sian King Darius, when he without cause went to invade their country, of which those of Plymouth were not a whit guilty. Squanto their friend told them, he being their interpreter, that the English of it was a threatening and a challenge, at which the Governor, relying more on the power and promises of God, than the strength or number of his own company, was not a whit dismayed; but did, by another messenger, let him know how he resented their message, sending back their snake's skin full of powder and bullets, with this word, that if they loved war better than peace they might begin when they would; that as they had done them no wrong, so neither did they fear them, nor, if they minded to try, should they find them unprovided. It is thought that their own ambitious humor prompted them to this insolent message, supposing the English might be a bar in their way, in raising a larger dominion upon the ruins of their neighbors, wasted by late sickness, observing that Massasoite, their next rival for sovereignty, had already taken shelter under the wings of the English. However it was a seasonable caution to the English to be more watchful and continually stand upon their guard, closing their dwellings with a strong pale, made with flankers at the corners, and strengthening their watches, having first divided their company into four squadrons, appointing to each their quarter, to which they were to repair, in case of danger upon any alarm, and in case of fire; assigning one company for a guard of their weapons, while the others were employed in putting out what was kindled. Thus having gotten over another of the cold winters, to which their bodies began now to be pretty well inured, they designed the succeeding spring, Anno 1622, to prosecute their commerce with the Massachusetts, as they had certified the natives, about which there was some demur, in the first hand of the year upon some jealousies between Hobbomacke and Squanto, grounded on some surmises raised by one of them, as if the natives of the§ Massachusetts were like to join in a conspiracy with the Narragansets. But this tempest being soon blown over, they accomplished their voyage with good

success, and returned in safety, having, for the greater security, carried both the said Indians along with them; but after their return they discerned that Squanto, notwithstanding his friendship pretended to the English, began to play the Jack on both sides, endeavoring to advance his own ends betwixt the English and the Indians, making his countrymen believe that he could make war ||or|| peace when he pleased, or at his pleasure. And the more to affright his countrymen and keep them in awe, he told them the English kept the plague under ground, and could send it amongst them when they pleased, meaning, as he said, a barrel of gunpowder hid under ground. By this means however he drew the Indians from their obedience to their Sachem, Massasoit, making them depend more upon himself than upon him, which caused him no small envy from the Sachem, insomuch as it had cost him his life, had it not been for the English, to whom he was constrained ever after to stick more close, so as he never durst leave them till his death, which the other did endeavor to hasten openly, as well as privately, after the discovery of those practices. By this it appears that the very same spirit was then stirring in the father which of late did kindle this late rebellion and war between Philip, his son, and the English, occasioned by a jealousy the said Philip had conceived against Sausaman, whom he had entertained as his secretary and sure counsellor, yet harboring a jealousy in his mind against him, for the respect he bore to the English, which made him contrive his death, so thence have risen all the late differences or mischiefs, as shall be shewed more fully afterwards. But as for the emulation that grew between Hobamacke and Squanto, the English made good use thereof; the Governor seemed to favor one, the Captain the other, whereby they were the better ordered in point of their observance to the English, which was a prudent consideration. The same course was taken of late by the Governor1 of Plymouth, and him2 that immediately preceded with reference to Philip and Josiah, two sagamores within their jurisdiction, but not

Josiah Winslow.-H.

|| and |

Thomas Prince.-H.

with the like success; for when Governor Prince only seemed more to favor Philip, as the other gentleman, at that time commander-in-chief of all the military forces, did Josiah, Philip conceived such a mortal hatred against the honorable gentleman, that at last it raised this fatal war, and ended in the ruin of himself and all his people, and all those that engaged with him therein.

CHAP. XIII.

Mr. Weston's Plantation of Wasagusquasset.

ABOUT this time, viz. towards the end of May, Anno 1622, it appeared that Mr. Thomas Weston, (who was one of those adventurers that were first engaged in the foundation of Plymouth Colony, and, as is said, had disbursed 500l. to advance the interest thereof,) observing how the Plantation began to flourish, was minded to break off and set up for himself, though little to his advantage, as the sequel proved. When men are actuated by private interest and are eager to carry on particular designs of their own, it is the bane of all generous and noble enterprises, but is very often rewarded with dishonor and disadvantages to the undertakers. At the last, this Mr. Weston had gotten for himself a Patent for some part of the Massachusetts about Wessagusquaset, by the English since called Weymouth; for the carrying on a Plantation there he sent over two ships on his own particular account; in the one of them, which came first, were sixty young men which he ordered to be set ashore at Plymouth, there to be left till the ship that brought them was returned from Virginia, whither she was to convey the rest of her passengers; and likewise seven more, that a little before arrived at Plymouth, sent thither from Damarill's Cove, out of a ship employed there by said Weston and another on a fishing design. In the mean time Mr. Weston's men were courteously entertained by them of Plymouth the most part of that summer, many them being sick, and all of them wholly unacquainted with setting up of new Plantations. At the ship's return from

of

Virginia, those that were well and sound were carried to the place designed to plant, leaving their diseased and infirm at Plymouth, till the rest were settled, and fitted with housing to receive them. But, as Solomon saith, "wisdom is good with an inheritance," which was much wanting at this time, either in him that undertook, or in those that were sent to manage, the inheritance of this Patent, by which means the whole soon after came to nothing; for the company ordered to plant the said Patent land proving unruly, and being destitute of a meet person to govern and order them, they fell first into dissoluteness and disorder, then into great want and misery, at last into wickedness, and so into confusion and ruin, as came to pass soon after; which followeth nextly to be related, premising only a short passage or two *with reference to those of Plymouth,* which will but make way thereunto. By the vessel which brought the seven men bound for Virginia, as was mentioned before, was sent a courteous letter from one Hudson," master of one of the fishing ships about the eastern parts, giving them notice of the late massacre at Virginia, in the spring of this year, advising them to beware, according to old rule, by other men's harms; which seasonable hint was wisely improved by those of Plymouth in raising an edifice thereupon, which served them as well for a meeting-house wherein to perform their public worship, as for a platform to plant their ordnance upon, it being built with a flat roof, and battlements for that purpose; for at this time they were filled with rumors of the Narragansets rising against them, as well as alarmed by the late massacre at Virginia. The courteous letter of the said Hudson did encourage those of Plymouth to return a thankful acknowledgment by Mr. Edward Winslow, sent by a boat of their own, with intent also to procure what provisions he could of that ship or any other in those parts; the Plantation at that time being in great want thereof, to which they received a very comfortable return from the said master, who not only spared what he could himself, but wrote also in their behalf to other vessels upon the coast to do the like, by which means the Plantation was well supplied at that time,

which yet was soon spent by the whole company, that had no other relief to depend upon. Their fear also for the following year increasing with their present wants, for a famine was threatened by a great drought which continued that summer from the third week in May to the middle of July; their corn beginning to wither with the extremity of parching heat, accompanying the great want of rains, which occasioned the poor planters to set a day apart solemnly to seek God by humble and fervent prayer in this great distress; in answer whercunto the Lord was pleased to send them such sweet and gentle showers in that great abundance that the earth was thoroughly soaked therewith, to the reviving of the decayed corn and other withering fruits of the earth, so that the very Indians were astonished therewith to behold it, that before were not a little troubled for them, fearing they would lose all their corn by the drought, and so would be in a more suffering condition for want thereof than themselves, who, as they said, could make a shift to supply themselves of their wants with fish and other things, which the English they could not well do; yea, some of them were heard to acknowledge the Englishmen's God's goodness, as they used to speak, that had sent them soft, gentle rains, without violence of storms and tempests, that used to break down their corn, the contrary [to] which they now, to their great astonishment, beheld. It was observed that the latter part of the summer was followed with seasonable weather, amounting to the promised blessing of the former and latter rain, which brought in a plentiful harvest, to their comfort and rejoicing; the which was now more welcome in that the merchants, that at first adventured, and on whom they relied for their continual supply, had now withdrawn their hands, nor had they ever, after this time, from any of them supply to any purpose; for all that came afterwards was too short for the passengers that came along therewith, so as they were forced to depend wholly on that they could raise by their own industry, by themselves. And that which was raised out of the field by their labor, for want of skill either in the soil, or in the sort of grain, would hardly make one year reach