AND THE REV. JOHN WHITE. 91 



Royal Charter, sealed 4th March, 1629, to the Governor and 

 Company of Massachusetts Bay, in New England. 



The embarkation of Winthrbp and his company from 

 Yarmouth in the Arbella, in March 1630, was the occasion 

 of the issue of a remarkable letter entitled ".The humble 

 request of his Majesties Loyall subjects, the Governor and the 

 Company late gone for New England, to the rest of their 

 brethren in and of the Church of England for the obtaining 

 of their prayers and the removal of suspitions, and miscon- 

 struction of their intentions." It was printed in London, 

 in all probability drawn up by John White himself, although 

 not one of the emigrants, being in fact a formal leavetaking, 

 and exhibits very clearly the spirit in which the enterprise 

 was undertaken. It has been re-printed, facsimile, by the 

 New England Society of New 7 York, a copy being presented 

 to our Museum Library by the John Carter- Brown Library, 

 Providence, Rhode Island, from which a few extracts are now 

 taken, of special interest with reference to the reputed author. 



It begins 



" Reverend Fathers and Brethren, the general rumour of this solemn 

 Enterprise, wherein ourselves with others are ingaged, as it may spare us 

 the labour of imparting our occasion unto you, so it gives us the more 

 incouragement to strengthen ourselves by the procurement of the prayers 



and blessings of the Lord's faithfull servants We beseech you therefore 



to consider us as your Brethren, standing in very great need of your helpe, 

 and earnestly imploring it." 



u And howsoever your charity may have met with some occasion 

 of discouragement through the misreport of our intentions, or through 

 the disaffection, or indiscretion, of some of us, or rather amongst us, 

 yet we desire you would be pleased to take notice of the principals and 

 body of our company as those who esteeme it our honour to call the 

 Church of England from whence we rise our deare Mother, and cannot 

 part from our native Countrie where she specially resideth without much 



sadness of heart and many teares in our eyes Be pleased therefore 



Reverend Fathers and Brethren to helpe forward this worke now in hand, 

 which if it prosper you shall bee the more glorious." 



u It is an usual and laudable exercise of your charity to commend to the 

 prayers of your congregations the necessities and straights of your private 

 neighbours ; Doe the like for a Church springing out of your own 

 bowels What goodness you shall extend to us in this or any other 



