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HISTORY OF THE PILGRIMS. 
 
/A«/ THE ^^J^^^ 
 
 HISTORY OF THE PILGRIMS; 
 
 ^^ OR A jf^ 
 
 FIRST SETTLERS OF NEW ENGLAND. 
 
 " showing to the generation to como the praises 
 
 of the Lord, and his strengtji, and hid wonderful works that ho hath 
 done." — Asaph, 
 
 REVISED BY THE PUBLISHING COMIVUTTEK. 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 PRINTED DY T. K. MARVIN, FOR THE 
 
 MASSACHUSETTS SABBATFI SCHOOL UNION. 
 Depository, No. 47, Cornhill. 
 
 183L 
 
DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS to wit: 
 
 District Clerk^s Office. 
 
 Be it remembered, that on the twenty second day of March, 
 A. D. 1831, in the fifty fifth year of the Independence of the United 
 States of America, Christopher C. Dean, of the said District, has 
 deposited in this Office the Title of a Book, the right whereof he 
 claims as Proprietor, in the words following, to wit -. — 
 
 "The History of the Pilgrims; or a Grandfather's Story of the 
 First Settlers of New England, ".,... showing to the genera- 
 tion to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his won- 
 derful works that he hath done." — Asaph. Revised by the Publishing 
 Committee." 
 
 In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, 
 entitled " An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the 
 copies of maps, charts and books, to the authors and proprietors of 
 such copies, during the times therein mentioned :" and also to an 
 Act entitled "An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, an Act for 
 the encouragement of learning, by securing the copiesof maps, charts 
 and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies during the 
 times therein mentioned ; and extending the benefits thereof to the 
 arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints." 
 
 TNO W DAVIS S ^lerk of the District 
 JJNO. W. UAVlto, I of Massachusetts. 
 
 / 
 
 
HISTORY OF tJtJ^ PiLGRIMS, Sec. 
 
 INTRODUCTIO]?r. 
 
 *' For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare 
 lh3'self to the search of their fathers; shall not they teach thee, 
 and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart 1" — Job. 
 
 On the shores of Massachusetts Bay once 
 lived the venerable Mr. Allerton. In early 
 childhood he became pious, and amidst all the 
 concerns of middle age, he maintained the char- 
 acter of a devoted servant of Christ. As he ad- 
 vanced in years, he grew in piety, till at the age 
 of seventy-four he was generally known by the 
 name of Father Allerton. 
 
 This appellation was given on account of his 
 patriarchal character ; but it was not unsuitable 
 in other respects. He had been the father of 
 nine children, five of whom lived to the age of 
 manhood, and were settled in the neighborhood 
 1 
 
6 HISTORY OF 
 
 of their father. These young families grew up 
 around their sire, like thrifty shoots about the 
 moss-covered trunk of an aged tree, drawing 
 nourishment from the old s'tock. Especially 
 did the grand-children of this patriarch receive 
 many a lesson of wisdom from his experience. 
 He took great delight in conversing with chil- 
 dren, and would sometimes collect all the little 
 folks of the neighborhood at his own house, on 
 a winter's evening, or a summer's afternoon, and 
 relate to them what happened in his young days, 
 and what his grandfather told him when he was 
 a child. In this story-telling way he usually 
 made his little hearers feel, that in order to be 
 happu, they must be good. 
 
 Madam Allerton, too, had an excellent faculty 
 of gaining the good will of the young, though in 
 a different way. There was not a child in the 
 neighborhood which had not received some 
 small token of affection from her hand. These 
 little presents, though trivial in themselves, 
 were well adapted to gain the love of children ; 
 and as they grew up to manhood, this childish 
 affection also grew into a strong and lasting 
 esteem. Their own children, as I before said, 
 had reached the age of manhood, and one after 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 7 
 
 another had left their father's house to become 
 heads of families themselves. Yet this aged 
 couple were not left alone. Two or three of 
 their grand-children were constantly with them, 
 to attend to their wants. 
 
 I once had the pleasure of spending a kw 
 days in this interesting family, and mean to give 
 my youthful readers some account of that visit, 
 especially of a conversation that passed, respect- 
 ing the Pilgrims of New England. But I can- 
 not expect that it will be as interesting to you, 
 my children, as it was to me, unless you keep 
 Father Allerton in view, and attend closely 
 to what he says. Even then you will not see 
 his silver locks, and the wrinkled features of his 
 smiling face, and that mild eye of his, which was 
 many a time moistened with tears, as he told a 
 tale of suffering. — I say you cannot see all these 
 circumstances, which very much increased the 
 interest of his conversation. 
 
 It was late in the afternoon when I arrived at 
 the old mansion. I had seen Mr. Allerton once 
 before, when a lad of sixteen ; but as a number of 
 years had passed away since that time, I supposed, 
 of course, that he had forgotten me long ago. In 
 this, however, I was happily disappointed. For 
 
8 HISTORY 6P 
 
 he no sooner heard my name, than herecollected 
 me at once, and alluded to several circumstances 
 of that yhort visit, which I had quite forgotten. 
 Every body hkes to be remembered by those 
 with whom he once was acquainted ; but if our 
 former acquaintances, after a few years of sepa- 
 ration, treat us as strangers, we are obliged to 
 conclude that they never felt very much attached 
 to us ; for weak attachments are soon forgotten. 
 
 I was early taught to respect the aged, espe- 
 cially, if they were good; but the venerable ap- 
 pearance of this patriarch, filled me with a kind 
 of sacred reverence. I shall not stop to give a 
 particular account of the family, but will just 
 say that it consisted of Father Allerton and 
 his wife, and two grand-children; — Edward, a 
 promising lad about hoelve years old, and Eme- 
 line, a rosy faced girl o^ ten. 
 
 The remainder of the afternoon was spent in 
 friendly conversation, in which the children also 
 joined with becoming modesty. Soon after tea, 
 Emeline whispered something in her grand- 
 father's ear, which drew from him a very affec- 
 tionate smile. 
 
 ** Does Edward, too, wish to hear it now 1" 
 said Mr. Allerton. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 9 
 
 " Yes Sir," replied the blushing girl, '* if you 
 think best to relate it now." 
 
 Then turning to me, the old man remarked, 
 ** I have usually spent this hour of the day in 
 the business of instructing the children. Yes- 
 terday I promised them the story of the Pil- 
 grims to-night. And (looking upon Emeline) 
 I am pleased, my daughter, that you remember 
 the promise ; though perhaps it may be best to 
 defer it till another time, and talk about some- 
 thing else this evening." 
 
 The prospect of hearing this venerable de- 
 scendant of the Pilgrims relate their history, gave 
 rae unbounded pleasure ; for I said ** days should 
 speak, and multitude of years should teach wis- 
 dom." And as he paused and seemed in doubt 
 whether to go on W'ith his usual instructions, or 
 defer them on my account, " I should rejoice," 
 said I, " to be one of your hearers this evening 
 on that subject. The history of New England's 
 first settlers has all the interest of a novel to 
 me." 
 
 " And much ?nore," said Mr. Allerton with a 
 look that reproved me for using that word in 
 this connection ; ** much more, I trust, than any 
 1* 
 
10 HISTORY OF 
 
 mere fiction. The interest that is felt in a novel 
 arises chiefly from a supposed resemblance be- 
 tween the representations of the writer, and 
 things of real existence — unless, indeed, the taste 
 of ihe reader has been so perverted by the study 
 of fiction, that it has lost its relish for the plain 
 realities of life. Now if a fictitious show of 
 great and virtuous deeds can interest us, how 
 much more interested must we be in a true nar- 
 rative of such deeds! And where will you find 
 a record of events so remarkable as the simple 
 story of our Pilgrim Fathers ? History does 
 not furnish it — -fiction cannot produce it." 
 
 I was preparing to make an apology for letting 
 drop such a foolish comparison ; but the bright- 
 ening up of the old man's countenance as he 
 touched upon the Pilgrims, and the deep earnest- 
 ness with which he pronounced the last senten- 
 ces, made me forget my apology, and every thing 
 else but his promised story. 
 
 " I am constrained," said I, " to add my own 
 earnest request to the wishes of the children, 
 that you would give us an account of those 
 worthy men this evening." 
 
 " My usual method of instructing these chil- 
 dren in such subjects," said Mr. Allerton, '* I 
 
THE PILGRIMS. H 
 
 fear will not interest you ; for I always endeavor 
 to make myself fully understood : and for this 
 purpose I encourage ihem to ask questions and 
 offer their remarks as I proceed." 
 
 ** In this way," said I, ** you find it easy, I 
 presume, to keep their attention, and they too 
 will be more likely to rememher your instruc- 
 tions. Perhaps, Sir, you will allow me the 
 same freedom of inquiry ?" 
 
 *• Ocertainly," returned Mr, Alierton. " Eme- 
 line, you may speak to Edward and tell him we 
 will go on as usual this evening." 
 
 Etneline hastened away with an air of peculiar 
 satisfaction. As she closed the door I said, 
 ** The little girl seems wonderfully interested in 
 the business ; has she ever read much about 
 the Pilgrims?" 
 
 *' Very little," said he. " In truth. Sir, there 
 is no account of them, that I know of, written in 
 a style suited to the young. Mather's Magnalia 
 which has the very pith and marrow of this sub- 
 ject, you know, is written in such a tedious style, 
 and is arranged in such a disorderly manner, 
 that very few persons even of adult years have 
 patience to read it. Though by the way, let me 
 
12 HISTORY OF 
 
 tell you, Sir, no body was ever a loser by read- 
 ing Dr. Cotton Mather's Magnalia through." 
 
 ** What other authors," said I, *' would you 
 recommend one to read, who is desirous of look- 
 ing after the early history of this country?" 
 
 3Ir. AUcrton. Why, there is New England's 
 Memorial, an excellent book, by Nathaniel Mor- 
 ton ; and Hubbard's History of New England. 
 Purchas' Pilgrims and Johnson's Wonder-work- 
 ing Providence are good. In Prince's Chrono- 
 logy too, you will find much that is valuable, 
 but siill inore in the Massachusetts Historical 
 Society's Collections. Others might be men- 
 tioned, but even these which I have named are 
 much neglected. Every son of New England 
 should at least keep Morton's Memorial by him, 
 and be familiar with its contents." 
 
 " Mr. Morton, I think," said I, '' was the Old 
 Colony's Secretary, for some time, was he not?" 
 
 " Yes, for the space of forty years," replied 
 Mr. Allerton ; " and a faithful, industrious Sec- 
 retary he was, too. We are much indebted to 
 him for his care in preserving many valuable 
 records, which would otherwise have been lost. 
 There is now in the first church of Plymouth, 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 13 
 
 a volume of church records in the hand-writing 
 of Secretary Morton, which he gathered up from 
 the origin of that church in England, and kept 
 with great care till 1680, just before his death. 
 In this he has recorded many interesting events, 
 which are no where else to be found. Every 
 such scrap of information respecting the Pilgrims 
 is becoming more and more important as we get 
 farther away from their times." 
 
 *' The remark of Livy,'' said I, " concerning 
 history in general, seems especially true of the 
 history of New England ; * It furnishes us with 
 striking examples of virtue, which we may easily 
 set before us as models of imitation.' '^ 
 
 " Yes," said Mr. Allerton, " models, too, of 
 the highest excellence. We are compassed 
 about by * a cloud of witnesses.* The prin- 
 ciples and practices of our forefathers, and the 
 remembrance of God's dealings with them, should 
 be carefully preserved and handed down to pos- 
 terity, * that the generation to come may know 
 them, even the children which shall be born, 
 who shall arise and declare them to their chil- 
 dren ; that they may set their hope in God, and 
 not forget the works of God, but keep his com- 
 mandments/ " 
 
14 HISTORY OF 
 
 At this moment Edward and Emeline came 
 into the room and took their seats near the 
 ancient arm-chair of their grandfather; Mrs. 
 Allerton, too, was ready by this time to sit down 
 with her knitting work among us. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 15 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 '' Let children hear the mighty deeds, 
 Which God perform'd of old : 
 Which in our younger years we saw, 
 And which our fathers told." — Watts. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Well, my children, you are 
 expecting now to hear me tell about the Puri- 
 tans, I suppose. 
 
 Ediuard. It was the Pilgrims I believe, 
 grandpa', that you was going to tell us about this 
 evening— those men who first settled in New 
 England. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. You are correct, my child ; 
 they both mean the same persons. I called 
 them Pilgrims, for that is the name by which 
 they are generally known, because they left 
 their home and became " strangers and Pilgrims 
 on the earth," like those Old Testament patriarchs 
 mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. 
 But still these same first settlers of New England 
 were all Puritans. So that you will sometimes 
 hear them called by one of these names and 
 sometimes by the other. 
 
16 HISTORY OF 
 
 Emeline. Why were they called Puritans ? 
 What does Puritan mean 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. You have asked a very proper 
 question, Emeline. And I will begin their story 
 by answering it. When Queen Mary reigned 
 over England the common religion of that king- 
 dom was the Roman Catholic ; and the Protest- 
 ants, or those who dared to protest against it, 
 were persecuted without mercy. 
 
 Here Emeline wished to know if it was that 
 same Queen Mary uho once burnt Mr. John 
 Rogers alive. 
 
 ** The very same," said Mr. Allerton. " You 
 recollect the picture of his burning in your 
 Primer." That wicked queen caused a great 
 many other good men to be imprisoned and 
 burnt. But God did not suffer her cruel reign 
 to last more than five or six years. After her 
 death, which happened I believe in 1558, her 
 sister Elizabeth became queen of England. 
 She was a Protestant, and therefore the per- 
 secution against the Protestants was stopped. 
 Many good people who had fled into other coun- 
 tries to escape Mary's cruelty, returned home 
 again after her death. As soon as Queen 
 Elizabeth began to reign, the Roman Catholic 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 17 
 
 religion began to sink, and Protestantism was 
 established in its stead through the kingdora. 
 Do you know the difference, Edward, between 
 the Roman Catholic and Protestant religions? 
 
 Edward. The Roman Catholics, I believe, 
 have a Pope, and the Protestants have not ; and 
 the Pope thinks he can pardon sinners ; and I 
 have heard that they worship pictures, and pray 
 to Christ's mother. Is it so 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yes, and they pray to other 
 saints in heaven beside the mother of Christ,, 
 and worship their images. They believe that 
 their Pope cannot do wrong, and look to him as 
 their religious, or spiritual Teacher. On this 
 account their rcligioo is often called Popery, 
 and .sometimes Papacy. The Popish priests 
 are all obliged to wear a particular kind of 
 dress when they perform religious service, and 
 they have a multitude of idle ceremonies in 
 their worship, which I must not stop to explain. 
 You said the Protestants had no Pope ; is this 
 the only difference between them and the Catho- 
 lics ? 
 
 Edward. I never have known much about 
 the Protestants ; only you said just now, that 
 2 
 
18 HISTORY OF 
 
 they protested against the Roman Catholic reli- 
 gion. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It is not strange that you 
 should never have heard much about the Pro- 
 testants, for they are not often called by that 
 name. And yet ice are Protestants ourselves. 
 There are several kinds of Protestants. There 
 are the Episcopalians, the Presbyterians, the 
 Congregationalists, the Baptists, the Methodists, 
 and some others, who are all Protestants. Those 
 who lived in England in the time of Queen 
 Elizabeth were Episcopalians, or the Church of 
 England, as they are often called. I need not 
 stop here to tell you any thing very particular 
 about the church of England, for you will see, 
 as T go on with the story of the Pilgrims, what 
 kind of a church it was at that time ; though I 
 am happy to say that they are very different now, 
 especially those who live in this country. 
 
 A great many of the unholy ceremonies and 
 practices of the Catholics were laid aside when 
 Elizabeth began her reign ; for she forbid them to 
 be used in the Episcopal worship. Thus a 
 reformation commenced, and good people hoped 
 and believed, that all those unscriptural customs 
 of the Popish church would soon be cast out 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 19 
 
 entirely. But the queen did not wish to have 
 such a thorough reformation in religion as many 
 of her people desired ; and this made a dissatis- 
 faction. She still kept some of the Popish rites 
 and ceremonies in the Protestant form of wor- 
 ship. For example, the members of the church 
 were still required to kneel at the sacrament ; 
 and the ministers must read their prayers in 
 public worship from a book called the Liturgy, 
 which was made for that use ; and they were 
 obliged also to dress in the same kind of robes 
 when they preached, that the Roman Catholics 
 wore. These things were a grief to many good 
 people, who wished to worship God in spirit and 
 in truth ; for it looked to them like a part of 
 Popery. They begged the queen, therefore, 
 and the bishops, to put off these " marks of the 
 Beast," as they called them. But their petitions 
 were scorned. Some of these conscientious 
 persons next entreated that they might be ex- 
 cused from these customs themselves, even if 
 others did observe them. But the only answer 
 they got was a new law, that threatened severe 
 punishments upon all who would not conform 
 to the established mode of worship; and the 
 
20 HISTORY OF 
 
 reproachful name Puritan was given to these 
 scrupulous complainers. 
 
 Enieline. It was a nickname then, was it not, 
 grandpa'? Is it right for us to call them Puri- 
 tans ? 
 
 3Ir. Allcrton. It was certainly a nickname, 
 as you say, and was meant as a term of reproach 
 upon all who complained that the common form 
 of religion was not pure enough for them. But 
 the holy character of those who bore this name 
 soon made it respectable in the eslnnation of 
 every good person. And many now think it an 
 honor to be called the descendants of the Puri- 
 tans. 
 
 *' I have always wondered," said I, "that 
 dueen Elizabeth should have been so resolute 
 for tliese Popish forms ; for I believe that she 
 once hardly escaped persecution herself, from 
 her Roman Catholic sister." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It is less wonderful when we 
 consider how proud she was of her royal authority. 
 She would seldom be advised by any one, and 
 could not bear to think of following the advice 
 of the humble Puritans, although she acknoW' 
 ledged that the Scriptures no where enjoined 
 these forms of worship. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. oj 
 
 The effect which such hard treatment had 
 upon the Puritans was just such as we might 
 expect. It made them feel still less inclined 
 to obey the queen, and conform to the Church 
 of England ; for every such act convinced them 
 more and more that their opposers were wrong. 
 It seemed to them that they were persecuted 
 for righteousness' sake. But still they were 
 unwilling to make a disturbance. They only 
 wished to have some customs laid aside which 
 had been borrowed from the Roman Catholics. 
 And they would no doubt have gained their 
 point if their opposers had listened to reason. 
 But the queen and her bishops were provoked 
 at the perseverance of the Puritans, and alarm- 
 ed at the increase of their numbers; so they 
 determined to put them down by force. A law 
 was passed, as I told you just now, requiring 
 all to worship God in the same manner. Fines 
 and punishments were threatened against those 
 who refused to conform. Forty-four men were 
 appointed, who were called an Ecclesiastical 
 Court, with full power to try, condemn and 
 punish, in any way they pleased, all who would 
 not obey the laws of the Established Church. 
 
 But still Puritanism increased, and the Puri- 
 2* 
 
22 HISTORY OF 
 
 tans grew more and more determined to wor- 
 ship God in the way that seemed to them right. 
 Some began to leave the Episcopalian meetings 
 on account of those forms that were practised 
 there, and to meet by themselves in dwelling- 
 houses, or in the fields. At last a law was 
 made, that any person above sixteen years old, 
 who refused to attend meeting in the regular 
 place of worship for the space of a month, 
 should be cast into prison ; that if he still re- 
 fused to attend for the space of three months, 
 after being condemned for the first offence, he 
 should leave the country and go into banish- 
 ment ; that if he did not leave the country im- 
 mediately, or if he ever returned home again, 
 he should be put to death as a criminal. 
 
 By such severe laws men of high standing 
 and influence were turned out of office, because 
 they were suspected of favoring the Puritans ; 
 many of the most godly ministers were forbid- 
 den to preach, and others were put in their 
 places ; persons of fortune were ruined by enor- 
 mous fines ; the prisons were filled with con- 
 scientious Puritans ; and some were actually 
 put to death. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 23 
 
 Emeline. Was there no way for them to get 
 clear of all these sufferings? 
 
 Mr. AUerton. O yes ; they might have es- 
 caped them all by giving up their religion. If 
 they could only have consented to do what they 
 fully believed to be wrong, they might have lived 
 at home without any of these troubles, and had 
 a plenty of this world's riches and honors. But 
 would you have advised them to do so? 
 
 Emeline looked very thoughtful, but made no 
 reply. After a few moments' pause Father Al- 
 lerton proceeded. 
 
 The Puritans loved the comforts of this life, 
 no doubt, as well as we do ; but they looked be- 
 yond them, and saw a better portion in heaven ; 
 and they had rather part with all they had here 
 than to lose that. They were sorry to disobey the 
 laws of the queen, but still they would do it rather 
 than break the commands of God. They dread- 
 ed to be imprisoned here; and yet they would 
 lie in prison all their days, rather than be shut 
 up in the prison of despair forever. " When 
 we are in our graves," they said, '* it will be all 
 one whether we have lived in plenty or in want; 
 whether we have died on beds of down, or on 
 beds of straw. Oqly this is the advantage of a 
 
24 . HISTORY OF 
 
 mean condition, it is a greater freedom to die. 
 And the less of comfort any have in the things 
 of this world, the more liberty tliey have to lay 
 up treasures in heaven." 
 
 Edward. If they really believed that it was 
 wrong for them to worship God in the way that 
 the queen directed, I cannot wonder that they 
 should rather suffer anything than do it ; but 
 still would it not have been better for them if 
 they had left England and gone into some other 
 country, as you said the Protestants did when 
 Mary was queen ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. A great many of the Puritans 
 did go into foreign lands. But just consider for 
 a moment how trying it must have been for them 
 to think of forsaking that sweet home where 
 they were born and brought up, and that dear 
 country where their fathers had lived and died, 
 to spend the rest of their days in a distant and 
 strange land. Just suppose, for a moment, that 
 we were now in their situation — in danger of 
 being thrown into prison or put to death like 
 criminals, if we stay in this country. You ad- 
 vise us to flee away. But we cannot carry our 
 house and land with us, you see ; and still we 
 shall need a house and some land wherever we go. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 25 
 
 Then we must sell our property here, and sell 
 it to our persecutors too, for what they please to 
 give us. Well, after we have sold our house 
 and furniture, and land and cattle, for just what 
 they please to give us, and have collected to- 
 gether all we can carry, and are ready to leave 
 this neighborhood — never more to return again — 
 which way shall we go? We must not think of 
 stopping in the next town, for we should not be 
 out of danger there. If we should go from Mas- 
 sachusetts into the next State, there we must 
 not settle. Should we travel to the farther end 
 of this cotintry and stop, we could live in no 
 more safety there, than we can here. Tell me 
 now, my children, what we must do ? 
 
 The children looked at each other, then at 
 their grandfather, and then at each other again, 
 but said nothing. 
 
 We might go off, continued Mr. Allerton, into 
 the woods, and live among the Indians ; but I 
 suppose you would rather not go there. Well, 
 then we must go on board a vessel and sail 
 across the ocean to some distant land. There 
 we should be out of the reach of persecution, 
 perhaps ; but we should find ourselves amongst 
 strangers, who live in a very different way from 
 
26 HISTORY OF 
 
 what we do ; and ibey would speak a language 
 which we could not understand. They would 
 know nothing about us, and very likely would 
 care nothing about us. Then we should think 
 of the iiome we had let't, and those who once 
 came to see us, and whom we loved. 
 
 '* O dear, Edward," sighed Emeline, *' how 
 hard it would be to be driven away from home 
 in this manner, and never be allowed to come 
 back again !" 
 
 ** I know that," replied Edward, in a thought- 
 ful mood, " but still I think it would be harder 
 to suffer such things as the Puritans endured 
 at home." 
 
 Mr. Allcrton. Emeline is of the same opinion, 
 I presume, and so were the Pilgrims. There 
 was a tinj'' once when they would have felt 
 happy to^escdpe from their country and home. 
 
 " What !" said I, *' were they not allowed 
 to live at home in peace, nor to go into exile 
 either?" 
 
 ** It was certainly so," replied Mr. Allerton, 
 *'as you may see by consulting the old records 
 of the first church in Plyuiouth, which are still 
 preserved in the hand-writing of Secretary 
 Morton." 
 
THE PILGRIiMS. 07 
 
 " We have thus far talked about the Puritans 
 in general. 1 am now going to speak of those 
 in particular who became * pilgrims on the 
 earth,' for religion's sake — those worthy men 
 who first came to this country, and from whom 
 we are descended. But before I proceed, my 
 children, to tell you any more, I will just see if 
 you remember well what I have already said." 
 
 Having made this remark, Mr. Allerton asked 
 them the following questions, which the chil- 
 dren answered in a manner that showed how 
 well they had given their attention. 
 
 In what country did the Puritans live? What was the re- 
 ligion of England while Queen Mary reigned ? What was her 
 character ? Who was the next queen ? What was the estab- 
 lished rehgion during her reign 1 Why were the Puritans dis- 
 satisfied ? What request did they first mak( '', How was it 
 treated ? What did they do next ? How werciey answered ? 
 What was the consequence of such laws? How did the Puri- 
 tans bear this treatment? Now, my children, tell me what you 
 think of these Puritans yourselves ? 
 
28 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 " And others had trial of evil mockings and scourging-s, yea, 
 moreover, of bonds and imprisonment ; — being destitute, afflicted, 
 tormented : of whom the world was not worthy." — Paid. 
 
 '' Rise, O my soul, pursue the path 
 
 By ancient worthies trod 5 
 
 Aspiring view those holy men, 
 
 Who liv'd and walk'd with God." — Needham. 
 
 When Father Allerton had examined his 
 grand-children on what he had told them, and 
 heard their reflections on the Puritan character, 
 he then proceeded with his story. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. My children, I cannot express 
 to you my feelings as I call to remembrance the 
 names of Robinson, Brewster, Carver, Bradford, 
 Standish, and a host of others, " who," like the 
 ancient worthies of whom we read, " through 
 faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, 
 obtained promises — escaped the edge of the 
 sword, out of weakness were made strong." I 
 remember, too, that some " were tortured, not 
 accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a 
 better resurrection." I say when I call to re- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 29 
 
 .lembranoe these Fathers of New England, and 
 reflect that we are their children, my feelings 
 are too deep for utterance. We are sitting here 
 very comfortably this evening, and hardly know 
 the meaning of want and distress ; but all these 
 comforts were bought at a dear expense of 
 suffering. However, they are now at rest in 
 heaven 
 
 The old man paused here to wipe away a 
 tear, that had b^en gathering while he spoke, 
 and which now began to trickle down his 
 wrinkled cheek. 
 
 Thcy^ I say, are now in heaven — those weary 
 Pilgrinis are now at rest from all their toils. 
 But, my dear grand-children, I beg you to con- 
 sider, as I tell you their story, how many obliga- 
 tions you are under to them ; and how you 
 ought to maintain their pious character and 
 follow their holy example. 
 
 The Rev. John Robinson was the minister of 
 that church which first came over to these shores 
 and settled at Plymouth. He was born in Eng- 
 land, in the year 1575. Very little is known of 
 his early life, except that he was educated at the 
 University of Cambridge. He is said to have 
 been a learned, pious, and polite man, and had 
 3 
 
30 HISTORY OF 
 
 a very modest and meek disposition. When he 
 had finished his studies he setiled in the north- 
 east part of Enghmd as an Episcopalian minister. 
 But he soon became a Puritan, and sutiered all 
 those kinds of ill treatment, that fell to the lot 
 of the Puritan clergymen generally. In the 
 year 1602, several pious persons in those parts, 
 seeing their ministers forbidden to preach be- 
 cause they could not consent to follow all the 
 customs of the Episcopalian Church, arul finding 
 themselves greatly oppressed in the ecclesiastical 
 courts, determined to leave the Church of Eng- 
 land, and to form a new and independent one 
 by themselves. In the first place they solemnly 
 promised to each other " that they would walk 
 with God and one another in the enjoyment of 
 God's ordinances, according to the New Testa- 
 ment pattern, whatever it might cost them." 
 Mr. Robinson was -their minister. 
 
 " But was this the commenccmtnt," said I, 
 *' of Independent and Congregational churches, 
 and was Mr. Robinson their founder?" 
 
 3Ir. Alhrton. These were the first, and 
 the only men in England then, that dared to 
 come out in this bold manner; and, of course, 
 they were now exposed to greater severities than 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 31 
 
 ever. But they were not at all discouraged, for 
 they had long been accustomed to hard usage, 
 and bore it with Christian courage. 
 
 Edivard. How many do you suppose there 
 were of them 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Their number was quite small 
 at first, so that they all met in a private house 
 on the Sabbath. But they increased so fast, 
 that two congregations were soon formed. Mr. 
 Robinson preached to one, and Mr. John Smyth 
 to the other. Mr. Robinson's church used to 
 meet at the house of Mr. William Brewster, who 
 took great pains to accommodate them, and was 
 at much expense. 
 
 Emelitie. I recollect you mentioned his name 
 just now, with a number of others; I should like 
 to know more about Mr. Brewster. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. This is not exactly the place 
 to give you an account of this worthy Pilgrim; 
 however, a few things may be said of him here. 
 He became pious quite young, and was sent to 
 College. ^ After he left College he was employed 
 to assist Mr. Davison, who was a great man in 
 dueen Elizabeth's time. Mr. Brewster went 
 with liim to Holland on some important business, 
 and on their return home, Mr. Davison gave him 
 
82 HISTORY OF 
 
 a gold chain as a mark of respect for his wisdom 
 and f\iithfuiness. He lived with this nobleman 
 some time, and then went home to his friends in 
 the north of England, where he was highly es- 
 teemed as a gentleman, and a Christian. Here 
 he did much good to the cause of Christ by giv- 
 ing both his time and his money. He was one 
 of the first who commenced the formation of a 
 new church, and was afterwards chosen a 
 ruling elder in it. But I will tell you more 
 about this good man by and by. 
 
 After Mr. Robinson's church had suffered 
 many things from their cruel persecutors — some 
 being thrown into prison, some driven away 
 from their houses, and others forbidden to leave 
 them — having endured such kind of treatment 
 for the space of seven or eight years, they at 
 length resolved to leave their country and home, 
 and seek a shelter in Holland. This was the 
 only place then where they could enjoy religious 
 liberty. But when it was known that they talk^ 
 ed of leaving England, public orders were given 
 to prevent them, and the ports and harbors were 
 watched night and day. However, they ven- 
 tured to hire a ship, and agreed with the captain 
 to take them in on a certain day, and at a par- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 33 
 
 ticular liour of the day. They were punctual at 
 the time, but the captain did not come till the 
 following night. And when he had received 
 them all on board, he basely delivered them and 
 their goods over to the town-officers, with whom 
 he had before agreed to do so. The poor Pil- 
 grims were immediately searched and plundered, 
 and carried back to the town. There they were 
 marched through the streets and insulted by the 
 gazing multitudes, who came flocking from all 
 quarters to see them. They were next thrown 
 into prison, where they all lay for a month ; and 
 Mr. Brewster, with six others, was kept much 
 longer. 
 
 Echcard. Why did the queen wish to keep 
 them in England ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. The queen, my child, was 
 not living ; she died several years before. King 
 James was now on the throne. 
 
 Emclinc. Did he hate the Puritans too ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. He did, even worse, if possi- 
 ble, than Elizabeth had done, although he had 
 lived among them in his younger days, and pre- 
 tended to be their friend before he became king. 
 But as soon as he got the kingdom, the Puritans 
 were treated with more cruelty than the Roman 
 3* 
 
34 HISTORY OF 
 
 Catholics. And yet these same Catholics tried 
 every means in their power to set up their own 
 uuholy religion, and to deiitroy Protestantism. 
 I will just state one fact to show you how they 
 behaved. Soon after James was crowned king, 
 they laid a j)Iot to kill him and all the great men 
 of the kingdom together. They secretly put 36 
 barrels of gunpowder under the house where the 
 king and these men were to assemble, intend- 
 ing to blow them all up at once, and to charge 
 it upon the Puritans. Tiiis gunpoivder plot 
 was discovered just in time to break it up. But 
 although it was known that the Roman Catho- 
 lics had done it, still the king did not seem to 
 be so much enraged against them, as against the 
 pious Puritans, who had done him no harm, but 
 were trying to do good. But you wished to 
 know, Edward, why they wanted to keep them 
 in England. Truly, it appears surprising that 
 they should, seeing that they hated them so 
 bad. Perhaps the king thought, if he kept 
 them in England and punished them there, that 
 others would be afraid to become Puritans. 
 
 " How slow men are," said I, " to believe 
 that the real children of God never can be 
 frightened out of their religion !" 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 35 
 
 Mr. AUerton. Yes ; but those who tliink 
 they cat! force Christians to give up their re- 
 ligion, are generally strangers to true godliness 
 themselves. They are sensible that tkei/ would 
 forsake their own religion if they had to sutfer 
 for its sake, and therefore they suppose others 
 would do the same. This I take to be the rea- 
 son why men are so slow to believe on this sub- 
 ject. If King James had known anything of the 
 power of true religion himself, he would as sooii 
 have though to smother the fires of a volcano, 
 as to quench the spirit of Puritanism. 
 
 In the following spring the Puritans made 
 another attempt to leave England. TJiey told 
 their story to a Dutch captain, and he promised 
 to take them from a lonely beach where nobody 
 would be likely to know it. The women and 
 children and goods were sent there in a small 
 vessel, and the men travelled by land, so as to 
 avoid any suspicion. They came to the place a 
 day before the ship arrived, and as the sea was 
 rough, and some of the women sick, the sailors 
 put their vessel into a small creek. Next morn- 
 ing the ship came; but the other vessel was 
 then aground, and they were obliged to wait till 
 the tide came before they could get her off. In 
 
36 HISTORY OF 
 
 order to. lose no time the captain of the ship sent 
 his boat to take in the men who were on shore. 
 It happened just as they had got one boat load 
 of men on board the ship and were going back 
 after more, that the captain saw a great com- 
 pany of horsemen and foot soldiers, coming arm- 
 ed from the country. So fearing that he should 
 get himself into trouble for carrying off these 
 Puritans, he declared that he would stay no 
 longer ; but immediately hoisted sail and was 
 soon out of sight. 
 
 Echvard. But what did he do with that boat 
 load of Pilgrims he had taken into the ship ? 
 
 3Ir. Allerton. Why, he carried them off with 
 him, for he durst not stop to land them. Thus 
 the men on board the ship were separated from 
 their families ; wiih no other clothes than what 
 they had on their backs — and no money in their 
 pockets ! They wept bitterly, and begged to 
 be set ashore ; but weeping did no good — away 
 they must go, just as they were. A dreadful 
 storm arose soon after, and the ship was driven 
 far away from her course. The storm lasted 
 two weeks, and for seven days together they 
 saw neither sun, moon, nor stars. The terrified 
 sailors once thought the ship was actually going 
 
•THE PILGRIMS. 37 
 
 to the bottom, and shrieked out, " ive sink! tve 
 sink J'' Meanwhile the Puritan passengers, in 
 this awful seen;', with calmness cried, "yet 
 Lord^ thou canst save ! ytt Lord^ tlum canst 
 save J" God, who *' rules the raging of the 
 sea,^' heard their cry and sent them deliverance. 
 " He made the storm a caJm, so that the waves 
 thereof were still," and they arrived safely in 
 Holland. The people there were astonished to 
 see them come, for they supposed the ship must 
 li^y^e been lost in such a dreadful storm. 
 
 Emeline. But what did become of those chil- 
 <3ren and their mothers who could not get into 
 the ship? What did the soldiers do with them? 
 
 Edward. Was Mr. Robinson there^ or did 
 Sie get on board ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. My children, I wonder not 
 that your thoughts fly back so soon to the shore 
 ■.where we left the rest ; for there, after all, was 
 the scene of deepest distress. Mr. Robinson 
 and some others, like brave generals, waited to 
 see the feeblest on board before they went them- 
 selves, and so were left. The men all escaped, 
 except a few who staid to assist the women and 
 children. Wives were weeping after their hus- 
 bands, whom the wind was novy v/afting from 
 
38 HISTORY OF 
 
 their sight into a land of strangers. Children 
 were clinging to their mothers, and shrieking 
 out with fear at sight of the rough looking sol- 
 diers. O it was pitiful ! but there was no pity 
 there. The kind voice of charity might have 
 soothed the weeping throng ; but instead of it, 
 persecution raised her hideous voice, terrible as 
 death. The hard-hearted soldiers laid hold upon 
 these afflicted mothers and their terrified chil- 
 dren, and hurried them about from one place to 
 another — from one officer to another. Some 
 were for putting them all in prison. But this 
 would not do ; for even their enemies felt that it 
 was unreasonable to imprison so many women 
 and children for no other crime than being 
 obliged to go along with their husbands and 
 fathers. Others advised to send them home; 
 but this was impossible ; for they had sold all 
 their property, and had no homes to go to. 
 After they had been harassed about in this 
 manner for some time, their keepers were glad 
 to get rid of them in any way, and let them go, 
 
 Echoard. I should think every body must 
 have pitied them, even if they did not like their 
 religion. 
 
 Mr. Alkrton. Your remark is just. We 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 39 
 
 naturally feel for beings in distress, whether they 
 are men or beasts. And those who persecute 
 others, always injure their own cause, and gene- 
 rally help those very persons whom they try to 
 hurt. It was so in this case. The meek and 
 Christian spirit with which the Puritans endured 
 all these sufferings induced others to become 
 Puritans, and their numbers were considerably 
 increased by this means. At length, by courage 
 and perseverance, they all crossed the ocean, 
 and joined their friends who had gone before. 
 
 Emetine. How rejoiced they were, no doubt, 
 when they got away from all their troubles, and 
 met together once more ! 
 
 3I)\ AUerton. Do not suppose, my child, that 
 they entirely escaped from trials when they es- 
 caped from England. Nobody ever gets clear 
 of all trouble till they get into heaven. The 
 Pilgrims seitled first in Amsterdam, a large city, 
 full of people, where they had business enough, 
 and were able to gain a good living. But still 
 they were not very well pleased with the place. 
 So when they had lived there one year, they 
 moved to Leyden, about twenty miles south from 
 Amsterdam. 
 
40 HISTORY OF ( 
 
 Edward. What was the cause of their mov- 
 ing ? You said they had good business there. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. There were some religious 
 disputes at that time amongst the people of Am- 
 sterdam ; and Mr. John Smyth's church, which 
 had come there from England the year before, 
 was very much disturbed by them. Mr. Robin- 
 son was afraid that his own people would be | 
 drawn into dispute, and being a very peaceable 
 man, he advised them to remove to Leyden, j 
 which they did in 1609. i 
 
 " It is rather remarkable," said I, " that such [ 
 a humble, quiet-minded man as Mr. Robinson 
 appears to be, should have been a leader among 
 the Puritans ; especially when we consider that ' 
 he lived in an age of dispute." 
 
 3Ir. Allerton. But, Sir, you know that he 
 who can dispute the best, does not always have 
 the most influence with his fellow men. I be- 
 lieve you will find it to be a general fact, that a *i 
 meek and pious life, like that of Jesus Christ, J 
 and bis apostle John, is the most convincing ! 
 argument that a man can bring in favor of true 
 religion. Mr. Jlobinson led such a life. But 
 then he was abundantly able to dispute, too, | 
 when he had occasiori for it. Indeed, there 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 41 
 
 were few men, who could stand before him in 
 argument. I will mention one fact which will 
 show this. 
 
 While the Pilgrims li^ed in Leyden, the Ar- 
 minian doctrines began to spread in Holland. 
 The children here don't know, I suppose, what 
 these doctrines are ; but you will probably know 
 some lime or other. I will just remark to you 
 now, that the Arminians believe men can obtain 
 heaven by their own works, without a new heart; 
 which the Bible contradicts. Well, there was a 
 learned man in Leyden, whose name was Epis- 
 copius, and he was an Arminian. He gave out 
 word, that he would dispute publicly, with any 
 body, and prove that the Arminian doctrines 
 were true. Although there were many learned 
 men in Leyden, nobody dared to dispute with 
 Episcopius. The Pilgrims came to Mr. Robin- 
 son, therefore, and wished him to dispute with 
 him. But he told them he was a stranger there, 
 and should rather be excused. Yet when they 
 convinced him that the truth was in danger from 
 such a learned opposer as Episcopius, and that 
 the cause of Christ was likely to suffer, he con- 
 sented to dispute with him. So when the day 
 came, Mr. Robinson went into a great public 
 4 
 
42 HISTORY OF 
 
 assembly, and defended the truth so well against 
 his opposer, that the Arniinians felt beat. This 
 was done on three different days : and all the 
 pious people there prarsed God that the truth 
 had gained such a victory over error. 
 
 But I must go on with the story. When the 
 Pilgrims removed to Leyden, they knew that 
 they must work harder for a living, than they 
 did in Amsterdam. But they expected to live 
 in greater peace, and to be better able to train 
 up their children in the fear of the Lord. "J'his 
 last thing seemed to them of more consequence 
 than money. They lived ai Leyden about eleven 
 years. In all this time they hired a meeting- 
 house, where they worshipped God publicly in 
 their own way. 
 
 Edward. I suppose their enemies in Eng- 
 land could not distress them any more, could 
 they? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. No, not much : and yet they 
 tried to injure th^m in one way and another. 
 They sometimes endeavored to make the people 
 of Holland believe that the Puritans had run 
 away from home because they were criminals. 
 I recollect one fact, which I will mention. Soon 
 after they came to Amsterdam, William Brad- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 43 
 
 ford, a young man about eighteen years old, was 
 seized by an officer one day, and brought before 
 the judge. Some wicked passenger, who came 
 in the ship with him, had told the officer that he 
 ran away from England as a rogue. But when 
 the judge heard the true cause of his coming to 
 Holland, he was well satisfied, and let him go. 
 Such false stories did them no harm in the end. 
 Their neighbors saw that they were peaceable, 
 and industrious, and honest; and therefore they 
 helped the Puritans in many ways. Their num- 
 bers increased every year by the coming over of 
 others from England, till they had a church of 
 300 members. And now they began to think of 
 removing to America, and came in the year 1620. 
 
 Edward. Why did they come away from 
 l^eyden, grandpa' ? I thought they liked that 
 j)lace. Did they have any difficulty with the 
 people there ? 
 
 Mr. Allertnn. None at all : though this story 
 was reported by some of the English. On the 
 contrary, the magistrates of Leyden gave this 
 honorable account of them just before they left 
 that city. " These English^'' they said, ''have 
 lived among us ten years ^ and yet we never had 
 ^ny suit or action against any of them," Nor 
 
44 HISTORY OF 
 
 was it on account of a roving disposition, that } 
 they came. There was nothing they so much i 
 desired on earth as a fixed home. But ihey saw | 
 that Leyden was not to be their continuing city. | 
 It was so hard to get a living there, that many \ 
 who came over from England to join them, soon ■ 
 spent all their property, and were obliged to go ; 
 back again, or else live very poorly. Even the 
 Pilgrims themselves began to feel that their 
 strength was wearing out by hard labor. And i 
 this hard way of living caused many of their •! 
 children to leave them and go to sea or into the i 
 army, when they grew up. This was a grief to "j 
 their parents; but what grieved them most of 1 
 all was, that their children were in danger of 
 being drawn away into wicked practices by the 
 evil examples of those around them. The holy 
 Sabbath was much neglected in Leyden, and the 
 young people there were growing wicked. They 
 heard also that America was full of poor, igno- 
 rant Indians, who never heard of Christ ; and 
 they longed to carry the glad news of a Saviour 
 to them. This was one of their principal reasons 
 for wishing to come here. 
 
 Emelinc. Did nobody but Indians live in 
 America then % 
 
THE PILGRIMS. ^5 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yes, the Spaniards took pos- 
 session of South America in a very cruel man- 
 ner, and began to live there alsnost a hundred 
 years before. But they had not done much with 
 the Indians except destroy them. The English 
 had attempted to settle in North America at 
 several different times ; but as they never came 
 for any other reason than to get riches, they 
 were soon discouraged and went back again. 
 In the year 1G07, which was about thirteen 
 years before the Pilgrims came, an English com- 
 pany settled at Jamestown, in Virginia. But 
 they were in a very weak condition at the time 
 we are speaking of, having been almost destroyed 
 by famine and the savage tribes around them. 
 It was in the northern part of the country, be- 
 longing to this Virginia company, that the Pil- 
 grims wanted to live, and where they would 
 have gone, if the captain who brought them over 
 had not deceived them. 
 
 But your question, Emeline, is carrying me 
 ahead of my story a little. I was speaking of 
 the reasons which led the Puritans to come 
 here. You see that they were moved by reli- 
 gious considerations chiefly. They determined, 
 4* 
 
46 HISTORY OF 
 
 in the first place, to worship God in the way that 
 they thought was right, ivhatever it might cost 
 them; and then to find a place where they could 
 do it peaceably and leave the same liberty to 
 their children. They turned their eyes towards 
 America, therefore, and were willing to live in 
 such a howling wilderness as this then was, if 
 they might but gain this blessing. Accordingly 
 they sent Mr. John Carver and Mr. Robert 
 Cushman to England, to get leave from the king 
 to settle in America. 
 
 Edioard. What did he have to do with it ? 
 Did America belong to the king of England? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. No, my child ; King James, 
 in reality, had no more right to this country 
 then, than the Emperor of China has now. It 
 properly belonged to the Indians, who lived here 
 when the continent was discovered. But when 
 Columbus discovered it, the kings of Europe 
 pretended that they had a right to all the places 
 which their own people saw first. And as no- 
 body then disputed them, they called these places 
 their own. The English claimed all this part of 
 America, because it was seen first by them, and 
 gave the Virginia company leave to settle where 
 they did. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 47 
 
 " What do you think, Sir, of this kind of 
 right?" said the old man, turning to me. 
 
 " 1 was thinking," said I, " while you spoke, 
 how ridiculous it would luok to see the inhabi- 
 tants of some distant island come to these shores, 
 and claim our continent as their own, because 
 they had just discovered that there was such a 
 continent. Or suppose that a number of Indians 
 had sailed over to Europe just before Columbus 
 came here, and had pretended that they had a 
 right to all the countries there, because they 
 discovered them — what would the people there 
 have thought ?" 
 
 " Arid yet," returned Mr. Allerton, " they 
 would have had the same right that the English 
 had to this country. But so it was, and the Pil- 
 grims sent two of their number, as I before said, 
 to obtain a charter from the king." 
 
 Emcline. What is a charter^ grandpa' 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. A charter is a writing, which 
 shows that the owner of it has certain rights and 
 privileges granted to him. The charter that the 
 Pilgrims wanted was a writing from the king to 
 show that they had a right to some land in 
 America, and liberty to make their own laws, 
 and worship God ao they wished. But it was 
 
48 HISTORY OF 
 
 denied them, because they were Puritans ! 
 They tried again, and persuaded some of the 
 great men of the nation to help them. Some- 
 times they met with encouragement, and again 
 were disappointed. Some spoke well of them, 
 and others ill. Thus they were tossed between 
 hope and fear. After spending a great deal of 
 time and money, they at last gained a promise 
 from the king, that they might have a parcel of 
 land in America after they had lived upon it 
 seven years : that he would not disturb them if 
 they lived peaceably ; but he told them at the 
 same time, that religious liberty would never be 
 granted them by his authority. 
 
 Many of them were in doubt whether it would 
 be safe for them to go with such a charter. A 
 day of fasting and prayer was appointed ; for the 
 Pilgrims always followed this direction of Solo- 
 mon — " In all thy ways acknowledge him, and 
 he shall direct thy paths." Mr. Robinson 
 preached a sermon, on that fast day, from 1 Sam. 
 xxiii. 3, 4. Emeline, fetch the Bible and read 
 that text. 
 
 Emeline brought the Bible and read, " And 
 David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid 
 here in Judah : how much more then if we come 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 49 
 
 to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? 
 Then David inquired of the Lord yet again. 
 And the Lord answered him and said, Arise, go 
 down to Keilah ; for I will deliver the Philistines 
 into thine hand." 
 
 " I guess Mr. Robinson advised them to goto 
 America, did he not ?" said Edward. 
 
 " Why," said his grandfather, " what makes 
 you guess so?" Edward. 
 
 Edward. That text seems to speak encour- 
 agingly. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. But that text, you see, was 
 spoken to David. It was David whom God there 
 promises to assist, and not the Pilgrims. 
 
 " Yes," said Edward, after sonie hesitation, 
 " I know it was ; but does not God assist all 
 others who are like David ?" 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Exactly so, my child. All 
 who obey him, may dej)end on his protection ; 
 while those who transgress his commands, ought 
 never to take encouragement from his promises: 
 for he never made a promise of good to one who 
 disregarded him. " Them that honor me, I will 
 honor; and they that despise me, shall be lightly 
 esteemed." The Pilgrims meant to honor God^ 
 
50 HISTORY OF 
 
 and therefore they felt encouraged, no doubt, by 
 the promise in that text. 
 
 After this day of solemn prayer, they made up 
 their minds lo go forward, and trust in Divine 
 Providence for that protection, which they could 
 not obtain from King James. And when you 
 have heard their story through, you will see that 
 David was right, when he said, " It is better to 
 trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in men. 
 It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put con- 
 fidence in princes." 
 
 But I suppose I ought to stop here, and give 
 you the rest at another time ; for the clock has 
 just now struck eight. 
 
 Upon this, I looked up to the clock, which I 
 had not before thought of, since he began his 
 story, and was surprised to find, that a full hour 
 had passed away since the children came into 
 the room. 
 
 "And, I think," continued Mr. Allerton, "you 
 must be tired of sitting here, by this time. And, 
 if you are tired, you cannot be so much inter- 
 ested in my story ; and if you are not interested 
 in it, you know, you will not remember it so 
 well." 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 51 
 
 Here the children both answered together, 
 sayinor, that they were not tired — that they could 
 remember all he had told them — and should be 
 glad to hear more, if their grandfather was 
 willing. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It seems very desirable, to be 
 sure, my children, that we follow the Pilgrims 
 across the ocean to these shores, before we leave 
 them for the night, if your grandmother thinks it 
 will do. 
 
 Mrs. Allerton was very ready to give her con- 
 sent, that the children might be gratified ; though 
 she told them, at the same time, she feared they 
 would grow sleepy. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. But let me see if you remem- 
 ber the story as well as you think you do. 
 
 Tell me about Mr. Robinson's early life and character. 
 When and why did his people form a new church ? Where 
 did they meet on the Sabbath, for seven or eight years 1 Tell 
 me what you remember about Mr. Brewster. What was the 
 first trouble they met with in removing from England to Hol- 
 land ? What befel them the next time they tried 1 Did they 
 ever get to Holland 1 Why did they ihink of coming to 
 America ? What difficulties did they have in gettmg a 
 charter ? 
 
52 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 '' For ye are not as yet come to the rest, and to the inherit- 
 ance, which the Lord your God g-iveth you." — Moses. 
 
 Break forth in songs, ye trees, 
 As through jour tops the breeze 
 
 Sweeps from the sea ! 
 For on its rushing- wings. 
 To your cool shades and springs, 
 That breeze a people brings, t 
 
 Exiled though free. — Pierpont. f 
 
 31r. Allerton. When the Pilgrims had deter- 
 mined upon removing to America, the next thing | 
 was, to agree among theniselves who should go \ 
 first : for they could not ail leave Holland very ! 
 well at once. On the whole, it seemed best that 
 the younger part of the congregation, and their 
 families, should go before the rest, because they ] 
 were strong, and better able to bear hardships : ; 
 and that the others should live in Holland till a 
 settlement was begun in America. As soon as 
 this question was settled, those who were to go, 
 immediately set about getting ready for their 
 voyage. Several of the richest of them sold 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 53 
 
 their estates, and put the money together. With 
 this, they bought one small ship in Holland, 
 called the Speedwell, and hired another larger 
 one in London, natned the Mayflower. When 
 all things were ready for their departure, the 
 whole congregation joined in keeping a day of 
 fasting and prayer. On that solemn day, Mr. 
 Robinson preached from these words of Ezra 
 viii. 21. " I proclaimed a fast there, at the 
 river Ahava, that we might afflict our souls be- 
 fore our God, to seek of him a right way for 
 us, and for our little ones, and for all our sub- 
 stance." 
 
 After this, they left the city of Leyden, ac- 
 companied by most of their friends, and went to 
 a small town called Delft Haven, where the 
 Speedwell lay waiting for those who were going 
 in her. The other ship, and all who were ex- 
 pecting to sail in her, were at Southampton, in 
 England. The Pilgrims spent one night at 
 Delft Haven, in Christian conversation, with 
 very little sleep. The next day, which was the 
 2d of July, 1620, the wind being fair, the Pil- 
 grims went on board, and their friends went with 
 them. O, it was hard to part ! for they knew 
 not that they should ever meet again in this 
 5 
 
54 HISTORY OF 
 
 world ; as indeed many of them never did. 
 Tears, and sighs, and prayers, and blessings, all 
 mingled in this parting scene. Even ti.e stran- 
 gers who stood upon the shore, could not help 
 weeping at the sight. But the wind and tide, 
 which wait for no one, did not allow them to 
 stay any longer; so falling down upon their 
 knees in prayer, their beloved minister corn- 
 mended them to the care of that God, who was 
 able to keep them safe amidst all the dangers of 
 the deep, and the perils of the wilderness. 
 They then embraced each other, and parted. 
 The Speedwell, with a fair wind, was soon out 
 of sight, on her way to Southampton ; and Mr. 
 Robinson, with those who remained in Holland, 
 went back to Leyden. 
 
 Emellne. But I thought Mr. Robinson was 
 going with them. Didn't they have any min- 
 ister then 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Mr. Robinson wanted to go, 
 but as the largest part of his church stayed be- 
 hind, he thought it was his duty to stay with 
 them, till they all should go. But just as the 
 Pilgrims were going to sail, he wrote them a very 
 kind letter, in which he gave them much good 
 advice. He said he should still be present with 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 55 
 
 them, by his love and earnest longing after their 
 welfare, (hough he was constrained for a while 
 to be bodily absent ; and that he had much rather 
 bear his part of their first difficulties, if he were 
 not held back by strong necessity. " Make ac- 
 count of me, in the mean time," says he, " as a 
 man divided in myself with great pain, and hav- 
 ing my better part with you." But their elder, 
 Mr. Brewster, went with them. 
 
 Emelinc. Does elder mean minister? 
 
 Mr. Allerion. No ; not exactly. Elders, at 
 that time, were persons chosen to assist the min- 
 ister in ruling the church, and taking care of it. 
 On this account, they were called ruling elders, 
 to distinguish them from ministers themselves, 
 who were sometimes called elders. They were 
 required to be wise and good men. It was a 
 part of their business, to see that the members 
 of the church behaved like Christians, and to 
 reprove them if they did not. Mr. Brewster 
 used to do all this, and much more. After they 
 left Holland for America, he preached to them 
 regularly on the Sabbath, and prayed with them 
 when they were sick, and did all that a minister 
 £;ould do. 
 
 J^et us now follow these Pilgrims on their 
 
^ HISTORY OF 
 
 watery way across the ocean, and see what befel 
 them there. On the 5th of August, the two 
 ships sailed from Southampton, but they had not 
 gone far, before the Speedwell beaan to leak, 
 and the captain said he was afraid to go any 
 farther. So both ships returned, and the leaky 
 ship was examined and mended. Again they 
 set out together, and sailed about three hundred 
 miles, when the same ship hegan to leak again : 
 and back they had to go the second time ! 
 
 Efhoard. How discouraging this was! It 
 really seemed as if Providence opposed their 
 going to America. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. We must be careful, my son, 
 how we take wrong views of Divine Providence. 
 When we succeed well with any undertaking, 
 we cannot be certain from this, that God is 
 pleased with our doings : for prosperity has 
 ruined many a person. Nor when we are dis- 
 appointed in our plaris, can we tell from this 
 alone, that God dislikes our conduct : for the 
 greatest disappointments often turn out to be the 
 greatest blessings. Sometimes God seems to 
 disappoint his people, on purpose to wean them 
 from this world and fit them for heaven. You 
 remember what troubles pious David had, and 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 57 
 
 what he said respecting them. " Before I was 
 afflicted, I went astray ; but now have I kept thy 
 word." The Pilgrims thought all these trials 
 were sent for their good, and therefore were not 
 discouraged. Tiie whole company judged it 
 best to leave the leaky ship, and 10 let as many 
 of her company get into the other vessel, as could 
 be accommodated there. The Mayflower could 
 not take them all, therefore some must be left. 
 So here, you see, was another sad parting. 
 
 On the 6th of September, the Mayflower, 
 commanded by Captain Jones, put to sea for the 
 last time, all alone, with 07ie hundred and one 
 Pilgrims — a small and feeble band — crossing a 
 stormy ocean — late in the year — a terrible win- 
 ter coming on — their wives and children with 
 them — going to a strange and savage land !— 
 Precious cargo ! 
 
 Father Allerton's voice began to falter here, 
 and he remained for a few moments in solemn 
 silence — his eyes fast closed. Never before, in 
 my life, did I contemplate the Pilgrims with 
 such feelings. I seemed, for the moment, to 
 behold the millions of their posterity, and all the 
 wealth and grandeur of New England, and the 
 political and religious destiny of all America, 
 5* 
 
58 HISTORY OF 
 
 lodged in one frail ship, tossed on the angry 
 waves of a stormy ocean ! 
 
 *' Precious cargo !" repeated Father Alierton, 
 and paused again. 
 
 '• Never," said I, " did the Atlantic ocean 
 bear on its bosom such a valuable burden from 
 the mines of Potosi. It has been well said by a 
 good man, that God, the great Husbandman of 
 the world, sifted three kingdoms^ that he might 
 plant the American wilderness with the finest 
 loheaty 
 
 Mr. Alierton. True, Sir. I venture to say, 
 there never has been seen such a society of 
 people on earth, since that time. All who came 
 over to this country in the Mayflower, came for 
 the sake of religion ; and for that pure religion 
 too, which was hated by the loose and profane. 
 And then they lived such strict and holy lives, 
 that no ungodly person could endure to be with 
 them. Yet these are the men who were hunted 
 from place to place like thieves and robbers. 
 But I will say no more about their cruel treat- 
 ment in England. Our fathers forgave their 
 enemies, and prayed for them ; and we ought to 
 turn our thoughts upon the pious character of 
 the Pilgrims, rather than upon the persecuting 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 59 
 
 spirit of their enemies. The people of England 
 have long since seen their mistake, and never 
 again would do as their fathers did, if they 
 should have an opportunity. The Lord told the 
 children of Israel to *' stand in the ways and see, 
 and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, 
 ajid walk therein." Let us follow the same 
 advice. 
 
 The Mayflower, after sailing awhile with fair 
 winds, was overtaken by a dreadful storm. The 
 vessel was wrecked so badly, that some of the 
 principal men on board had serious thoughts of 
 returning. However, tliey kept on their way, 
 and after a boisterous voyage o^ nine weeks, they 
 came in sight of land, but knew not where. It 
 proved to be Cape Cod, several hundred miles 
 north of the place where they intended to settle. 
 So after some talk with the captain, he tacked 
 the ship about, and steered to the southward. 
 When they had gone in that direction for half a 
 day, they found themselves among shoals, and 
 could go no further. With much difficulty, they 
 were able to get back, at last, into Cape Cod 
 harbor, on the llth of November. Here the 
 Pilgrims fell upon their knees, and gave thanks 
 to that God, who had brought them safely through 
 
60 HISTORY OF 
 
 SO many seen and unseen dangers and difficul- 
 ties. 
 
 Edioard. Did they never get to Virginia, 
 then, as ihey intended ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It was not Virginia, my child, 
 but near the mouth of the Hudson river, where 
 they wanted to settle. It is true, that place was 
 then the northern part of what King James gave 
 to the Virginia Company ; but the State of Vir- 
 ginia now does not reach so far to the north, you 
 know. 
 
 Emeline. Why, the Hudson river, Edward, 
 is in the State of New York, is it not? 
 
 Edioard. Yes ; and the city of New York, 
 I suppose, stands very near the spot where the 
 Pilgrims wished to land. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. You are right ; but that great 
 city has all been built there since that time. 
 The spot was then covered with woods. The 
 Hudson river would have made a fine harbor for 
 the Pilgrims, and the land was much better than 
 where they stopped, and the winters not so cold. 
 But they never reached that place. 
 
 Edward. The storm hindered them, I sup- 
 pose. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It was partly that ; for the 
 
I^HE PILGRIMS. 01 
 
 winter was so near, and the ocean so rough, 
 when they came in sight of Cape Cod, that they 
 were glad to stop anywhere. But this was not 
 ail. It was afterwards known, that Captain 
 Jones had been hired not to carry them there, 
 but to land them somewhere else, although the 
 Pilgrims had agreed with him for a passage to 
 that place, before they set out. 
 
 Emcline. How came he to do so, grandpa' ; 
 who hired him ? 
 
 3Ir. AlUrton. Why, before they started from 
 Holland, some of the Dutch heard that they 
 talked oi going to Hudson river, and these 
 Dutch people thought it would be a good place 
 for themselves : so they sent out a company of 
 their own, while the Pilgrims were getting 
 ready, and privately bargained with Capt. Jones 
 to carry them somewhere else. It was on this 
 account, no doubt, that he brought them to Cape 
 Cod, and then pretended that he could get no 
 further. 
 
 Eincline. What a wicked man that captain 
 was, to lie and deceive them so ! 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Some thought that the captain 
 of the Speedwell told a lie too, and made his 
 vessel leak on purpose, that he might go back ; 
 
62 HISTORY OF 
 
 for he became sick of the voyage soon after he 
 set out. All who do such things, forget that 
 God's eye is upon them ; and when they have 
 forgotten thai, they can Jie or do any wicked 
 thing without fear. But though they may cast 
 off the fear of God, he still watches them just as 
 close. He has told us what will be the awful 
 portion of all liars — do you recollect it, Eme- 
 line? 
 
 Here Emeline repeated from memory, — '' All 
 liars shall have their part in the lake which 
 burncth with fire and brimstone." 
 
 After a moment's pause, Father Allerton went 
 on with his story. — God is able, my children, 
 to make the wr.ith and lies of wicked men 
 praise him, and help his church, and he did so 
 now ; for if the Pilgrims had gone to Hudson 
 river, as they intended, it is very likely that they 
 would have been destroyed by the barbarous In- 
 dians ; for there were great multitudes of them 
 living about there at that time. 
 
 Edicard. And were there none on Cape Cod 
 too? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. There were some, as you wilt 
 presently see, though not a great many. But 
 the place where they finally landed, had beeu 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 63 
 
 almost entirely cleared of Indians, by a mortal- 
 sickness, which swept them oflT about two years 
 before. I must tell you more about this in 
 another place. Let us now return to the Pil- 
 grims, and take our leave of them for the night. 
 We have followed them through their perilous 
 wanderings, till they at last reach this coast, late 
 in the season, and the cold wintery storms are 
 beginning to howl about them. 
 
 Emeline. Poor Pilgrims 1 How did they live 
 through the stormy winter without any friends 
 or home ? 
 
 Mr. Allerfon. Your question, Emeline, brings 
 to mind a most interesting, though pitiful part of 
 their story. But we must not enter upon it this 
 evening, for you see it is now past our usual time 
 for closing, and near the hour of prayer. Regu- 
 larity is of great importance, especially to you, 
 my children ; because you are now forming your 
 habits for life. If Providence permit, I will 
 continue this story of the Pilgrims to-morrow, 
 and tell you how they lived through the next 
 winter. But before we close this exercise, you 
 may answer a few questions. 
 
 Did Mr. Robinson's churcli all leave Holland at once ? Tell 
 me what you can remember about their preparations for leaving. 
 
^4 HISTORY OF 
 
 From what town did the Speedwell sail ? Why did not 
 Mr. Robinson come with them 1 Who came as their minister? 
 What troubles did they meet with on their voyage 1 How 
 many came ? 
 
 When the children had answered their grand- 
 father's questions, the Bible and Psalm Book 
 were brought forward. Father Allerton selected 
 a suitable chapter, which the children read. 
 After the old man had given a short and simple 
 explanation of the passage, and made some 
 practical remarks upon it, we all joined in sing- 
 ing the following verses of the 78th Psalm, and 
 then united in prayer. 
 
 " He bids us make his glories known, 
 His works of power and grace ; 
 And we'll convey his wonders down 
 Through every rising race. 
 
 Our lips shall tell them to our sons. 
 
 And they again to theirs ; 
 That generations yet unborn 
 
 May teach them to their heirs. 
 
 Thus shall ihey learn, in God alone 
 
 Their hope securely stands ; 
 That they may ne'er forget his workS;, 
 
 But practice his commands." 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 65 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 " In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, 
 in perils by mine own counlrymen, in perils by the heathen, in 
 perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea." — Paul. 
 
 " These are the great of earth. 
 Great, not by kingly birth, 
 Great in their well proved worth, 
 
 Firm hearts and true." — Pierpont. 
 
 On the following morning, after breakfast, I 
 walked out with Father Allerton, to view the 
 surrounding country. We slowly ascended a 
 neighboring hill, from which we had an exten- 
 sive view of Massachusetts Bay, on the north 
 and east. The morning was calm, and the 
 smooth surface of the water looked like a sea 
 of glass, spreading out before us till it seemed 
 to edge upon the blue sky, and mingle imper- 
 ceptibly with it. The southern prospect might 
 be three miles in extent, presenting a varied 
 landscape of meadows, pastures, ponds, and hills 
 rising one above another, and a forest of oaks 
 and pines beyond. The western view was broken 
 at the distance of half a mile, by a range of 
 6 
 
66* HISTORY OF 
 
 woody hills, which extended into the bay and 
 formed a steep cliff, 
 
 " That promontory yonder," said Mr. Allertoti, 
 " is the first land that meets the mariner's eye, 
 as he approaches this coast on his return from 
 sea. He discovers that high land some time be- 
 fore he sees Cape Cod, notwithstanding the cape 
 stretches along between him and this hill, and 
 lies so far towards the east, too, that we can 
 hardly discover it from here. Though, by the 
 way, Sir, the air is so clear and the bay so smooth 
 this morning, that you can get a tolerably good 
 view of Cape Cod." 
 
 Upon this I looked again, and saw what ap- 
 peared like a low sand-bank, running along be- 
 tween the water and the sky, which I had not 
 before noticed. The subject of our last even- 
 ing's conversation rushed into my mind so sud- 
 denly upon this discovery, that I could not help 
 glancing my eye along the cape to see if I could 
 find the Mayflower. 
 
 *' Point me," said I, *' good Sir, to the spot 
 where you left the Pilgrims last evening ; for 
 this bay seems to me like a sacred chart where 
 we might trace out their pious and perilous 
 wanderinss." 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 6T 
 
 Father Allevton, lifting his staff, slowly fixed 
 its dirrctioii. — " 'i'hcre, Sir," he said, " that is 
 exactly the spot wliere the Pilgrims first found 
 a shelter on tiiis New England shore, after they 
 had'passed the dangers of the ocean — more than 
 two hundred years ago." 
 
 I was sorry that he added this last remark — 
 *' two hundred years ago" — for I was willing to 
 imagine that they were now on that very spot 
 where I was looking. 
 
 " I should rejoice," said I, *' to sit down here 
 upon this hill, and listen to the remainder of 
 their story ; for I can almost see them now sail- 
 ing about here before us. If Edward and Eme- 
 line were here, 1 should urge this request." 
 
 Father Ailerton smiled at my remark, and 
 turning his eye towards the house, said, ** I 
 think you will have a chance to make your re- 
 quest, for the children, I see, are coming this 
 way, and are now almost here. But such a 
 request is unnecessary ; I dare say it will give 
 me as much pleasure to spend an half hour in 
 talking about the Pilgrims, as you will feel in 
 listetiing to me. Besjdcs, these children will 
 be more likely to remember the story if they 
 
68 HISTORY OF 
 
 can see the places where some of the events 
 occurred." 
 
 By this time the children had come up, and 
 were delighted with the proposal. So we all 
 sat down upon the side of a rock, and the old 
 man began. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yonder, my children, is the 
 cape, you see, and at the end of it is the har- 
 bor in which we left the Pilgrims last evening, 
 on board the Mayflower. It was the 11th of 
 Noven)ber ; and the lying captain had brought 
 them to that dreary place, far from the spot 
 where they wanted to go. But this was not the 
 worst of it. He told them that they must look 
 out a place near by, where they would be land- 
 ed, and threatened to put them and their goods 
 all out upon the beach where they were, if they 
 did not find a place soon. He saw that winter 
 was coming on, and he wished to get back to 
 England before it came. 
 
 The shore where they were, looked so dreary 
 and desolate, that they could not think of settling 
 there. They agreed, therefore, to send off some 
 of their number in the boat to examine the coast 
 and look for a better place. But before any of 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 69 
 
 them left the ship, the Pilgrims made a set of 
 laws and regulations, which they all promised 
 to obey. Then tiiey chose Mr. John Carver to 
 he their Governor for one year. Whilst they 
 were repairing the boat, Captain Miles Standish, 
 a brave man, witii fifteen others, offered to go 
 ashore and travel by land in search of a place 
 for settlement. They went with their guns, 
 and were gone two days and two nights. Dur- 
 ing this time they travelled many miles, slept in 
 the open air, got wet with rain, saw five or six 
 Indians, but could not get near enough to speak 
 with them, found some Indian corn buried under 
 heaps of sand, and as it was the first they had 
 ever seen, they brought some of it back with 
 them to the ship. 
 
 Edward. But did no Indian corn grow in 
 England nor Holland at that time? 
 
 Mr. Alltrton. No; it was not known in any 
 civilized part of the world until it was found 
 among the Indians in America. On this ac- 
 count it is called Indian corn. By this time 
 the boat was ready, and twenty-four of the Pil- 
 grims, with nine or ten sailors, went in her to 
 examine a certain place which Captain Standish 
 and his company saw in their march, and which 
 6* 
 
70 HISTORY OF 
 
 they thought might be a good harbor. But a 
 cold storm of wind, and rain, and snow came on 
 soon after they left the ship, and drove ihein to 
 the nearest shore. Here they had to wade in 
 the cold water, by which means niany of them 
 took severe colds, and some never recovered. 
 On the next morning they sailed to the spot, 
 but soon found that it was no place for a settle- 
 ment. They travelled about in the snow, which 
 was a foot deep, shot several ducks and geese, 
 which they cooked for supper, and slept at night 
 under some pine trees. On the next morning 
 they went to the spot where the Indian corn had 
 been seen, and found a large quantity buried in 
 the sand. Do you see that place yonder, which 
 seems to rise a little above the rest of the cape 1 
 Well, it was somewhere about that rising ground, 
 where they found the corn. The town of Truro 
 now stands near the *spot, and there is a hill in 
 it which still goes by the name of CornhilL 
 
 By this time some of the boat's company be- 
 gan to grow weary, and wished to go back. So 
 they sent a part of their number to the ship, 
 with about ten bushels of corn, which they dug 
 out of the frozen sand. The others desired to 
 look farther, and staid another night. 
 
THE PIJ.GRIMS. 71 
 
 Emeline. Was it right for them to t«ike away 
 tlie Indians' corn ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. The Piltrrims wished to pay 
 for it, but the owners could not be found. How- 
 ever, they saw some of them about six months 
 afterwards, and paid tljem as much as they 
 ^sUed. It seemed to he a good providence of 
 God that they found this corn, for their store of 
 provisif)ii was quite low before spring. By this 
 means, too, they had seed to plant, without 
 which, it seems they must have starved. 
 
 Those who staid behind, lodged there on the 
 snow, as they all did the night before. Next 
 day they found several Indian wigwams, or 
 houses, and a numl)er of curious things belongs 
 ing to the Indians, but could not see any pef 
 son. The boat came and they all went back to 
 the ship. Tiiere they remained for one week, 
 not knowing what to do. Several of the com" 
 pany died in the harbor of Cape Cod, 
 
 On the 6th of December they sent out their 
 boat on a third voyage of discovery, with ten of 
 their principal men, and about aa many sailors. 
 Messrs. Carver, Bradford, Winslow, Allerton, 
 and Standish, were among the number. They 
 determined to sail along the shore of the bay. 
 
72 HISTORY OF 
 
 until they should find a suitable place for settle- 
 ment, and then carry back word to the sliip. 
 The first day they saw about a dozen Indians on 
 the shore, cutting up a whale that had drifted 
 up on the beach. They landed not far from 
 this place and spent the night. Here tiiey saw 
 the smoke of the Indian fires several miles off. 
 In the morning they divided their company, and 
 a part travelled by land, while the rest sailed 
 along shore. Those on the land found a num- 
 ber of Indian wigwams, but saw no Indians, nor 
 any good place for a settlement. Towards night 
 the boat came ashore, and the two companies 
 lodged together in the woods. They rose early 
 next morning, and prayed to God for his guid- 
 ance and blessing. Just about day-light, when 
 they were getting ready to set out, they suddenly 
 heard a great and strange cry, "Wuach ! 
 woach! ha hack woacli V One of their men 
 came running towards them exclaiming, Indi- 
 ans I Indians! Immediately the Indians let 
 fly their arrows at the Pilgrims, and the Pilgrims 
 fired their guns at the Indians. Upon this the 
 savages fled for their lives. 
 
 Emeline. Was any body killed, grandpa' ? 
 
 Mr, AUerton. We don't know how it was 
 
THE PiLORIMS. 73 
 
 with the Indians : but amoncrst the Pilgrims 
 nobody was hurt in the least, ahhough the ar- 
 rows fell all arour»d iheni like a bhovver of hail, 
 and went through their clothes. 
 
 Edward. How are these arrows made ? 
 Mr. Allcrton. They are made in different 
 ways. Most commonly they are nothing more 
 than a straight stick about two feet long, with 
 a sharp piece of flint stone fastened in one end. 
 But with a good bow an Indian can shoot one 
 of ihese so swift as to kill a person at a con- 
 siderable distance. Some of the arrows that 
 were shot at the Pilgrims were headed with 
 brass, some with deer's horn, and others with 
 eagles' claws. After this attack of the Indians 
 the Pilgritns gave thanks to God for his pre- 
 serving care, and sailed on their way. 
 
 Edward. Are all ihe Indians such savage 
 <jreatures as to attack those who have done them 
 no injury ? 
 
 Mr. Allerfoti. They have a character widely 
 <iifferent from that of white people. I will tell 
 you something about their habits and disposition 
 before I close this story, if I have time. One 
 thing I will just remark of them now, which 
 will show you why they treated the Pilgrims so. 
 
74 HISTORY OF 
 
 They never forget a favor nor forgive an injury. 
 And sometimes when a single individual insults 
 them, they will hale the wljole nation to which ' 
 he belongs. 
 
 Emeliue. When had the Pilgrims insulted : 
 them ? 
 
 Mr. Alhrton. Never, my child. They never ', 
 saw the Pilgrims before. But an English cap- . 
 tain by the name of Hunt, several years before ; 
 had come there to trade with them. One day 
 he invited a number of them on board his ves- 
 sel, and when he had got them there he carried 
 them off into Spain, and sold them as slaves. ^ 
 The Indians never forgot this inhuman deed„ * 
 but were ever upon the watch for revenge orr \ 
 
 the English. Tiiey afterwards said that this \ 
 
 . . . \ 
 
 was tlie reason why they fell upon the Pilgrims-. < 
 
 But we must leave this subject here, and follow i 
 
 the boat along these shores. ' 
 
 They sailed about 45 or 50 miles from the 
 
 place where they stopped the night before, but 
 
 found no good harbor. A storm also was corn-* 
 
 ing on. The pilot told them of a harbor where , 
 
 he once stopped, which he thought they could ' 
 
 reach before niglit, if they kept on their way. \ 
 
 So they resolved to sail for it. That place was 1 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 75 
 
 Plymouth harbor, which you can almost see by 
 the end of that point' yonder, on our left. Their 
 course to it was directly along these shores. 
 Before the middle of the afternoon it began to 
 snow and rain. The wind increased, and the 
 sea was so rouijh that they broke their rudder. 
 It was now as much as two men could do to steer 
 the boat with a couple of oars. In this condilion 
 they passed along here — the wiiid was high — 
 the snow flew thick — their rudder was broken ! 
 
 The pilot bid them be of good cheer, for he 
 said he could see the harbor ahead. The storm 
 grew more severe, night was fast coming on, 
 and ihey bore what sail they could that they 
 might reach the place before dark. At last a 
 violent gust of wind broke their mast into three 
 pieces, and almost overset the boat. Yet by the 
 good providence of God they escaped, and were 
 passing into the harbor as ihey all supposed. But 
 the pilot now f)und that he was mistaken in the 
 place, and cried out, " Lord^ be merciful to us ! 
 my eyes never saw this phtce before^ Here 
 they would have been dashed against the shore 
 in a few moments, if they had not turned the 
 boat immediately, and got away. Now they 
 
7j| HISTORY OP 
 
 were among foaming waves, in a dark stormy 
 night, and knew not which way to steer ! 
 
 " What did become of them F' exclaimed the 
 children, both at once. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. God took care of them, my chil- 
 dren. Although it was very dark and stormy ,^ yet, 
 by the help of Providence, they got under the lee 
 of a small island. But they knew not that it 
 was an island, and durst not go on shore, lest 
 they should fall among Indians, Some of them 
 at last, worn out with fatigue and cold, ventured 
 ashore, and with much difficulty kindled a fire. 
 After midnight the wind shifted to the norths 
 and the weather was so cold that they were alt 
 glad to leave the boat and get to the fire. In 
 the morning they saw that they were upon an 
 island secure from the Indians. 
 
 " What island was that?" said I, " Can we 
 see it from here ?" 
 
 Mr. Allerton. We can almost see it but not 
 quite. You see that point of land which they 
 call the Gurnet. Well, the island on which the 
 Pilgrims spent the night lies a little to the south 
 of it in the mouth of Plymouth harbor. It has 
 ever since that time been called Clark's Island, 
 
THE riLGRlJVIS. 77 
 
 because Thomas Clark first ventured ashore 
 upon it. 
 
 Here the Pilgrims dried their clothes ; and as 
 it was the last day of the week, they rested 
 themselves and prepared to keep the Sabbath 
 there. When the holy Sabbath came, they 
 spent the day in prayer and praise in the open 
 air around their fire, and talked of the Lord's 
 goodness and mercy. This was the first Chris- 
 tian Sabbath ever observed on these shores : and 
 though they were few in number, and on a soli- 
 tary island, still they kept it in a way more ac- 
 ceptable to God, no doubt, than many of their 
 descendants have since done in large meeting- 
 houses and with their ministers. 
 
 *' How many in our times," said I, '' would 
 think themselves altogether excused from ob- 
 serving the Lord's Day in such circumstances ! 
 especially if their business was as pressing and 
 important as the business of the Pilgrims then 
 was." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Ah, sir, there has been a sad 
 departure from the custom of our Fathers, in 
 respect to this thing. They feared God, and 
 obeyed his fourth command. They loved him, 
 and took such delight in his worship, that the 
 7 
 
78 HISTORY or 
 
 would not have been excused from it, even if 
 they might. They trusted in him too, for 
 help in all their pursuits, and knew that nothing 
 would be gained by working on his holy day. 
 AleS ! how has the glory departed from New 
 England ! JVJy children, whenever you think of 
 neglecting God's holy day, remember where, and 
 hoio, the first Sabbath was kept in this country. 
 
 On Monday they examined the harbor, and 
 found it convenient for vessels. They landed 
 by stepping from their boai upon a rock in the 
 edge of the water ; and that rock has ever since 
 been called Forefathers' B.orJc. They next took 
 a view of the country, and found several brooks 
 of good vvat<fr, and saw where the Indians once 
 had their cornfields, but saw no person. This 
 was the I hh of December, Old Style, in the 
 year 1(520, which is the same as the 22d of De- 
 cember, as we now reckon. 
 
 Emeline. W!iy do you call it Old Styhj 
 grandpa' ? What docs that mean ? 
 
 Mr. AUerton. Old Style means the old icay 
 of reckoning the days of the month, and is just 
 eleven days later than the New Style, which is 
 now used. So that when you see the day of a 
 month mentioned in the Old Style, you must add 
 eleven days to it, and it will show the date, as 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 79 
 
 we now reckon. The Pilgrims used the Old 
 Style, and therefore I have done so, when I have 
 fnentioned the days of the month. 
 
 Edward. Then we must call the day on 
 which they landed at Plymouth, the 22d of De- 
 cember, must we not ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yes, that is the day which we 
 celebrate as the Forefathers' Day. When they 
 had examined the harbor, and were satisfied that 
 it was a good place for their settlement, they 
 went back to the ship with the news ; and the 
 Mayflower sailed to this harl)or with all the Pil- 
 grims. There we must leave them till this even- 
 ing ; for I think your grandmother will hardly 
 be willing to spare us all from home any longer. 
 
 As soon as Father Allerton had said this, 
 Emelinc rose suddenly from her seat, and began 
 to run towards the house. In a few moments, 
 however, she stopped to inquire if her grand- 
 father wished to ask them any questions now. 
 So on our way to the house Mr. Allerton made 
 the following inquiries. 
 
 How Hifl CapU Jones treat ihe rilgrimfi after they arrived at 
 Cape Cod ? What did ihey do before iliey lesfiE the ship ? Oive 
 an account of ilieir first aiieiupt to find a place (<)r settlement. 
 Tlieir second attempt. Tell me what you can remember of 
 their thin! voyage of discovery. Where was the first Christian 
 Sabbath held in New England 1 When did they first land at 
 Pjymouth ? 
 
so HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 '^ I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the 
 people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine ene- 
 mies turn their backs unto thee." — Jehovah, 
 
 " They wandered in a thorny maze, 
 A vale of doubts and fears ; 
 A night illum'd with sickly rays, 
 A wilderness of tears." — Tajopmi. 
 
 The returning evening found the little family 
 circle at Father Allerton's, all comfortably seat- 
 ed, and waiting to hear more from the Pilgrims ; 
 when Mr. Alierton thus began : — 
 
 " My children, we have followed the Pilgrims 
 through many scenes of danger already, and 
 have seen their Christian courage on many a 
 trying occasion ; but their greatest trials remain 
 yet to be told." 
 
 " Then I was mistaken," said Edward ; " for 
 I told Emeline this afternoon, that I guessed the 
 Pilgrims were comfortable and happy, after they 
 left the ship and got settled on the land." 
 
 Mr. Alierton. Do not suppose, from what I 
 say, that they were not happy. They always 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 81 
 
 found a happiness in religion, which the world 
 and all its trials could not take away. But you 
 was very much mistaken, my son, if you thoufrht 
 the Pilgrims had fewer troubles on land, than 
 they had on the sea. It is painful to think of 
 the sufferings ihey endured through the first few 
 years of their settlement here. But we ought to 
 think of them often; for many of our comforts 
 came to us through their toil and suffering. 
 And when we think of their toils, let us call to 
 mind our blessings : and thank that merciful God 
 who has shown us such unmerited kindness. 
 
 The ship sailed to the new-found harbor, as I 
 told you, and after looking up to heaven for 
 direction, about twenty of the Pilgrims wont 
 ashore to fix upon a spot for building houses ; 
 for the country was all a wilderness then, and 
 not a house was to be seen of any kind. They 
 pitched upon a rising ground where had been an 
 Indian cornfield several years before. As the 
 weather was fair, they spent the night on shore, 
 intending to go back to the ship next day. But 
 an the night a storm arose, and they were obliged 
 to wait two days and two nights, without any 
 shelter, before they could return to the ship. 
 After this they went to work and built one small 
 
^1 HISTORY OF 
 
 house for their common use. Then they divided 
 their whole company into nineteen families, and 
 marked out as many lots of land as there were 
 families, and went to building as fast as they 
 could. As soon as the houses were ready, they 
 moved their families into them from the ship. 
 But on account of bad weather and sickness, it 
 took them nearly all winter to get moved and 
 settled. 
 
 " It must have taken them a long time," said 
 I, " only to build as many houses as they needed, 
 if they had nothing else to do." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It must indeed, if their houses 
 were made like those which we novv' build. But 
 they were not. The Pilgrims cut their timber 
 in the woods near by, and put up little huts, for 
 houses — the best that their time and means 
 would allow. They were so anxious to get set- 
 tled, that they moved on shore some time before 
 they could be sheltered from the storm. In 
 these miserable huts they lived, or rather died^ 
 through the rest of that cold winter. 
 
 Father Allerton paused in his story, and 
 seemed like one whose mind is troubled with 
 some sad tale, which still must be told. After a 
 short pause, Emeline broke the silence by ask- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. §3 
 
 ing with a mournful tone of voice — " Did the 
 Pilgrims die, grandpa' ?" 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yes, my dear, full half of 
 these toil-iuorn Pilgrims died before the next 
 spring. Their hardships at sea, and their 
 fatigues on land, and their want of suitable 
 accommodations, were altogether too much for 
 human nature to bear. Three or four some- 
 times died in a single day : and at one time 
 there were only six or seven well persons to take 
 care of all the sick ! 
 
 Edward. O shocking ! did they have no 
 doctor among them 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. No, nor minister either. But 
 their good elder, Mr. Brewster, did the business 
 of both. When almost all the rest were sick, 
 he was spared ; and although he was then an 
 old man, he went about continually among them, 
 giving medicine to the sick and praying with 
 the dying. The sailors, too, on board the May- 
 flower, were sick at the same time, and half of 
 them died. 
 
 " O if the Indians," said I, " had come upon 
 them in this weak and helpless state, how easily 
 they might have cut them all off!" 
 
 Mr. Allerton. This was indeed a most re- 
 
S4 HISTORY OF 
 
 markable providence of God, and must be reck- 
 oned among his "wonders of old" which we 
 should remember. The Lord seemed to strike 
 the natives with a dread of the Pilgrims, just as 
 he did the inhabitants of Canaan with a fear of 
 the Israelites when they took the promised land. 
 They saw only six or seven Indians all winter, 
 and these did not attempt to injure any one, but 
 would always run away if any body went towards 
 them. They frequently saw the bones and skulls 
 of Indians lying above ground, as if a great 
 many people had once lived there, but had died 
 faster than they could be buried. All this ap- 
 peared strange and mysterious to the Pilgrims, 
 and they could not tell what to make of it, till 
 they were informed the next spring by one of 
 the natives. 
 
 Emeline. Pray how was it, grandpa' ? I long 
 to hear. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. One day about the middle of 
 March, an Indian came boldly into the settle- 
 ment, and cried out, '* Welcome Englishmen! 
 Welcome Englishmen .'" They were surprised 
 to see him there, for he was the first Indian they 
 had met ; but more surprised still to hear him 
 speak the English language. He told them his 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 85 
 
 name was Sa)nosct,?Lnd that he learned that lan- 
 guage of some fishermen, from England, on an- 
 other part of the coast. The Pilgrims treated 
 Samoset kindly, and kept him all night. He 
 gave them much valuable information respecting 
 the different parts of the country, and of the In- 
 dians, particularly of those who lived nearest to 
 them. He told them that the place of their set- 
 tlement, which they had named", Plymouth, was 
 called Patuxet by the Indians ; that the former 
 inhabitants of that place died of an extraordinary 
 sickness four years ago ; and that there was 
 scarcely a man, woman or child, left to hinder 
 them from taking possession of the land. By 
 this remarkable event, it seems that God went 
 before the Pilgrims, and prepared a place for 
 them here, just as he did for the children of 
 Israel in the land of Canaan. 
 
 Edward. And do you suppose the Indians 
 were destroyed for their sins ? My Sabbath 
 school teacher said that the people of Canaan 
 v/ere. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. I told you last evening, you 
 remember, that the wicked are not always openly 
 punished, nor the good always thus rewarded, in 
 this world. But still it sometimes happens, that 
 
86 HISTORY OF 
 
 God visits the wicked in some dreadful manner 
 here, as he did the Canaanites. However, this 
 does not answer your question, Edward. The In- 
 dians helieved that God sent that sickness among 
 them for murdering some wliite people once. I 
 will tell you the story which one of them told the 
 Pilgrims, and leave it for you to form your own 
 opinions about it. 
 
 Several years before the Mayflower came to 
 Plymouth, a French ship was cast away on Cape 
 Cod. But the sailors all got on shore, and saved 
 their victuals and goods. The Indians around 
 Plymouth, or Patuxet, as it was then called, 
 heard of this shipwreck, and went there. After 
 watching them slyly for some days, they took a 
 convenient opporturiity and killed them all but 
 three or four. These they kept alive and sent 
 them around from one chief to another, to make 
 sport for them, treating them worse than slaves. 
 One of these Frenchmen lived with them long 
 enough to learn their language. He told them 
 that God was angry at their wickedness, and 
 would some time or other destroy them, and give 
 their land to others who did not live so like 
 beasts. The Indians laughed at this, and told 
 him they were so many that God could not kill 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 87 
 
 them. He answered, ** No matter how many 
 you are, God can destroy you ; for he has many 
 ways to do it, which you don't know of." Soon 
 after the poor Frenchman's death, the plague 
 broke out among them, and swept them off, as 
 Samoset had related. Four years after this 
 plague, the Pilgrims came. The Indians re- 
 membered what the Frenchman had said ; and 
 as one part of it had come to pass, they began 
 to fear that the other would also, and that they 
 should lose their land. Therefore they were 
 afraid of the wliite people, and ran away when 
 they saw them. This is their story. 
 
 Emeline. Well, this is very curious; it seems 
 as if the hand of God was in it. 
 
 Edward. But if they feared that the Pilgrims 
 would take away their land, I wonder why they 
 did not muster all the Indians in the country, 
 and try to prevent it in some way or other. 
 
 Mr. Alltrton, It is truly wonderful that they 
 did not. I know of no better reason for it, than 
 that which Emeline has given — " the hand of 
 God was in it." They might have killed all the 
 Pilgrims as easily as not, when they were so 
 few in number, and most of them sick ; and we 
 should think they would have done it, if God 
 
88 HISTORY OF 
 
 had not made them afraid of the white people 
 just at that time. They never were afraid of 
 them before, and did not seem to be afterwards. 
 However, they did try to destroy lliem once, and 
 in a very curious way, too. Soon after the Pil- 
 grims landed at Plymouth, the Indians brought 
 together all their powows or priests, into a dark 
 and dismal swamp not far off, and spent three 
 days in cursing their white neighbors in a most 
 horrid manner. 
 
 ** In this strange conduct," said I, " they 
 seem to have followed in the steps of Balaam." 
 
 Mr. Alkrton. Ay, and like him too, they 
 were forced to say, " Surely there is no enchant- 
 ment against Jacob, neither is there any divina- 
 tion against Israel." The Pilgrims were unhurt 
 by their cursing, for they knew nothing about it 
 till a long time afterwards. But it shows us 
 what the Indians would have done, if they had 
 not been awed in some way ; for these poor de- 
 luded beings really believed that their powows 
 could curse the Pilgrims in such a manner that 
 they would die immediately. 
 
 Edward. There was at least one friendly In- 
 dian among them, was there not 1 he who came 
 and said, " Welcome Englishmen.'^ 
 
THE PILGRIMS. g9 
 
 Mr. AlJerton. Yes : Samoset proved himself 
 to be a true friend to the white people, and was 
 the means of making other friends, especially 
 Massasoit, who was then king of an Indian 
 tribe. He lived about 40 miles from Plymouth, 
 but was nearer than any other chief The 
 league of friendship between king Massasoit 
 and our forefathers, was an event of so much 
 importance to them, that I will relate the par- 
 ticulars. It shows, too, how they got possession 
 of this land. 
 
 I told you just now, that Samoset lodged one 
 night with the Pilgrims, and was treated kindly 
 by them. The next morning they sent him back 
 to his own people, but requested him to come 
 again and bring others to trade with them. He 
 promised that he would. On the following Sab- 
 bath he came with several other Indians, who 
 appeared to be friendly, and brought some furs 
 to sell. But as it was the Lord's Day, the Pil- 
 grims did not trade with them. However, these 
 natives were taken care of in a friendly manner 
 while they stayed, and promised to come again 
 in a day or two. Samoset remained at Ply- 
 mouth. Three days passed away, but no In- 
 dians came. Samoset was therefore sent to in- 
 8 
 
90 HISTORY OF 
 
 quire the cause. He returned the next day, at 
 noon, with an Indian named Squantiim, wJio 
 used to live on the spot where the Pilgrims 
 landed. He was one of those unfortunate na- 
 tives whom Capt. Hunt carried off and sold. 
 He was carried to Spain at first, but afterwards 
 escaped into England, where he lived two years, 
 and finally reached home. But on his return, 
 he found none of his friends living. The 
 plague, which broke out while he was gone, had 
 swept them all off; so that he was the only na- 
 tive of Plymouth then living. Squantum be- 
 came a good friend to the Pilgrims, and after- 
 wards showed them how to plant their Indian 
 corn, and where to catch fish, and many other 
 things, which they knew nothing about. 
 
 These two Indians brought news, that their 
 great king Massasoit was coming to see them, 
 with his brother Q,uadequina. After an hour, 
 the king came in sight on the top of a high hill, 
 with a train of 60 men ; and there they all 
 slopped. Squantum was sent to them, and 
 brought back word that the king wished to have 
 one of the white men come to him. Mr. Ed- 
 ward Winslow was sent to know what he wanted, 
 and to invite him into the town to sec Governor 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 91 
 
 Carver. The king then left Mr. Winslow in the 
 keeping of Quadequina, and went with 20 of 
 his men to meet the white people. Captain 
 Standish met him and conducted him into a 
 house. After Gov. Carver and King Massasoit 
 had kissed each other, as a niark of friendship, 
 they sat down and conversed together. 
 
 Edward. Did you say that the Indians kept 
 Mr. Winslow with them on the hill ? 
 
 Mr. AUerfon. Yes, until the king returned. 
 Massasoit knew nothing about the Pilgrims, 
 you see, and was afraid that they would take 
 him prisoner, or kill him, if he went among 
 them. And he would not venture, unless Mr. 
 Winslow stayed behind ; for he thought the 
 white people would not dare hurt him whilst one 
 of their number was in the hands of his men. 
 Mr. Winslow was conducted safely back when 
 the king returned. But Massasoit did not leave 
 Plymouth till he and Gov. Carver had first made 
 a league of friendship. The king gave the Pil- 
 grims all the land around Plymouth, and pro- 
 mised that his people should not injure them 
 nor steal their property. Gov, Carver made the 
 satne promise to him. The king also promised 
 that his men should always leave their bows and 
 
9^ HISTORY OF 
 
 arrows behind, when they came among the 
 white people. And they both agreed to help 
 each other, if any tribe of Indians should make 
 war upon either of them. 
 
 The king went home much pleased with his 
 visit, and sent word around to all the Indian 
 chiefs who were his friends, not to injure the 
 white people at Plymouth ; for if they did, he 
 should join with his white friends in punishing 
 them. So that instead of fearing any assault 
 from the neighboring Indians, these same neigh- 
 bors became a sort of bulwark around the little 
 settlement at Plymouth. 
 
 " This was a very remarkable circumstance," 
 said I, " and seems to show the hand of God as 
 clearly as anything we have yet seen. I think 
 it is Solomon who says, * When a man's ways 
 please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to 
 be at peace with him ;' and this affair of the In- 
 dians looks very much like it." 
 
 3Ir. AUerton. It does so. And I heartily 
 pity those who cannot view the subject in this 
 light. Yet there are some, you know, who can 
 read the history of the Pilgrims through without 
 noticing the hand of God once in it all. They 
 speak of it as though the Fathers of New Eng- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 93 
 
 land had done all these great wonders by their 
 own wisdom and strength. But the pious Pil- 
 grims would have blushed with shame if any 
 body had told them so. For they knew and felt 
 that ** they got not the land in possession by 
 their own sword, neither did their own arm save 
 them ; but the right hand of God, and his arm, 
 and the light of his countenance, because he 
 had a favor unto them." And there are others, 
 still more to be pitied, who boast that they are 
 descended from the Pilgrims, and are always 
 praising the Christian courage of their fore- 
 fathers, and cannot doubt but that God was with 
 them ; and yet these same persons despise that 
 pure religion, which bore them through persecu- 
 tion at home, and cheered them on their perilous 
 voyage, and sustained them in this howling wil- 
 derness. Yes, while they search after their 
 graves, and build a marble monument over their 
 dust, they ridicule those who live most like them 
 now ! But in vain do they build the tombs of 
 the Pilgrims, and garnish the sepulchres of the 
 righteous — if this is all. The Scribes and Phari- 
 sees did as much for their holy fathers ; and 
 yet the wo of Christ came upon them with 
 awful severity ! 
 
 8* 
 
94 HISTORY OF 
 
 My children, if you would honor the names of 
 these illustrious dead, you must maintain their 
 principles, and follow their example. They 
 " lived and walked with God." They suffered 
 the loss of all things for Christ's sake, " rejoicing 
 that they were counted worthy to suffer shame 
 for his name." It was the fear of God ever be- 
 fore their eyes, which took away the fear of men. 
 Thus they lived. And it may be said of those 
 who died in that first dreary winter, as it was 
 said of the Old Testament patriarchs, " These 
 all died in faiths not having received the pro- 
 mises, but having seen them afar off^ and were 
 persuaded of them, and embraced them, and con- 
 fessed that they were strangers and Pilgrims on 
 the earth J' 
 
 But there are many other interesting things 
 to be said of them before their story is all told, 
 which will show their character more clearly 
 than anything you have yet heard. We have 
 seen them settled at last on these shores. We 
 shall next see how they go to work in laying the 
 foundation of this great and powerful nation. 
 But we will stop here for the present, and re- 
 view the ground that we have gone over this 
 evening. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 95 
 
 When the ship came to Plymouth, what was the first thing 
 they did ? How long were they in getting- moved and settled ? 
 What kind of houses did tliey build 1 How many died the first 
 winter ? What seemed to be the cause of it ? Tell me about 
 the first Indian they met, and what he said. What cause did 
 the natives give for the plague ? How did they once try to de- 
 stroy the Pilgrims ? Who was Squantum ? Tell me about 
 King Massasoit's visit to them. What do you think of these 
 things ? How can we honor the Pilgrims best ? 
 
96 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 " Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them thut fear him, upon 
 them that hope in his mercy ; to deliver their soul from death, 
 and to keep them alive in famine." — Psabnist. 
 
 " A grand-child to earth's paradise is born, 
 Well liinb'd; well nerv'd, fair, rich, sweet, yet forlorn." 
 MoreU's Poem on New England. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. I shall not try to relate all that 
 happened to the Pilgrims, after they came to 
 this country ; for that would make my story 
 quite too long. Still I will endeavor to tell you 
 so much that you shall have a tolerahly correct 
 view of those worthy men who once lived here, 
 and whose dust is now mingled with the soil on 
 which we tread. 
 
 When the next spring opened, Capt. Jones 
 returned to England with the Mayflower. The 
 sickness of his men prevented him from going 
 sooner. The feeble band of Pilgrims were now 
 left ahme. Death had reduced their number to 
 about 50, and many of these were stdl sick. 
 The wide Atlantic ocean rolled between them 
 and their beloved friends. Now they felt in- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 97 
 
 deed that they were " strangers and pilgrims on 
 the earth." But this only made them oftener 
 think of that " country which is an heavenly," 
 and of that *' city which hath foundations, whose 
 builder and maker is God." They went to 
 work as soon as they were able, and planted 
 about 20 acres of Indian corn, Squantum show- 
 ing them how. While they were doing this, 
 Gov. Carver was suddenly taken sick, and died 
 within a few days. His death was a great loss 
 to the little Colony at Plymouth, for he was the 
 most wealthy man among them, and had given 
 a large part of his property to help forward the 
 new settlement. But above all, he was a man 
 of great wisdom and piety. Although he was 
 Governor, he still would take his share of labor 
 and fatigue with the rest. Indeed, he was in 
 the field at work when he was first taken sick. 
 They buried him with all the marks of honor 
 and love that they could show. His affectionate 
 wife, overcome by her loss, lived only six weeks 
 after the death of her husband. They chose 
 Mr. William Bradford for their next Governor. 
 He had not entirely recovered from a long and 
 dangerous sickness when he was elected to that 
 
98 HISTORY OF 
 
 office ; and they appointed Mr. Isaac Allerton 
 to assist him. 
 
 Edward. Did Massasoit still continue a 
 friend to the Pilgrims, after Gov. Carver was 
 dead? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yes. In the month of July 
 Mr. Wiiislow and Mr. Hopkins were sent to 
 this Indian king with a present, and found that 
 he was still their firm friend. One of Massasoit's 
 chiefs, whose name was Flobamak, came back 
 with the messengers, and lived at Plymouth all 
 the rest of his days. He was a large, stout man, 
 and had much influence with his countrymen, 
 on account of his strength and courage. He 
 assisted the new settlers in many ways, but 
 especially by persuading the natives to make 
 friendship with the white people. But it had 
 like to have cost him his life once. For one day 
 he and Squantum were sent on some business 
 to Massasoit, and on their way they lodged at 
 a place called by the Indians Namasket, but it 
 is now the town of Middleborough. There an 
 Indian, named Corbitant, who hated the Eng- 
 lish, found them, and attempted to stab Hobo- 
 rnok, for no other reason than because he was 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 99 
 
 a friptiH to the Pilgrims. Hobamak, however, 
 being a stout man, cleared himself and ran to 
 Plymouth, where he told what had happened, 
 and said he feared that Squanium was killed. 
 Immediately they sent Capt. Standish to the 
 spot with 14 armed men. These surrounded 
 the house, to hinder those within fro h running 
 away, and Capt. Standish boldly entered to 
 search for Corbitant ; but the sly savage had 
 escaped. When they found that Squanium was 
 alive, they did no harm to the Indians, except 
 that three of them were wounded by attempting 
 to flee from the house while it was surrounded 
 by the soldiers. These three were brought to 
 Plymouth and cured, and then sent home again. 
 
 Emdine. I am glad they cured the poor 
 Indians, for I should think this would have 
 convinced them that the Pilgrims were their 
 friends. 
 
 Mr. Alhrton. This whole aflfair had a happy 
 effect upon the natives through all those parts. 
 When they saw how bold, and yet how kind 
 the white people were, a nuniber of chiefs came 
 and wished to make a league of friendship with 
 them, just as Massasoit had done. Even Cor- 
 bitant himself came, or rather sent by Massasoit ; 
 
100 HISTORY OF 
 
 for he felt rather shy about seeing the Pilgrims, 
 after what had happened. 
 
 The fall of the year was now coming on, and 
 the settlers, mindful of their last winter's suffer- 
 ings, began to repair their houses. They gath- 
 ered in a good harvest of Indian corn, but their 
 English grain was very poor. However, they 
 got large quantities of fowl and fish during the 
 autumn, by which they were much refreshed. 
 Sometime in November, the ship Fortune, from 
 England, came to Plymouth, and brought 35 
 more of their friends to live with them. 
 
 Emeline. I guess they were glad to see the 
 Pilgrims once more. 
 
 Edward. And I presume the Pilgrims, too, 
 were glad to welcome their old friends to their 
 little town, which they had built there in the 
 wilderness with so much labor. 
 
 3Ir. Allerton. No doubt it was an occasion 
 of joy on both sides ; bat like many other joyful 
 occasions it was followed by sorrow. For soon 
 after the ship went away, they found that they had 
 not provisions enough to last them all till another 
 harvest. The 35 persons who had just arrived 
 brought no supplies with them, and those who 
 were there before, had barely enough for them- 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 101 
 
 selves. However, the Pilgrims gave the new 
 comers a share of what they had, although it was 
 found necessary in consequence of it, to put the 
 whole company on half allowance. By the end 
 of March, they had consumed all their corn, 
 and lived chiefly on clams and other shell-fish, 
 which they found in great abundance about 
 Plymouth harbor. In the latter part of May, 
 they sent Mr. Winslow with their boat to the 
 eastern part of New England, to see if he could 
 get some provisions from fishing vessels which 
 used to come there from England. By the kind- 
 ness of these fishermen, he obtained so much 
 bread as amounted to a quarter of a pound a day 
 till harvest time. But this you see was not 
 enough : so they were obliged still to live in a 
 great measure on clams. 
 
 Emeline. What would they have done, grand- 
 pa', if it had not been for the clams ? 
 
 3Ir. Allerton. Indeed, my child, I cannot 
 tell. Perhaps God would have fed them in some 
 other way, for he never forsakes the righteous. 
 Mr. Winslow himself, who wrote an account of 
 their sufferings at this time, says, " If we had 
 not been in a place where divers sorts of shell 
 fish are, that may be taken with the hand, we 
 9 
 
102 HIS'lORY OF 
 
 must have perished, unless God had raised some 
 unknown or extraordinary means fur our preserva- 
 tion." But famine was not tlie only trouble that 
 they now feared. Some of the Indians began to 
 boast how easy it would soon be to cut them all 
 off in their weak state. And the news had just 
 reached Plymouth, that nearly 400 of the Engli&h 
 at the Virginia Colony, had been murdered by 
 the savages a few months before ! 
 
 Edward. O shocking !— But I thoucrht the 
 natives about Plymouth, were all friendly to the 
 Pilgrims now. 
 
 Mr. Alkrton. No, not all: hut even if they 
 had been, there were many living at a distance 
 who were not; and the Indians go a great way 
 sometimes to make war. I ought to have told 
 you one circumstance before, which will show 
 you how near the white people came to a war 
 with the savage? about this time. One day, soon 
 after the ship Fortune left Plymouth, the Narra- 
 ganset Indians, a large and warlike tribe, wha 
 lived near the bay which is still called the Nar- 
 raganset Bay, sent a messenger to Plymouth, 
 with a bundle of arrows tied together with a 
 snake's skin. Nobody there knew what this 
 present could mean, till Squantum returned^ 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 103 
 
 who was away from home at the time. When 
 he came they showed him the arrows, and he 
 tol<l them at once, that it was meant for a threat- 
 ening and a challenge — the same as a declara- 
 tion of war. Upon this, Gov. Bradford, trusting 
 more to the promises of God, than to the strength 
 of the C«>lony, sent word to the Narragansets, 
 that if they loved war rather than peace, they 
 might begin when they pleased: that the English 
 had never done them any wrong, and were not 
 afraid of them. He also sent back the snake's 
 skin filled with powder and bullets. 
 
 ^* But did not the Indian messenger who 
 brought the arrows," I inquired, ** state the rea- 
 sons for this declaration of war ?" 
 
 Mr. AUerton. No, he left them withont 
 making any explanation at all. The cause of 
 this threat was probably this. Canonicus, the 
 king of that tribe, was a proud man ; and as the 
 plague had greatly thinned all the neighboring 
 tribes without touching his own, he thought it 
 would be a good opportunity for him to gain the 
 mastery over them. Rspecially he wished to 
 conquer Massasoit ; but he knew that he was 
 united with the English, and that he must con- 
 icjuer them first. But the Governor's short an- 
 
104 HISTORY OF 
 
 swer frightened Canonicus so much, that he 
 never attacked either Plymouth or Massasoit. 
 Still the Pilgrims expected that he would, and 
 prepared for it. They built a high and strong 
 fence around the town, and kept the gates locked 
 every night. In order to be more safe they 
 divided themselves into four companies, and kept 
 a constant watch. During the next summer 
 they built a large fort on the hill, directly back 
 of the town, which is now the " Burying-hill" 
 of Plymouth. This fort had a strong flat roof, 
 upon which they placed their cannon. It was 
 also fitted up for a meeting-house ^ and was used 
 for that purpose during several years. 
 
 Emeline. O what a place for a meeting ! 
 
 *' I have heard," said I, " of meeting-houses 
 being turned into forts, but I never before heard 
 of a fort being turned into a meeting-house." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It is a rare thing, to be sure ; 
 yet I cannot but think, if every military fort 
 should be a house of prayer, that the miseries 
 and vices of war would cease before long. It 
 will be well, my children, to remember that the 
 first meeting-house in this country ivas a fort, for 
 it shows alike the piety and the perils of our 
 Pilgrim Fathers. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. l05 
 
 The welcome harvest now was ripe, and the 
 famishing settlers were refreshed with new corn, 
 but it catne far short of a whole year's supply. 
 
 Edtoard. I should suppose that they would 
 have taken care lo plant enough this year. 
 
 Mr. Alltrton. They planted full 60 acres, my 
 child, and thought that this would yield enough 
 to last them through the year. But they had 
 not then learned the best manner of cultivating 
 Indian corn. 'J'he principal cause, however, of 
 their small harvest was, that they were so weak 
 for want of suitable food, that they could not 
 tend their corn as they should. Famine now 
 stared them in the face, and they knew not 
 where to look for help, but to God alone. 
 
 *' Could they get no corn from the natives?" 
 I inquired. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. They had nothing to get it 
 with. Beads and knives were the principal 
 articles of trade with the Indians, and they had 
 traded all these away for furs. They were now 
 entirely out of trading stuff. 
 
 Edward. Pray what did they do ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. God, who hears the ravens 
 when they cry and feeds them, heard the Pil- 
 grims in their distress, and sent a ship to Ply- 
 9* 
 
106 HISTORY OF 
 
 mouth. It was an English vessel going to 
 Virginia. She had a plenty of knives and beads 
 on board, which the settlers bought, though at a 
 very dear rate, and were by this means able to 
 trade again with the Indians. 
 
 Emeline. What did they do with beads, 
 grandpa' ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. They wore them for ornament. 
 Although they used to go half naked, and live 
 in a savage manner, still they were very fond of 
 ornaments. In November, Gov. Bradford, with 
 a number of his men, went on a voyage around 
 Cape Cod, to trade with the natives for corn. 
 Squantum was their pilot and interpreter. They 
 were driven by contrary winds into a place 
 which is now called Chatham harbor. Here 
 Squantum fell sick and died. Just before his 
 death he desired the Governor to pray for him, 
 that he might go to the place where the English- 
 men's God lived. 
 
 " Do you think Squantum was a Christian, 
 grandpa' ?" asked Emeline, with an anxious look. 
 
 " There is some reason, my dear," said Father 
 Allerton, " to hope that he was. He had been 
 living with the Pilgrims about two years, and 
 probably he had been instructed in the Christian 
 
THK PILGRIMS. IO7 
 
 religion ; at least he had heard much about the 
 true God. His wish to, go to the white men's 
 heaven, considering (hat he had been trained up 
 a savage, makes me hope that God changed his 
 heart." 
 
 " The desire of Squantura," said I, " was 
 quite unlike that of a South American Indian, 
 who had lived among the Spaniards. On his 
 death-bed he asked where the Spaniards went 
 when they died, and being told that they went to 
 heaven, he replied that he would rather go to 
 hell then, for he thought he should be happiest 
 where fewest Spaniards were." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Thus we see that even the 
 heathen, judge of our God and religion, by our 
 lives and practices. Squantum loved the Pil- 
 grims very much, and on his death-bed he gave 
 what little he had to several of his white friends, 
 as tokens of his love ; and all the Colony felt 
 that they had lost 2i friend indeed. 
 
 After much trouble and many hardships they 
 obtained a considerable quantity of corn and 
 beans, but as one of their boats was injured, 
 they were obliged to leave a part of their pro- 
 vision in the care of the Indians till another 
 time. Capt. Standish afterwards went and found 
 
108 HISTORY OF 
 
 it all safe. The captain made several other 
 voyages to these parts after corn, and on one 
 occasion he narrowly escaped being killed by 
 an Indian. 
 
 Edward. Why, what was the matter 1 
 Mr. Allerton. I might have mentioned be- 
 fore that a number of loose and profane English- 
 men had been brought over by one Capt. Weston, 
 and left at a place which is now called Wey- 
 mouth, about 30 miles north of Plymouth. Capt. 
 Weston intended to establish a colony there like 
 that at Plymouth ; but the men that he left to 
 commence a settlement were very unlike the 
 Pilgrims. After living some time in a most ex- 
 travagant manner, and frequently boasting that 
 their colony would soon outgrow Plymouth, they 
 at last came to want, and stole from the natives. 
 This enraged the Indians, and they secretly laid 
 a plot to cut them off. But fearing that the 
 Pilgrims would make war upon them if they 
 did, they concluded to muster force enough to 
 destroy Plymouth also. So they sent a messen- 
 ge lo he Indians on the Cape, and invited 
 them to join the conspiracy. This messen- 
 ger came while Capt. Standish was there after 
 corn, and insulted him in many ways. The 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 109 
 
 captain saw, too, that tbae natives there behaved 
 differently from what they had done formerly. 
 When he was coming away a large Indian, who 
 had always before been a friend to the whiteSj 
 now seemed to be more friendly than ever, and 
 offered to assist the captain in carrying corn to 
 the boat. At night he desired to stay with 
 them, intending to kill the captain when he was 
 asleep. But it happened to be a cold night, and 
 Capt. Standish could not sleep as usual. The 
 Indian observed this and asked, in a very 
 friendly manner, what the matter was? The 
 captain answered that he could not tell, but he 
 had no inclination to sleep. It was afterwards 
 found that the Indian was intending to murder 
 him ; though nobody knew it at the time. 
 
 Edicard. That was a narrow escape indeed ; 
 but I suppose this broke up the plot against the 
 English, did it not? 
 
 3Ir. Allcrton. O no, the conspiracy was not 
 stopped here, for Capt. Standish did not know 
 anything about it then. Although the messen- 
 ger came, as I said, while the white people were 
 there, he was careful not to let them know what 
 he wanted. But it came to light soon after ; 
 and a most shocking affair it would have been, 
 
110 HISTORY OF 
 
 if the Pilgrims had not discovered it just as they 
 did. 
 
 Emeline. I should like to hear how they 
 found it out. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Massasoit informed them of it. 
 But the circumstances are so providential that I 
 must relate them. Before Capt. Standish re- 
 turned from his dangerous voyage, news came 
 to Plymouth that Massasoit was sick and near 
 to death. Gov. Bradford immediately sent Mr. 
 Winslow and another man to visit him, and 
 carry some medicine. Hohamak also went as 
 their guide. When they came to the place, the 
 house was so full of people that they could 
 hardly get in. The Indian priests were trying, 
 by all their savage arts and conjurations, to cure 
 their dying king. But it seemed all in vain; 
 his sight was wholly gone, and his body was 
 growing cold — yet he still had his senses. They 
 informed him that his friends, the English, had 
 come. He inquired who? and they told him 
 Winslow. He then wished to speak with him * 
 and when Mr. Winslow came where he lay, and 
 took his hand, the kuig said, " Are you Wins- 
 low?" He answered, '♦ Ves." Then the king 
 twice repeated, '' O Winslow ! I shall never see 
 
THE PILGRIMS. HI 
 
 you again." Mr. Winslow told him that the 
 Governor of Plymouth, hearing of his sickness, 
 could not come himself, hut had sent him some 
 medicine. Massasoit immediately wished to 
 take it. Mr. Winslow took some preserves with 
 the point of his knife, and put it into his mouth, 
 which he could hardly open. When it had dis- 
 solved he swallowed the juice, and those who 
 stood hy, were much rejoiced, saying that he 
 had swallowed nothing before for two days. 
 Mr. Winslow examined his mouth, and found 
 It much furred, and the passage through his 
 throat almost stopped. After his mouth and 
 tongue had been cleansed, he swallowed much 
 easier, and in half an hour they all could see a 
 change in him. Presently his sight began to 
 come to him. Mr. Winslow sent an Indian to 
 Plyu)outh for something more, and offered to 
 stay with Massasort till the messenger returned. 
 The king was wonderfully pleased with such 
 i unexpected kindness. Next day be desired Mr. 
 Winslow to shoot some fowl and make hirn 
 some English broth, such as he had tasted at 
 Plymouth. Mr. Winslow went to work at the 
 business, but Massasoit's appetite increased so 
 fast that he could hardly wait till it was ready. 
 
112 HISTORY OF 
 
 The king recovered rapidly, and acknowledged 
 that Mr. Winslovv had been the means of saving 
 his life. " Now I see," said he, " that the 
 English are my friends, and love me ; and whilst 
 I live I will never forget this kindness they have 
 showed me." Then he told him about the plot 
 which the Massachusetts Indians had secretly 
 laid to destroy the English, and stated the cause 
 of the conspiracy, and what tribes were engaged 
 in it. He said that he had been urged to join 
 them, but refused. He advised the Pilgrims to 
 prevent it speedily, by taking some of the chief 
 conspirators before it was too late. 
 
 Emeline. Poor Massasoit ! he must have died 
 soon if Mr. Winslow had not been there. 
 
 Edward. And if he had died then, it is very 
 likely that the English would not have heard of 
 the plot till it was too late ! 
 
 ** And if they had not discovered it," said I, 
 " till it burst forth in savage fury, what a horrid 
 scene must have followed !" 
 
 " Yes, truly," said Father Allerton, " I think 
 we may set this down among the good provi- 
 dences of God towards the pious Pilgrims." 
 
 " But I am anxious to hear," said Edward, 
 ** how the Indian conspiracy turned out." 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 113 
 
 3lr. Allcrton. When Gov. Bradford heard of 
 this plot, he immediately laid it before the whole 
 company, and asked their advice. It was soon 
 agreed that Capt. Standish should go among the 
 Massachusetts Indians with a sufficient number 
 of armed men, and break up the conspiracy in 
 the way that he should think best. Meanwhile 
 a man came to Plymouth from Weston's planta- 
 tion, and told a pitiful story about the miserable 
 condition of the settlement. He said he dare 
 not stay there any longer, for fear that the In- 
 dians would cut them off. He had never been 
 at Plymouth before, and coming without any 
 guide, he missed his way, and by that means 
 escaped two natives, who followed him for the 
 purpose of taking his life in the woods. His 
 account made Capt. Standish hasten his march. 
 He took only eight men with him, and went im- 
 mediately to the settlement. When he came 
 there, he found the company almost in a starving 
 condition, and constantly fearing the attacks of 
 the savages. While Capt. Standish was there a 
 number of the principal Massachusetts Indians 
 came to the settlement, and tried to provoke him 
 into a quarrel with then.. He watched their 
 movements and heard their threats till he was 
 10 
 
114 HISTORY OF 
 
 convinced that there must be some fighting done 
 A bloody contest followed, in which six Indians 
 were killed ! The rest were astonished at the 
 courage of Capt. Standish and his men, and 
 fled away terrified into the swamps and thickets 
 
 " Might not this affair have been settled 
 without blood-shed ?" said I. 
 
 3Jr. Allerton. It is difficult, sir, to tell. I 
 know it seems shocking to take the lives of our 
 fellow beings. If it could have been avoided, 
 no doubt it would have been much better. And 
 I am entirely of Mr. Robinson's mind, who said,, 
 when he heard of it, that it would have been 
 happy if they had converted some of the natives 
 before they killed any. But when we consider 
 the dangerous conspiracy which was formed by 
 no less than eight tribes of Indians, it is quite 
 doubtful whether nwre blood would not have 
 been shed, and perhaps the whole colony de- 
 stroyed, if some of the leading conspirators had 
 not been killed in the outset. Among those 
 that fell was a notable chief, together with that 
 same bold and bloody Indian who came to 
 Cape Cod for assistance while Capt. Standish 
 was there, and also one of his brothers. All 
 the Indians who had promised to join with the 
 
I 
 THE PILGRIMS. 115 
 
 Massachusetts were terrified by this transaction, 
 and never joined them. So this was the end of 
 that dangerous conspiracy, and also of Capt. 
 Weston's settlement at Weymouth. 
 
 Edward. Were Capt. Weston's men also 
 killed in the fight ? 
 
 3Ir, Allerton, O no, not a white man was 
 hurt. But they had suffered so many things, 
 that they wished to remove from that place. 
 Capt. Standish offered to bring them to Ply- 
 mouth, but they begged him rather to help 
 them on their way to the eastward, that they 
 might get on board the fishing vessels and return 
 to England ; which he did. But before we 
 leave them, I wish you would take particular 
 notice that these were all stout, and able men 
 when they came to live there ; and boasted that 
 they " had no women and children, and weak 
 ones," and would " never fall into such a condi- 
 tion as the simple people at Plymouth had come to." 
 But as I said before they were disorderly, profane 
 persons ; they neglected the holy Sabbath, had 
 no prayers, no religious meetings, and lived 
 without God in the world. Let their example 
 be a warning to you, my grandchildren ; and 
 as we turn from them to the pious Pilgrims, let 
 
IIQ HISTORY OF 
 
 US keep in mind the words of Paul : ''Godliness 
 is profitable unlo all things, having promise of 
 the life that now is, and of that which is to 
 come." 
 
 The Pilgrims, too, were in great extremities 
 at this time, but God did not forsake them. 
 Amid all their difficulties with the natives they 
 were also suffering for want of food. They ex- 
 pected supplies from England, but none came. 
 They now began to feel that they could no 
 longer look to others for help, but must depend 
 upon their own labor and the blessing of God 
 for a living. In the spring of 1623, they plant-? 
 ed more corn than ever before. But by the 
 time they had finished planting, their victuals 
 were wholly spent. Many a time when they 
 had taken one meal, they knew not where they 
 should find the next. Every morning they had 
 need to pray, *' Give us this day our daily 
 bread;" and God always answered this prayer 
 in one way or another. They had one boat 
 left, and a fishing net, with which they caught 
 bass : when theso failed, they dug clams for a 
 living. In the month of June their hopes of a 
 harvest were nearly blasted by a distressing 
 droughty which withered up their corn, and 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 117 
 
 made the grass look like dry hay. When 
 Hobamak saw their cornfields in this sad state 
 he appeared to be much alarmed for the Pil- 
 grims, and said he feared they would lose all 
 their corn and perish with hunger. " The 
 Indians," said he, " can live in any way ; but 
 the English must starve if the corn is cut off." 
 
 In their distress the Pilgrims set apart a day 
 for fasting, humiliation, and prayer, to seek 
 help from God ; and continued their religious 
 exercises eight or nine hours. God heard their 
 fervent prayers and sent them an answer which 
 filled every one with admiration. Although the 
 morning of their fast day was clear, and the 
 weather very hot and dry during all the fore- 
 noon, yet before night it began to rain, and 
 gentle showers continued to fall for many days, so 
 that the ground became thoroughly soaked, and 
 the drooping corn revived. 
 
 " This was a most remarkable answer to 
 prayer," said I, '' and reminds us of God's 
 promise, * while they are yet speaking, I will 
 hear.' " 
 
 Mr. Allerton. True; the providence of God 
 was so clearly seen, that the Indians said to the 
 10* 
 
118 HiSTOKY OF 
 
 Pilgrims, " Now we see that the Englishmen's 
 God is a good God, for he has heard you, and 
 sent you rain without storms, and tempests, and 
 thunder, which usually come with our rain and 
 break down our corn — surely your God is a 
 good God." Our pious fathers did not soon 
 forget this kindness of God. At a convenient 
 time they set apart a day for public thanksgiv- 
 ing, and praised their heavenly benefactor for 
 his goodness, as heartily as they had prayed for 
 his mercy. They afterwards regularly kept an 
 annual fast in the spring, and also a thanks- 
 giving in the fall, which practice has come 
 down to our days, though I fear it is seldom ob- 
 served now in the pious manner of the Pilgrims. 
 
 Emeline. Well, I am sure I shall think of 
 them next thanksgiving day, and will try to 
 feel as they felt on those days. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Your intention is a good one, 
 my child, and I hope you will then do as you 
 now say. But if you are as thankful in propor- 
 tion to your blessings as they were, liow very 
 thankful you must be, Emeline ! They had 
 few comforts and many afflictions; you have 
 many comforts and, I may say, 710 afflictions. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 1 19 
 
 Echvard. How did their harvest come in, 
 rthat fall ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. By the blessing of God they 
 had a plentiful harvest. But it is sad to think 
 of their sufferings before their corn was ripe. 
 They lived more than six months almost en- 
 tirely on fish and fowl and ground-nuts — often 
 -without a full meal of these — and all this time 
 they had not a morsel of bread ! In July, the 
 ship Ann came to Plymouth and brought some 
 more of their friends : others came soon after. 
 The Pilgrims were glad to see them, but the best 
 dish that they could set before them was a boil- 
 ed lobster, without bread, or any thing else but 
 a cup of cold water. Their friends pitied their 
 sufferings and all hoped soon to enjoy better 
 days together, as they did after the next har- 
 vest was gathered. 
 
 I thought that I should have finished the 
 story of the Pilgrims this evening, but I per- 
 ceive that I shall not have time ; for there are 
 several important things of which I have not 
 yet told. If you are so much interested in this 
 subject as to remember what I have related, I 
 will tell you the rest to-morrow evening. 
 
1 20 HISTORY OP 
 
 What can you recollect of Gov. Carver's death and char- 
 acter ? Who succeeded him ? Tell me something about 
 Hobamak and his affair with Corbiiant. What hardships did 
 the Pilgrims suffer during the next winter ? W^hat happened 
 between the Narragansetts and the Pilgrims ? Tell me about 
 Squanlum's death. Relate the circumstances of Capt. Stan- 
 dish's narrow escape. Give some account of Mr. Winslow's 
 visit to Massassoit when he was sick. How was the Indian 
 conspiracy broken up ? What other trials had the Pilgrims 
 at this time ? Tell me about their fast and thanksgiving. 
 
Tlir. PILCJRIIVIS. 121 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 ■" The Lord our God be with us, as lie was with our fathers; 
 that he may incline our hearts unlo him, to walk in all his 
 ways and to keep his coqimandments, and hi^ statutes which he 
 commanded our fathers.'' — Solomon, 
 
 " Ye churches, which to God 
 Rise where our fathers trod, 
 
 Guard well your trust — 
 The faiih that braved the sea, 
 The truth that made them free, 
 Their cherished purity, 
 
 Their garncr'd dust."' — Pierpont. 
 
 On the following evetiing wlicn wg had taken 
 oiu' seats around our venerable instructor to 
 hear the conclusion of iiis story of the Pilgrims, 
 Father Allerton thus began : — 
 
 '" We have followed the first settlers of New- 
 England through nearly three years of toil and 
 suffering in a savage wilderness. A brighter 
 day now begins to dawn upon their liistory. 
 Their severest trials ended with the year 1623, 
 and many of their friends from England joined 
 them about that tims." 
 
122 HISTORY OF 
 
 Edioard. How many in all were there now 
 at Plymouth 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Their number had increased 
 to about 180, and the town contained thirty-two 
 dwelling houses ; they also began to keep cattle, 
 and goats, and swine, which were sent from 
 England. But although they were in more 
 comfortable circumstances than formerly, still 
 you must not suppose that they had the con- 
 veniences which we enjoy. 
 
 In the beginning of the year 1624, when the 
 time for choosing officers came, Gov. Bradford 
 desired that they would not elect him again ; 
 for he said if there was any honor in being 
 Governor, others deserved it as much as he : 
 and if it was a burden, it was but right that 
 others should bear their part of it. But still 
 they chose him again, for they were unwilling 
 to release so worthy a man from that important 
 office. However, at his request they increased 
 the number of assistants io Jive. Hitherto there 
 had been but one. 
 
 " It is interesting," said I, " to behold such 
 modesty in rulers, and such attachment between 
 them and their subjects." 
 
 3Ii\ Allerton. Ah, sir, the first Governors of 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 123 
 
 New-England were men of God; their modesty 
 was Christian Immility. They did not seek 
 their own honor and interest, but the glory of 
 God and the welfare of the people. They felt 
 that it was a solemn thing to rule, and instead of 
 coveting the honor, they often declined it. One 
 fact will show this. In 1632, a law was passed 
 in the colony, that whoever refused the office of 
 Governor when he was properly chosen to it, 
 should be fined £2Q, unless he had been Gov- 
 ernor the year before; and whoever should re- 
 fuse the office of assistant, should be fined ^10. 
 
 " Such a law," said I, ** will never be need- 
 ed again, for men generally love authority too 
 well to decline it when offered." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. And yet these early Governors 
 were able men and as well qualified to rule, as 
 any in our day. This same Gov. Bradford was 
 a man of learning and wisdom. lie was well 
 acquainted with history, philosophy, and the- 
 ology : he could speak the Dutch and French 
 languages with ease ; was master of the Latin 
 and Greek ; and studied the Hebrew more than 
 either, that he might see with his own eyes, as 
 he said, the oracles of God in their native 
 
124 HISTOilY OF 
 
 beauty. His wisdom was proved on many try- 
 ing occasions. I will mention only one. 
 
 Before they had any preacher at Plymouth, 
 except Elder Brewster, a minister by the name 
 of John Lyford came over from England. At 
 first he appeared like a humble Christian, and 
 they employed him as their preacher, and treat- 
 ed him with great respect. Even the governor 
 used to ask his advice in important affairs, as 
 he did Elder Brewster's. In a short time, how- 
 ever, it appeared that Mr. Lyford was nothing 
 better than a '' wolf in sheep's clothing." For 
 he and one John Oldham began to lay a plot 
 by which the Puritan religion would have been 
 overthrown, and the form of government changed, 
 if the Governor had not outwitted them. They 
 were very secret m all their doings, but still 
 their conduct was suspected. At length, when 
 the ship that brought liim over was ready to 
 return, Lyford was known to be very busy in 
 writing, and sent many letters to England by the 
 Captain. Gov. Bradford, fearing that he was in 
 some mischief, took a boat with a few friends, 
 and went out with the ship several miles. He 
 told the captain what he feared, and called fot 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 125 
 
 Lyford's and Oldham's letters. When they 
 were opened it was found that they contained 
 all manner of slander and falsehood, calculated 
 to ruin the colony. In one of the letters Lyford 
 stated what he and Oldham intended to do as 
 soon as the ship was gone. The Governor took 
 some of these letters, and copies of others, and 
 returned to Plymouth, but said nothing ; for he 
 wished to see first what they would do. After 
 watching the conduct of these two men for some 
 time, it seemed evident that they were trying to 
 raise a party for some dark purpose ; so the Gov- 
 ernor called a court and sent for them to appear. 
 When the charges were brought against them, 
 at first they denied them. Then Gov. Bradford 
 read their letters, which shut their mouths, and 
 proved them guilty. The court sentenced them 
 both to leave the colony. Upon this, Oldham 
 became furious, and called upon those who stood 
 by to rise and help him get revenge ; but no 
 one answered or moved. He was ordered to 
 leave the town immediately, but Lyford was suf- 
 fered to remain six months, with the hope that 
 he would repent of his wickedness, and do bet- 
 ter. And, indeed, he did seem to repent ; for he 
 shed many tears, and made long confessions, 
 
 n 
 
126 HISTORY OF 
 
 ^ 
 
 and said that his punislimeiit was far Jess than 
 he deserved, and that God might justly lay inno- 
 cent blood to his charge. His penitence ap- 
 peared so deep, that they thought proper to let 
 him remain at Plymouth ; but his conduct after- 
 wards, was, if possible, worse than before, and 
 he was finally sent away. 
 
 Edward. What became of these two men at 
 last? 
 
 Mr. Allcrton. Oldham sailed to Virginia 
 soon after his banishment, and during a dread- 
 ful storm which overtook the vessel at sea, and 
 which threatened them with instant death, he 
 confessed all the wrongs he had done the church 
 at Plymouth, and promised God that he would 
 mend his ways if his life might be spared. He 
 arrived safely to land, and ever after spake of 
 the Pilgrims with respect. Some years after- 
 wards, while he was trading with the natives, he 
 got into a quarrel with them, and an Indian 
 slew him with a hatchet. As for Lyford, he 
 travelled about to different places, and finally 
 died a miserable death at Virginia. 
 
 Emeline. Did you not say just now that he 
 was a minister, and preached to the Pilgrims? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Yes, my child, but still he was 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 127 
 
 a bad man, as I fear some ministers are now. 
 The Pilgrims not knowing his character, were 
 desirous that he should preach to them till their 
 beloved pastor, Mr. Robinson, should come. 
 
 Emeline. O where was Mr. Robinson all 
 this while ? Why did he not come to Plymouth 
 before ? 
 
 Mr. Alhrton. He was still in Holland, though 
 he wished to be at Plymouth, and the settlers 
 were very anxious to have him there. But some 
 of his former enemies in England prevented it. 
 Several English merchants, who had concern in 
 the Plymouth plantation, disliked Mr. Robinson, 
 because he was a Puritan, and therefore did 
 what they could to keep him back. Mr. Robin- 
 son and most of those who remained with him 
 in Holland were poor, and unable to hire a pas- 
 sage to New England, and the people here were 
 not yet able to help them. However, they hoped 
 soon to do it, and were looking forward with joy 
 to the day, when their minister and the rest of 
 their dear friends would come to their new set- 
 tlement ; but God, whose ways are as high 
 above ours, as the heavens are above the earth, 
 saw fit to take him to a better country than this. 
 He died in Holland on the first day of March, 
 
128 HISTORY OF 
 
 in the year 1625, aged 50 years. He was held 
 in high esteem by the city of Leyden and its 
 university for his learning and piety, so that the 
 magistrates, ministers, and scholars, mourned 
 his death as a public loss, and followed him to 
 the grave. Thus were the fond hopes of the 
 Pilgrims suddenly turned into disappointment ; 
 but they saw the hand of a righteous God in this, 
 as in every other affliction, and did not murmur, 
 though they sincerely mourned over their loss. 
 His widow and children were brought to Ply- 
 mouth about four years after, with thirty-five 
 other families of his church. The expense of 
 their voyage was cheerfully borne by their 
 brethren here, although it amounted to more 
 than 1 ,600 dollars. 
 
 " This was a rare instance of Christian affec- 
 tion," said I. 
 
 *' It certainly was," said Father Allerton, 
 *' considering the poor circumstances of the 
 colonists at this time ; but, sir, it was no more 
 rare than that pure, evangelical piety, from 
 which this brotherly love flowed as a stream 
 from its fountain." 
 
 Emeline. What did they do for a minister 
 now 1 or did they have none ? 
 
 I 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 129 
 
 Mr. Allerton. We cannot suppose that they 
 would be willing to do without any preaching, 
 after all that they had suffered for the sake of 
 religion. They came into this wilderness that 
 they might live " in the enjoyment of God's or- 
 dinances, according to the primitive pattern in 
 his word." A good minister, therefore, was 
 what they desired more than anything else : yet 
 they could not obtain one for a number of years. 
 Not long after their troubles with Mr. Lyford, a 
 young minister by the name of Rogers, was sent 
 over from England : but he became deranged, 
 and they sent him back the next year. Then 
 Mr. Ralph Smith came among them, and they 
 settled him as their pastor, but he was dismissed 
 after a few years, and again they were left desti- 
 tute. Still they used to meet twice every Sab- 
 bath, and when they had no other preacher, their 
 good Elder Brewster instructed them, who was the 
 means of training many souls for heaven, though 
 he never could be persuaded to settle as a reg- 
 ular minister. ** It pleased the Lord at last," as 
 they expressed it, " to send them Mr. John Rey- 
 ner, an able and godly man, of a meek and 
 humble spirit, the fruit of whose labors they 
 enjoyed many years with much comfort, in peace 
 W 
 
130 HISTORY OF 
 
 and agreement." He was not only a good 
 preacher, but he also had an excellent faculty of 
 instructing children, whom he sometimes met by 
 themselves and heard them say their catechism. 
 
 Emcline. I suppose they used to attend the 
 Sabbath school besides, did they not 1 
 
 Edward. Sabbath schools, Emeline, were 
 not kept so long ago as that. Mr. Robert 
 Raikes, you know, began Sabbath schools, and I 
 believe he has not been dead a great many years. 
 
 Mr, Allerton. You are correct, Edward ; the 
 kind of Sabbath schools which we now have, 
 began in the year 1782 — more than 150 years 
 after the Pilgrims came to Plymouth. But still 
 the first settlers of New England had what 
 might be called Sabbath schools and Bible 
 classes, both. You have already heard what 
 was Mr. Reyner's manner. He was minister of 
 Plymouth church about 20 years. Some time 
 afterwards, when Mr. Cotton was settled there, 
 he commenced catechising the children regularly 
 once a fortnight, and the Elder assisted him. 
 Besides this he had another meeting for the 
 heads of families once in two months, which 
 resembled a Bible class. He used to give out 
 questions from the Bible, and they would all 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 131 
 
 bring in written answers at the next meeting. 
 Then the minister read all these answers, and 
 gave his own to each question. 
 
 ** This is exactly the plan," said 1, " that my 
 minister now pursues. I had thought that Bible 
 class instruction was a late improvement, but it 
 seems that the Pilgrims understood it in their 
 day." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. The same may be said respect- 
 ing several other important subjects. They 
 went before the age in which they lived, and 
 struck out paths which appear new to us when 
 we find them, because they have been buried up 
 so long. For example, Temperance Societies 
 were never heard of till within a few years past, 
 and yet many of the Pilgrims acted upon the 
 same principles, which are now encouraged by 
 these valuable societies. That holy man, Elder 
 Brewster, abstained entirely from all kinds of 
 ardent spirit for many years before he died ; and 
 several others did the same. Yet we should 
 think they needed it in their toilsome pilgrimage, 
 if ever it was needed. But notwithstanding all 
 his hardships and abstinence from spirit, Elder 
 Brewster reached the good old age of eighty-four 
 years. 
 
1352 HISTORY OF 
 
 Emetine. I wish you would tell us something 
 more about him — he was such a good man. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. I will add a few words respect- 
 ing his last days. Elder Brewster died at Ply- 
 mouth in the spring of 1644. He breathed his 
 last in the midst of his friends, without a groan 
 or a struggle. So peacefully did he leave the 
 world, that he seemed to those who stood around 
 his dying bed, like one going to sleep. " Mark 
 the perfect man and behold the upright ; for the 
 end of that man is peace." 
 
 It would require many hours to tell all that 
 deserves to be told in honor of this venerable 
 Pilgrim. In the ancient records of the first 
 church at Plymouth it is written, that ** he was 
 wise and discreet ; of a cheerful spirit \ very 
 sociable and pleasant among his friends ; of an 
 humble and modest mind ; of a peaceable dispo- 
 sition ; undervaluing himself, and his own abil- 
 ities, and sometimes overvaluing others; inoffen- 
 sive and innocent in his life and conversation, 
 which gained him the love of those without, as 
 well as those within. Yet he would tell them 
 plainly of their faults and evils, both publicly and 
 privately, but in such a manner as usually was 
 well received from him." Many other such 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 133 
 
 things stand there recorded of him, by those who 
 lived when he did. But I doubt not that a still 
 better record is made in the Lamb's Book of 
 Life, where his name is written. 
 
 " It would afford me much satisfaction," said 
 I, " to visit the grave of this man of God, before 
 I return." 
 
 Mr. Allerion. Ah, sir, his grave, like that of 
 many other Pilgrims of New England, cannot 
 be found ; his remains were interred in Ply- 
 mouth burying-ground, but no one now living 
 can tell where. His dust, with that of Governor 
 Carver, will slumber in obscurity till the resur- 
 rection of the just. 
 
 " But I am still more surprised," said I, ** to 
 hear that the place of Gov. Carver'5 grave is not 
 fcnown." 
 
 Mr. Allerton. It is thought, but not certainly 
 icnown, that his bones now lie under the corner 
 stone of the Univcrsalist meeting-house in Ply- 
 mouth ! At least, it is certain that he was 
 buried, with all those who died during the first 
 winter, on the bank just above the Forefathers' 
 Rock, and not in the present burying-ground. 
 That meeting-house now stands upon the very 
 spot, and wheji its foundation was laid, the 
 
134 HISTORY OF 
 
 bones of some of the Pilgrims were found and 
 placed, as I said, under tlie corner stone ! 
 
 Edward. Why did they build the house 
 where they were buried? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. Houses had stood there, ever 
 since the town was settled. . It has been handed 
 down by old people, that the graves in that spot 
 were levelled down soon after they were made, 
 that the Indians might not know how many of 
 the white people died during the first winter. 
 Gov. Bradford was buried on the hill, and his 
 grave is still seen. 
 
 Edivard. How long did he live, after Elder 
 Brewster died ? 
 
 Mr. Allerton. About 13 years. His name, 
 too, will no doubt be had in everlasting remem- 
 brance. You recollect that he was the second 
 Governor of Plymouth. Well, he was chosen to 
 that office more than 30 years, and was of un- 
 speakable service to the colony, and to the 
 church. At length, in the year 1657, he was 
 taken sick, and on the day before his death, his 
 mind was filled with unutterable joy, and the 
 full assurance of eternal glory. He died in the 
 69th year of his age, deeply lamented by all who 
 knew him. His whole history is very interest" 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 135 
 
 ing, but I shall add but a word or two to what 
 I have already said. When he was young he 
 joined the Puritans, and all his friends ridiculed 
 him for it. When they saw that this did not 
 move him, they threatened him ; but he frankly 
 told them that he was not only willing to be re- 
 proached, but to part with every thing that was 
 dear to him for the sake of Christ, and thanked 
 God that he had made him willing to do so. He 
 was Governor of Plymouth during the period of 
 its infancy and danger, yet he never was dis- 
 couraged. He had set his hope in God, and 
 nothing could disturb him. And he has long 
 since gone to his eternal rest, where he will 
 never be sorry that he suffered so much for 
 Christ. 
 
 When I was a child I learned some verses 
 which he wrote a short time before his death ; 
 and though there is not much poetry in them, 
 they give us an interesting sketch of his life. I 
 will repeat a few sentences, if I have not quite 
 forgotten them. 
 
 From my young years in days of youth, 
 God did make known to me his truth. 
 And called me from my native place. 
 For to enjoy the means of grace. 
 
136^ HISTORY OF' 
 
 In wilderness he did me guide. 
 
 And in strange lands for me provide. 
 
 In fears and wants, through weal and wa« 
 
 A pilgrim pass'd I, to and fro ; 
 
 Oft left of those whom I did trust. 
 
 How vain it is to rest on dust ! 
 
 A man of sorrows 1 have been. 
 
 And many changes I have seen ; 
 
 Wars, wants, peace, plenty, have I known ; 
 
 And some advanced, others thrown down. 
 
 ■5f ***** * 
 
 My days are spent, old age is come, 
 My strength it fails, my glass near run ; 
 Now I will wait, when work is done. 
 Until my happy change is come. 
 
 The children were highly pleased with Gov. 
 Bradford's poetry, and wished that their grand- 
 father could recollect more of it. But he told 
 them that he had an old book somewhere in the 
 house which contained the whole, and he would 
 endeavor to find it for them at another time. 
 
 ** I must now go back," said he, " to the 
 year 1630, to tell you a few words about the 
 Massachusetts Colony which commenced at that 
 time, and then I shall close my story. 
 
 ** But I thought you had been talking about 
 Massachusetts all this while," said Edward with 
 some surprise. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 137 
 
 Mr. Allcrton. O no, my son, but I see the 
 cause of your mistake and will remove it. — Ply- 
 nouth Colony extended over but a small part of 
 vhat is now the State of Massachusetts. About 
 len years after it began to be settled, another 
 itnd much larger settlement was made around 
 ioston, called the Colony of Massac7msetts Bay. 
 it was commenced two years before at Neum- 
 leak, which they named Salem. In 1630, no 
 hss than fifteen hundred persons landed, some 
 rt Salem, but most of them at Charlestown ; and 
 loston soon became the principal town in that 
 Colony. 
 
 Emetine. Pray where did so many people 
 iome from 1 
 
 Mr. Allerton. They came from England, 
 %v\iere the Plymouth people came from, and for 
 the same reason — persecution drove them here ! 
 They were Puritans, and rather than give up 
 thit religion, they fled to the wild woods of 
 America. In the course of twelve years fotir 
 thousand people, and more than seventy min- 
 isters came from England to this country ! 
 Most of these, like the first settlers of Plymouth, 
 were holy men, who cheerfully forsook the dear 
 delights of home and native land, for the love 
 12 
 
138 HISTORY OF 
 
 they bore to Christ and his cause. Their min- 
 isters were men of God, and men of learning- — 
 bold and fearless defenders of the truth. Sone 
 of them had been imprisoned, many had been 
 fined, and all had been reproached for their 
 Puritan religion. As they had "come out of 
 much tribulation," they were better fitted to^ 
 encounter the difficulties of a new settlement n 
 this wilderness. 
 
 Edward. They were so much like the Ff- 
 grims, that I wonder why they did not cometG^ 
 Plymouth and live with them. 
 
 Mr. Allerton. They had found a more cai-^ 
 venient place ; a spot which the Plymouth people- 
 had often visited, and where they would hai^e 
 settled, if they had known the situation of the- 
 place when they first landed. However, you; 
 may well suppose that a strong friendship grew 
 up between the Pilgrims and their Massachusetts- 
 neighbors, since they resembled each other so* 
 much in their character and condition. The 
 two colonies helped one another, and felt like 
 children of the same family, and finally were 
 united into one. By the blessing of God upoa 
 their labors they grew rapidly and spread them- 
 selves over the whole of New Enorland. 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 139 
 
 Such, my grandchildren, were the people who 
 •cleared up" this wilderness, and planted it with 
 towns, and churches, and schools. It was by 
 the toils and sufferings of such men, that this 
 great and happy nation began its existence. 
 The foundations were laid in the prayers and 
 tears of the pious Pilgrims, whose bones are now 
 sleeping in the church-yards of New England. 
 Their sepulchres are with us unto this day, but 
 where are their virtues ? Their names are held 
 in remembrance by their posterity, but what has 
 become of their piety 1 Where shall we now 
 look for such governors, and ministers, and 
 Christians, as were found among the Fathers of 
 New England ! Ah, when will another gene- 
 ration arise, so holy in heart and life, so reso- 
 lute in defence of the truth, so self-denying in 
 the cause of Christ, so fearless of human au- 
 thority in religious matters, and so much afraid 
 to break the least of God's commands ? 
 
 Father Allerton became quite animated here 
 in his delivery, and as he uttered the last words 
 he cast a look of the most tender anxiety upon 
 his grandchildren ; then leaning back in his 
 arm-chair, he paused, and covered his face with 
 his handkerchief. No one interrupted the 
 
140 HISTORY OF 
 
 silence for several moments; for the children 
 seemed lost in serious reflection, and I was un- 
 willing to divert their minds, by any remarks of 
 my own. At length the old gentlemen recover- 
 ing his usual posture, said, 
 
 " I have now finished my story of the Pil- 
 grims ; — but I hope you feel that you, my grand- 
 children, have not done with this subject yet. 
 Remember icliat sort of people your forefathers 
 icere, and folio to their example.'^ 
 
 When Father Allerton had said this, he 
 questioned the children. 
 
 What kind of men were the first Governors of New England ? 
 Who was John I.yford and what was his character ? Why 
 did not Mr. Robinson come to Plymoiiih ? Did the rest of his 
 church ever come ? How ? Tell me something about the first 
 ministers of Plymouth. Give an account of Elder Brewster's 
 death and character. Also of Governor Bradford's. Repeal 
 what you recollect about the Massacl)usetts Colony. What use 
 should you make of this story of the Pilgrims ? 
 
 As the evening was not quite spent, we all 
 conversed awhile on the patterns of virtue and 
 piety which had been brought to our notice in 
 
THE PILGRIMS. 141 
 
 the course of the story, after which we sung the 
 following beautiful hymn, composed by Mrs. 
 Hemans, and then closed with family devotions. 
 
 The breaking waves dash'd high 
 On the stern and rock-bound coast. 
 
 And the woods, against a stormy sky. 
 Their giant branches tost. 
 
 And the heavy night hung dark 
 
 The hills and waters o'er. 
 When a band of exiles moor'd their bark 
 
 On the wild New England shore. 
 
 Not as the conqueror conies. 
 
 They, the true hearted came. 
 Not with the roll of the stirring drums. 
 
 And the trumpet that sings of fame ; 
 
 Not as the flying come. 
 
 In silence and in fear, — 
 They shook the depths of the desert's gloom 
 
 With hymns of lofty cheer. 
 
 Amidst the storm they sang. 
 
 And the stars heard and the sea ] 
 And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang 
 
 To the anthem of the free ! 
 
 The ocean-eagle soar'd 
 
 From his nest by the white wave's foam. 
 And the rocking pines of the forest roar'd — 
 
 This was their welcome home ! 
 
142 THE PILGRIMS. 
 
 There were men with hoary hair. 
 
 Amidst that Pilgrim band — 
 Why had they come to wither there 
 
 Away from their childhood's land ? 
 
 There was woman's fearless eye. 
 
 Lit by her deep love's truth ; 
 There was manhood's brow serenely high 
 
 And the fiery heart of youth. 
 
 What sought they thus afar ? — 
 
 Bright jewels of the mine ? 
 The wealth of seas, the spoils of war ? — 
 
 They sought a faith's pure shrine ! 
 
 Ah, call it holy ground. 
 
 The soil where first they trod ! 
 
 They have left unstain'd what there they found- 
 Freedom to worship God ! 
 
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