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THE PILGRIM FATHERS OF NEW ENGLAND: A HISTORT? V BY W. CARLOS MAUTYN, AUTHOR OF THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHK MILTON, A HISTOBY OF THE ENGLISH PURITANS, ETC. 'Wliat sought they there, whose steps were on the dust Of the old forest lords? Not summer skies, Nor genial zephyrs, nor the amenities Of golden spoils. Their strength was in the trust That breasts all billows of the abyss of time. The EocK OF Ages, and its hopes sublime." American Souvenir. PUBLISHED BY THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY, 150 NASSAU-STREET, NEW YORK. I i f I 1 LOAN STACK Entei!ED according to Act of Congress, in the year 18G7, by the American Tract Society, in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. PREFACE. Lord Bacon assigns the Ligliest meed of earthly fame to the builders of states, condifores imjyeriorum. The Pilgrim Fathers were members of that guild, and their story belongs to the heroic age of America. "No other state," remarks Stoughton, "can boast of such an tale as true origin, and adorn its earliest annals with a as it is beautiful, as authentic as it is sublime." But aside from the honor which attends the Fore- fathers as the founders of empire, they march down the laurels ages crowned with richer and more fragrant ; for they built not for themselves or for posterity alone, in imitation of Eomulus, and Cj-rus, and Csesar, and also for and for God. Ottoman ; they planted justice Therefore they are the rightful heirs of the benedic- to Americans are tions of mankind ; while they doubly white precious as "the parents of one-third of the whole l^opulation of the Republic." Of course, the career of the Pilgrim Fathers has been is often painted : but the interest of the story inexhaust- ible, and its thiilling incidents exhibit the wisdom, the benevolence, the faithfulness of God in so many glo- rious and delightful aspects, and are so replete with facts whose inevitable tendency is to inflame the love, strengthen the faith, and awaken the wondering grati- tude of the human heart, that it is impossible to wear " " the twice-told tale threadbare by repetition. Besides, a thoughtful scholar, Avho has himself laid his garland of everlasting upon the altar of the Pilgrims, has re- or> B 4 PREFACE. minded its that, "however well history may have been written, it is desirable that it should be re-Avritten from time to time by those who look from an advanced posi- tion, giving in every age to the peculiar and marked developments of the past, a simple, compact, and pic- turesque representation." This sketch ri;ns back to the cradle of Puritanism ; summarily rehearses the causes of which it was begot- the Fathers across the chan- ten ; accompanies Pilgrim nel, and depicts the salient features of their residence in Holland, and the reasons which pushed them to further removal; sails with them in the "Mayflower" winter sea recites in some the over the stormy ; detail, incidents which accompanied the settlement at Plym- outh and the kindi'ed colonies throughout New Eng- closes in the sunshine of that between land ; and league the New England colonies which was the prophecy of the Republic, and the crowning glory of those who are distinctively called the Pilgrim Fathers. The volume has been carefully written, and it is fortified by copious marginal notes and citations from a wide range of authoritative authors, from the humblest diarist to the most pretentious compiler who struts in the rustling satin of histor3^ This is "a round unvarnished tale," and aims at fair- ness of statement, not copying that dealer in historj' whom Lucian derides for always styling the captain of his own party an Achilles, and the leader of the opposi- tion a Thersites. Nor does it enter the "debateable ground" of sectarian polity; but avoiding alike the Scylla of indiscriminate encomium, and the Charybdis of controversy, it merely reproduces the broad and un- questioned facts of an emigration whose purpose and whose result was to "Win the wilderness for God." New York, January, 1867. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. and the Motors of Materialism— Puritan- Spiritual Forces English — ism—Its Conflicts with the Dramatic Eehgiou of the Popes— Aspiration—The Modern Era—The Kecast Ecclesiasticism Two Parties in the New-modelled English Church—The Puri- tans—The Conformists — The Error of the Church-and-state Reformers—The Epic of our Saxon Annals—Britain, emanci- pated from the Pope, hugs the PopecZo7?i—Persecution—The — of Separatists — Their Disappointment The Separatists the North of England — Division in the Protestant World — The Philosophy of Luther—Calvin's Rationale—The Separatists ad- here to Calvin—The Paid for Exact Conformity—The Piloeim Fathers prepare to quit the Island—Pilgrim Traits—Obsta- ' ' cles—The Attempted Exodus—Treachery—The Pilgrims rifled by the Catchpole Officers"—Imprisonment—The Second At- tempt—The Eendezvous—A Midnight Scene by the Sea-shore— Arrival of the Ship—The Stranded Barque — The Captain's Alarm—The Ship sails—The Deserted Dear Ones on Shore— A Woful Picture—Captured—The Storm—Holland at last— Eeunion -page 17 CHAPTER II. Jhe Quays of Amsterdam—Quaint Aspect of the City—Its His- tory—The Pilgrims and the Dutch Burghers— Strange Charac- teristics of Dutch Social Life—The Pilgrims go to Work—Their Employments—The Removal to Leyden—Reason of the Change of Residence—Leyden—Its Thrilling Story—The Exiles "raise a Competent and Decent Living"—They "enjoy much Sweet " Society and Spiritual Comfort together in the Ways of God — John Robinson—Elder Brewster—The Pilgrims grow in Knowl- edge and Gifts—Their Discipline—Robinson's Wisdom—The Exiles win the Cordial Love and Respect of the Dutch—An 6 CONTENTS. Illustration—Testimony of the Leyden Magistrates——The Con- troversy—Robinson and Episcopiiis—The Debate "Famous Victory" of the English Divine—Reformed Churches of the Continent — Catholicity of the Pilgrims—Their Bias towards - Religious Democracy—Peregrini Deo curce 37 CHAPTER III. Circumstances conspire to render the Exiles anxious and Many " — ' ' — uneasy in Holland They know that They are but Pilgrims— The Projected Removal from the Low Coimtries Their "Weighty Reasons"—A Grand Germ of Thought—The New World— Career of Maritime Discovery—The Pilgrim Council— The Debate—The Argument of the Doubters—The Apostles of the Future—Ho, for America—The Decision 52 CHAPTER IV. " — Pilgrim Prayers— Where shall we j^laut our Colony" "Large Offers" of the Dutch—Determine to settle in "the most North- ern Part of Virginia" — The two English Emigration Compa- — — The Letter of Robinson nies—The Envoys Their Return — and Brewster—The Virginia Comx^any and King James Two Questions—The "Formal Promise of Neglect"—The "Mer- " chant-adventurers —Terms of the Compact—Republicanism of the Pilgrims—Robinson's Sermon—Who shall sail with the "Forlorn Hope?" — The Past — Robinson's Farewell — The "Speedwell" and the "Mayflower"— "Good-by, Leyden" — " " ' ' Adieu, Friends —The ' ' Yo hoy of the Seamen 61 CHAPTER V. At Southampton — The Abortive Departure — The Number of " ' ' — ' ' Vorjageurs winnowed —Final Embarkation The Floating Village"—On the Atlantic—Opening of Robinson's Letter of Advice—The Seaborn Government-All Hail, Democracy !-- Carver elected Governor—The Pilgrims propose to land—The The Unsea- Captain's Mistake—Geography of the Wilderness— — worthy Shallop — The Sixteen Scouts — Miles Standish On Shore—First Drink of New England Water—The Mysterious Mound—The Hidden Corn—Pilgrim Conscientiousness—Re- turn of the Explorers—In the Shallop—The Dawn of Winter— Renewed Search for a Lauding Spot—First Encounter with the Indians— ' ' Woaih wach kaha hack woach "—The Breakers—First Christian Sabbath in the New World—Plymouth Rock- - - 77 CONTENTS. CHAPTER VI. The Pilgrims decide to settle at Plymouth—The Landing^The First Law—The Pioneers at Work—Plan of the Town—The Weather— Satisfaction of the Pilgrims with the Site of their Colony—The Journal — Pilgrim Traits—A Page from Cotton Mather—The Frenchman's Proj^hecy— Social Arrangements—• Standish chosen Captain—Births and Deaths—The Block Cita- del—Isolation of the Pilgrims—Combination of Circumstances which produced the Settlement of Plymouth in 1G20 90 CHAPTER VII. The Early Spring of 1621 —The Pilgrims Buoj'ant and Hopeful^ Planting—In the Woods—The Tyro Hunters —A Forest Adven- ture—The Storm—On the Skirts of the Settlement—"Welcome, Englishmen"—The Solitary Indian—His Entertainment—Sam- oset's Story — Valuable Information — The Kidnapper — The Nausets—Pilgrim Description of Samoset— "What shall we do with our Dusky Guest?"—Samoset's Embassy—His Return— Squanto—His Romantic History—Massasoit—The Redman and the Pale-face—Negotiations—The Treaty—Its Faithful Observ- ance—A Picture of Massasoit—Billington's Offence—The Lack- ey-duelists—Death—Frightful Mortality—Burial-hill—Death of Governor Carver—Bradford elected Governor—Departure of the "Maj'flower"— Feeling of the Pilgrims—The "Orphans of Humanity" 98 CHAPTER VIII. The Pilgrim Panacea—The Summer—The Prospect—AVild Fowl, Shell-fish, and Berries—A Glimjise at Plymoiith in 1G21 —The Pioneers open the Volume of Nature—Lessons in Woodcraft^ Bradford and the Deer-trap—Explorations—The Embassy to Massasoit—Its Object—The Indian Guide—The Pause at Na- masket—A New "Kind of Bread"—The "Deserted Village"— The Wigwam "Palace" of Massasoit—Presents—The Sachem and the Horseman's Coat—The "Pipe of Peace"—The Saga- more's Cordiality—Massasoit's Housekeeping—A Full Bed— Indian Games—The Feast—The Return—-Honorable and Ami- cable Treatment of the Indians by the Pilgrim Fathers—Ad- vantages of this Course—Barbarism makes an Obeisance to Civihzation—End of the Indian's Lease of Ages of the Forest— The New Tenant takes Possession in the Name of God ai:id Liberty 110 8 CONTENTS.

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