CHAPTER IV. SOME NOTABLE SETTLERS. The little colony of a dozen souls became at once a conspicuous center of light and influence. The leader, John Winthrop, eldest son of the Governor, gave great prestige. He had been a student of Trinity College, Dublin, and after a course of legal study had been admitted a barrister of the Inner Temple, February 28, 1624-5. A few years later he entered the navy and served with the fleet under the Duke of Buckingham, for the relief of the French Protestants of La Rochelle. He spent more than a year in foreign travel. Cultured and companionable, he drew about him by the force of his personality that group of eminent men, which made Ipswich a town of rare quality. One of the earliest arrivals was Nathaniel Ward, the first of the long line of eminent ministers. Thomas Parker had served the church for a few months, but had removed with his company to Newbury, and his residence seemed to have been regarded as temporary. "Perhaps no other Englishman who came to America in those days brought with him more of the ripeness that is born not only of time and study but of distinguished early associations, extensive travel in foreign lands, and varied professional experience at home. He was graduated at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, in 1603, and is named by Fuller among the learned writers of that college who were not fellows. His per sonal and professional standing may be partly inferred from his acquaintance with Sir Francis Bacon, with Archbishop Usher, and with the famous theologian of Heidelberg, David Pareus."2 He chose the law as his profession and became a barrister in 1615, but while travelling on the Continent, he was so much influenced by the advice of Pareus, that he decided to enter the ministry. 1 See "A Sketch of John Winthrop the Younger," Publications of the Ipswich Historical Society, VII. 2 M. C. Tyler, "History of American Literature", vol. I, p. 227. though he was then about forty years old. He became rector at Stondon Massey in Essex. His uncompromising Puritanism brought him into sharp conflict with the ruling powers. He refused to subscribe to the articles established by the Canon of the Church, and condemned the "Book of Sports" and the practice of bowing at the name of Jesus. Summoned before Archbishop Laud, he refused to conform and was roughly excommunicated in 1633. His wife died at about the same time, leaving two sons and a daughter. Lonely, sorrowful, despairing of any asylum or field of usefulness in England, in common with multitudes of Puritans, he turned to the New World and, with his family, in the sixty-fourth year of his age, landed in 1634. He spent his first winter in Ipswich in Mr. Winthrop's house,' as Winthrop had gone to England upon the death of his wife in the autumn, but during the next year probably, took up his residence in his own home, somewhere on the eastern side of the South Common. The house was standing in Cotton Mather's time, and he says that Ward had inscribed over the fireplace, the Latin legend, "Sobrie, juste, pie" (soberly, justly, piously) and afterward, "laete" (gladly). Sober, indeed, was the life of the Cambridge scholar in those years, amid the privations of the wilderness life. "I intreate you," he wrote pathetically to the younger Winthrop when a shipload of provisions had arrived, "to do so much as to speake to him (Mr. Coddington) in my name, to reserve some meale and malt, and what victuals else he thinks meete, till our River be open; our church will pay him duely for it. I am very destitute; I have not above 6 bushells of corn left, and other things answerable."2 "I acknowledge," he wrote again to Mr. Winthrop, "I am tender and more unfit for solitariness and hardship than some other, especially at this tyme, through many colds and seeds of the bay sicknesses I brought from thence." His health became impaired and in a few years he gave up the work of the ministry, but turned with vigor to other tasks of great importance. In the year 1638 he was requested by the colony to draw up a code of laws, as no written statutes had yet been formulated. He was fitted for this task above any other man in the Colony 1 R. C. Winthrop. Life and Letters of John Winthrop, vol. 11, p 126. 2 Mass. Hist. Soc. Collec. series 4, vol. VII, pp. 24-26. by his legal learning, his long familiarity with the legal systems of the Old World and his mature age. He spent three years in this work, and the result of his labors was a code of one hundred laws, which was submitted to the judgment of the General Court, discussed in every town, and finally adopted in 1641. John Cotton was associated with him nominally, but Governor Winthrop speaks of the code, "as composed by Mr. Nathaniel Ward," and it has been generally recognized as his work." "The Body of Liberties," as it was called, has challenged the admiration of many acute students. Speaking of the Preamble, Mr. W. F. Poole observes:3 "This sublime declaration standing at the head of the first. Code of Laws in New England was the production of no common intellect. It has the movement and the dignity of a mind like John Milton's or Algernon Sidney's, and its theory of government was far in advance of the age. A bold avowal of the rights of man, and a plea for popular freedom, it contains the germs of the memorable declaration of July 4, 1776." Dr. Francis C. Gray remarks upon the originality of this Code, "although it retains some strong traces of the times, it is, in the main, far in advance of them, and in several respects in advance of the Common Law of England at this day (1818)." "It shows, that our ancestors, "he continues, "instead of deducing their laws from the books of Moses, established at the outset a code of fundamental principles, which taken as a whole, for wisdom, equity and adaptation to the wants of their community, challenge a comparison with any similar production from Magna Charta itself to the latest Bill of Rights that has been put forth in Europe or America." This great work was followed by another, of different character, but of unique and imperishable renown, the famous satire, "The Simple Cobler of Aggawam." It was published in England in 1646, and attained immediate success. Four editions were called for before the year closed. Its pungent criti 1 Winthrop's History of New England, vol. II, 1st ed. p. 55; 2nd ed. p. 66. "Remarks on the early Laws of Massachusetts Bay, with the Code adopted in 1641 and called the Body of Liberties, by F. C. Gray, LL.D. Mass. Hist. Soc. Col. lec., series 3, VII, 191." Introduction to his edition of Johnson's Wonder Working Providence, page lxv. cism, its originality of thought, its striking vocabulary, more rugged and individual than Carlyle's, made it a pioneer work in that department of literature.1 In the year following the beginning of Mr. Ward's ministry, a welcome addition to the settlement was made, when Richard Saltonstall, eldest son of Sir Richard, conspicuous for wealth and highest social standing, chose this town for his home. He was only twenty-five years old, but had already graduated from Emmanuel College. With him came his young wife, Meriel or Muriel Gurdon, only twenty-two years old, and the baby Muriel of nine months. The old minister was more than glad, we are sure, when Saltonstall built his house only a few rods away, somewhere on the sightly fourteen acres, that bordered on the Green, the Highway, and the River, not far from the ancient Merrifield house. The community honored young Saltonstall at once with responsible public office. He was elected Deputy to the General Court, and in 1636, was appointed to hold court in Ipswich. He was chosen Assistant in 1637, and was re-elected annually until 1649. In March, 1635-6, the General Court passed an order providing that a certain number of magistrates should be elected for a life term as a standing council. The measure proved unpopular. The people saw in it an irresponsible body, the existence of which was wholly contrary to democratic ideas. Some action was taken by the Court looking toward its dissolution, but the Council still remained. Whereupon, Mr. Saltonstall, then an Assistant, with fair prospect of becoming a member of this life board, wrote a book, in which he argued with much force that it was contrary to the Charter and a sinful innovation. The book gave great offence, and many demanded that summary punishment be visited upon its author, but the book was referred to the elders. They all met in Ipswich on the 18th of October, 1642, differed much in their judgment about it, but acknowledged the soundness of the propositions advanced. Again in 1645, single-handed and alone, he lifted up his voice like a trumpet in the Great and General Court, when Capt. 1 See an excellent review of this work in M. C. Tyler's History of American Literature, vol. 1, page 228. ... James Smith, master of the ship Rainbow, brought into the country two negroes kidnapped from the Guinea coast. He denounced the heinous act of stealing these poor blacks, as contrary to the law of God and of the country, demanded that the officers of the ship be imprisoned, and addressed a petition, signed by himself alone, praying that the slaves be returned at the public expense. Mr. Saltonstall lived to be an old man, full of honors, but nothing gives such lustre to his name as this strong blow for the emancipation of these two African slaves.' That same year, 1635, saw the incoming of another family of great distinction. Gov. Thomas Dudley, having retired from the chief magistracy in May, 1635, removed from Cambridge and took up his home in Ipswich. He had distinguished himself as a man of affairs in Cld England, and brought wealth and reputation to the Colony. He was made Deputy Governor before the ship sailed, and continued in that office until 1634, when he was chosen Governor. He was in his sixtieth year, and a notable family circle had grown up about him. His daughter Ann had married Simon Bradstreet, and Patience had married Daniel Denison. Both sons-in-law accompanied him or soon followed, already men of weight, and destined to play a great part in the history of the colony. Denison took rank at once with the most conpicuous citizens. He was chosen Deputy to the General Court the same year he arrived, and continued in public office all his life, as Justice of the lower Court, Assistant, and leader in political affairs. He was the one skilled soldier as well, and became the military leader of the Town and eventually of the Colony. Samuel Symonds soon arrived, a man of most lovable spirit, and a sharer with Denison in all political and judicial distinctions. He began his public career with the offices of Town Clerk and Deputy, but died while holding the high place of Deputy Governor. The careers of these men were inwoven with the history of our Town, and will be unfolded as later events claim our notice. Rev. John Norton2 came as associate to Mr. Ward near the close of his ministry. He was then thirty-two years old, and had gained already a reputation for extraordinary scholarship, 1 Bond's History of Watertown, p. 915 and following. Cotton Mather's Magnalia, p. 32, ed. of 1772. |