43^ A. D. 1649. 



In the fame collection, [F". i, p. 227] we fee a paper of this year, en- 

 titled, Some confiderations offered relating to the embaffy for Sweden, 

 whereby we learn, that wife men, even fo long ago, forefaw of how much 

 confequence our continental plantations in America might prove to us 

 in refpeft of naval (lores. The words are thefe, viz. ' the Swedes can- 

 ' not be ignorant how that in time our plantations may furnifh us with 

 ' thofe commodities we have from them, and the utility of the fending 



* their commodities to us, and the danger of the lofs of fuch a branch 



* of trade may oblige them to an union with us: whereas they cannot 

 ' run that hazard in a breach with Holland.' 



How much to our fhame is this judicious remark; fince, after fo long 

 a fpace, we have done fo little for bringing that to perfefiion, which 

 probably might well have been done in half the time, to our ineftimable 

 benefit, had we fet about it more effedlually? Yet fo far have we there 

 advanced already in raifing fundry kinds of naval (lores, that in half a 

 century more we have reafon to hope to be quite independent of a na- 

 tion, which has fometimes taken no fmall advantage of our nece(Iity. 



The magiftrates of the city of Bruges invited the Englifh company of 

 merchant-adventurers to return to that city, which was their antient 

 refidence ; to which the company replied in fubftance, that their city 

 mufl fird: take off the lycent and other town-rights ; that our com- 

 pany muft be fure of the free exercife of their religion there ; and they 

 muil alfo be freed from all tolls whatfoever in failing up from the 

 port of Sluyce to Bruges. The laft point, I apprehend, was not in the 

 power of Bruges to grant, fmce the town, port, and territory, of Sluyce 

 were po(le(red,by the flates of the United Netherlands ; which probably 

 ■was the main reafon for our company's not complying with that invit- 

 ation : for as the refidence or comptoir of this company was at this time 

 at Dort in Holland, it is not likely, that the Dutch (with whom too the 

 Englifli commonwealth was not at this time in very good terms) would 

 ever agree to lofe fo great a benefit by its removal to Bruges in the do- 

 minions of another potentate. [T/jur/oe, P^. i, p. 129.] 



Of how great benefit it would prove to the Britiih commerce and do- 

 -minions on the continent of North America, to civilize and chriftianize 

 the native Indians (even abflracfting from a reasonable hope of a blefling 

 from heaven on fuch endeavours) needs not to be told to wife and ex- 

 perienced pcrfons, who know how much the French in Canada were be- 

 nefited thereby, to our great detriment ; they having had great num- 

 bers of priefts amongfl their Indians for that end : they alio brought 

 the poorer French of both fexes to intermarry with the Indians; where- 

 by they in fome meafure became one common nation together. This 

 has been far from being the practice in our Englifli plantations : yet we 

 ought to do juftice to the New-England clergy and people, by acknow- 

 leging that they have done much more than all our other colonies to- 



