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"GENERALL CONSIDERACONS" for the planting of New England 39
THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN MR. HIGGINSON AND THE NEW ENGLAND COMPANY 49
"NEW-ENGLANDS PLANTATION," London, 1630. The third edition 85
A LETTER THAT MR. HIGGINSON SENT TO HIS FRIENDS AT LEICESTER 115
NOTES 123
INDEX 127
NEW-ENGLANDS PLANTATION
NEW-ENGLANDS PLANTATION.
OR, A SHORT AND TRVE DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMODITIES AND DISCOMMODITIES of that Countrey.
Written by a reuerend Diuine now there resident.
To the Reader.
M. S.
Of Minerals there hath yet beene but little triall made, yet we are not without great hope of being furnished in that Soyle.
The fertilitie of the Soyle is to be admired at, as appeareth in the aboundance of Grasse that groweth euerie where both verie thicke, verie long, and verie high in diuers places: but it groweth very wildly with a great stalke and a broad and ranker blade, because it neuer had been eaten with Cattle, nor mowed with a Sythe, and seldome trampled on by foot. It is scarce to be beleeued how our Kine and Goats, Horses and Hogges doe thriue and prosper here and like well of this Countrey.
Little Children here by setting of Corne may earne much more then their owne maintenance.
Excellent Vines are here vp and downe in the Woods. Our Gouernour hath already planted a Vineyard with great hope of encrease.
Their Subiects about twelue yeeres since were swept away by a great and grieuous Plague that was amongst them, so that there are verie few left to inhabite the Countrey.
For their weapons, they haue Bowes and Arrowes, some of them headed with Bone, and some with Brasse: I haue sent you some of them for an example.
The Men for the most part liue idlely, they doe nothing but hunt and fish: their wiues set their Corne and doe all their other worke. They haue little Houshold stuffe, as a Kettle, and same other Vessels like Trayes, Spoones, Dishes and Baskets.
Their Houses are verie little and homely, being made with small Poles pricked into the ground, and so bended and fastned at the tops, and on the sides they are matted with Boughes, & couered on the Roofe with Sedge and old Mats; and for their beds that they take their rest on, they haue a Mat.
They doe generally professe to like well of our comming and planting here, partly because there is abundance of ground that they cannot possesse nor make vse of, and partly because our being here will be a meanes both of reliefe to them when they want, and also a defence from their Enemies, wherewith before this Plantation begun, they were often indangered.
For their dealing with vs, we neither feare them nor trust them, for fourtie of our Musketeeres will driue fiue hundred of them out of the Field. We vse them kindly, they will come into our Houses sometimes by halfe a douzen or halfe a score at a time when we are at victuals, but will aske or take nothing but what we giue them.
We purpose to learne their Language as soone as we can, which will be a meanes to do them good.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
First it will be a service to y^e Church of great consequence, to carry y^e gospell into those parts of y^e world, & to raise a bulwarke ag^t y^e kingdo?s? of Antichrist w^ y^e Jesuits labour to reare vp in all places of y^e world.
Secondly all other churches of Europe are brought to desolac?o?n, & it may be justly feared y^t y^e like judg^ is com?ing vpon vs: & who knowes but y^t God hath provided this place to be a refuge for many whom hee meanes to saue out of y^e generall destruction.
Thirdly the land growes weary of her inhabitants, so that man w^ is y^e most precious of all creatures is here more vyle & base then y^e earth they tread upon; so as children neighbours & friends especially of y^e poore, are counted y^e greatest burdens, w^ if things were right would be y^e highest earthly blessings.
Wee are growen to y^t excesse & intemperaunce in all excesse of riot as no meane estate almost will suffice to keepe saile w^ his equalls & hee y^t fayles in it must in scorne & contempt. Hence it comes to passe y^t all arts & trades are carried in y^t deceitfull man?er & vnrighteous course, as it is almost impossible for a good upright man to maintayne his chardge & liue co?fortably in any of y^m.
Fiftly y^e Schooles of learning & religion are so corrupted, as most children, are perverted, corrupted & utterly ouerpowered by y^e multitude of evill examples & licentious governors of those seminaries.
Sixtly y^e whole earth is y^e Lords garden & hee hath giuen it to y^e sons of Adam to bee tilled & improoued by y^m why then should we stand starving here for places of habitac?o?n & in y^e meane tyme suffer whole countreyes as profitable for y^e use of man, to lye wast w^out any improouement.
Seaventhly, what can bee a better worke and more noble & worthy a Christian, then to helpe to raise & support a particular church while it is in it infancy, & to o^r forces w^ such a co?pany of faithfull people, as by a tymely assistaunce may grow stronger & prosper, & for want of it may be put to great hazzard if not wholly ruinated?
Eightly if any such as are knowne to bee godly & liue in wealth & prosperity here, shall forsake all this to joyne y^mselves w^ this church, & runne in hazard w^ y^m of hard & meane condic?o?n, it will be an example of great vse both for y^e remooving of Scandall & sinister & worldly respects, to giue more lyfe to y^e faith of Gods people in their prayers for y^e plantac?o?n, & also to encourage others to joyne y^e more willingly in it.
Obj. 1. It will bee a great wrong to o^r owne church & countrey to take away the best people; & we still lay it more open to y^e judg^ feared.
Aunsw. 1. The number will be nothing in respect of those y^t are left. 2ly many y^t liue to no vse here, more then for their owne priuate familyes may bee employed to a more com?o? good in another place. 3^ such as are of good vse here may yett be so employed as y^e church shall receiue no losse. and since Christs coming y^e church is to be conceiued as universal w^out distinctio? of countryes, so as hee y^t doth good in any one place serves y^e church in all places, in regard of y^e vnitye. 4^ it is y^e revealed will of God y^t y^e gospell should be preached to all nations, and though we know not whether y^e Indians will receiue it or not, yet it is a good worke to observe Gods will in offering it to y^m, for God shall haue glory by it though y^y refuse it.
Object. 2. wee haue feared a judge^ a long tyme, but yet we are safe; therefore it were better to stay till it come, & either we may flie then, or if we be ouertaken in it wee may well bee content to suffer w^ such a church as ours is.
Aunsw. It is likely y^t this considerac?o?n made y^e churches beyond y^e seas as y^e Palatinate & Rochel &c to sit still at home, & not looke out for shelter while y^y might haue found it. but y^e wofull spectacle of their ruine may teach us more wisdome to avoid y^e plague while it is foreseene, & not to tarry as y^y did till it ouertooke y^m. If they were now at their former liberty, wee may be sure y^y would take other courses for their safety. And though most of y^m had miscarried in their escape, yet it had not bene halfe so miserable to th^mselves, or scandalous to religion, as this desperate backsliding and abjuring y^e truth, w^ many of y^e auntient professours among y^m, & y^e whole posterity that remayne are plunged into.
Object. 3. wee haue here a fruitfull Land w^ peace & plenty of all things.
Aunsw: wee are like to haue as good condic?o?ns there in tyme; but yet we must leaue all this abundance, if it bee not taken fro? vs. When we are in o^r graues, it will bee all one whether we haue liued in plenty or in penury, whether we haue dyed in a bed of downe or lockes of straw. Onely this is y^e advantage of y^e meane condic?o?n, y^t it is a more freedo?e? to dye. And y^e lesse co?fort any haue in y^e things of this world, y^e more liberty y^y haue to lay vp treasure in heauen.
Obj. 4. wee may perish by y^e way or when we co?e? there, having hunger or y^e sword &c and how vnco?fortable will it bee to see o^r wives & children & friends come to such miserie by o^r occasion?
Aunsw. Such objections savour too much of y^e flesh. Who can secure himselfe or his fro? y^e like calamities here? If this course bee warrantable, we may trust Gods providence for these things. Either hee will keepe those evills fro? vs, or will dispose y^m for o^r good & enable vs to beare y^m.
Obj. 5. But what warrant haue we to take y^t land, w^ is & hath bene of long tyme possessed of others y^e sons of Adam?
Obj. 6. we shall send o^r young ones & such as may best bee spared, & not of y^e best of o^r ministers & magistrates.
Aunsw. It is a great worke & requires more skilfull Artisans to lay y^e foundac?o?n of a new building, then to uphoald & repayre one y^t is already built. If great things bee attempted by weake instru^, y^e effects will bee aunswerable.
Obj. 7. Wee see y^t those plantac?o?ns y^t haue bene formerly made, succeeded ill.
Aunsw. 1 The fruit of any publique designe is not to bee discerned by y^e im?ediat successe: it may appeare in tyme, y^t y^y were all to good vse. 2^, there were great fundamentall errours in others w^ are like to bee avoided in this: for 1 their mayne end & purpose was carnall & not religious. 2 y^y aymed chiefely at profitt & not at y^e propagac?o?n of religion. 3 y^y vsed too vnfitt instru^, a multitude of rude vngoverned persons, y^e very scums of y^e Land. 4 y^y did not stablish a right fourme of gouern^.
THE AGREEMENT WITH MR. HIGGINSON
Imprimis y^t 30^ in money shall be forthw^ paid him by ye Co?panyes treasurer towards y^e chardges of fitting himselfe w^ Apparell & other necessaryes for his voyage.
The 8^ of Aprill, 1629. M^r Francis Higgeson and M^r Samuel Skelton intended ministers of this plantac?o?n, and it being thought meete to consider of their intertaynement, who expressing their willingnesse, together, also with M^r Francis Bright, being now present to doe their endevour in their places of the ministery as well in preaching, catechizing, as also in teaching, or causing to be taught, the Companyes servants & their children, as also the salvages and their children, whereby to their uttermost to further the maine end of this plantation, being, by the assistance of Allmighty God, the conversion of the salvages, the proposic?o?ns concluded on w^ M^r Francis Bright, the 2 of February last, were reciprocally accepted of by M^r Francis Higgison and M^r Samuel Skelton, who are in every respect to have the like condic?o?ns as M^r Bright hath, onely whereas M^r Higgeson hath 8 children it is intended that 10^ more yearely shall be allowed him towards their chardge. And it is agreed that the increase of the improvement of all their grounds during the first 3 yeares shall be at the Companies disposing, who are to fynde them dyett during that time, and tenne pounds more to M^r Higgeson towards his present fitting him and his for the voyage.
FRANCIS HIGGISON. SAMUEL SKELTON.
A TRUE RELATION OF THE
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