god's pkovidence. 



367 



my spirit raised above the sphere of mere natural agencies. I 

 see the mountains of New England rising from their rocky 

 thrones : they rush forward into the ocean, settling down as 

 they advance ; and there they range themselves, a mighty bul- 

 wark, around the Heaven-directed vessel. Yes ! the everlasting 

 God himself stretches out the arm of his mercy and his power 

 in substantial manifestations, and gathers the meek company of 

 his worshippers as in the hollow of his hand." 



"I see the pilgrims," he continues, " escaped from their perils, 

 landed at last, after a two months' passage, on the ice-clad rocks 

 of Plymouth, weak and weary from the voyage, — without shelter, 

 without means, surrounded by hostile tribes. Shut now the 

 volume of history, and tell me, on any principle of human pro- 

 bability, what shall be the fate of this handful of adventurers. 

 Tell me, man of military science, in how many months were 

 they all swept off by the thirty savage tribes enumerated within 

 the early limits of New England? Tell me, politician, how long 

 did this shadow of a colony, on which your conventions and 

 treaties had not smiled, languish on the distant coast ? Student 

 of history, compare for me the baffled projects, the deserted 

 settlements, the abandoned adventures, of other times, and 

 find the parallel of this. Was it the winter's storm, or disease, 

 or labor and spare meals, or the tomahawk — that hurried this 

 forsaken company to their melancholy fate ? And is it possible 

 that neither of these causes, that not all combined, were able to 

 blast this bud of hope ? Is it possible that from a beginning so 

 feeble, so frail, so worthy not so much of admiration as of 

 pity, there has gone forth a progress so steady, a growth so 

 wonderful, an expansion so ample, a reality so important, a 

 promise, yet to be fulfilled, so glorious?" 



The Mayflower remained in Plymouth Harbor, and was the 

 home of the women and children during the severe winter of 

 1620-21. She rode out the storm at her anchorage, — though 

 she was placed in great danger by a gale upon the 4th of 



