HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION. 



and pillages, taken up by one body of savages after 

 another, as the intelligence of the attractive example of 

 others reached them; and rightfully connected with his 

 name mainly as having been led off by those bands who 

 centred around Sowams, and over whom he had partial 

 control.* 



The cotemporaneous records do certainly bear out this 

 general judgment. There is a tradition mentioned by 

 Callender, f as derived both from the white settlers in the 

 vicinity of Mount Hope and from those Indians who 

 survived the struggle, that Philip and his elder chiefs were 

 utterly averse to the war. Increase Mather never seems to 

 have heard of the all-embracing conspiracy, or of Philip's 

 great statesmanship. Even Cotton Mather — much as one 

 would think he would have enjoyed it — never mentions 

 either. Hubbard is the only early writer who says any 

 thing on which the popular judgment could be based. He 

 does say that Philip had been "plotting with all the In- 

 dians round about," &c; but he gives only vague rumor 

 from some prisoners, as his authority, and does not seem 

 himself to have attributed to his own words the impor- 

 tance even which they might naturally convey. 



Easton — it is difficult to decide how much of accuracy 

 and weight is to be attributed to the testimony lately pub- 

 lished in his name — gives the following account of an 



* Hist. New England, iii : 223-229. f R--I- Hist. Coll. iv : 126. 



xxvii 



