Chap. III. of the ENGLISH /W AMERICA. 
of the Crown of Englattd^ they folemnly engaged Sub- 
miffion to the Laws that fliould from time to time be 
made for the good of the Colony. 
The Place they made choice of to build a Town on,’ 
was very commodious, and the Country about it not lefs 
agreeable ; fo they refolved not to trouble themfelves or 
their Friends about obtaining any farther Licence, but to 
rifque their Fortunes where Providence had call them j in 
Confequence of which Refolution they went hard to work 
in raifing their new Town of Plymouth^ for that was the 
Name they gave it, and v/hich lies in the Latitude of 42 
Degrees North. The Planters defigned to ftay in the 
Country, including Women and Children, were about an 
hundred, of Vv^hom only one Boy died in the PalTage. 
Their Hiftorians mention no more thap nineteen Fa- 
milies that fettled at Plymouth^ and give us the Names 
but of forty one effeftive Men, among whom the Chief 
were John Carver^ whom they chofe G^overnor, William 
Bradford^ Edzvard Winjlow, John Brewjier^ Afllftant to 
Mr. Robmfon^ and ruling Elder of his Church, Ifaac 
Alerton^ Miles Btandiflo^ John Howland^ Richard Warren^ 
Stephen Hopkins, Edward filly, Chrijlopher Martin, Wil- 
liam White, Richard Clack, and fhomas Englijh. But fuch 
were the Fatigues this infant Colony underwent the firft 
Winter, that out of an hundred Planters fifty died with- 
in the Space of two Months ; and had the Indians at- 
tacked them, they had probably all perifiied, but they 
met with no Difturbance. 
After they had fixed themfelves at Plymouth Bay, 
they faw very few of the Natives till the Mid- 
dle of March, when Samofet, one of their Sagamores, or 
Captains, came to them in a friendly Manner, and gave 
them to underhand they were welcome into the Country, 
and that his People would be glad to trade with them •, 
and coming again the next Day with other Indians, they 
informed t\it Englijlo that their great Sachem, whom they 
called Majfajfoiet, had his Refidence but three Days 
March to the Northward, and intended them a Vifit. 
And Accordingly Majfajfoiet arrived the 2 2d Day of 
March, with a Retinue of fixty People ; and, being re- 
ceived by Captain Standijh at the Head of a File of Muf- 
keteers, was conduced to a kind of Throne they had 
prepared in one of their Houfes. This Monarch was of 
a large Stature, middle aged, of a grave Countenance, 
and fparing in his Speech ; his Face was painted red, 
and both Plead and Face fmeared over with Oil ; he had 
a Mantle of Deer-Skin, and his Breeches and Stockings, 
which were of a Piece, were all of the fame Mate- 
rials •, his Knife or Tomahauk hung upon fiis Breaft on a 
String, his Tobacco Pouch behind him, and his Arms > 
covered with wild Cat-Skins, and in the fame Garb were 
his principal Attendants. They did not obferve any Marks 
of Diftindiion between this Prince and his Subjeds, unlefs 
it were a Chain of Fifh Bones, which Majfajfoiet wore 
about his Neck. Soon after the Prince was feated, Mr. 
Carver, the Governor, came in with a Guard of Muf- 
keteers, whereupon Majfajfoiet rofe up and kifled him, 
after which they both fet down, and an Entertainment 
was provided by the Indians, of which no Part ap- 
peared more acceptable than the Brandy, the Sachem him- 
felf drinking very plentifully of it. In Mappiels Re- 
tinue was Squanto, who had been carried to Europe by 
Hunt, and brought to New England again. This Indian, 
it feems, had a very great AfTeftion for the Englifo, 
among whom he had lived feveral Years ; and it was to 
his favourable Reprefentation of the Colony, that the Sa- 
chem was induced to make them this friendly Vifit ; 
and, at this firft Meeting, to enter into an Alliance, Offen- 
five and Defenfive, with the Englijh, and even to ac- 
knowledge King James for his Sovereign, and to hold his 
Dominions of him ; and, as an Evidence of his Sinceri- 
ty, Majfajfoiet granted Part of his Country to the Planters 
and their Heirs for ever. 
This Alliance, being founded upon the mutual Interefts 
of the ^contracting Parties, was maintained inviolably 
many Y ears. The Sachem, who had been informed by 
Squanto, hov/ powerful a People the Englifo were both by 
Sea and Land, promifed himfelf their Afiiftance againft 
the Naraganfet Indians, his Enemies ; and the Englijh ftood 
VoL. II. Numb. 85. 
in no lefs need of his Friendftiip to eftablifh themfelves 
in that Country. The Treaty being concluded, Majfaf 
foiet returned to his Capital, leaving Squanto with the 
Colony, who was extremely ferviceable to them, not only 
as an Interpreter, but by inftrufting them how to plant 
and manage their Indian Corn, in piloting them along 
the Coaft, and fupplying them with Fifh, Fowl, and Ve- 
nifon. The Englijh ftill remained fickly, and many of 
them dyed ; among whom was Mr. Carver^ their Go- 
vernor, in the Month of April, 1621. The Seamen alfo 
had their Share of Illnefs, infomuch that they Were not 
in a Condition to fail till May, when the Ships returned 
to England to give their Friends an Account of the Cir- 
CLimftances of the Colony^ 
While thefe Ships were gone to, or remained in, the. 
Britijh Dominions, the Colony made choice of Mr. Brad- 
ford for their Governor, who enjoyed that Poft for many 
Years, and faw the Plantation thoroughly eftablifhed ; 
notwithftanding that, in his Time, there arofe fuch Dif- 
ferences about Religion as adually occafioned great Feuds 
and JealoLifies, and feemed to threaten worfe Confe- 
quences. It may be expedled, that I fliould give fome 
competent Reafon for the quick Progrefs of this Colony 
beyond that of Virginia, which met with no fuch Suc- 
cefs ; and this feems to be the rather neceflary, becaufe 
at firft Sight one might be inclined to think that it ought 
to be attributed to the fuperior Diligence and Applica- 
tion of the Weftern Company, in Comparifon of that of 
London \ which is, however, fo far from being true, as 
in reality this Company had no Share at all in the fend- 
ing over, or eftablifhing this fiourifliing Plantation. On 
the contrary, it was raifed by the Spirit, Vigilance, and 
Ardour of the Malcontents in the Reign of King Charles I. 
who, before the breaking out of the civil War, and when 
they had little Hopes of getting the Government into 
their own Hands, projedfed the fecuring to themfelves a 
fafe Retreat in New England, which induced them to fend 
thither fuch regular Supplies, and thofe too under the 
Diredlion of Men very capable of anfwering the Ends for 
which they v/ere fent thither. We have feen with what 
wonderful Succefs their firft Attempts were attended, 
and how foon their new Colony was in a Condition to 
defend and fupport itfelf, not only without any Affift- 
ance, but almoft without any Notice, from the Crown, 
which in the beginning they did not defire ; but after- 
wards, forefeeing many Inconveniencies that were like to 
attend this Manner of Proceeding, they very prudently 
refolved to alter it, and to procure to themfelves fuch 
farther Security as appeared to them requifite towards 
attaining thofe Ends of which they were in Purfuit. 
This therefore being the Cafe, and the Colony of 
Plymouth ftill remaining without a Patent, or any Title 
to the Lands they pofiTefifed from the North Virginia (or 
New England) Company, fent over Mr. Winfetv, one of 
their Number, to follicit for both in the Year 1624 * and 
this Gentleman fucceeded beyond their Expedlation ; for 
the Charter he procured, enabled the Planters to eledl a 
Governor, a Council, and Magiftrates, and to make Laws, 
provided they were not oppofite to ours, or encr^died 
on the Prerogatives of the Crown. After conducting 
the Hiftory thus low, and fliewing how, v/here, and 
when, the firft regular Englijh Settlement was founded and 
fixed in this Country, now the largeft, beft improved, 
and moft populous of our Plantations upon the Conti- 
nent, I muft excufe myfelf from going farther in this 
way, becaufe it would extend this Sedfion to an unpro- 
portionable Length , and becaufe the Hiftory of New 
England has been already written by feveral able Men, 
much better informed thereof than I can poflibly be ; and 
therefore I fliall be very well content with endeavouring, 
in as fmall a Compafs as I can, to do as much towards 
explaining the State of this Colony, as I have already 
done for that of Virginia. 
7. In order to this, it will be neceflary to explain what 
is meant by New England, fince it differs thus far from 
all our Colonies, that, in reality, it is a general Name for 
feveral of them, though there is no particular Plantation, 
or even Province, properly fo called. We are therefore to 
obferve, that under this Denomination was originally 
O o o comprehended 
