' A' JSpnh -' ^0 'V, •"To' <{,^ o *.,,.' .0^ V * ^-^^ >?-^^ .^' c^" n<i'' aO' 0- ^^' -.•'^^^* ^^ .0" ^^ .*1^^% ^-e -^^0^ 1^ .*—,/r^>i •» 4 O - --.^ ^'^^ ^ ^- ^ -.^^W* .V . -^ "'^i A, •-^'ai&^/ . • 5 . > THE JOURNAL O F THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH, IN NEW ENGLAND, IN 16 20: REPRINTED FROM THE ORIGINAL VOLUME. WITH HISTORICAL AND LOCAL ILLUSTRATIONS OF PROVIDENCES, riilNClPLES, AND PERSONS: B Y GEORGE B. CHEEVER, D.D. ^- NEW YORK: PUBLISHED BY JOHN WILEY, 161 BROADWAY. AND 13 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. 1848. fa //O^'^'^^^^ Enterkd, uccoriliiig to Act of Congress, in the year 18-18, by GEOKGE B. CHEEVER, ill the Clerk's Office of the District Coiirt of the Southern District of New York. Bx:chaQge( Brown University Library APR 8 . 194C R. CRAIGHEAD, PRINTER AND STEREOTVPER, 112 FULTON STREET, NEW YOP.K. ^1*^1 Withdrawn PREFACE. Some years ago, about the time of the publication of Dr. Young's Chronicles of the Pilgrims, and before I had seen that work, the original volume of the Journal of the Pilgrims came into my possession, and 1 resolved to publish it with annotations. 1 supposed then that there was but one other copy of the v(rork in this country. I vi^as prevented by various causes at that time from the accomplishment of my intention, until a recent visit to Plymouth revived my purpose, and this volume became the fruit of it. I am greatly indebted, as every one who attempts to write concerning the Plymouth Pilgrims must find himself to be, to Dr. Young's invalua- ble publications of the Chronicles of the Pilgrims and the Chronicles of Massachusetts. The notes to those works contain an immense amount of information, perfectly to be relied upon, and also of accurate refer- ences to the sources of knowledge at command. The Library of the New York Historical Society, to which I have had the freest access, i.s rich and abundant in its material concerning the early history of the Plymouth Pilgrims, and of New England. This work, begun in the way of Historical Notes, has grown into twenty-four chapters ; and I have been led, incidentally, to adopt a clas- sification of my materials of illustration, which is important in itself, and will certainly impart to the work something of the merit of novelty ; that is, to arrange in separate subjects and sketches, as far as possible, the IV PREFACE. germs, or beginnings, or tifst appearances of our native New England customs and institutions. I have endeavored to trace the wonder- ful providential discipline of God with tlie colony of Plymouth, and to some extent witli that of Massachusetts, and to show the constant action of tliose principles of piety for which they suffered, under the supremacy of which they labored, and by which, through the grace of Christ, they were successful. Doubtless, the great lesson of God's teachings in the first years of the conflict of our Pilgrim Fathers, and as Mr. Choate called it, " the days of their human agony of glory," is the lesson of the atonement itself, and of that wondrous passage respecting Christ, that he was made perfect through suffering;—the necessity of a baptism of suliering, in some way, and of its holy endurance beneath the hand of God, at the foundation of every great enterprise in our fallen world, for the good of man and for God's glory. Never was there in the history of the world, out of the Divine records, a more signal and affecting display of tliis principle, and of God's disciplinary and covenant mercy in it to mankind, than in the story of the trials and endurances of our Pilgrim and Puritan Fathers. The picture, if drawn by the hand of a master, would be surpassingly beautiful ; and there certainly will yet emanate from some devout mind and heart in New* England, from some individual prepared and gifted of God for the duty (as D'Aubigne was disciplined and guided in his great work on the Reformation), a book of unrivalled interest and lasting power, on the History of the Pilgrims and Puritans in America. Such a work would, in its foundations and introductory material, run back to the days of Hooper, and the opening and progress of the Reformation in England, and the persecuting instrumentality of Elizabeth, James, and the Hierar- chical Despotism. Then the stream of history divides, and there are two great works to be accomplished, concentrating the interest and progress of the world upon the principles developed and illustrated, namely, the History of the Puritans in Great Britain, and the History of the Puri- tans in America. Here are two of the grandest subjects in the world for genius and piety. All tilings done as yet are mere materials collected, PREFACE. V and shafts of light here and there poured down. Some of Carlyle's works are such shafts of light and power ; but even yet they are seen, as the sunlight often is, amidst steams of vaporous prejudice drawn from the earth and rising into clouds. The veil of prejudice is yet to be re- moved away, and the work of Divine Providence and Grace is to be revealed, as a glorious landscape amidst clear shining after rain. New York, Nov. 21, 1848. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PART I, rxoB JOURNAL OF THE PILGRIMS 1-110 PART II. HISTORICAL AND LOCAL ILLUSTRATIONS. CHAPTER I. Principles, Providences, Persons—The Colony of Principle and the Colony of Gain Ill CHAPTER ir. The Virginia Company, and the Merchant Adventurers . 117 CHAPTER III. The Merchant Adventurers—Articles of Agreement for the transporta- tion of the Pilgrims ; otherwise the Copartnership—Dissolution of the Company 123 CHAPTER IV. The Pilgrim Church in England, and the first church compact . .134 CHAPTER V. Comparison of God's Preparatory Providences 140 CHAPTER vt. The Pilgrim Church at Leyden, and the Pastor Robinson—The Vine brought out of Egypt, but not yet planted in the Wilderness . 14 7 Vm CONTENTS. rAOK OHAPTKU vn. The fust New England rinuoh, nnd their Elder, Mr. Brewster—The Vine brought out and planted 163 CHAPTER vm. Congreemtional Constitution of the Pilgrim Church —Correspondence of Brewster and Robinson with the Council in England as to their principles—Comparison of Congregationalism and Hierarchism . 185 CHAPTER IX. The First Civil Compact—Toleration, Connivance, Liberty of Con- science —Foundation of the State —Repetition of the free Cove- nants 195 CHAPTER X. The first Settlement, following the tirst Compact—Discovery of Ply- mouth—The Harbor, the Localities, the Associations— Plymouth Rock, and the beauty of the hightide scenery ... 205 CHAPTER XI. Instructive discipline of the Pilgrim Church at Amsterdam—Original order and beauty of the Churches there—Evils of dissension and of minute Church legislation —The forbearing and kindly spirit of the Pilgrim Church 212 CHAPTER XU. The Life, Character, and Administration, of Governor Bradford . .219 CHAPTER XIII. The tirst New England Sabbath 239 CHAPTER XIV. The first New England Meeting-House 250 CHAPTER XV. The first Deaths and Burials 260 CHAPTER XVI. The first Fast and Thanksgiving—Remarkable instance of the Divine Interposition in answer to prayer 274 CHAPTER xvn. The first New England Council, Church Organization, and Ordination 2S9 CONTENTS. IX CHAPTER XVIII. PAO« The first attempt at Schism— Recalcitration of the Establishment . 300 CHAPTER XIX. Slanders against the Colony—Laud's High Commission to overturn its Church and Government—The case of Mr. Winslow's Imprison- ment—The case of Mr. Endicott, and the Red Royal Ensign . 310 CHAPTER XX. The first imposition of a Minister, and the character and end of the man and the effort—Conspiracy of Lyford and Oldham—Energy and prudence of the Governor 321 CHAPTER XXI. The first civil ofl^ence and punishment—Mildness, forbearance, self- respect, and kindness of the Pilgrims—The first murderer and his end —Their views of Capital Punishment for Murder—The great- ness and wisdom of their legal reforms 329 CHAPTER XXII. The first Town-meeting—Providential discipline and development of freedom 337 CHAPTER XXIII. Governor Bradford's Letter Book 344 CHAPTER XXIV. The Antiquities of Plymouth— The houses and armor of the Pilgrims —Description of their mode of public worship .... 358 A RELATION OR lournall of the beginning and proceedings of the English Plantation setled at Plimotli in New England, by certaine English Aduenturers both Merchants and others. With their difficult passage, their safe ariuall, their ioyfull building of, and comfortable planting them- selues in the now well defended Tovvne of New P l I m o t h. AS ALSO A RELATION OF FOVRE seuerall discoueries since made by some of the same English Planters there resident. /. In a iourney to Pvckajvokick the habitation of the Indians grea- test King Massasoyt : as also their message, the answer and entertainment they had of him. II. In a voyage made by ten of them to the Kingdome of Nawset, to seeke a boy that had lost himselfe in the woods : with such accidents as befell them in that voyage. III. In their iourney to the Kingdome of Namaschet, in defence of their greatest King Massasoyt, against the Narrohiggonsets, and to reuenge the supposed death of their Interpreter Tisquantum. ////. Their voyage to the Massachusets, and their entertainment there. With an answer to all such obiections as are any way made against the lawfulnesse of English plantations in those parts. LONDON, Printed for lohn Bellamie, and are to be sold at his shop at the two Greyhounds in Cornhill neere the Royall Exchange. 1622. EXPLANATION OF THE INITIALS I. P. AND R. G. The individual to whom the introductory note or letter at the beginning of this volume is addressed, as the writer's much respected friend, Mr.