ed in the family of a noble Earldom, into a wilderness of wants, it proved too strong a temptation for her; so as the virtues of her mind were not able to stem the tide of those many adversities of her outward condition, which she, soon after her arrival, saw herself surrounded withal. For within a short time after she ended her days at Salem, where she first landed; and was soon after [as] solemnly interred as the condition of those times would bear, leaving her husband (a worthy gentleman of note for piety and wisdom) a sorrowful mourner, and so overwhelmed in a flood of tears and grief, that about a month after, viz. September 30, 1630, carried him after her into another world, to the extreme loss of the whole Plantation.

Of this number of ships that came this year for New England, and were filled with passengers of all occupations, skilled in all kind of faculties, needful for the planting of a new colony, some set forth from the west of England, but the greatest number came from about London, though South-Hampton was the rendezvous where they took ship; in the three biggest of which were brought the Patentees, and persons of greatest quality, together with Mr. John Winthrop, the Governor, that famous pattern of piety, wisdom, justice, and liberality, which advanced him so often to the place of government over the whole jurisdiction, by the annual choice of the people: and Mr. Thomas Dudley, a gentleman who, by reason of his experience, and travels abroad, as his other natural and acquired abilities qualified him in the next place, above others, for the chief place of rule and government; wherein, according to his just desert, he oft shared more than some others.

Besides the above named there came along with the same fleet several other gentlemen of note and quality, as Mr. Ludlow, Mr. William Pynchon, Mr. Simon Bradstreet, Mr. William Vassall, Mr. Sharp, and others: as likewise some eminent and noted ministers, as Mr. Wilson, (who had formerly been a minister of one of the parishes of Sudbury, in the County of Suffolk,) Mr. George Phillips, (who had been minister of Bocksted, in Essex,) with Mr. John Maverick, and Mr. Warham,

who had been ministers in the West Country. These were among the first adventurers that came over to New England to plant the wilderness and lay a foundation for others, in after time, to build upon.

CHAP. XXV.

The first planting the Massachusetts Bay with towns, after the arrival of the Governor and company that came along with him; and other occurrents that then fell out. 1630, 1631, 1632.

THE people that arrived at the Massachusetts in the fleet, Anno 1630, were not much unlike the family of Noah at their first issuing out of the ark, and had, as it .were, a new world to people; being uncertain where to make their beginning. Salem was already planted, and supplied with as many inhabitants as at that time it was well able to receive. Therefore the Governor and most of the gentlemen that came along with him, having taken a view of the bottom of the Massachusetts Bay, and finding that there was accommodation enough for several towns, took the first opportunity of removing thither with their friends and followers; and at the first pitched down on the north side of Charles River, where they laid the foundation of the first township. But the chiefest part of the gentlemen made provision for another Plantation on the neck of land on the south side of the said river, (which was after, on the account of Mr. Cotton, called Boston,) by erecting such small cottages as might harbor them in the approaching winter, till they could build themselves more convenient dwellings another year. And accordingly, the Governor and Deputy Governor, with most of the Assistants, removed their families thither about November; and being settled there for the present they took further time for consideration, where to find a convenient place to make a fortified town, which then was their aim. Some scattering inhabitants had a few years before taken up their habitations on each side the said Charles River: some at a place called Mattapan, (since Dorchester,) situate on the south side of the Massachusetts Bay,

three or four miles from Boston, and faced on two sides with the sea. This place was at the same time seized by Mr. Ludlow and his friends, with whom joined Mr. Maverick and Mr. Warham, as their ministers. Mr. Pynchon and some others chose a place in the midway between Dorchester and Boston for their habitation; and the year after obtained Mr.. Eliot, that came the same year for their minister, and called the place Roxbury. Sir Richard Saltonstall settled his family and friends at a place higher up the north side of Charles River, with whom joined Mr. Phillips, as their minister, and called the place Watertown. The reason of the name was not left upon record, nor is it easy to find; most of the other Plantations being well watered, though none of them planted on so large a fresh stream as that was.

Those who at first planted on each side of Charles River, at the bottom of the Bay, made but one congregation for the present, unto whom Mr. Wilson was minister at the first. But he going to England the next spring, and not returning with his family until the year 1632,3 those of the north side called one Mr. James to be their pastor, and named their town, from the river it was seated upon, Charlestown: as those on the other side, being now become a distinct town of themselves, and retaining Mr. Wilson for their minister, afterward called their Plantation Boston, with respect to Mr. Cotton, who came from a town in Lincolnshire so called, when he came into New England.

The whole company being thus, as it were, disposed into their winter quarters, they had the more leisure, (though, no doubt, in those their first beginnings they had all their heads full of business, and their hands full of work,) to consider of a convenient place for their fortified town.

The 6th of December following the Governor and most of the Assistants, with others, had a meeting at Roxbury; when they agreed to build it on the neck of land between Roxbury and Boston; and a committee was appointed to consider of all things requisite there

Eliot arrived at Nantasket, in the Lyon, Nov. 2, 1631, and was dismissed to the Church at Roxbury, Nov. 5, 1632. Sav. Win. i. 63–4, 93.—H. ' 'He sailed from Salem, April 1, and arrived at London, April 29. Ibid. 52.-H. May 26, in the Whale. Ibid. 77. -H. 4 He was elected and ordained Nov. 2, 1632. Prince, pp. 407-8.-H.

unto. But the week after the committee meeting again, upon further consideration, concluded that the former place would not be convenient, for want of running water, and other reasons. On the 21st of December they met again at Watertown, where, upon view of a place a mile beneath the town, they pitched upon that as a place convenient for their purpose, and there agreed to build the fortified town; yet took time to consider further about it. Till that time they had fair open weather, with only gentle frosts in the night; but soon after the wind coming at north-west, very sharp and cold, made them all betake themselves to the fireside, and contrive Shows to keep themselves warm, till the winter was over. But in the spring they were forward with the design again, and intended to carry it on amain. The Governor had the frame of an house set up in the place where he first pitched his tent; and Mr. Dudley had not only framed, but finished, his house thereabouts, and removed himself and family thereinto before the next winter. But upon some other considerations, which at first came not into their minds, the Governor took down his frame, and brought it to Boston, where he intended to take up his residence for the future; which was no small disappointment to the rest of the company that were minded to build there on the north side of the river, and accompanied with some little disgust between the two chief gentlemen; but they were soon after satisfied in the grounds of each other's proceedings. The place wherein Mr. Dudley and others had built, was after called New-Towne; who yet were without any settled minister till Mr. Hooker came over in the year 1633. Mr. Winthrop, the Governor, still remaining at Boston, which was like to be the place of chiefest commerce, he prepared his dwelling accordingly, and had liberty to attend the public affairs of the country, which then needed the exerting of his authority, for the settling of things as well relating to the civil, as the ecclesiastical, state of the country. For though the company that came over in the fleet were all of one heart and mind, and aimed at one and the same end, to make and maintain a settled and orderly Plantation, yet there wanted not secret enemies on the place, as well as some more open

further off, that labored what they could, either to undermine their power, or obstruct their proceedings: as some also soon after were raised up from among themselves, who, if not false brethren, yet acting upon false principles, occasioned much disturbance to the towns and churches of the whole Plantation. The chief of the first sort were Thomas Morton, (of whom there hath been too much occasion to speak before,) and one Philip Ratcliffe,' that had been employed there, the one by Mr. Weston, the other by Mr. Cradock, or some other genr tlemen, to trade with the Indians; and being accustomed to a loose and dissolute kind of life, knew not how to bear restraint, and therefore, perceiving what government was like to be set up and carried on in the Massachusetts, they set themselves, what they could, to oppose the authority that was like to be there established, and make disturbance and therefore were they, as soon as ever the Governor and Assistants had any liberty to keep Courts, called to an account; the one in the year 1630, the other in the year following. They were both sentenced to undergo imprisonment, as well as other severe punishments for their several misdemeanors, till they could be sent back to England, that the Plantation here might be no longer pestered with them. Captain Brock, master of the ship called the Gift, ([which] arrived here the 20th of August, and was to return the next month,) might have had the honor to carry one of them, viz. Morton, back into England; but he professed he was not gifted that way, nor his ship neither, for such a purpose, as not willing to trouble himself nor his country with such vagabonds, from which they had been happily freed for some years before.

The same summer, viz. 1630, arrived at Pascataqua one Captain Neale, sent from Sir Ferdinando Gorges and others, in the bark or ship Warwick; sent, as was said, while the New English fleet lay at the Isle of Wight, to find out the Great Lake at the northward, and so to interrupt the trade of beaver. It was feared she had been taken by those of Dunkirk, with whom our nation at that time was at variance. But Providence so favoring,

2

1 See pages 141 and 145.-H. Brook, says Savage's Winthrop, i. 35—H.