their Familistical notions. But after some months detainment, authority finding no way to imprint any good instruction upon their minds, they were dismissed' to their own homes, as is declared afterwards, where they always continued secret and malicious enemies to the United Colonies, like Hadad the Edomite, that abhorred Israel to the last, which enmity of theirs principally appeared in their encouraging the Narrhagansets to rise in rebellion against them.

The ground of the quarrel between Gorton's company and the two sachems, that had submitted to the Massachusetts, was briefly this: ||Sacononoco|| and Pumham, two sachems near Providence, having under them two or three hundred men, finding themselves overborne by Miantonimo, the sachem of Narrhaganset, and Gorton with his company having so far prevailed with Miantonimo as he forced one of them to join with him in setting his hand or mark to a writing, whereby a part of his land was sold to them, for which Miantonimo received [a price,3] but the other sachem would not receive that which was for his part, alleging that he did not intend to sell his land, though for fear of Miantonimo, he had put his mark to the writing, thereupon those two sachems came to the Governor of the Massachusetts, and, by Benedict Arnold, their interpreter, did desire they would receive them under their government, and withal brought a small present of Wampam, about ten fathom. The Governor gave them encouragement, but referred them to the Court, and received their present, intending to return it to them again, if the Court should not accord to them. The Governor acquainted another of the magistrates with this matter, and both agreed to write to Gorton and his company, to let them know what the sachems had complained of, and how they had tendered themselves to come under their jurisdiction, and therefore, if they had any thing to allege against it, they should come or send to their next Court, &c. They sent also to Miantonimo, to signify the same to him. Whereupon, in the beginning

|| Saconoroco ||

Sav. Win. ii. 156.-H.

' In March, 1643-4. 2 The date of the deed is Jan. 12, 1642-3. Ibid. 121.—H. Supplied from Winthrop.-H.

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of the Court, Miantonimo came to Boston, and being demanded in open Court, before divers of his own men, and Cutshamakin, a sachem near Boston, with other Indians, whether he had any interest in the other two sachems, as his subjects, he could not prove any; and Cutshamakin also, in his presence, affirmed that he had no interest in them, but that they were as free sachems as himself, only, because that he was a great sachem, they had sometimes sent him some presents and aided him in his wars against the Pequots; and Benedict Arnold, the interpreter, partly upon his own knowledge, and partly upon the relation of divers Indians of those parts, told them the Indians did usually pay their deer skins to those two sachems, and not to Miantonimo, (which deer skins are a tribute usually paid to their chief sachem,) which Miantonimo could not contradict. Whereupon it was referred to the Governor and some other magistrates and deputies to send for the two sachems after the Court, and to treat with them about their receiving them into their jurisdiction. But before this, Gorton and his company, instead of coming to the Court at Boston, sent a writing of four sheets of paper, full of reproaches against the magistrates, ministers, and churches, and stuffed likewise with absurd Familistical stuff, and wherein they justified the purchase of the sachems' lands, and professed to maintain it to the death. They sent word to them afterward, as Benedict Arnold reported to them, that if they sent any men against them they were ready to meet them, being assured of victory from God, &c. Whereupon the Court sent two deputies to them, to know whether they would own that writing, which was subscribed by them all, being about twelve in number. Upon conference they did own the said writing, and justified it.

The Governor also sending for the two sachems, after the Court, they both of them came to Boston, at the time appointed; and a form of submission being drawn up, (which by Benedict Arnold, their neighbor and interpreter, who spake their language very readily, they

1

Humphrey Atherton and Edward Tomlyns. Sav. Win. ii. 121.- H. June 22, 1643.-H.

were made to understand particularly,) they signed it openly, which was as followeth :

"This writing is to testify, That we, Pumham, sachem of Showamock, and Saconoroco, sachem of Patuxet, have, and by these presents do, voluntarily and without any constraint or persuasion, but of our own free motion, put ourselves, our subjects, lands, and estates under the government and jurisdiction of the Massachusetts, to be governed and protected by them, according to their just laws and orders, so far as we shall be made capable of understanding them; and we do promise, for ourselves and our subjects, and all our posterity, to be true and faithful to the said government, and aiding to the maintenance thereof, to our best ability, and from time to time to give speedy notice of any conspiracies, attempt, or evil intention of any, which we shall know or hear of, against the same; and we do promise to be willing, from time to time, to be instructed in the knowledge and worship of God." And in witness hereof they set their marks, in the presence of the ministers and many others. And being told by the Court that they did not receive them as confederates but as subjects, they answered, they were so little in respect of them that they could expect no other.

These two sachems and their subjects being thus received under their jurisdiction, they counted themselves in justice bound not to suffer them to be abused, as they complained they were, as did some of the English likewise about Patuxet, that had submitted themselves before this time to the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts; which was the ground of their sending to fetch Gorton and his company by force, to give an account of their injurious proceedings aforesaid. And when they were come, and not being able to allege any thing rational for their defence, seven of them were sentenced' to be dispersed into so many several towns, and there kept to work for their living, and [to] wear irons upon one leg, and not to depart the limits of the towns, nor by word or writing maintain any of their blasphemous and wicked errors, upon pain of death; this sentence to continue during the pleasure of the Court. There were three more

1 On Nov. 3, 1643. See the sentence in Sav. Win. ii. 147-8.-H.

taken with them in the house, but because they had not their hands to the letters, they were dismissed; two of them upon a small ransom, (as captives taken in war,) and the third freely, for that he was but in his master's house, &c. A fourth, being found to be an ignorant young man, was only enjoined to abide in Watertown, upon pain of the Court's displeasure. About a week after this sentence was past on them, they sent men to take away so many of their cattle as might defray their charges, both of the soldiers and the Court. Many days being spent about them, the whole of the charges, taking in their maintenance in prison, was adjudged to amount to £160. Besides these, there were three who escaped out of the house, where they were taken; these being sent for to come in, two of them did so, and one of them, because his hand also was not to the letter, was freely discharged; the other was sent home upon his own bond to appear at the next Court, only some of his cattle were taken likewise towards the charges. There was a fourth who had his hand to Gorton's first letter, but he died before their soldiers went. They were detained under the sentence aforesaid, but finding that they could not keep them from seducing others, nor yet bring them to any sight of their folly and wickedness, the General Court, in March, 1643, sent them away with this caution, that they should not come into any place where the said Court had jurisdiction, upon pain of death.

In the beginning of the year 16432 Cutshamakin [and] Masconomo, sachems about Boston and Ipswich, were received under the protection of the Massachusetts, with many other Indians, upon the same terms that Pumham and Saconoroco were, being first made to understand the articles of agreement, and the ten commandments, which they solemnly promised to observe, which gave some ground of encouragement to hope that the time was at hand that these heathens should embrace the Christian faith; but their progress that way was not of long continuance, like them that followed Christ for

"Especially the women," says Winthrop.-H. In March, 1643-4. Sav. Win. ii. 155-6.-H. The "Squaw Sachem" of Mass., widow of the powerful Nanapashemet, was one. She married, in 1635, Webcowit, the great powwow of the nation, and died in 1667, "being then old and blind."-H.

loaves. The sachems1 also about Watchusets, being encouraged by the kindness shewed to Pumham, offered to submit to their government; but it was thought to proceed more from fear of some other enemies than any love to the Christian religion. But it seemed that as yet was not come the day of Christ's power, for then his people shall be willing.

CHAP. XLVIII.2

Ecclesiastical affairs in New England from the year 1641 to 1646.

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IN the year 1641 one Mr. Blinman, a minister in Wales, came over into New England, with some friends of his, and being invited to Green's Harbor, near Plymouth, they removed thither, and seated themselves amongst the old planters; but, after a little time, they agreed no better than the piece of new cloth in the old garment, making a rent so bad that it could never be made up again, so they were advised to part, and Mr. Blinman came with his company and sat down at Cape Ann, which, at a General Court in the same year, was established to be a Plantation, and called Gloucester.

In the latter end of the same year, some of the inhabitants of Charlestown, having settled a village within the bounds of their town, called it Woburn. They gathered a church there, and on the 22d of November, 1642, Mr. Carter was ordained pastor thereof. There was some little difference about the manner of his ordination; for in regard they had no other officer in their church besides, nor any of their members that thought themselves fit to solemnize such an ordinance, they were advised by some to desire the elders of other churches to perform it, by imposing hands on the said Mr. Carter; but others, supposing it might be an occasion of introducing the dependency of churches, &c., and so of a presbytery,

soit

Their names were Nashacowam or Nashoonon, (supposed to be the same chief called Nattawahunt on page 61,) and Wassamagoin or MassaSav. Win. ii. 156; Drake's Book of the Indians, ii. pp. 41-2.-H. • XLVII in the MS.-H. 3 Baptismal name, Richard.-H. Now Marshfield.-H. • Baptismal name, Thomas. He came over in 1635, and died Sept. 5, 1684.-H.

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In May, 1642.-H.