all hands that, since the abrogation of the colonial charter, the College had been defunct in law. Dudley, during the short term of his rule as President of the Colonial Council, made provisional arrangements for carrying on the institution, which Andros, on his accession, did not disturb, further