86 



iished ecclesiastical tyranny of the Protestant Episcopal church, 

 brought down upon their heads the most rigorous persecution; and 

 which was followed up in the two succeeding reigns with such 

 rancorous violence that it became evident to a few determined 

 and resolute spirits in the north of England, that an adherence 

 to their faith w^as incompatable with their longer residence in» 

 the land of their fathers. They therefore determined to aban- 

 don a country where they could reside no longer in safety, 

 and seek a refuge in some foreign land. But, like Pharaoh 

 of old, England was unwilling to part with the victims of 

 her oppression and cruel persecutions. After several unsuc- 

 cessful attempts, in which they were often betrayed, cast into 

 prison, and heavily fined, they ultimately succeeded in evading 

 the vigilence of the minions of the hierarchy, and embarking 

 from England reached the shores of Holland in safety. Here 

 they sojourned several years, meeting with many things both 

 painful and repulsive to their feelings and principles, until at 

 length they determined on the desperate step of casting their 

 lot in the wilderness of America. With this vie^w negotiations 

 were opened with the Virginia Company, and measures were 

 also taken to ascertain if the King would grant them liberty of 

 conscience should they remove thither. They ultimately 

 effected a satisfactory arrangement with the Company, but 

 from James they could obtain nothing further than a promise, 

 if they behaved peaceably he would not molest them on ac- 

 count of their religious opinions. After much detention, many 

 mishaps and cruel disappointments, a portion of them, consist- 

 ing of 41 individuals with their families, in all 101 persons, 

 men, women and children, at length succeeded in bidding a 

 final adieu to the shores of old England, on the 6th Sept'r, 

 1620, embarked on board the little ship Mayflower of 180 tons 

 burthen, a vessel destined to immortality in the histoi-y of New 

 England, and on the 9th of November following, weather bea- 

 ten and tempest tost, they came in sight of the rocky and ice 

 clad shores of this western continent, at a point remote from 

 their place of destination, and presenting as desolate a scene as 

 human eye probably ever rested upon. The time from this to 

 11th December was spent in exploring the coast in search of a 

 convenient place to commence a settlement, when, at the latter 

 date they cast anchor in the harbor and landed upon the Rock 

 of Plymouth. 



At this period the only settlements in this part of the con- 

 tinent were at St. Augustine, Jamestown, and New Amster- 

 dam. St. Augustine was peopled by Spaniards and Papists. 

 New Amsterdam by Dutchmen, and the exiles had nothing to 



