6.6: The remainder of Anno 1620 (Excerpt)
The remainder of An o : 1620.
I shall a litle returne backe and begine with a combination made by them before they came ashore, being y e first foundation of their govermente in this place; occasioned partly by y e discontented & mutinous speeches that some of the strangers amongst them had let fall from them in y e ship—That when they came a shore they would use their owne libertie; for none had power to com̅and them, the patente they had being for Virginia, and not for New-england, which belonged to an other Goverment, with which y e Virginia Company had nothing to doe. And partly that shuch an [54] acte by them done (this their condition considered) might be as firme as any patent, and in some respects more sure.
The forme was as followeth. Home [110]
In y e name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by y e grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of y e faith, &c., haveing undertaken, for y e glorie of God, and advancemente of y e Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant y e first colonie in y e Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in y e presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of y e ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for y e generall good of y e Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd y e 11. of November, in y e year of y e raigne of our soveraigne lord, King James, of England, France, & Ireland y e eighteenth, and of Scotland y e fiftie fourth. An o : Dom. 1620…
In these hard & difficulte beginings they found some discontents & murmurings arise amongst some, and mutinous speeches & carriags in other; but they were soone quelled & overcome by y e wisdome, patience, and just & equall carrage of things by y e Gov r and better part, w ch clave faithfully togeather in y e maine. But that which was most sadd & lamentable was, that in 2. or 3. moneths time halfe of their company dyed, espetialy in Jan: & February, being y e depth of winter, and wanting houses & other comforts; being infected with y e scurvie & [55] other diseases, which this long vioage & their inacomodate condition had brought upon them; so as ther dyed some times 2. or 3. of a day, in y e foresaid time; that of 100. & odd persons, scarce 50. remained. And of these in y e time of most distres, ther was but 6. or 7. sound persons, who, to their great comendations be it spoken, spared no pains, night nor day, but with abundance of toyle and hazard of their owne health, fetched them woode, made them fires, drest them meat, made their beads, washed their lothsome cloaths, cloathed & uncloathed them; in a word, did all y e homly & necessarie offices for them w ch dainty & quesie stomacks cannot endure to hear named; and all this willingly & cherfully, without any grudging in y e least, shewing herein their true love unto their freinds & bretheren. A rare example & worthy to Home [112] be remembred. Tow of these 7. were M r . William Brewster, ther reverend Elder, & Myles Standish, ther Captein & military comander, unto whom my selfe, & many others, were much beholden in our low & sicke condition. And yet the Lord so upheld these persons, as in this generall calamity they were not at all infected either with sicknes, or lamnes…
[T]hey that before had been boone companions in drinking & joyllity in y e time of their health & wellfare, begane now to deserte one another in this calamitie, saing they would not hasard ther lives for them, they should be infected by coming to help them in their cabins, and so, after they came to dye by it, would doe litle or nothing for them, but if they dyed let them dye…
All this while y e Indians came skulking about them, and would sometimes show them selves aloofe of, but when any aproached near them, they would rune away. And once they stoale away their tools wher they had been at worke, & were gone to diner. But about y e 16. of March a certaine Indian came bouldly amongst them, and spoke to them in broken English, which they could well understand, but marvelled at it. At length they understood by discourse with him, that he was not of these parts, but belonged to y e eastrene parts, wher some English-ships came to fhish, with whom he was aquainted, & could name sundrie of them by their names, amongst whom he had gott his language. He became proftable to them [57] in aquainting them with many things concerning y e state of y e cuntry in y e east-parts wher he lived, which was afterwards profitable unto them; as also of y e people hear, of their names, number, & strength; of their situation & distance from this place, and who was cheefe amongst them. His name was Samaset ; he tould them also of another Indian whos name was Home [115] Squanto , a native of this place, who had been in England & could speake better English then him selfe. Being, after some time of entertainmente & gifts, dismist, a while after he came againe, & 5. more with him, & they brought againe all y e tooles that were stolen away before, and made way for y e coming of their great Sachem, called Massasoyt ; who, about 4. or 5. days after , came with the cheefe of his freinds & other attendance, with the aforesaid Squanto . With whom, after frendly entertainment, & some gifts given him, they made a peace with him (which hath now continued this 24. years) in these terms.
1. That neither he nor any of his, should injurie or doe hurte to any of their peopl.
2. That if any of his did any hurte to any of theirs, he should send y e offender, that they might punish him.
3. That if any thing were taken away from any of theirs, he should cause it to be restored; and they should doe y e like to his.
4. If any did unjustly warr against him, they would aide him; if any did warr against them, he should aide them.
5. He should send to his neighbours confederats, to certifie them of this, that they might not wrong them, but might be likewise comprised in y e conditions of peace.
6. That when ther men came to them, they should leave their bows & arrows behind them. Home [116]
After these things he returned to his place caled Sowams , some 40. mile from this place, but Squanto continued with them, and was their interpreter, and was a spetiall instrument sent of God for their good beyond their expectation. He directed them how to set their corne, wher to take fish, and to procure other comodities, and was also their pilott to bring them to unknowne places for their profitt, and never left them till he dyed. He was a native [58] of this place , & scarce any left alive besids him selfe. He was caried away with diverce others by one Hunt , a m r . of a ship, who thought to sell them for slaves in Spaine; but he got away for England, and was entertained by a marchante in London, & imployed to New-foundland & other parts, & lastly brought hither into these parts by one M r . Dermer , a gentle-man imployed by Sr. Ferdinando Gorges & others, for discovery, & other designes in these parts…