288 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



assistance, or the French any molestation. A 

 dupe to his bigotry and to his priests, it seemed 

 to be the great object of the Enghsh. king, to 

 have the French missionaries succeed in con- 

 verting the American Indians to the faith and 

 ceremonies of tlie church of Rome ; and that 

 every poUtical movement in the pro\'incc of 

 Nevvyork might be directed to favor that event. 

 Dongan was an avowed roman cathoHc, but 

 had more understanding than to sacrifice the 

 pohtical interests of his colon}^ to the danger- 

 ous design of making the Indians a new sect of 

 believers in the catholic priests. He foresaw 

 the political consequence and effect, avoided die 

 civil politics of his master, opposed the vicAvs 

 and measures of the gOAcrnor of Canada, and 

 gave much assistance to the Indians in tlieir op- 

 position to the French ; and the governor of 

 Canada was full of his complaints, that all his 

 meaF.ures were opposed and defeated by the 

 governor of Newyork. But this strong and 

 mutual jealousy and opposition betv.een the 

 governors of Newyork and Canada, was much 

 restrained, and kept from any open and avowed 

 hostilities, by the friendship and good under- 

 standing, which at that time prevailed, between 

 the kings of England and France. 



Happily for the English nation, the folly, 

 bigotry, and arbitrary measures of James IL 

 were carried to such an excess, as to alarm all 

 orders and degrees of men. In the event, they 

 prepared the riiind of the nation for a revolu- 

 tiQn ; which terminated in the abdicationof James» 

 and in the elevation of William and Mary to 

 the English throne. In his perplexity and dis- 



