YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

SOME CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN
THE GOVEENOES AND TEEASUEEES
OF THE
NEW ENGLAND COMPANY
IN LONDON
AND THE
COMMISSIONERS OF THE UNITED COLONIES
IN AMERICA
THE MISSIONARIES OF THE COMPANY
AND OTHERS
Between the Years 1657 and. 1712
TO WHICH AEE ADDED THE
JOURNALS OF THE REV. EXPERIENCE MAYHEW
IN 1713 AND 1714

^rirthb from: % ©rijjmals in % posstsston of t\t "$tb (girjImA domjjanTj
ET
SPOTTISWOODE & CO., LONDON
1896
Privately printed

Only 500 copies of these Letters have been printed, of which
„ 400 are for the use of the New England Company in this country,
and 100 for America.

PREFACE.

The letters here for the first time printed are the few
remaining relica of the correspondence which passed
between the Company at home and their representatives
in the (then) New World of America, and have been
carefully deciphered by me from the very crabbed original
writings still in the possession of the New England Com
pany, which have so remained ever since they were
written, most of them upwards of two centuries ago.
That these letters are a mere fragment of the original
correspondence is certain ; and it may here be interest
ing to state that the original MS. Minutes of the Pro
ceedings of the Company, recorded for thirty years by
five successive secretaries, between the years 1655-85,
in a folio volume of ' 240 pages, were sold in the late
Henry Stevens's ' Bibliotheca Historica ' sale at Boston,
New England, in the year 1870 — evidently turned out
as waste paper on some change of office, or perhaps on
the sale of the effects of the last of the five secretaries.
The following extracts are especially noteworthy : —
'21 April, 1660. — Mr. Tresr reports that in pursu
ance of the Order and desire of this Court of the 14
instint hee hath treated with the printer Marmaduke

IV

Johnson about going into N.E. to print ye Bible in the
Indian Language and reports that the printer is willing
to go and bee employed in that Service at the Salary of
£40 p Ann. besides dyett, lodginge and Washinge and a
Quarter's Salary in advance and his tyme io be there
for three yeares and more if the Corporation or Com" for
the United Colonies please to command from the tyme
of his going on shippe board and the Corporation to pay
his passage thither. And the sd Marmaduke Johnson is
contented and willinge to give security unto the Cor
poration to perform these Agreemts abovementioned.
And it is ordered that Articles bee forthwith prepared
accordinge to the Agreement abovenamed.'
' May 22, 1660. — Whereas it appeares that Mr. Thos.
Bell one of the Memb" of this Corporation hath pd
five pounds for the passage of Marmaduke Johnson
shipped on board the Prudent Mary bound for New
England and more the sume of 18s. for a Bed, Boulster,
-rugge and one Blankett for . his Acomoda" in his
voyage to N. Engld aforesd. It is ordered that Mr.
Henry Ashurst Tresr of the Corporation bee desired to
pay the sd Mr. Tho. Bell for sd severell Sums by him
disbursed accordingly.'
Mem. in the margin in another hand :
' Mem. — Marmaduke Johnson went from Gravesend
.of 14 May 1660 from wch tyme his salary is to begin
at £40 p. Ann.'
In connection with the printing of Eliot's Indian
Bible the following extract from the Company's Ledger

v
for the years 1653-1664, now in the State House at
Trenton, New Jersey, U.S.A., will be of interest : —
Cr.
21 July 1664: £ s. d.
Binding Indian Bibles  10 0 0
Bills of Exchange  300 0 0
Feb. John Eliott as a gratuity given him for his extra
ordinary pains amongst the Indians in' New
England  50 0 0
Salary of Marmaduke Johnson :
Salary for printing Indian Bibles . . . . 35 0 0
Eliot's Indian Bible is now well known as a biblio
graphical curiosity. Dr. Hawtrey's copy was sold for
only 18L, and two of the three copies in the Bodleian
later for 481. 10s. each. Quaritch priced the duplicate
copy from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1870, at 250?., but
the ever increasing value of Eliot's Bible, of which
less than forty copies are known to exist, is evidenced by
the fact that Lord Chancellor Hardwicke's copy, sold by
public auction in 1888, was purchased by Mr. Quaritch
for 580L No copy of this 'Bible,' printed at their
expense, is now to be found among the possessions of
the Company, although twenty copies of the first
edition, dedicated to Charles II., were sent to England
to be disposed of as the Company should elect, and the
supply in this country appears to be limited to fourteen
copies, of which twelve are in the hands of various
public bodies or societies. It was directed by the
Ordinance of 1649 that the Commissioners in New Eng-

VI

land for the United Colonies should be the correspondents
and agents in America for dispensing the funds received
by the Company in England. It will be instructive here
to note of whom that body consisted.
The Articles of Union between the four independent
Colonies of Plymouth, Massachusets, Connecticut, and
New Haven were dated in 164o, and their representatives
then drew up the first body of laws for the well-being of
their Commonwealth (as they called it), which union,
under the title of the United Colonies, subsisted till 1686,
when all the Charters were in effect vacated by a Com
mission from James II. For many years the Commis
sioners met annually in September, and occasionally at
other times ; latterly the meetings were only triennial.
A special and principal part of their business after the
first years was the care of the ' gospelising ' of the Indians
— the New England Company having made them their
correspondents and agents, both under the original incor
poration and the present existing Charter.
In 1629 the Book of Common Prayer was pleaded
for and used in Massachusets Colony by two of the
patentees, but was at last prohibited by the authority
there, and a curious evidence of their intense narrowness
may be found in the fact that when the Governor of
Salem set out to look for a convenient place for a chief
town, and finally pitched on a spot where now stands
the city of Boston, he there discovered a Mr. Blaxton
settled, who had left England, being * somewhat of a Non-

Vll
conformist,' and dissatisfied with the etate of things at
home, but who declared himself more dissatisfied with
the nonconformity of the new comers. He told them he
came from England because he did not like the Lord
Bishops, but still less did he like the Lord Brethren,
and he quitted the ground in disgust.
I have added in an alphabetical list a short account
of nearly all those whose names appear as signatories or
otherwise in the accompanying correspondence, which I
think may be of interest to members of the Company,
and would express a hope that the dispersal of this
volume among collectors in America may lead to the dis
covery of the present possessor of the old Minute Book,
and to a copy being supplied by him to its original
owners, the New England Company.
I may add that I am indebted to Savage's ' Genea
logical History of the First Settlers in New England ; '
Drake's and Appleton's ' American Biographies ; ' Neal's
' History of New England,' 1720 ; Morton's ' New Eng
land's Memorial," 1669; the 'Dictionary of National
Biography ; ' and other sources for the biographical
details here given.
I trust, in conclusion, that these fragmentary relics
of the early history of our Company may not prove
uninteresting to my brother members.
JOHN W. FOBD,
Governor of the New England Company.
Enfield Old Park, Middlesex :
Ncvember 1S96.

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

Elif-halet Adams, born at Dedham, Mass., in 1677,
graduated at Harvard in 1694, and after preaching in
various places for ten years was appointed a Congregational
minister in New London, Conn. Having become interested
in the welfare of the Indians in the district, he acquired their
language, and was both a man of learning and a popular
preacher. He died at New London in 1753.
John Allyn was born in England, and married in New
England in 1651. He was for many years Secretary of the
United Colonies after 1657, when he was a lieutenant; he
subsequently rose to be colonel. He was an Assistant in
1662, and so continued for many years ; he was appointed a
member of the Council in 1687, and died in 1696, leaving a
large estate.
Ladt ' Aemyn.' — Lady Armine was the daughter of Henry
Talbot, fourth son of George, sixth Earl of Shrewsbury, and
second wife of Sir William Armine, of Osgodby, co. Lincoln.
She took a practical interest in the missionaries engaged in
converting the Indians, as may be seen from the following
Order. ' May 26, 1647. — It was ordered by the Government
of the Massachusets that the 2,01. per annum given (in 1644)
by the Lady Armin for teaching the Indians the knowledge
of God may be called for and employed accordingly, and it is
desired that some care be taken of the Indians on the Lord's
days.' Lady Armine died in 1676.

Henry Ashhurst (born about 1614) was the cadet of an
old Lancashire family, at present represented by Ashhurst of
Waterstock, co. Oxon. He became a merchant in the City
of London, where he acquired a high character for great
benevolence and piety. The first addresses from America
after the Restoration were sent to Ashhurst to be delivered to
the King. He was largely instrumental in obtaining the
charter for the New England Company in 1662, and he
became the first treasurer. He likewise promoted the transla
tion of the Bible into Hindustani, and was a trustee of Boyle's
Lectures in defence of Christianity. He made a considerable
fortune, and left behind him a high character at his decease
in 1680. He was interred at St. Augustine's, WatLing Street.
Sib William Ashhuest was the son of Henry. He was
knighted by William III. at Whitehall in 1689, and was a
representative of the City of London in many successive
Parliaments. He was elected Lord Mayor in 1693, and was
appointed Governor of the New England Company in 1696.
He lived at Highgate and in Paternoster Bow, and died at
the former place in 1720. His son Sir Henry, the Town
Clerk of London, was also an influential member of the
Company for the long period of thirty-four years.
Thomas Bell was one of the original members of the
Company appointed by the Charter, and, so far as is known, the
only member of the old parliamentary corporation who, with
the exception of Mr. Deputy Richard Hutchinson, was
included in the list of forty-five members nominated by the
Crown in the Charter of 1662. See page iv. of Preface. His
last attendance at the Company's meetings of which the
Company possess any record was on the 6th October 1668.
He appears from Eliot's letter, on page 49, to have been a
personal friend of the latter, and still a member of the Com
pany in 1671.
Richard Bourne, born in England, was one of the first

XI
settlers at Sandwich, Mass. Having resolved to devote him
self to the conversion of the Indians, he went to Mashpee,
Mass., in 1658, and, after acquiring a knowledge of the
Indian language, was in 1670 appointed minister of an
Indian church there. He died at Sandwich in 1682.
Hon. Robert Boyle, the first Governor of the Company,
was the seventh son of Richard Boyle, first Earl of Cork,
and was born at Lismore Castle, Ireland, January 25, 1627.
After studying at Eton, and under the Rector of Stalbridge,
Dorset, he went to the Continent, where he stayed for six
years. On his return, in 1644, he found himself in possession,
by his father's death, of the manor of Stalbridge, where he
resided till 1650, and devoted himself to the study of
chemistry and natural philosophy. After several visits to his
Irish estates he settled in 1654 at Oxford, where he experi
mented extensively in pneumatics, and devoted earnest
attention to the study of theology under Barlow, afterwards
Bishop of Lincoln. In 1662 he was appointed Governor of
the New England Company under the charter which he
obtained through the influence of Lord Chancellor Clarendon,
who was also one of the original members of the Company.
Among the proofs which he gave of his zeal for religion,
besides his own theological writings and eminent example,
were his exertions, as a director of the East India Company,
for the propagation of Christianity in the East, as well as
procuring and circulating, at his own expense, translations of
the Scriptures, and his bequest for the foundation of the
Boyle Lectures ' for proving the Christian religion against
Atheists, Theists (i.e. Deists), Pagans, Jews, and Mohamme
dans.' In 1668 he took up his residence permanently in
London with his sister Lady Ranelagh, and was thenceforth
able to devote much of his time to the business of the Royal
Society, of which he was one of the original members. In
1689 the failing state of his health compelled him to resign
his post as Governor of the Company, and he died unmarried

Xll
on December 30, 1691. He was buried at St. Martin's-in-the-
Fields, Westminster. Besides contributing liberally towards
the cost of printing Eliot's Indian Bible, he gave a large
endowment to the Company by his will dated July 18, 1691.
Simon Beadsteeet was born in Lincolnshire in 1603.
After studying for one year at Emmanuel College, Cambridge,
he became steward to the Countess of Warwick. He was ap-.
pointed Secretary of Massachusetts on the formation of the
colony, and was the youngest of all the Assistants who came
over with the first charter. He succeeded John Leverett as
Governor in 1679, and was chosen one of the Assistants in
the Administration for fifty years in succession. Bradstreet
married one of the daughters of Thomas Dudley. He was sent
to England as Commissioner for the colonies in 1660, and
appears from the Minutes to have attended a meeting of the
Company on April 10, 1662. He died in 1697.
Peter Bulkeley was sent to England with William
Stoughton, in 1676, to appear for the colony before the
Council on the question of the boundary of the Massachusetts
Patent. He was Speaker of the House of Deputies, and a
son of the well-known minister of Concord.
Charles Chauncey was born at Yardley, in Hertford
shire, in 1592. He was B.D. of Trinity College, Cambridge,
where he was Greek Lecturer, and in 1627 became Vicar
of Ware. Having stated that there was much Atheism,
Popery, Arminianism, and heresy crept into the Church,
and being opposed to rail round the communion-table and
to kneeling at the altar, he was arraigned before the Court
of High Commission, and not released from prison until
he had made a recantation in Latin. For this act he became
troubled in his conscience, and subsequently went to America,
where he arrived at Plymouth in 1638. He became pastor of
the Leyden Plymouth Church for about three years, and
ultimately was appointed President of Harvard College, which

Xlll
had been founded by the Rev. John Harvard, of Emmanuel
College, Cambridge, who died in 1638, leaving 700J. for the
purpose of erecting the college. Chauncey died in 1672, aged
eighty. Bishop of Chichester, John Williams, D.D., born in
Northamptonshire in 1634, entered Magdalen Hall, Oxford,
in 1651, and after taking his degrees in arts was ordained in
1658. In 1673 he was appointed rector of St. Mildred,
Poultry, and after the Revolution became chaplain to King
William and Queen Mary. In 1695 he preached the lectures
founded by Boyle, and in December 1696 was promoted to
the bishopric of Chichester. He was one of the founders of
the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts, and in 1706 preached at St. Lawrence, Jewry, the
anniversary sermon to which Dr. Cotton Mather appears to
have taken exception in his letter of November 9, 1710.
Dr. Williams was an able controversial writer and an inti
mate friend of Archbishop Tillotson. He died in 1709.1
1 It may be interesting to record that Dr. Cotton Mather's sugges
tion that ' the new Society ' should ' send a missionary or two for the
Christianising of the Iroquois Indians ' had already been anticipated.
In an account of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts published in 1706 it i3 stated that the Society received
with great satisfaction a letter from the Lords Commissioners of Trade
and Plantations stating that the Earl of Bellamont, who was Governor
of New York and Massachusetts, and in or before 1697 had been elected
a member of the New England Company, ' had several times repre
sented to them the great want of some ministers of the Church of
England to instruct the five nations of Indians on the frontiers of New
York,' and upon the reading of this representation at a Council held by
Queen Mary at St. James's on April 3, 1700, it was ordered that it be
referred to the Archbishop of Canterbury to arrange that ' two Pro
testant ministers be appointed with a competent allowance to dwell
amongst them in order to instruct them in the true religion.' As a
result of this Order in Council and of further representations from
Eobert Livingston, Secretary of Indian Affairs in New York, and
Colonel Joseph Dudley, Governor of New England, two missionaries
were sent by the Society to the Iroquois Indians in 1705, and ' some

XIV
John Cotton, son of John Cotton, Vicar of Boston,
Lincolnshire, who has been called the Patriarch of New
England, was born at Boston, Mass., in 1640. He was
minister of Martha's Vineyard from 1664 to 1667 ; of
Plymouth, Mass., from 1669 to 1697, and of Charleston, S. C,
in 1698-9. He was eminent for his knowledge of the Indian
language, and revised and corrected the second edition of
Eliot's Indian Bible.
Samuel Cranston, son of John Cranston, President of
Rhode Island from 1678 to 1680, became Governor of the
colony in 1698, and was thirty times successively chosen to
that post, holding the office until his death in 1727.
James Cudworth is supposed to have gone over to
New England in the ' Charles ' in 1634. He resided at New
Plymouth, and commanded as general the Plymouth troops
gentlemen and chief traders in New England ' were encouraged to form
themselves into ' a Society for the Propagation of Religion, and upon
the fame of these noble designs the Congregational ministers at Boston
drew up an account of the present state of Christianity and of the pro
gress made in evangelising the poor savages in that country, written to
the Honourable Sir William Ashurst, Governor of the Corporation for
Propagating the Gospel among the Indians in New England and parts
adjaoent in America, who, with great courtesy, sent. a copy of it to our
Society, dated Boston in New England, and signed by Increase Mather,
Cotton Mather, and Nehemiah Walter.' It was not, however, till about
1710 that any successful missionary work among the Eive Nations appears
to have been accomplished by ' the new Society ; ' but the Iroquois
in New England had not been neglected by the New England Company,
for early in 1698 the Company promptly acceded to a proposal of Lord
Bellamont's to provide ' five itinerant ministers to preach the Gospel to
the five nations of the Indians.' The bishop's ' reproach ' was
apparently not entirely undeserved, for the first missionary of the Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel sent out to New York, in 1701
emphatically reported, with the concurrence of the clergy in the pro
vince, that ' to begin with the Indians is preposterous, for it is from
the behaviour of the Christians here that they have had, and still have,
their notions of Christianity, which God knows hath been generally such
that it hath made the Indians to hate our religion.'

XV
in the Indian wars. He had the character of a brave and
prudent officer. Cudworth opposed the oppressive measures
taken against the Quakers by the colonists. He was Deputy-
Governor of the colonies in 1681, in which year he came over
to England a3 their agent, and died here in 1682.
Thomas Danfobth was born in Suffolk in 1622.
He was chosen an Assistant of Massachusetts Colony in
1659, and had a great share in managing public affairs
during the most difficult times. He became Deputy-Governor
in 1679, on Simon Bradstreet's appointment to be Governor
at Leverett's death, and was appointed President of Maine at
the end of the same year by the Massachusetts general court.
Danforth opposed with firmness the proceedings of the courts
in the prosecutions for witchcraft, in which the Mathers firmly
believed, and he also generally opposed the putting to death,
banishing, fining, cutting off ears, whipping, and imprison
ment for so-called ecclesiastical offences. He died childless
in 1699. Samuel Danforth, nephew of the preceding, was born
at Roxbury, Mass., in 1666. He graduated at Harvard in
1683, and subsequently became minister of the Congrega
tional church in Taunton, Mass., where he died in 1727. He
left a manuscript Indian dictionary, which seems to have
been formed from Eliot's Indian Bible, as there is a reference
under every word to a passage of Scripture.
Joseph Dudley, born in 1647, was the son of Thomas
Dudley (and grandson of Captain Roger Dudley, who lost his
life in the service of his country). His father was first Deputy-
Governor and afterwards many times Governor and Deputy-
Governor of Massachusetts Colony, and in 1597 raised a
company of Volunteers and received a captaincy from Queen
Elizabeth. Joseph Dudley graduated at Harvard in 1665. He
visited England as Commissioner for the colonies in 1682,.and

XVI
a^ain in company with Increase Mather in 1689. He was
member of the Council for Roxbury in 1675, and a member
of the Council for Massachusetts under the new charter of
William and Mary. From 1693 to 1701 he was Lieutenant
Governor of the Isle of Wight, and finally Governor of Massa
chusetts from 1702 to 1715. He died at Roxbury in 1720.
William Dummeb was born in Boston, Mass., in 1677.
While visiting England he was appointed Lieutenant-
Governor of Massachusetts in 1716, and acted as Governor
and Commander-in-Chief from 1723 to 1728. He conducted
the war with the Indians with skill, and was respected for
his ability and zealous regard for the public good.
John Eliot, the translator of the Bible into the Indian
language, and known as the Apostle of the Indians, was
born either at Widford, Hertfordshire, where he was baptized
on August 5, 1604, or at Nazing, Essex, where his father, a
yeoman, lived. John Eliot entered as a pensioner at Jesus
College, Cambridge, March 20, 1619, and took his degree in
1622. He was for some years usher in a school at Little
Baddow, near Chelmsford, kept by the Rev. Thomas Hooker,
afterwards (1633) pastor of the first church at Cambridge,
Massachusetts. Eliot had taken orders in the Church of
England, but his opinions led him to quit his native country,
and he went in 1631 to New England, where he joined
himself to Mr. Wilson's congregation at Boston, amongst
whom he preached occasionally for some time ; but the next
year, several of his old acquaintances coming over, he settled
with them at Roxbury, about a mile from Boston, and con
tinued in the exercise of the pastoral office among them
almost sixty years. His indefatigable pains and labour in
converting the Indians are known to all the world. This
part of his work was his greatest delight, and though
he travelled constantly among the Indians once a fortnight,
yet he did not neglect his duty at Roxbury. He was a man

XV11
of great piety and zeal for religion, and yet of universal love
and charity to all men. When he was, in a manner, quite
decayed with age, being asked how he did, he replied, ' Alas I
I have lost everything: my understanding leaves me, my
memory fails me, my utterance fails me ; but, I thank God,
my charity holds out still. I find that rather grows than
fails.' He was a good scholar, especially in the languages,
and one who would never allow himself to be idle. He had
gained the affections of the Indian converts by his affability
and good nature to such a degree that they would run all
hazards to serve him, and his name is still mentioned by
them with honour. He lived till he was quite worn out, and
used to say merrily that his old acquaintances had been gone to
heaven so long before him that he was afraid they would think
he was gone the wrong way because he stayed so long behind.
But at last, after a life of great labour and usefulness, he
died in peace at his house at Roxbury, in the eighty-seventh
year of his age, on May 20, 1690. He married in 1632 Hanna
Mumford, who followed him from England. Six children —
a daughter and five sons — were born to them, but only one
of the sons, the Rev. Joseph Eliot, minister of Guilford,
Conn., from 1664 to 1694, survived his parents.
John Exdecott, born at Dorchester in 1588, was a man
of good family who arrived in New England with a number of
others in 1628. They built Salem, the first town in the
Massachusetts Patent, and the first Church was gathered there
in 1629. (The first Church in New England was founded at
Plymouth eight years earlier.) Endecott succeeded Winthrop,
the father of the colony of Massachusetts, as Governor, a post
which he held for sixteen years ; and in 1659, in that capacity,
sentenced three Quakers — William Robinson, Marmaduke
Stevenson, and Mary Dyer — to be hanged for their opinions,
which sentence was carried out on the men, but Mary Dyer
was reprieved at the gallows and banished. He visited Mt.
Wollaston, a plantation founded by Captain Wollaston in
a

XV111
1625, where he caused their ' maypole to be cut down, and
rebuked the people for their profaneness, and admonished
them to look to it that they walked better.' There is a good
portrait of him in the State House at Boston, where also
are likenesses of Bradstreet and Leverett. Bancroft, the his
torian of the United States, describes him as 'a man of
dauntless courage,, benevolent though austere, firm though
choleric, of a rugged nature which the sternest form of Puri
tanism had not served to mellow.' His name appears in the
original charter of Massachusetts signed by Charles I. in
1628-9. Endecott died Governor of the colony in March
1665. James Fitch was born in Essex in 1622. He went to
New England in 1638, and became the first minister at
Norwich, Conn. He preached to the Mohicans in their own
language, induced them to cultivate land, and gave them
some of his own.
John Foster, a merchant, from Aylesbury, Bucks, was a
member of the Council of the Governor of Massachusetts, and
in 1698 was appointed one of the Company's Commissioners
in New England. He died in 1711.
Habbakuk Glover, brother of Thomas Glover, and John
Eliot's son-in-law, was in 1669 teacher at the Indian village
of Pakeunit, near Natick, Massachusetts. He died in 1693.
Daniel Gookin, bom in Kent about 1612, went with- his
father to Virginia in 1621, but removed to Cambridge,
Massachusetts, in 1644. In 1651 he was Speaker of the
House of Deputies, and in 1652 was elected a magistrate.
In 1656 he was appointed Superintendent of all the Indians
who acknowledged the Government of Massachusetts — an
office which he retained until his death, in 1687, although he
became unpopular because of the protection which, as a
magistrate, he extended to the Indians. He zealously co-

XIX

operated with John Eliot in his efforts for their spiritual
instruction. He died so poor that Eliot soUcited from Robert
Boyle a gift of 10Z. for his widow.
Harvard College.—' 1639 : This year a College for the
Education of Youth in all the liberal Arts and sciences was
erected at New Town, about 6 or 8 miles from Boston, which
upon this occasion changed its name for that of Cambridge ;
the General Court held at Boston, September 8, 1630, had
advanced about 400 Pounds towards such a design, but that
not being sufficient, and the low circumstances of their
Affairs at that time not allowing them to advance a greater
sum, the project slept, till the death of the Revd. Mr. John
Harvard, lately come from England, who by his last Will and
Testament bequeath'd the sum of seven hundred seventy nine
pounds seventeen shillings and two pence towards the carry
ing on the work : Upon hi3 decease, a Committee was chosen
to manage the undertaking which now met with encourage
ment from the other Colonies ; and several private gentlemen
finding that there was a probability of carrying it through,
contributed large sums of money towards it. The College
being built was, in honour of their great benefactor, called
by the name of Harvard Colledge. It was no better
than a Schola Illustris for the first ten years, but was then
incorporated by a Charter bearing date May 31, 1650, from
the Government of the Massachusetts Colony ; the Honour
able Thomas Dudley being then Govemour.
' It consists at present of a President, five Fellows, and a
Treasurer; the Governour of the Province, the Deputy
Governour, and all the Magistrates of the Colony, with the
Ministers of the six neighbouring Towns, for the Time being,
being appointed as Overseers ; the President's Salary was at
first paid out of the Publick Treasury, but the Profits of
the Charlestown Ferry being settled upon the College, and,
several Gentlemen both in Old and New England contributing

XX
very largely towards the Revenues of it, it was quickly able
to subsist of it self.
' Some time after another College was built near the
former for the Education of the Indians, at the Charge of
the Honourable Corporation for Propagating the Gospel in
New England, and was called the Indian College ; but 'tis
now converted into a Printing-House, by the Direction of the
said Corporation ; it being found impracticable to persuade
the Indian Youth to a Love of Learning. There is still due
provision made for the accomodation of such Indians, as
shall be admitted into the College, but there never were
above four or five of them educated there ; and but one,
namely Caleb Cheeschaumuck, who took his Degrees in the
year 1665. For Eleazar, the Indian youth mention'd in
Dr. Mather's " Church History," B. 3, p. 153, who should have
taken his Degrees in the year 1679, died that year before the
commencement came ; and he was the last that was educated
in the College.' l Neal's ' History of New England ' 1720.
Thomas Hinckley, born in England about 1618, suc
ceeded Josiah Winslow as Governor of Plymouth, which post
he held from 1681 to 1686, when the colony was included in
the same Commission with Massachusetts. He was a member
of the Council under the charter, and died at Barnstable,
Mass., in 1706.
Thomas James, son of the first minister of Charlestown,
Mass., was minister of East Hampton, Long Island, from
1650 till his death in 1696.
Marmaduke Johnson was the printer sent out to New
England by the Company in 1660 to print the first edition of
Eliot's Indian Bible. See pages iv. and v. of Preface, and
6, 9, and 62. His name appears, together with that of
1 A printed list (dated 1721) of the graduates of Harvard College from
1C42 to 1721 is still in the Company's possession.

XXI
Samuel Green, on the title-page of both the New Testament
and Bible printed at Cambridge, Mass., in 1661 and 1663
respectively, but the name of Samuel Green only appears as
printer of the second and last version of Eliot's Bible, pub
lished in 1685.
William Leete, who was born about 1603, and went to
New England in 1637, was Governor of Connecticut from
1661-5 and from 1676 till his death in 1683. He was one
of the founders of Guilford, Conn.
Sib John Leveeett, born in 1616, went to America with
his father from Boston in 1633. He was an elder of the
Church in Boston, Mass., and representative for the colony,
1651-3. In 1671-2 he was Deputy-Governor, and Governor
from 1673 to 1678, when he was succeeded by Bradstreet.
Leverett wa3 appointed by Oliver Cromwell in 1653 to
raise 500 volunteers for service against the Dutch, who were
threatening the colony, and with whom England was at war ;
but the declaration of peace prevented any action being
taken. In 1676 he was knighted and created a baronet by
Charles II. in acknowledgment of his services to the New
England colonies during their war with the Indians under King
Philip. He died at Boston in 1679. His grandson, another
John Leverett, was President of Harvard College, and gave a
character to that institution which it had never before attained.
Eael of Limebick, Thomas Dongan, or Dtjngan, brother
of the first Earl, was born at Castletown, co. Kildare, Ireland,
in 1634. He early entered the army, and was for some time
Colonel of an Irish regiment in the service of Louis XIV.
Later he was made Lieutenant-Governor of Tangier by
Charles II., and in 1682 the Duke of York appointed him
Governor of the Colony of New York. In 1686 he gave a
charter to the City of New York, and in 1688 resigned his
office, but did not return to England till three years later. On
the death of his brother in 1698, notwithstanding the

XX11
attainder of the latter in 1691, he appears to have assumed
and been generally allowed the peerage. He died in London
in 1715, when the Earldom became extinct.
Increase Mather, D.D., born in 1639, was the son of
Richard Mather, of Winwick, in Lancashire, who was sus
pended for nonconformity, and deprived of his living in 1634,
on information lodged that he did not wear a surplice. Re
solving to find a new sphere in America, he embarked at
Bristol in June 1635, where his son Increase ultimately be
came President of Harvard College, a post which he held for
many years. After graduating at Harvard Increase Mather
entered Trinity College, Dublin, and was admitted M .A. in
1658. He married a daughter of the Rev. J. Cotton, sen.
Mather came to England as representative of the United
Colonies in 1688, and returned with the new Governor, Sir
William Phipps (who was appointed at his suggestion), in
1692. Increase Mather died at Boston in 1723, in his eighty-
fifth year, having been a preacher for sixty- six years, and
minister of the same church for upwards of sixty years.
He was long noted as a laborious preacher amongst the
Indians. Cotton Mather, D.D. (Glasgow) and F.R.S., eldest son
of Increase Mather, was born at Boston, Mass., in 1663, and
graduated at Harvard in 1678. He became a master of
many languages, including Iroquois ; and from 1684, as a
minister at Boston, was a leading spirit in civil as well as
ecclesiastical matters. He was the author of three hundred
and eighty-three publications, and took a fatal interest in
witchcraft. He died at Boston in 1728. Hi3 most valuable
work is ' Magnalia Christi Americani, or An Ecclesiastical
History of New England.' He was appointed one of the
Company's Commissioners in New England in February 1698.
His third wife was a daughter of Samuel Lee, the Puritan
divine.

xxm
~ Thomas Mayhew was born in England in 1592. He was
a merchant in Southampton, and went to America in 1631.
He became Governor of Martha's Vineyard, where he aided
his son in converting the Indians, who were exceedingly
attached to him. He preached to the natives as well as to
the English, and in Philip's Indian war in 1675-6 these
Indians kept aloof from the conflict and guarded their friend.
He died in 1682. Thomas, his son, who was learned in
Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, was the first minister of Martha's
Vineyard. He began to preach to the Indians there in 1646 :
in 1650 he had one hundred converts. He sailed for England
in 1657 for the purpose of obtaining aid and assistance from
the NeAV England Company in his work, but the vessel
was lost at sea, and never heard of again. Thomas Mayhew,
jun., was only thirty-six when this tragic end overtook him.
Experience Mayhew was born in 1673. He was the
son of the Rev. John Mayhew and the grandson of Thomas
Mayhew, and succeeded them as a minister to the Indians
at Martha's Vineyard in 1694. Mayhew was employed
by the New England Company to make a new version of
the Psalms and of St. John's Gospel in the Indian Ian-.
guage, which he did in 1709. He published in 1727
' Indian Converts,' being lives of thirty Indian ministers
and of eighty other pious Indians — now an excessively rare
work. He died in 1758. His son Zachariah was Indian mis
sionary at Martha's Vineyard from 1767 till his death in 1806.
His son John was well skilled in the Indian language, and
succeeded his father in the mission work at the Vineyard,
where he preached once a week in the Indian language.1
1 John Eliot, writing of the Mayhews and their work, says : — ' If
any of the human race ever enjoyed the luxury of doing good, if any
Christian ever could declare what it is to have peace, not as the world
gives, but which surpasses the conceptions of those who look not beyond
this world, we may believe this was' the happiness of the Mayhews.'
The Mayhews, father, son, grandson, and great-grandson, were all in turn
engaged at missionary work in the island of Martha's Vineyard, on the
south coast of M assachusetts.

XX1V
Charles Morton, born in Cornwall in 1627, was the son
of the Rev. Nicholas Morton, and was educated at Oxford,
where he graduated B.A. in 1649 and M.A. in 1652. In
1655 he was appointed to the rectory of Blisland, Cornwall,
but was ejected by the Act of Uniformity in 1662, and set
up a school at Stoke Newington, where Daniel Defoe was
one of his pupils. In 1686 he went to New England, and
was inducted as minister of the first church in Charlestown,
Mass. His name is the second of the petitioners to the
Council on October 2, 1693, for some encouragement to a
system of propagating Christianity among the Indians.
About 1694 his health began to fail, and he died at Charles
town on April 11, 1698. He was a man of great learning,
and wa3 appointed Vice-President of Harvard.
Francis Newman, born in England early in the seven
teenth century, emigrated to New Hampshire in 1638, and
subsequently removed to the colony of New Haven, where he
became secretary under the first Governor, Theophilus Eaton.
In 1653 he was appointed Assistant Governor, and in 1654-8
served as Commissioner of the United Colonies. In the latter
year he succeeded to the governorship, which office he held
until his death in 1660.
Sir Francis Nicholson, born in 1660, entered the
army in 1678, was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of New
England in 1686, and four years later Lieutenant-Governor
of Virginia, where he devoted his energy to assisting in the
foundation of William and Mary College, to the establish
ment of schools, and to the improvement of the condition of
the clergy. In 1705 he was recalled, and for the next six
years was chiefly engaged in military services against the
French in Canada and Acadia (Nova Scotia). In 1713 he
was appointed Governor of Acadia, and in 1719 of South
Carolina. He died in London in 1728.
James Noyes, son of the Rev. James Noyes, who emi-

XXV
grated to New England in 1634, was born at Newbury,
Massachusetts, in 1640. He graduated at Harvard in 1659,
and was minister of the church in Stonington, Conn., from
1674 until his death in 1719. He was one of the first
trustees of Yale College, and also practised medicine with
success. Thomas Pearce went to New England in 'The
Griffin ' in 1633. He became a person of high reputation
in Boston, and died in 1669.
Sir William Phipps, Governor of Massachusetts, born
in 1651 near Pemaquid, Maine, began life as a ship carpenter,
and in time became a merchant captain at Boston, Massa
chusetts, where he married the widow of John Hull, daughter
of Roger Spencer. With the aid of Christopher, second Duke
of Albemarle, and son of one of the original members of
the Company, he acquired a fortune of 16,000Z. by discover
ing a lost treasure ship, and on his second visit to England,
in 1687, he was knighted. In the same year he was appointed
by the King Provost Marshal-General of New England, and
in 1690 he commanded the expeditions against the French at
Port Royal, Montreal, and Quebec. In 1691 he was ap
pointed Governor of Massachusetts under the new Charter,
but three years later was recalled to England. He died in
London in 1695, and was buried in the Church of St, Mary
Woolnoth in Lombard Street.
Grindall Rawson, son of Edward Rawson, secretary of
Massachusetts colony and ' steward or agent for the receiving
and disposing of such goods and commodities as should be
sent to the United Colonies from England towards Christian
ising the Indians,' was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in
1659. He graduated at Harvard in 1678, and was minister
of- a church in Mendon, Massachusetts, from 1680 until his
death in 1715. He was instructed by the Company's Com^

XXVI
missioners in 1698 to visit the Indians in New England, and
an account of this visit was published in the ' Massachusetts
Historical Collections.' He published a work entitled ' The
Confessions of Faith,' written in English and also in the
Indian dialect.
John Richards, born in England, was a rich merchant
in Boston, Mass., and sergeant-major of the Suffolk regiment
in 16S3-9. After holding various public offices he became a
judge of the Superior Court in 1692 and councillor from 1692
till his death in 1694.
Gurdon Saltonstall, great grandson of Sir Richard Sal-
tonstall, one of the fathers of Massachusetts colony and, after
his return to England in 1631, ambassador and judge, was
born in Massachusetts in 1666. He graduated at Harvard
in 1684, and was ordained minister of New London in 1691.
On the death of his friend Fitz-John Winthrop in 1707 he
was chosen to succeed him as Governor of Connecticut, and
was continued in the office by annual election till his own
death in 1724. He took a leading part in the foundation
and management of Yale College.
Peter Sargeant went to New England in 1667 and.
settled as a merchant at Boston. On the overthrow of Sir
Edmund Andros, Governor of New England, in 1689, he was
nominated a councillor in the new charter. In 1698 he was
appointed one of the Company's Commissioners in New
England, and appears from Eliot's letter on page 37 to have
been a relative of Henry Ashhurst, the first Treasurer. He
died in 1714. His second wife was the widow of Sir William
Phipps. Samuel Sewall was born at Bishopstoke in 1652, and
went to New England in 1661. He took his first degree at
Harvard in 1671 and his second in 1675. In 1688 he visited

XXV11
England, and three years after his return to Boston became
a Member of the Council and Judge of the Probate Court.
He contributed liberally to the spread of the Gospel among
Indians, and in 1698 was appointed one of the Company's
Commissioners in New England, and soon afterwards their
Secretary and Treasurer there. In 1718 he was appointed
Chief Justice, and served till 1728. He died at Boston, Mass.,
on January 1, 1730.
Thomas Shepaed, born at Towcester in 1605, graduated
at Oxford in 1627, and after being ordained in the Established
Church became tutor and chaplain in the family of Sir
Richard Darby. He left England in 1635 and settled in
Boston, and from that time till his death on August 25, 1649,
was minister of the Church in Cambridge, Mass., where ho
was active in founding Harvard College and instrumental in
placing it there. He was a vigorous and popular writer on
theological subjects, and published in 1648 ' The Clear Sun
shine of the Gospel Breaking forth upon the Indians of New
England.' William Simons, an Indian minister at Dartmouth,
Mass., who was well reported of by the Rev. Grindall Rawson
and the Rev. Samuel Danforth in 1698 when, in pursuance
of the orders of the Company's Commissioners, they visited
the Indians on the plantations in the Province of Massa
chusetts Bay. He was still at Dartmouth in 1713 when
visited by Experience Mayhew.
William Stoughton, born in 1631, was the son of Israel
Stoughton, who went to New England in 1631, but sub
sequently returning to England became a lieutenant-colonel
in the Parliamentary Forces, and died during the Civil War.
His son graduated at Harvard College in 1650, and was also
for some time a fellow of New College, Oxford. He went
to England as Commissioner for the Colonies in 1677, and
was the first Lieutenant-Governor nominated by the Crown

xxvm
under the Charter of William and Mary in 1686. He founded
Stoughton Hall in Harvard College in 1698, and died un
married at Dorchester, Mass., in 1701. He was the Chief
Justice in the trial of the Witches, and Eliot says ' he was
more obstinate in his errors than others on the Bench.'
Robert Thompson, the second Governor of the Company,
was elected a member in 1668, and was appointed Governor
in succession to the Hon. Robert Boyle in 1691. He held
the post for five years, and was probably related to Sir
William Thompson, one of the original members appointed
by the Charter.
Hezekiah Usher, bookseller, was born in England about
1615, and in 1646 established himself in Boston, Mass. As
agent for the Company he purchased in England in 1657 the
press and types for printing Eliot's Indian Bible.
Nehemiah Walter was born in Ireland in 1663. He was
of English parentage, and went with his father, Thomas, to
America in 1679, settling in Boston. He graduated at
Harvard in 1684, and after living for a time in Nova Scotia
became colleague to John Eliot. He married a daughter of
Increase Mather, and was minister of Roxbury, Mass,, from
1688 till his death in 1750. He was appointed one of the
Company's Commissioners in New England in February 1698.
Samuel Willis, son of Governor George Willis, was born
in England in 1632, and graduated at Harvard in 1653.
He was chosen an Assistant in 1654, and married a daughter
of John Haynes, Governor of Connecticut, who, about 1684,
became the second wife of Eliot's son, Joseph, minister of
Guilford, Conn.
John Winthrop, F.R.S., Governor of Connecticut, was
born at Groton, near Hadleigh, Suffolk, in 1606, and was the
eldest son of John Winthrop, who was elected Governor of

XXIX
Massachusetts in 1629, and landed at Salem with the colony's
charter in 1630. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin;
went to America in 1631, and was chosen a magistrate in
Massachusetts. In 1635 he removed to Connecticut, and in
1645 founded what is now the city of New London. In
1657 he was elected Governor, and with the exception of one
year held that post till his death. He obtained from
Charles H. a charter which united the colonies of Connec
ticut and New Haven, and was named first Governor under
it. He died at Boston in 1676.-
John, known as Fitz- John Winthrop, elder son of tho
preceding, was born at Ipswich, Mass., in 1639. He left
Harvard without taking a degree in order to accept a com
mission from Richard Cromwell in the Parliamentary army,
and accompanied General Monck (afterwards one of the
original members of the Company) on his famous march to
London in 1660. He returned to New England in 1663, aud
passed the remainder of his life in the military and civil
employment of Connecticut. In 1690 he was appointed
Major-General commanding the joint expedition against
Canada, and from 1693 to 1698 was agent of Connecticut in
London. He returned to the colony hi 1698, and was
Governor of Connecticut till his death in 1707.
Josiah Winslow, born in 1629, was the son of Edward
Winslow, Governor, of Plymouth colony, and was the first
Governor born in New England. He was Assistant Governor
from 1657 to 1673, and then Governor till his death in 1680.
Winslow was chosen general of the joint forces in the
war against the Narraganset tribe of Indians in 1675, and
under him the first public school was established in that year.
His father, Governor Winslow, came to England as agent for
the colonies in 1649, partly with the view of furthering the
constitution of a society for receiving contributions which
might be raised for encouraging the propagation of the Gospel
among the Indians. One of the well-known ' Eliot Tracts '

XXX
— ' The Clear Sunshine of the Gospel Breaking ' forth upon"
the Indians of Now England ' — was sent over for circulation
by him in England, and, largely owing to the result of his
labours, an ordinance of the Long Parliament was obtained in
that year enacting that Winslow and fifteen others in Eng
land should be a corporation for furthering so good a work,'
and by virtue of that ordinance the New England Company
was first established ; and it is worthy of record that
Hutchinson in his ' History of Massachusetts,' published in
1764, states (vol. i. p. 166) that ' perhaps no fund of this
nature has ever more faithfully been applied for the purposes
for which it was raised.'
Ephraim Woodbridge, son of the Rev. John Woodbridge
and a grandson of Governor William Leete, graduated at
Harvard in 1701, and in 1704 was appointed minister at
Groton, near New London, Conn.

LIST OF LETTERS

TAGE
1. John Eliot to the Treasurer . . . .1
2. The Commissioners to the Treasurer . . . 3
3. The Governor to the Commissioners . . .5
4. The President of Harvard College to the Governor 9
5. The Commissioners to the Governor . . . 11
6. The Governor to the Commissioners . . .15
7. The Commissioners to the Governor . . . 18
8. The Governor to the Commissioners . . .22
9. The Governor to the Commissioners . . . 25
10. John Eliot to the Governor . . . .27
11. The Commissioners to the Governor . . . 30
12. The Commissioners to the Governor . . .34
13. John Eliot to the Treasurer . . . . 37
14. Thomas Mayhew to the Commissioners . . 39
15. John Eliot to the Commissioners . . . . 43
16. John Cotton to the Commissioners . . .47
17. John Eliot to the Treasures . . . . 49
18. John Eliot to the Governor . . . .51
19. John Eliot to the Governor . . . . 52
20. The Commissioners to the Governor . . .56
21. The Commissioners to the Governor . . . 58

XXX11 PAGE
22. The President and Fellows of Harvard College to
the Governor . . . . . .61
23. John Eliot to the Governor . . . . 65
24. The Commissioners to the Governor . . .08
25. The Governor to the Commissioners . . . 70
26. The Commissioners to the Governor . . .72
27. Indians at Natick to John Eliot . . . . 74
2S. The Company to the Commissioners . . .77
29. William Stoughton to the Governor . . . 79
30. Increase Mather to the Governor . . .SO
31. Increase Mather to the Governor . . . 82
32. Increase Mather, Cotton Mather, and Nehemiah
Walter to the Governor . . . .83
33. Cotton Mather to the Governor . . . . 8S
34. Cotton Mather to the Governor . . .90
35. Joseph Dudley to the Governor . . . . 92
36. The Governor to Governor Nicholson . . 93
37. The Governor to Increase Mather . . . 95
38. Experience Mayhew to the Commissioners . . 97

Errata.
On pages 81, 83, antl SS, for Walker, rend Walter
On page 121, for Grolan, read Grntan
ii >i 123, for Hoyes, read Noyes

From the Rev. John Eliot to Mr. Richard Lloyd,
Treasurer of the Company.
Worthy, Christian. & beloved freinds.
The Lord Jesus or redeemer who hath by his
blood wrought our deliverance from eternal wrath, doth
dayly drop out upon us fruits of his Kedemption by
delivering fro sicknesse sorrows & afflictions. And by
virtue hereoff doe I stand before the Lord among the
living, at this day, for I doe blesse the Lord, he hath in
some measure recovered me, & inabled me to attend my
work, though not w'hout paine, . my disease hangeth
about me still, but not in vigor, I can pretty well indure
my travaile, but if I travaile either in wet or cold, it doth
shake me much, & is ready to lay me quite up againe,
for which cause I am forced to be more wary, & obser
vant of my selfe, then I have bene wont to be, for or
Indian affairs I must make bold to refer you to lers of
the Corporation. Sr I received this yeare fro your selfe
by the hand of Mr Davy a peel of good & well con
ditioned goods to the value of 11" — 0 — 0 wch you expresse
to be the last of that gift wch a deceased Servant of God
gave to the Indian work, by the hand of Mr Jesse
touching all wch I shall (the Lord assisting) give an
accompt the next yeare likewise I did receive a small
pacquet of hooks fro™ Mr Jessy, wch I distributed & dis-

posed according to Mr Jessys appoyntment. Touching
or payments here, the Comissioners have put it into a
good way so far as I see, for Mr Usher hath very
lovingly & well paide us what concerned him. Touching
the Civile affaires among the Indians, I feare that for
time to come they will goe on more waryly, because the
Commissioners have discharged my brother at the end
of this yeare, who was assistant to me in y* matter, but
they doe not see need to imploy any body y* way. Sr
ther is a godly young man, a Scholler, who this yeare
cometh over one some ocasions, his name is Mr Ince,
who hath a singular faculty to learne & prounc the
Indian tongue, far better then I have whom I have long
sollicited to the work, but he hath kept a Schoole &
hath not had incouragmt in his Spirit and now he hath
pmised me that if the Lord please not to fix him in
England he will returne unto this work now my request
unto your selfe and by your self to the whole assembly
of the honorable Corporation is y* you would please to
take notice of him, & to incourag him to come back unto
this work of Christ here, but I must now cease furthr
to trouble you, & contending you to the Lord, & to the
word of his grace I rest. <¦. .
Your loving brothr in or deare Saviour
John Eliot.
Roxbury this 8' of the 8'. 57.
To his much honored and Christian freind Mr
Floid Treasurer to the honorable Corpora
tion for spreading the Gospel aroong the
Indians in New Englnd. These p'sent.

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to
Mr. Richard Lloyd, Treasurer of the Company.
Honred & Worthy Gentlemen.
Yo™ of the 3 of Aprill last in answere to o™ of
the 19th of September we have receaved & pused &
thereby understand yor paym' of or bill of Exchange of
500u dwrawen upon you to Mr Hezekiah Usher as also
the bill of 10u to Mr Stonestreete assign* to Mr Nanny
together wth the paym* of 700u more to Mr Usher
aceordinge to or advice & request. The bill of Exchange
drawen upon himselfe he hath accepted & paid p*6
thereof to good satisfaction & content. The rest is
ready upon Demand as or occasions shall require And
we hope wilbe sufficient to defray the charges of this
yeare, and that for the next we shall not charge you wth
above 50011 as you desire. It was never or desire or intent
to hinder the purchasing of Lands there, by drawing over
any great Sofhes of money hither, further then the
incouragem* of the work might require & to peserve
orselves from running into debt or taking up money
or goods wth disadvantage, wch we hop & beleeve you
would have avoyded though we yet see not that the act
of parliam* or the trust imposed therein obliges you to
the purchasing of 2000u p. annum in case the pesent &
necessary charges for carrying on the work should re
quire a larger yearely expence then hitherto it hath
done. And the trueth is had we not bene more then
once stirred up by yocrselves (as by the pusing yor
Letters you may please to see) to inlarge or allowance to
deserving instruments imployed in the work the charge

had not bene altogether so much as it is, yet notwth-
standing we find it very difficult to procure fitt psons to
ingage heerein as the worke calls for.
By or last we certified you of Severall psons that we had
incouraged to imploy their labo" in this kinde, but finde
not that effect thereof as we hoped & desired. The losse
of Mr Mayhew in relation to this worke is verie great,
and so far as for the prsent we can see, irreparable, or
thoughts have bene of some, and or indeavo" have im
proved to the uttermost to supply that place wch is the
most considerable in that pte of the Country, his ffather
(though ancient) ia helpfull that way wth one other
Englishman & two Indians that instruct the rest upon
the Lords days and at other tymes. Mrs Mayhew
(the widow of the deceased whom he left poore wth 6 or
7 children) desires that 3 boyes might be brought up in
learning to fitt them for after service amongst the
Indians, weh we are slow to assent unto, in regard they
are very younge & the charges wilbe great before they
be fitt for imploymt & then uncertayne how their myndes
may be addicted or their hearts inclyned to this work,
yet for the support & the incouraging of others we
have allowed her 20" & taken upon us to defray the
charge of the eldest sonne of about 10 yeares old now at
Schoole for this yeare & shalbe willing to doe further for
hym or her as you shall please to advise. Mr Peirson
(we heare) is preparing his Catachisme for the presse, &
is expected heere every day we hope to send yon it by
the next together wth this yeares accounts wch as yet we
have not had tyme to psent. The Lord in mercie carry
on this great work in yor & our hands to the glorie of

his name & the eternall good of the soules of the poore
Indians. wch are the prayers of.
Gentlemen
ybr verie Loving ffriends & Servants
Coihissioners of the United Colonies
Jo. Endecott, presdnt.
Ffrancis Newman. Simon Bradstreet.
William Leefe. Tho. Pearce.
Jos. Winslow.
John Wtnthropp.
John Callcott.
Boston the 26t!l of September 1658.
To or much honred ffriends Briehard ffloyd
Esquier & to the rest of the honorbla
Corporation for the propagation of the
Gospell amongst the Indians in New.
England prsent at Coops hall. London.

From the Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company,
to ihe Commissioners of the United Colonies.
Honoured Gent :
Yo" of the 10th of September last wee receaved
together wft an accompt of the Indean Stock & of the
last years disbursem*3 in & for the propagacon of the
Gospell amongest the Native Indians in New England
& the parts adjacent in America w* accompt wee well
approve of not questioning in the least yor wisdome and
fidelitie in disposing & manadging that affaire desiring

Gods blessing upon the endeavors of such instruments
as are & shall be employed herein. Wee have accepted
yor bill of 500" to be pd to Mr John Harwood by the
24th of June next hopinge that Mr Dyher wilbe pswaded
to allow 14 p cent at least advance uppon the same, for
wee are offered by Mr Edmod White mchant 201 p. cent :
advance who is contented to pay the monie beforehand
in New England upon those termes & will take order
that the same shalbe duly paid (when it shalbe required)
by his correspondent Mr Humphry Davie living at
Boston in- New -England wch being soe advantagious a
pposition & wee leave it therefore to yor wisdome & serious
consideracon to treate wth the sd Mr Davie if you thinke
meete wee being confident that you are such well willers
to the worke, as that you will not omitt any endeavors
wch lyeth in yor power to promote the same. Wee
desire you not to charge us the next yeare wth above
4001 for although wee have (by Gods assistance) recoverd
the lands wch were deteyned from us, yet it hath been
done wth losse of all the meane profltts & verie greate
charges & expences in suite of law, wee having had to
doe wth a man who hath as little estate to recoupe us
the wrongs done us, as he made scrapie to doe the same.
As touching Marmaduke Johnson the Printer wee
have reed ires of recornendacon from Mr Eliot & Mr
Chauncy president of yor Colledge in New England both
wch give ample testimonie of his abilitie & fltnes to be
employed in printing hooks in the Indian language &
desire that the peces wch doe yet remayne may passe
through his hands upon whose recomdacons (being men
of skill & judgm* in that business wee have conceaved

such an opinion of his abilitie that wee had thoughts of
contracting wth him againe much desiring that he
should be further made use of if it may be conveniently
done) but we referre it to your wisdomes after you shall
have heard what Mr Elliot & Mr Chauncy can say on
his behalf to doe therein as God shall direct you. In the
meane time wee pray you to comitt the presse letters &
implemts of printing belonging to us to the care of Mr
Elliott to be pserved for our use. Mr Chauncy writes that
by the fundamentall Constitucon of the Colledge all im
pressions belonge to them, with the licensing correcting
& oversight of books printed & that they have allwaies
had a suitable allowance by the sheete, wch they have
been deprived of in the whole impression of the Indian
Bible, and other Indian books, wch losse he desires.
might be considered, he alsoe desires that both in Grafher
schooles & in the Colledge alsoe there should be appointed
by us a fitt sallarie for seholemasters & Tutors in the
Colledge for evrie Indian that is instructed by them to
incourage them in the worke : a Copie of whose letter
wee have herewth sent you, desiring you to consider
thereof & by yol" next to lett us know yor opinions con
cerning the same, for wee cannot certainly understand
by Mr Chauncies Ire what allowance he expecteth should
be made to the Colledge upon books printed, nor to
schoolemasters & Tutors, neith1" can wee whout yr advice
judge what is fitt to be allowed in -that behalfe, wee
finding in yor Accompt divrs considerable somes of monie
wch you have alreadie paid & allowed to seholemasters
& Tutors, & therefore desiring that all due incouragemt
should be given to the Colledge, and all others who

8
labour in the good worke wee referre it to yor con
sideration, & shall be glad to receave some advice from
you herein, after you have conferred wth Mr Chauncy
about it. And soe wee comitt you to the guidance &
proteceon of the Almightie, whose blessing & Assistance
wee implore both to you & us & all others employed in
the propagacon of his glorious Gospell.
Signed by order of the Govnor & Companie
for propagacon of the Gospell in New
England & the pts adjacent in America.
Bo : Boyle, Govnr.
London the of
1664.
Wee have sent over according to yor request some
Letters such as by advice wth Mr Johnson are judged
most convenient for the worke wch wee have consigned
to Mr Elliott because wee understand that you will not
meete till Septemb next & for that there may be occasion
to make use thereof in the meane time.
(Endorsed.) fiebr : 1664.
A foule copie of the Ire to the Com? of the United
Collonies in New Engl : Impfect.
To their honored freinds the Com" of the
United Collonies of New Engl, in New
England or to any of them.

From Mr. Charles Chauncy, President of Harvard College,
to the Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Bight worth and much honoured in the Lord
Whom the Lord hath bene pleased, though in a
more remote way, wth the charge of inumerable soules
of the poore Indians heere natives in America. I prsume
so farre, that yor piety and candor is such, that it wilbee
gratefull unto you, if I doe prsent you wth a fewe words
in order to promout this great designe. ther are two
things that mainely conduce by way of prparation to the
conversion of the Indians, the schooles for ther education,
and the printing presse to furnish them wth fit bookes,
to bring up ther children in schooles, and catechisme.
for this latter worke it hath pleased you to send over to
us an able printer Marmaduke Johnson who though he
hath bene in former times loose in his life and conversa
tion, yet this last yeere he hath bene very much reformed,
and in likelihood one that may carry on the printing
worke wth greater advantage if your selves shall be
pleased to cofhit the managing of the presse to him, and
to furnish him wth fonts of letters, for the printing of
English, Indian, latine and Greeke, and some also for
Hebrewe, provided that he live not asunder from his
wife, as he hath done before, over long, wch now is
reported to bee dead, as also that the Colledge to wch all
impressions from the foundation of it belonge, together
wth the licensing, correcting, and oversight of bookes
printed, have a suitable allowance by the sheet, wch they
have been deprived of in the whole impression of the
Indian Bible wch losse I intreat you to consider, for it is
not too late, besides other. Indian books have been
printed wthout any advantage at all to the Colledge.

10
Now as concerning schooles for the Indians there
hath not been wanting eyther diligence or faithfullnes in
or honord Cofhisioners to provide for them heere. yet it
were to bee wished that both in Gramer Schooles, and
in or Colledge also there should be appointed by yor
selves a fit salary for schoole maisters and Tutors in the
Colledge for every Indian that is instructed by them to
incourage them in the worke, wherin they have to deale
wth such nasty salvages, and of whom they are to have
a greater care and diligent inspection : as it used to bee
in Colledges in Universyties in the education of feelow
Cofhoners wch in Oxford hath bene no lesse than 21 by
the quarter. I speake not in regard of my selfe, though
I have trained up two of the Indians and instructed
them in Arts and languages untill that nowe they are in
some good measure fit to preach to the Indians and doe
it wth hope of comfortable successe. but I speake it for
this purpose, that it may proceed from yourselves as a
standing allowance to incourage so great a work.
I would not bee too bold wth you, but as the govern
ment of the Colledge is coihitted unto mee, and I doe
greatly thirst after the promoting of so glorious and
pretious a worke, I have suggested the p'misses and I
desire the Lord to psper the worke, and to yorselves and
all pious endeavoers about it, and rest
Your Worps in the Lord to my power
ffro' Cambridge 2 Octr 1664. CHAELES CHAUNCY.
To the Honb!e Bobert Boyle Esqr Governr
of the Corporation ffor the Indians in
New England, thes prsent,
(Endorsed.)
Mr. Chauncies lre Govnor of the Colledge in New
Engl, a Copie to be sent to the Comissionrs there.

11

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Bight Honourable
Yours of y° 1st of March 64 wee have re
ceived much rejoyceing to see ye Continuance of yor
pious Care & sedulous endeavour to promote this glorious
& hopefull worke of ye Converssion of these poore
Natives in this remote parte of ye World, who notwith
standing all y° temptations & discouragements they are
compassed about with yet accordinge to ye information
wee have received from ye instruements imployed therein
doe continue their wonted care, & diligence & in attend
ing to ye things of God & their owne everlasting salva
tion, & sundery are daly added to their meetings
professing themselves willing to heare & learne y°
knowledge of God in Jesus Christ a further & more
pticuler acct hereof wee must referre to Mr Elliot;
ffor yor hono" acceptance of or last returne wee psent
our humble thanks ; yor pleasure signified refering to ye
advance to be made by such as receive yr moneyes in
England wee acquainted Capt. Davy & Mr Usher there
with, on heareing whereof Capt. Davy tendered 151'
p ct & after some conferrance had with him his finall
answer was y* in case Mastr Usher would give 161' hee
was willing y* hee should have it which Mr Usher com
plying in according to yor advice wee have given him
bills for 400u & for yl which hee received last yeare hee
hath consented to allow 1 4U p. ct that which hee now
allows 16" p. ct adv: to bee pd in Cash here, on all
demands as yu receivers have occasion whereby all

12
danger of Losse by any Exegent as alsoe charges for
keeping acco*8 is wholly prevented, wee apprehend is a
competent & full allowance, such as will not easily bee
bettered as to yc ende intended. Yor honors direction
refering ye printing presses wee have also attended, and
at Mr Elliots Bequeste wee have consented to allow for ye
printing of ye practice of piety 40s per sheet ye printer
makeing allowance for ye correction of ye Presse and wee
findeing pap : & Mr Johnson is joynte partner with
or printer in ye worke. what Lett1'3 hee hath now
brought over wee doe not yet understand y" gt of but
are advised y* they are not the same y* were advised by
himselfe here; hee told us y* y" whole font were nt
belonging to ye Corporation, by reason y* ye monyes y*
hee received of yo'selves was not suffissient for y" pur-
chas thereof wee are not able of giveing yor honor a
further acco* by reason y* wee are ignorant of what
monyes hee received of yorselves, as also of ye acco of
ye letters hee acknowledged to bee yours: he haveing
now brought over a printing presse with Supplye of
letters for him Selfe; besids his intrest which hee
claimes in y* font of Le*3 which he sayth is yors wee
apprehend y* it will bee lesse convenient y* ye publicke
stocke should continue mixt with his, which wee shall
endeavour to prevent being enabled thereto by yor
hono" further information, wee have also conferred with
Mr Chauncy Mr Elliot being present in relation to his
Letter & finde y* ye former president did agree with y°
Printer to allow ye Colledge for ye use of their Presse
letters, & all other Charges about ye same, correcting of
yc Presse being included, ye sume of 10s p sheet but ye

13
Presse & Letters being now yo" & a full allowance made
ye Printer for all other charges, wee see not y8 like
reason to doe it now, yet neverthelesse, if you shall please
to "order any encorragemt to the Colledge, on this or any
other Consideration wee shall thankfully embrace it,
wee have also satisfied Mr Chauncy & Mr Elliot y* ye
allowance made by us to ye schoolemrs & Tutors have
been sufficit & equall, wee haveing noe other aime or
interest save ye only promoting of soe good a worke
according to ye truste reposed in us, wee understand by
Mr Elliot y* yor honours have ordered him to translate
into v* Indian Language & cause to bee printed ye
Practice of Piety and some works of Mr Shepherds wch
will cost nere 200u we humbly conceive y* those wth
what are already printed will bee sufficient for y6 natives
for many yeares & had they ben lesser books or some
abridgem* of these they would have ben altogether as
usefull for ye Indians & ye disbursm*3 for ye same farre
lesse; we have herewith sent yor hono" an acco* of ye
last yeares disburstm*3 wherein is something -.charged
for powder & shoott deliver'd Mr Eliot for ye Indians to
bee imployed only for their necessary defence against ye
Mohawks which are professed Enimies to all -or: neigh
bouring Indians & have slayne sundry of them..
The Providence of ye Lord refering to ye two Indian
Stud*3 at ye Colledge have been very sad & humbling
y* one of ym goeing home to vissit his parents about
100 miles distant on Martins Vinyard in his returne
ye vessell wherein hee was being cast away, both hee
& all ye soules in it about 7 or 8; Psons were lost,
whether by shipwrack or by massacre of ye Indians wee

14
cannot yet certainely find out : the other surviveing took
his degree this summer of Bacheldor of Art but is now
fallen into a deep Consumption an epidemicall disease
among y" natives & mortall soe y* there remaines littell
hope of his life, ye remaind1" are in No. 7 whereof one is
lately entred into ye Colledge a towardly lad & apt
witt for a schoUer, & y° other 6 are at y8 schoole 3 of
them at Boxberry to learne English, & 3 at yB Gramr
Schoole in Cambridge, but they alsoe are in ye Lords
hands to dispose of according to his good pleasure.
Before wee conclude its necessary y* wee give yor
honours an ace* (though but brefely) of or present
Capassity in this or returne, which stands thus (i.e.) our
Confederracon being at present under consideration of a
trienall meeting in lew of y* which was yearly except in
Case of any immergency, that ye trust reposed in us by
yorse!ves might not bee neglected it was agreed at our
last meeting that those two years wherein ye whole
number of Commissioners did not meet ; ye Cofhissioners
for ye Massachus*3 : Colony with any one of ye Com" for
ye other Coll : meeting at Boston at the ordinary time ;
they should transe act y* affare, & make returne thereof
to yor hono" as also to give an acco* of such their acts to
yc whole N° of Comera at their trienall meeting, in observ
ance of wch agreement wee have mett, & made upp yc
acco*. w*h Mr Usher as therein is more pticulerly exprest ;
thus haveing endeavoured faithfully to psent yor hon°™
with ye true state of ye whole matter, now the God of all
Grace & mercy abundantly recompence all yor labour
of Love : & Care for ye Spirituall good of these poore
people; blesse & prospor or deare Native Country, &

continue peace with truth here with ye free passage
of y8 Gospell of or Lorde & Saviour Jesus Christ, &
further progresse of this good worke amongst these
poore natives, wch is y8 humble prayer & request of
Bight Honourable
yor hon°" humble Servants
John Winthrop
Simon BeadstbEetk
Thomas Danforth.
Boston Sept 13 : 1665.
Copied out of the orriginall on file and examd
4. 10. 65.
By Thomas Danforth.'
Septr 13. 1665. (Endorsed.)
Copie of letre from the Com" in New England.

From the Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company,
to the Commissioners of the United Colonies.
[The Coppy of a letter sent June 1668.]
Honoured Gent".
Y" of the 27th Jan. Last came safe to our
hands which acquaints us with what wee cannot
but take notice of with Joy & thankfullness namely,
The great Care & Concerne you have continued in
furthering and Incourraging the worke of the Lord
among the Indians; and the Alacrity exprest by the
persons employed about it, notwithstanding the late sad
Discouragments that have fallen upon that undertaking
partly through the hand of God in the fire (which hath

16
consumed part of our Eevenue) & partly through the
opositions of some men who by force or fraud have
Indevoured to divert what rightly belongs thereunto.
But although their attempts have been a Trouble and a
charge to us, yet through the good hand of God upon us,
we have found Justice & favour in all those courts of
Judicature where our Affaires have been Tryed & Trans
acted and wee hope the Lord will so shine upon our
future Indevours as that (at the Least) the greatest part
of our former Income will be so resetled that not only
wee, but those that shall succeed us, may hand it over
to you ; & thereby the Gospell of our lord Jesus may
runn & be gloryfyed, & the savor thereof extended to the
ends of the earth.
Wee were bold in our Former Letter to recommend
the care of this good worke to you for a yeare without
furnishing you from hence wherewithall to carry it on ;
only expressing our desyres that nothing might bee
wanting that should be judg'd necessary to continue ye
very Being of it. And we also then acquainted you with
our Low condition as that which reducd us so to pro-
ceede. And thogh since that time it is not yet much
bettered, only that we are something recovered out of
debt, yet we shall now adde, That wee hope befor your
next to see ourselves so farre freed as well from our
Debts as our Troublesome and chargeable suites so as
that if the Land wee Live in & our remaining Bevenue
comes to settlement ; there will be no Interruption to
hinder a competent supply, for then: Ineourrigment that
labour for this worke of the Lord. But in the meane
tyme we must continue our Desires which we presume

17
you will thinke but necessary and seasonable, to abate
all charge that is not essentiall to the being of this good
worke ; as printing & Binding of bookes, and Salaries to
Governours, & Gratuityes to those that doe not Actually
Contribute to the worke ; hoping that they that doe
Labour, will for a time be wuling to abate of their former
stipends & not account it greavous which y8 providence
of God makes necessary for the promoting of Christ's
interest especially since this is desir'd or intended but
for a time. As it is our great Joy to heare of the In-
largment of Christ's Interest in the turning of many
from the power of Sathan to himself ; so it would be
matter of griefe if meanes should be wanting to so
gloryous an end : which wee hope your Zeale for His
Glory will prevent, to whose Grace both your & our
Indeavors are humby & heartily recommended.
Signed by order of the Govnr & Companie
for ppagacon of the Gospell in New
England & the parts adjacent in
America. Bo. Boyle, Gov1"'.
London the 4<h of June 1668.
To their honoured friends the Com" of
the United Collonies of New England
in New England, or to any of them.
theis Delvr. (Endorsed.)
Copie of the Ire to the Com" of the United Collonies
in New Engl :

.18

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Bight Honourable.
Your letter of the fourth of June 1668 was
received whereby we understand your honours renewed
care and mdefatigable paines in prosecuting the interest
of the work of the Lord amongst the Indians for the
forwarding the publishing of the glad tydings of peace
to a people amongst whom Ohe Name of Christ hereto
fore was not so much as named, who according to the
good pleasure of his rich and free grace when and where
hee pleaseth is found of them y* sought him not and is
made manifest to those that asked not for him : the
sence of the good of the effectual finding of Christ by
some of their soules or rather of Christ his finding of
them and such of his lost sheep as are amongst them is
noe doubt (next to the glory of God) that which doth
soe powerfully worke in you to carry you on against all
the difficulties and oppositions you have met withall
therein. And it is of the same free grace of God that all
those mountaines of difficulties that hath been raised up
by the opposers fraud or subtilty are become a plane
before you the intelligence whereof by yor lines hath
been and is a reviving to our spirits, and to those
imployed in that so worthy a worke for that thereby
comfortable hopes for the future supplies are given
unto us. Your honours may assure yourselves that
according to your advice the greatest frugality shalbee
from time to time exercised in the discharge of the trust

19
committed to us in this affayre. And you may please
to understand that wee do not know of any sallary that
hath been given to any Governor or Governors only
sometimes their names are mentioned in the accompt a3
having the sumes therein specifyed put into their hands
for the distributing thereof for the incouragement of
such Indians as they know to be active in their several
Colonies for the promoting of the worke and are by
them accounted well deserving thereof. Yet even . that
from yor information is declined at present. Nor doe
wee understand that your caution therein respects
Captain Gookin, whose great labour and good success
therein is of such use that if not attended by him must
bee by some other or the want thereof wilbee soon
found as by Mr Eliot & others we are informed. By
the accompt wee herewith transmit to yor honours you
will see that wee have been carefull to order to noe
person nor expence but such as appear to us essentially
necessary for the keeping up of the worke ; one Article
of the accompt of ten pounds paid to Goodwife Daniel
who was formerly a teacher of the Indians, and one of
the first imployed in the service with good success to
sundry of them, & that for four years together, but
then was not so minding herselfe nor had the Cofhis-
sioners in their hands to order meet incouragement to
her as by Mr Bradstreet wee have been informed,
through her importunity for the three last years past
especially this, and having received good satisfaction of
the justness of her desire wee have so ordered which wee
thinke to bee below her deservings had shee prosecuted
her interest in the season thereof ; wee do not understand

20
that there lyeth any discouragement upon the labourers in
the worke, yet we cannot but bee sensible that the Lord
in his wise providence is drawing a black line over it by
his afflicting hand upon young Mr Eliot who lyeth
under a Consumptive distemper so that his continuance
is much feared. Yet this wee know the Lord of the
worke wants not instruments but can raise those whom
bee will employ for the carrying an end thereof to
the effecting the Counsel of his own will : there is
another article in the accompt of twenty pounds for
amunition & cards taken up by Mr Eliot the elder ; the
amunition was call'd for that the Indians whose faces
are Godward might have for their defence against the
Maquas a people that lives up above two hundred miles
west of us, who live by making inroads and depredations
upon other Indians, who formerly were in open hostility
with the ffrench in Canida but the last year they made
peace with them, since they have infested the more
Easterly Indians to the necessitating the Indians
amongst us to get into a posture of defence this last
year, which amunition is by the care & prudence of Mr
Eliot kept for their supply upon any occasion, the cards
are for the improving the Indian women in preparing
Cotton wool for the wheele, upon the payment of the
last bills charged in 1668 together whether with the
advance upon them there was remaining in Mr Usher
his hands 366L 6s 3d which wee have charged upon
him to the same of 334L 14s 3d. Wee have now drawn
upon yor hands bills for the payment of three hundred
pounds unto Mr John Harwood, the whole sume wilbee
taken up in the supplying the pinching necessities of

21
the worke the next year, of those Indians at the
Colledge one of them being wholly indisposed to follow
learning wilbee took of & put upon some other occupa
tion by sea which he mostly desires. Honoured Sr wee
shall add no more at present but with our onfeigned
desires of the Lord's blessing to be upon yor Person &
all yor concrns, with our humble service to all the
members of yor honourable Corporaecon
Wee take leave to subscribe ourselves
Sr yor Servants in the furtherance
of this worke of Christ.
J. Winthrop.
Thos. Danforth.
Jno. Leverett.
Boston in New England. Sept. 10th 1668.
Postscript. Sr you will find in y8 ace* some of y8 labourers in y8
worke wholly omitted y8 reason whereof, in p* is bee.
wee have not received any particular information of
their pceedg in ye worke, they liveing farr remote from
Boston, but since the account was drawne up, wee have
some intimation, y* Mr James & some others do
continue their lab6urs, & shall accordingly reoeive
encouragment when we have a pticular ace* from
them. These
for theBight Honourable Bobert Boyle
Esqr Governour of the Honourable
Corporacon for the Propagation of the
Gospell among the Indian Natives
in N. England, these Present in London.

22

From the Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company,
to the Commissioners of the United Colonies.
Much Honred
Yours of the 10th September 1668 we have
Eeceived. And doe with you rejoyce, y* life & immor-
talitie is brought to Light by the Gospell amongst a
people unto whom- Christ was not knowen. And how
would our joy increase could we have more of the
efficacy & power of the spirit accompanying the word
for the gathering in these poore outcasts unto Christs
fold we hope by your continued care countenanc &
encouragement thcrin will not be wanting chosen In
struments from the Lord for the further carrying on of
this worke : yet we cannot but be very sensible of the
Lords hand in taking of such usefull servants of his as
he hath blessed & owned in this work, And truly we
woud be the more affected with it, because we doe not
know of more instruments redye to stand upp in the
places of those y* God calls of : The Lord we know hath
the Besidue of the Spiritt & can as he please Spiritt
others for the worke : yet it would be very acceptable to
understand how the Lord appears in this behalfe &
Whither any considerable number there are or like to be
qualified for a future supply of this service : And we
desire in yoor next y* you would be somwhat particular
with us in this case ; & also whither there be any
obstructions y' putte discouragement uppon persons
otherwise fitly qualified for studying the Indian Language
without which we know not how this matter can be
promoted y* soe with your advise & assistance we might

23
endevor the Benoving of them, & give all possible en
couragement to further this good worke soe farr as to
lay a hopefull foundation for succeeding generations to
carry on this service, we find the harts of good men well
inclined towards it considering how immensely it would
advance the Interest & glory of our dear Lord Jesus to
have the Joyfull sound of the Gospell of salvation Beach
the ears & hearts of the miserable vassalls & captives of
Satan. Their is a worthy person in order to this, one
Mr Montrye a french gentleman hath given for the
preaching of the gospell amongst the Indians 3601 (in
the procuringe of which our governor hath been very
instrumentall ; This mony is Bemitted to you att 251 per
cent advance which makes 4501 with you : 3001 of this
mony is delivered Mr Thomas Blauer Marchant for 3751
to be payd at 3 months after sight unto John Leverett
Esquire & Mr Hersechia Usher att Boston by his
Brother Mr Habbucuck Blauer. The other 601 is
delivered to Mr Bobert Tonpson to be payd at 3 months
sight to the person aforementioned pr Mr John Bichards
of Boston, which mony we desire may be putt forth to
Interest which we compute will be 36' pr anum which
361 is to be payd to ' some godly able man for preaching
to the Indians & a Beceipt to be taken & sent upp yearly
as the guift of Mr Montrye this is our present thoughts
for the disposall of this mony, but possible we may
hereafter alter this course being desirous soe to dispose
it as may best content the Donor. We would therefore
intreat you to informe us what this mony will yeeld pr
annm of Anuity for 10 years (Leasing the principall) or
what it will purchase to be payd yerely in mony & what

24
in Cuntry pay & what way you judge best for carrying
on this work designed, it being to be kept entire as this
gentleman's gift. It hath been judged very probable y*
heerafter our Bemitting Monyes att 251 advance (which
we are now offered) will augment the Bevenew more
considerably than now it is : your drawing bills uppon
us amounting not to above 15 or 16 pr cent. But how
ever we have suspended our positive determination
herein till we shall heare from you by the next. We
are assured of your Eedy Complyance in what may tend
to the best improvement of the Stocke, and therefore
shall expect your concurrence herein unless you offer
Seasons to the Contrary y* may occasion us to alter our
thoughts. Some thing hath been debated amongst us
as to this way of remitting mony : it having been
alleadg'd by some y* those y* Beceive Sallaryes desire
to have it payd them in necessary Comodities rather
than in specie being a more easy way for them
y* livs remote & know not otherwis how to come by
Commodities at their need, but as to y* it was judgd by
many of us y* a larger advance in theire Sallary by about
9 or 10 in the hundred more will put them to find out a
means to accomodate themselv3 with conveniencys since
they shall find soe much more of Commodities for their
mony, & we desire you would give them the best
encouragements & assistance herein. We have little
more to add but to lett you know your papers inclosed
are allowed & put to account, & as for your last bill of
exchange of 3001 charged uppon us, we are as yet but
getting out of debt but hope by the end of the yeare to
discharge it though for present we are like to be In-

25
cumbred with a troublesome suite we shall not further
enlarge but commend you & your affayres to the
councell & guidance of the only Wise God trusting
uppon him for a blessing & happy success both to your
& our affayres in the promoting of this good worke.
Signed by order of the Companie for
ppagacon of the Gospell in New E.
and the pts adjacent in America,
E. B.
London the 28th of Aprill 1669.
To or honoured friends the Commissioners
of the United Collonies of New Engl, in
New England or to any of them theis
delr (Endorsed.)
The lre sent to the Com" of the United Collonies of
New England.

From the Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company,
to the Commissioners of the United Colonies.
Gentlemen. We have reed yours of the of
last with the account & bill of exch of 3001 which is
accepted though wee did not expect any to be drawne
upon us haveing formerly advised that wee judged it
most adviseable to remitt unlese the advance had bin
greater on your drawing. This money with the ballance
of yr account will pay all sallerys to September next.
And for the following yeare wee are purposed to remitt
* Dates not inserted.

26
mony for the satfcesfying the growing charge, so would
not have you draw any more ffor what is desired as to a
supply of Armes & powder wee conseave it is not within
our trust & soe can doe nothing in it But are of opinion
that the Collony in which those Indians are is as equally
bound to protect them as others they being now his
ma'ie3 subjects & as wee are enformed all the Collonys by
your Asotiation are ingaged to assist in such cases.
Soe hope you will not be wanting in your duty herein
wee perswade ourselves the Governr of New Yorke will
countenance & assist soe goode a worke if ther should
be a backwardnes (which wee would not suspect) upon
your intemation wee doubt not but to obtaine his maties
or his Boyall Highnesses Comands to him to what
shalbe judged Seasonable herein.
¦ Ther is a worthy person Mr Moutche (a French
lawyer) who hath given for the preching the Gosple in
your parts 3001 which wee have remitted unto you
at 25 p. ct. advance which makes with you on your
mony 4501. 3001 delivered to Mr Tho. Glover for 3751
to be paid at 3mo sight unto Jno Leveret Esq1" & Mr
Hezekiah Usher by his brother Mr Habakkuk Glover
& 601 delivered to Mr Bobert Thomson for 751 to be
paid at time & to ye persons afore said by Mr John
Bichards. Which mony wee would have put out at
interest & the interest being 361 a yeare each yeare paid
to some Godly able man for preaching to the Indians &
a recept taken & sent us yearely as the gift of Mr
Moutche. this is our present thoughts for the dispose of
this mony but posibly may alter & therfore desire you
will advise us what Anewety this will purchase for 10

27
yeares (looseing the princepall) to be paid in mony &
what to be paid in country pay, and which may be best
for the carrying on the worke designed, alsoe wee would
know what yerely rent it will purchase of an heritance
being desirrous of its greatest improvemt & kept intire
as this good mans gift.
(This incomplete letter is enclosed in the draft
letter signed B. B. dated London the 28th
of April 1669.)

From the Rev. John Eliot to the Hon. Robert Boyle,
Governor of the Company.
The prsent state of the Indians in the Massachusets
govnmt, in the matter of Beligion this prsent yeare 1669.
Being called upon by Our Bight Wrpfull Comis-
sioners to give a pticular accompt of every place
of our praying Indians, & of such, by name, as labour
among ym, wch y" doe, because yel are called upon by
the Bight Honorable the Corporation in London, to send
such an accompt unto y°u ; my accompt, raptim, is as
followeth. Jurisdiction, the praying Indians are many. The JfJ^8*"
cheife Towne is Natik. there the most or prmcipal of the Natik-
Church reside, there be the ordinary assemblys of the
Church held & there is the administration of the
sacram*, baptism & the Lords Supr- there be betwixt
30 & 40 cofhunicants at the Lord's table. Sundry are
upon y8 pbatory confession to be received, one is under
censure. We have two constant Indian teachers in the

28

Pakeunit.

Ogqticrai-
kong- qaamesit.

Hassa-nnamesut.

Church, one named John, the other Antony. Our cheife
Indian Civile ruler is Waban, next him Piumbuhhow,
Wutasakompauin, Mishosinan. here Capt. Gookins
keepeth his Cheif Courts, but I shall not enter upon the
history of theire civile affaires. The 2d Towne i3
Pakeunit. the constant Teacher of this place is named
William, the Cheife Buler was Josiss who is this sufher
slaine by the Mauquaog Indians, in this towne are 8 or
ten more or lesse upon theire pbational confession, &
because some of ym are very ancient, not able to go to
Natik ; therefore the Church have appoynted a meeting
at this Towne this Autumne, to heare theire confessions of
Christ, & to receive such into the Church as (through
grace) shall be approved. Many of our choyce instruments
of this place are dead, here my deare Son Taught who is
deceased, & these have (w'hout the least motion of
mine) called my son in law Mr Habbakuk Glover to
teach & order yra, who hath this sufher discharged y8
work to theire good acceptance & satisfaction, theire
Civile Courts & affairs Capt: Gookins doth order.
The 3d Towne is Ogquonikongquamesit. here the
teacher was nausquonit who by reason of age & in
firmity, hath now laid it downe, & yei have chosen in
his roome Job (one of your schollars at Cambridge)
& Sampson, these two are by the Church appved to
teach there, theire Cheife Buler is Owannamug, a godly
wise man. Sundry of this towne are joyned to the
Church. The 4th Towne is Hassannemesut. The constant
Teacher in this place is Tappakkoowillin a good man.
his elder brother named Annweekit is one of the Civile

29
rulers of this towne — the above named Job is another
of his brothers. James who had an hand in printing the -
Bible is anothr the good old man theire Father was last
yeare joyned to the Church & baptized, the last Court
at Natik Capt: Gookins did adjoyne Petahkey in rule w*h
Anuweekit, who was the first ruler in the place &
had done valiantly. Sundry of this towne are of the
Church. The 5* Towne is Maqwongkommuk. they call it a Maqwong-
new Towne. the Church appoynted & sent Wohwohquo- oma '
shadt to teach ym & Pomham is theire ruler.
The 6th Towne is Quanetusset. these are newly come
in to pray unto God, & having met w*h some discourage
ment, the work goeth on slowly, the Church hath sent
Monatunkquanet to teach them, & he joyning w'h
Tuppukkoowillin, they together, have the care of y* new
place commted to ym.
The 7th Towne is Nayhop. the teacher of y* place is Nayhop.
John Thomas, whose godly Fath1' was killed by the
Mauquaog Lndians wD early in the morning he was in
the river taking up an eelpot, he was shot dead, the
incurtions of the Mauquaog Indians have depopulated
•this place for the present. The Indians being removed
to other places, here old Tahattawans a very godly man,
was ruler, & his son after him, both dead.
The 8th Towne is Wameaut. here the constant teacher Wamesnt.
is Georg. theire cheife ruler Nomphow, whose brother
(a pmising young man) was last yeare slain by the
Mauquaogs, as he was fishing in the Biver. here is the
seat of war, here we maintained a garrison a great p* of
this sufher, here be two forts one of non praying Indians

30
about 2 mils up the Biver. these did (this spring) reject
praying to God & refused to desist fro pawwauing, w"
Captn Gookins & I, put such conditions on y™ if ycl tooke
shelter in a praying towne. these wtb many more non
praying Indians against Capt. Gookins & my Counsel,
made an imprudent & unpspous expedition against the
Mauquaogs, where Josias was slain & all these Sachems ;
and most of y03 people who did reject the Lord, this
spring wch hand of God, the Indians take notice off.
thus here I according to my duty on the suddaine ;
drawne up the prsent state of the Indian work & the
wheeles that are in p"'sent motion. I shall at prsent
give you no furthr trouble, much honored in the Lord,
but cofhiting you to the Lord I rest.
Yours to honor & serve you
in or Lord Jesus.
( Endorsed.) John Eliot.
Mr. Jno. Eliots Acct. 6. 7. 1669.

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Boston in New England, Sept. S, 1669.
Bight Honorable.
Yo" Dat : Aprill 28. 1669. together wth those
bills of Exchange charged on y8 behalfe of the Indians
to the vallue of foure hundred and fifty pounds wee have
received and y8 bills are accepted by those on whome
they were charged although as yet the mony is not re-

31
ceived the time of paym* not being come. And whether
any opportunity will be p'sented for y° improving of
that money, in that way you ppayed when received, wee
as yet know not. Only wee shall indeavor to make ye
best improvem' wee can, so as to secure y° principle,
which will not be above six pound p ct p. anfh at ye
uttermost for here is enough so tendred. Concerninge
the alteration of the way for the future Transmitting
of supplies hither yo1' intimation thereof is enough to
cause to forbeare the chargeinge of any bill of
Exchange as formerly for that end. Yet shall crave
leave to propound what Doth occurre to our owne
thoughts in reference thereto ; but shall leave it with
yorselves to consider the weight thereof, when yo" may
please to minde. 1st. The uncertainties y* will attend
that way, unless that the bills be ordered to be pay-d to
those that have power from yorselves to make the
Distribucon, whose names and numbers will inevitably
be from time to time uncertaine to yorselves. 2. It
must of necessity be the work of some one man to
receive and pay out, which happily will not be done
without such a sallery as may take away the advance
that this change may produce. And also wee are apt to
think you will not finde it easy to effect it in that way
constantly ; Experience dayly shewing that such are the
changes of pvidence in those cases, That many times
the Mchant cloth esteeme his money layd out heere as
good to him, as to Beceive it in England and so some
had payd ym this yeare without one peny advance for
100". But wee shall leave it to yor owne wisdome to
Transmitt what you shall Judge meet, and in yov owne

32
way. Wee desire to bless the Lord for that gracious
and Christian Spirit which breatheth w'h so affectionate
desire of the Salvation of the Soules of the poore Outcast
Natives of the Wilderness and yor reward is with him,
who is the redeemer of Soules. In observance of y* we
have Bequested y8 Eeverend Mr John Eliott, and Mr
Bichard Bourne to give us in writeing a pticular Acct
of ye prsent state of the Indians under whose instruction
are the Indians Dwelling in the Colonyes of Massathu-
setts, and Plymouth, which wee have here inclosed in
their owne words together with the like Acco* given us
by Mr Thomas Mayhew Senior, under whose instruction
are the Indians on Martyns Vineyard. As it is matter
of rejoyceing and incouragem' that God is pleased to
Stirr up the hearte of any to be helpfull in so good a
work, So also the frownes of the Lord upon it do minister
unto us just matter of humiliation, and wee cannot but
be deeply sensible thereof, Yet doe acknowledge it o1'
dutie humbly to submit to his Sovereigne power who
gives no Acco' of his Wayes, and will be found just wn
he is Judged.
The Acco*3 above mentioned doe declare the names
& number of both English and Indian Bulers, and
Teachers among them, as also the Incouragement given
them in their Annual Salleryes, And although in some
places there Doth appeare need of more, yett such have
bin the Sollemne breaches that God hath made by the
Death of Sundry of or Eeverend Elders, that they who
survive, being generally but one Minister in a place,
their work is great, that unless the Lord be pleased to
stirre up a Spirit more yn ordinary it is hard to put any

33
on that work, and therefore what remaines but accord
ing to the Counsel! given by him who is the great
Shepheard of the sheep. Pray ye the Lord of the
Harvest to thrust forth' Labourers into his vineyd. Yet
nevertheless do acco* our selves Obliged in a Speciall
manner to improve the Uttermost of our abilities for the
furtherance of this work.
And although the honourable Corporacon for that
work was pleased some time since to order the ceaseing
of Any further Expences for printing on that behalfe, yet
wee being informed by Mr Eliot & Mr Bourne that the
instruction of the Indians is greatly obstructed for want
of a small primer and Cattachisme in their Language
which being prepared by Mr Eliott wee have ordered the
printing thereof, And doe hope on ye Consideracons
promised it will not be displeasingvto yor selves. Sr wee
shall not geve yor honor further trouble at this prsent
but wth our returne of our Acknowledgem* ; and hearty
thanks for yor Cordiall respects shewed to the English in
these plantations. Seeking or welfare as occasion have
bin ministred of which wee have had good Assurance.
We are and shall remaine your
Servants for the furtherance
of this Work of Christ.
J. Winthrop
Simon Bradstreet
Thomas Danforth
Jno. Leverett.
John Callcott.
Jes. Winslow.
Postscript. In case no better way present, wee
D

34
apprhend Mr Usher will be willing to pay such Sufhe as
you shall order, with the same allowance as formly.
Post script. Since the breaking up of the Cofhission"
meeting. Sr you may please to take notice that the
moneys mentioned in the bills of Exchange is now
received and put out upon improvemt. at 7£ p. ct into
such hands where it will he secured to the ends proposed.
Simon Bradstreet.
Thomas Danforth.
Boston. 22. 8. 1669.
These for the honourable Bobert Boyle
Esq1" Governor of the honourable
Corporation for propagating the
Gospell to the Indians.
Delr London.

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Bight Honble.
Yours dated April Is* 1670 as alsoe a Coppie
thereof with 2 bills of exchange for receiveing here 375"
in money, came safe to our hands, and the bills are
accepted by the Gentle™ on whom they were drawne, on
examinacon wee doe finde that according to the inti-
macon given in yo" those narratives prepared to have
been sent last yeare, were (through the incogitancy of
him that was betrusted to seale our letters) omitted, the
which allthough in some particulers not soe propper as
to the time as then, yet wee have inclosed them herein
with a breife addition of what is since come to our

hands. Wee doe thank the Honble Corporacon for their
kinde respect to or poore Colledge in lending to them the
printing utensill3 that belong to the Indian Stock,
although for our parts wee were ignorant of any motion
in that kinde ; wee have herein inclosed the particuler
disbursm13 for this present yeere and alsoe an accompt
declareing the ballance resting, which wee hope will be
to satisfaction of those concerned ; as well those here, as
of your Hon" selves. Wee cannot but adore the kindenes
of God towards poore lost soules, his great compassion
in seeking and searching out his sheepe, among the
poore naked natives of the Wildernes, soe far removed
from the sound of his glorious Gospell, and the Wisdome
of his unsearchable Counsells appearing in his providences
that have been very wonderfull for handing the word of
life unto them : allthough at present it be a day of small
things, yet that alsoe shall redound greatly to the Hon01'
of him who is the Cheife Sheppeard, and taketh pleasure
to call things that are not as though they were. It hath
bsen to the eye of reason a great discouragement the
loss of soe many pretious Instruments fritted by the Lord
with a spirit, and abilitie to further their good, as alsoe
the cutting off by death the Indian Schollers, which
were sundrie, of them very hopefull buds, and they who
were best acquainted with them, are perswaded of their
eternall well being. The accompt of particuler disburse
ments declare fully the names and number of those that
are imployed in that service at present, both Indians and
English, as well as their seaverall allowances for the
same. Wee must needes owne that wee now finde it very
difficult to procure an addition of fit persons to labour
D 2

36
in that worke of the Lord. But are endeavouring the
same by all the meanes that the providence of God doth
put into our hands ; by the advice of the Eeverend Mr
Eliot who is indefatigable in his endeavours for them. Wee
have particularly written to some of our Ministers whose
dwellings are best suited for the accomodacon of the
Indians, with assurance of the best encouragm* we shall
be enabled to give them for the ffuture. Such is or
encouragem* from the Lord's signall blessings on poore
and weake beginnings that we doe verily beleive all the
present difficulties under which this worke doth labour,
shall in the Issue turne to the praise of the Biches of his
graee in carrying the same an end to perfection, ffor more
particuler information of the present state of the Indian
affaires wee shall refer the HonbIe Corporacon to the
narratives inclosed. With our heartie prayer to the
Lord God of recompences to reward all your labour of
love, constancie, and religious care for the good of poore
immortall Soules. We take leave and are.
Bight Honble
Your Serv*9 for the furtherance of
this great worke of Christ.
Simon Bradstreete
Thomas Danforth.
Samuel Willis.
Boston in New England 8th Septr. 70.
To the Bight Honble Eobert Boyle Esq™
Goverr of the Companie and Corporacon
for propagacon of the Gospell amongst
the Natives in New England. These humblie p'sent.

37

From the Rev. John Eliot to Mr. Henry Ashhurst,
Treasurer of the Company.
Much honored & beloved in or Lord Jesus Christ.
Once more this yeare I am bold to trouble you
wth my affaires but my comfort is, that these affaires of
mine, are Christ his matters, & I know y* you so
account ym. our Church of Natik have sent forth divers
to sundry places to invite theire countrymen to Pray
unto God. of wch you shall (God willing), have an
accompt afterwards, the messengers are upon the work
at this day. our lecture also to teach the Teachers,
admiteth of a Winter interstitiu™ the wheele of this work
is in continual motion. Our Comissioners meet but
one a yeare, I am pswaded my actinge will, meet w*h
appbation, wn they meet, especially considering y* I
touch none of the expences, so much as w*h one finger,
I reape nothing it is expended only upon the work &
that in a prudent, & I hope we shall find in a successe-
full way. upon some advice I have made bold, to give
unto Mr Usher bills for 40u wch he is willing to lend,
& expend, for the incouragm' of the work. Unto wch
I am the bolder, by a word' you were pleased to exprsse
unto me in your lers this yeare. the truth is the word
suffereth for want of due following,. & my purpose is
(through the grace of Christ), while I live to follow the
work, & not slack in any dependance on man. I doe
hmbly prsent my service to the right honorable Corpo
ration, & doe pswade myselfe th my actings herein

38
will not be disaccepted, but incouraged, your love, care
& labour have aded much oyle unto the wheeles, & your
reward is with the Lord, your labours of love, is single
service to Jesus Christ w'hout mixture of selfe interest
& therefore will be the more graciously accepted by
him. Sr your kinsman Mr Sarjeant doth very well, for
ought lean see or heare. the great Distresse of God's
cause & people among you is matter of great mourning
to us. Yet the Lord doth so order the matter as y*
there is great matter of hope & joy in the Lord : it is a
liberal & gloryous seed time, the word of grace mixed
with the crosse, will be exceeding fruitfull unto conver
sion, though it be a stormy & tempestuous seed time,
yet it is like to bring forth the greater harvest of saints
& believers ; though theire aduersarys think it no such
matter, but only how yeI may extirpate ym a pore afflicted
people coming out of great tribulation, will be fit matter
for the Kingdom of Christ, y* text is the signal character
of the sufferings in these dayes, loe here is the faith &
patience of the saints, the time is at the clore w" the
Kings shall be converted, & the stone (Christ) shall be
hewen out of the mountaines, y* is formed in the hearts
of Kings & Queenes who shall be nursing fath" & mothers
to the churches of Christ, these are some of the great
births y* the Church is in travaile w'h at this day & it
is or duty to try night & day for this grace to be poured
out, & I am pswaded you are more fervent herein, than
we be, because you are conflicting w'h the birth pangs
of these accomplishm'5. Sv I shall give you no furth1'

39
trouble at pTsent but desiring your prayers, I comend
you to the Lord, & to the word of his grace, & rest
Yours to serve you in our
Lord Jesus John Eliot.
Eoxb. this 30' of the 9"1 70.
For Worthy Mr Asshurst. Treasurer to
the Bight honorable Corporation to
pmote the Gospel Among Indians.
Wollin draper in Alldersgat Strete.

From the Rev. Thomas Mayhew to the Commissioners
of the United Colonies.
Bight Worth: & wor11.
The Commissioners of the Unyted Collonies
these are to Informe you touchinge the present state of
the word of God amongst the Indians uppon thes Bes the
Vynyard and Nantukkett as farr as I can Judge by such
as I have spoken with from time to time till this p'sent
both such as are of the Churche, and those that are
praying Indians Doe in a Comfortable manner upphold
the publique worshipp and service of God : I meete with
nothing that doth Contradicte it the Cheiffest teacher
there is John gibbs who is well approved of, the
Sachims allso doe Countenaunce the work him who had
the last yeare had 31' sent him was here with me to
whom I deliv'ed both goods & messadge : for the Vyn
yard the two Churches goe one verry well with whome

40
myselfe & others have communicated ; donne by them in
a Solemne Manner. My sellf the two pastors & one of
the elders doe usually spend the most pte of the last day
of the weeke together for the better progresse of this
greate designe : Those are many that have Cast of
heathenisme and except those at the Bayhead of all the
rest I know not of any but will say they approve of the
way of God : many occasions I have to reason with those
I most suspect, the Counsell wee heare they say is verry
good though many practice litl yett in words they syde
with it ; uppon my Beturne from York I called all the
Sachims together wth the Chieffest amongst the rest, for
to acquaint them that seeing they had acknowledged our
king to be theirs & to fight for him and with his subjects
against his & theire enemies : that now the gentleman
that orders govment here had taken them into his
hignes ptecon and in all extremities would assist them
expecting from them no other Beturne but that they
lyved quiettly & peaceably under the govment he had
sett ovr them : being my sellfe the wch he had wholly
for drse reasons Beferred unto me ; of which every man
accepted of thankfully : And not onely soe but after much
disscourse I made a vote as to the waie of God and there
was not one but helld upp his hand to furthere it to the
uttmost Many of them not pfessed praying men divrse
allso spake verry well to the thing ppound'd. I re
member not such an unyversall Consent till now : As to
the meeteings uppon this Hand there are two Church
meeteings and three other. In all wch ; there are
generall church Members : this is besides what is Donne
by Metark at his place & sometimes some other helpe.

41
besid this there are 15 families at Elizabethes lies
7 whereof praying families : The teachers I shall sett
downe underneath: Concerning theire Sallary Severall
doe speake of it as small yf it may be Inlardged I desire
it and that 50" may be added to Elizabeth's Be wch
Lidians are under my care allso : for my part tis well
knowne my tyme is either at home or abroade spent
generally uppon this service, And soe it was about seven
yeares ere I had any consideration wch some thought I
should have being in oface : Seeing it pleaseth God for
to Contynue me in my measure serviceable thus farr now
hallfe my eightieth yeare. If a rule for bounty to me
may be found use it, I suppose when I am gonne it will
cost double to doe what I doe now or have donne As Mr
Elliott writes I see hut few that attend this Imployment,
I had greate hopes till now to haue seene you at plymouth
a letter is litle to a man's presense ; besides that this is
hastyly, a vessell being in the harbor to goe uppon the
first tourn of the wyther being but a weeke before the
tyme : I take it for graunted by a letter I did receive
from boston yesterday you sitt not at Plymouth ; I have
sent to be more certeinely Informed ; yf I find you doe
soone ynough yf God will I shall com : Thus Saluteing
you with al due Bespecte, humbly Entreating yon to tak
in good pte this short Information. Committing you to
the guydaunce &ptection of the almighty in yor weightye
affayres & dsyring yor prayers I rest.
The humble Servaunt of your much
honoured Selves to serve In Xt Jesus
Thomas Mayhew.
23 : 6 : 71 uppon the Vinyard. 0vr leafe.

42

The Names of the teachers

Jacombes

10

00

00

Toque nosh pastor allso .

. 5

. 00

00

To Mumachequin .

2

10

00

To Samuell & Nunaso

5

00

00

To John Amannett & famy

5

00

00

To Nanankommin & Eana-
Wanuett . . . .

I5

: 00

00

To Nantukkett Sachim .

3

00

00

ToMetark

3

00

00

To John Acombes .

. 2

: 00

: 00

To John Gybbs

2

10

00

To the Sachims from Nantuket

3 2

: 10

: 00

Ive give 505h for some that have
donne some service a Eliz-
bethslle . . . .
to Nathaniel for schooling some
time since ....

2 : 10 : 00

4801

00 : 00
10 : 00

49 : 10 : 00

ffarth1' be pleased to understand that in all these
troubles I cannott see anything amonge or Indians that
tend to any desire of medling in it in the least, tis true
tis hard to find amongst the English a moderate Inter
pretation of the word & actions of the Indians I speake
to such as pass by & comes in here ass well as of or-
selves : I have used my best skill & hedpes to discover
anything that might tend to the hurt of or nation in
doing whereof sometimes with others 1 have beene sorry
to sitt & heare such onreasoneable Constructions that

43
have beene made & prest I have alwaies Judged myselff
uncharitable enough to the Indians & to apt to take
offence against them though it has been usually apre-
hended to the Contrary : I have taken course to prevent
suspition as much as I can & will doe god willing that
wee may avoyed censures I cease to trouble you furthr
thus farr I thought convenient I hast to rest.
Yor worpp3 to be Comannded
Thomas Mayhew.
21. 6 : 71.
I was but 29 daies from the Hand in my Journey
to York the Thursday month I went of frome home
laus deo.
ffor the Bight wor11: worth: the Com
missioners of the United Collonies
these present in Boston.
I pray leave this with Mr Elliott at Boxbury.

From the Rev. John Eliot to the Commissioners of the
United Colonies.
Eight Worpfull.
I know you expect fro me an accompt of the
state of affairs in the Indian work, for your guidance in
dispencing Salarys. Touching the affaires of the two
churches at the Vinyard and of the rest of the praying
Indians there, & at Nantuket & at Elsabeth Islands,
I leave you to Mr Mayhew his information. Touching
the affairs of the Church at Matishepog & the rest of
praying Indians thereabout, I leave you to my bro:
Bourne, his information. The affaires of the praying

44
Indians neere Plimouth, I leave to my bro. Cotton his
information, only w'h this request yt you would mediate
on thr behalfe, y' thei may have lands of thy1" owne,
competent to live upon.
Touching the affaires at Monoheyen I informe you,
y* Mr Fitch is upon the work, he holdeth a lecture at
his owne house every fortnight, Unkas & his son have
pmised to attend it. this Mr Fitch by his lers in
formed me off, Unkas his coming in, is a great matter.
I desire the work may be countenanced & supported on
y' end of the country, it may by God's blessing have
influence, on the Manquaogs, wch I desire to attend unto,
for sundry great reasons. Touching the state of this
work at Long Hand in the hand of Mr James, I have
heard nothing as yet, this yeare. Touching or affaires,
in & about Massachusets under my hand more imediatly.
The church of Natik, having in it sundry young men,
who wr wn I first began, children, & youths, w™ I did
catechise, & so traine up ever since these now are,
sundry of ym, of good pts, able to teach, for ye further &
better fiting unto yt work, we have set up an exercise of
Prophesy according to 1. Cor. 14. wrin 4 of ym exercize
in one day, & I moderate & order ym. theire pfiting
hereby, is very evident to all. it puteth life into ym.
Also I reade unto ym a lecture hi the liberal Arts.
especially in Logik, for theire incouragm*, I pvide ym
some small entertainment of foode at such times,
especially such as come fro other places. — Furthermore
God put it into the heart of the Church to desire to send
some of theire brethren to sundry p'3 of the Country, to
call in theire Countrymen to pray unto God. I foresaw

45
this would be chargeable, some of yourselves did, last
yeare, tell me upon your siting, yt you doubted I must
abate of my salary, & others also w'h me, in a pportion,
because you wr so short in meanes, after your rising,
you told me, you had made shift to extend matters to
answer every one, this gave me to understand y* there
was no help to be expected there. By some intimation
I had fro worthy Mr Ashhurst I take boldnesse to charge-
a bill of 40fi upon the honourable Corporation for the
wch Mr Usher alloweth me 50n wth this supply I sett to 50.00.00
work, sent out messengers to many parts, gave enter -
tainmt5 to such as attended the lectures a pticular
accompt yroff is here enclosed, taken out of Mr Ushers
booke, who hath paid all, & I have medled w'h none of
it. Now I humbly request your appbation of this my
act, & accompt. And the same accompt I shall give
unto the Bight honorable Corporation.
Moreover the Church of Natik is about to dismisse
Sundry of theire members, togather into a church estatt
at Niprnuk Biver, 40 miles fro the Bay, in wch work, &
in order thereunto, I shall be put to sundry great charges.
& I request yt you would be pleased to allow me some
thing toward the same, And the rather I am bold to
p'pose it, because in all the publik meetings, motions,
journeys, translations, attendances on the presse, &
other occasions y* I have attended in this work, I have
never had (to my knowledge & remembrance) the least
acknowledgm' fro your selves, or one penny supply, save
my bare Salary. And I am forced now to move, be
cause I am fallen into debt I ow unto Mr Usher 100" 100 : 00 : 00
at least for weh all ye yeares Salary is bound before it

46
come. & more also. And y'fore I request you to pay
this debt of mine, did I not conceive y* something is due
unto me, I should not make so bold, for to beg I
am ashamed. And such wants doe much hinder me
fro doeing, yt wch otherwise I might doe, had I wherew"1
a bill of 80" to Engd would discharge me. Further I doe
prsent you w'h or Indians A. B. C. & o1' Indian Dialog3
w'h a request y' you would pay Printers work an in
genuous young schollar (Sr Foster) did cut, in wood, the
scheame, for wch work I request y' you would pay him.
oo : oo I think him worthy of 3 or 4 or 5U but I leave it to your
wisdoms. W'h reference to or lecture, my noble Lady
Armyn, & or Bight honorable Govno1 Esq Boile have
sent me the summe of 12ffi, a suihe wch I pposed in my
lers last yeare, this I shall extend so far as I can. but
besides this, the work of sending forth Church messen
gers, is still incumbent upon us, yea increaseth much,
by these stiring times. I request y* I may w'h your
appbation have recourse to Mr Usher for such charges.
& y* Mr Usher may be your hand to receive & returne
your bills for Engd. Capt. Gookins will informe you of
some charges in powd1' & shot, for yr necessary defence
in ye times of danger. Mr Hinksman by his order hath
tooke up of Mr Usher powdr & lead, of wch Mr Usher
will give you an accompt. the number of or fixed
Teachers are ten, & the numbers of or fixed Bulers are
ten but in the seral townes who are in the birth, to
pray unto God, there is a great addition, both of Teachers
& Bulers, but in that respect I cofhit the matter to God,
& wait on him for supply. I am not wi'hout a glimps

47
of hope in that respect, thus w'h my humble respects,
I coihend you to the-Lord, & rest,
Your worps to serve you
in or Lord Jesus
John Eliot.
Boxb : this 4' of the 7' 71.
For the right worpfull the Comissioners
now Sitting in Boston.
[A second copy of this letter in Eliot's handwriting.]
(Endorsed.)
A copie of my Ire to the right worpfll the Comissioners
of the United Colonies in New England, wth Mr Usher
hisAccompts.

From the Rev. John Cotton to the Commissioners of the
United Colonies.
Worshipfull & truly Honoured Gentlemen.
Although by the Providence of God, in whose
hand are all our times, I was called from that place where
I had for a time some liberty to attend the worke of God
amongst the Indians, as also considerable encourage
ment from your selves to further me therein ; yet I have
ever since retained a firme resolution of heart to endea
vour the best good of poore Indians, if it would please
God soe far to smile upon me, as to open the doore for
such a service where now I live ; Accordingly I did
endeavour by going twice or thrice to Josiah in his life
time, but the Interest of the world was more deare to him
then any thing of a better life then I could present him

48
with ; not long after this his refusall of such a motion,
God tooke him from all his worldly enjoyments. About
the beginning of October last I attempted againe with
some Indians that live, some 8, some 12 miles from my
house, wherein it hath pleased God to give me some
good successe, to whom I desire to give the praise of it ;
There was not one praying Indian when I began with
them, but in one meeting after another, they have
Encouraged my heart to be Constant in the worke with
them, there being now Thirty praying Indians amongst
them ; & this I doe finde that every sermon leaves them
with desires of another ; there are divers more hearers,
whose coming on to the wayes of God I hope for &
expect continually ; Thus much I thought it my duty to
acquaint your worships withall, as knowing that your
hearts are sincerely desirous of the prospering of this
worke of God among these desolate Soules : I have not
further to adde, but my humble & earnest request, that
I may have an Interest in your daily prayers to the God
of heaven ; that he would accept of me, owne & blesse me
in his service ; & therewith I take leave,
Subscribing myselfe
Gentlemen, •
Your Worships humbly & sincerely devoted
John Cotton.
Plimouth, September 7 : 1671 :
These
For the Eight Worshipful!, the Commis
sioners of the United Colonies,
in Boston.

49

From tlw Rev. John Eliot to Mr. Henry Ashhurst,
. Treasurer of the Company.
Much honored & beloved, my very Christian freind.
1 make bold to send you a great pacquet,
because you are so well knowne & I know your care &
faithfullnesse to deliver all my lers & writings. I have
here sent you the history of this yeare wch I request
you to prsent to the Bight honorable Govnor & Corpora
tion. If you see meet to print it yn I request some
copies to be prsnted to my Lady Armyn Mr Henly.
My cosin Postlethwait &c. I need not mention Mr Bell
or any of you of the Corporation, because it will be
printed at your order & yrf you will have right to
dispose of the whole imprssion. But if it be not
thought meet to print it, yn my request is to take care
yt my Lady Armyn have a sight of my copie, & Mr
Henly. I have here sent a copie of my lers to or wrpfull
comissioners, & Mr Usher his accomp* inclosed touching
the expence of the bill of 40" last yeare. You
will also herein see my prsent case & debts to Mr Usher
& my requests in Jt behalfe & my request for help of
some great charges this yeare. but they are pleased to
answr me w,b silence, as it is wont to be. & therefore I
have r/sumed upon the love of the Bight hono'able
Corporation. & have charged a bill of 80u - 0s - 0* to be
paid to Mr Usher who substituts Mr Horwood & my
humble request is that it may be paide, and yn I shall
be out of debt but if it should be refused, yn my hands
are tyed. I can doe litle, yet I am resolved through K

50
the grace of Christ, I will never give over the worke so
long as I have legs to goe. I am at a dead lift in the
work, if the Lord stir up the hearts of men to help me,
blessed be his name, & blessed be they y* help me, if no
man help me, yet myne eyes are to the Lord who hath
saide, he will never leave me nor forsake me, and when
these debts are paide it will not be long ere I shall run
into debt againe. but God answreth what shall be &
not man. but this I doe see y* the work doth inlarge &
multiply, there be many things ly before me, where in I
might pushe the work, & fire the hearts of the Indians,
but I caiiot come at ym for want of meanes. Our
meeting for Prophesy, & for or logik readings, doth goe
on w"1 a blessing, but or meanes is spent, by the history
of this yeare, you will see w' charges & expences I was
put unto, though I mention not what every thing cost
I caiiot attend that, messengers & instrumnts looke for
theire pay. & if y' faile the wheele moves very heavyly,
& will quickly stand still, my humble request unto your
selves the honorable Corporation is y* you would put me
into such an order or way, y* I may know where to pay
such instruments as I set on work, if instruments faile,
the work will fall, instruments are ' the" wheeles of or
motion if they want oyle, they will soone want power of
motion. I could imploy a great revenue, in pmoting the
work, if the Lord stir up any of his servants to help
me, I • shall greatly rejoyce to have the Servants ¦ of
Christ Coadjutors w*h me in this work. if. not, the
Lorde - himselfe will help me. & that- is (in some
respect) best of all. but I doe seriously fro. my heart
desire, to have the conjunct assistce of the saints, by

51
their love & bounty, if they see cause, however, by
theire prayers, that the work may not faile, for want of
diligent, & prudent- psecution. now my credit is
ingaged upon my debt to Mr Usher, & upon the paym*
of this bill of 80tt in whch I doe humbly request y* I
may be accepted. So w*h requesting of your prayers
I cofnit you to the Lord & to the word of his grace,
& rest Your unworthy brothr in
the Service of or Lord
John Eliot.
Eoxb : this 1' of the 10" 71
Mr Sargeant still upholds his Credit & goodEsteeme,
so far as I can heare, by his sober & discreet govnmt
of himselfe. (Endorsed.)
For his Christian friend Mr. Ashhurst Tresurer of
the Corporation for gospelizing the Indians.

From the Rev. John Eliot to the Hon. Robert Boyle,
Governor of the Company.
Bight honorable
Sr It being my purpose & Pmise to prsent your
honors w'h the history of the prsent yeare I could not
sooner pforme it, because sundry of or motions were not
accomplished, untill the end of the yeare, as will apr
in the narrative of the same — yea some great poynts are
e2

52
not yet finished, & must be left to give a begining to
anothr yeare, unto wch who shall live the Lord knoweth.
Mr Ashhurst will prsent the above mentioned narrative,
unto your hono"-
I doe also take the boldnesse to charge another bill
of 80u upon the Bight hono'able Corporation. I moved
it to or wrpfl Comissioners, but they were pleased to
answr me with silence. I am at a dead lift if you help
me not, I am lamed, & quite disabled, the narrative of
or actions will tell any man of judgment how chargable
this yeare hath bene, but I am ashamed to be so much
on the craving hand, I cofhit my case to the Lord. &
under his gracious guidance, unto your hono" to supply
me wth oyle to facilitate and expedite or great motions.
I shall give you no further trouble at prsent, but comiting
you to the Lord I remaine Your hono" Servant
to serve you in or Lord John Eliot.
Eoxb : this 1' of Decemb' 71. for
the Bight hono'able, Bobert Boile esq1"
Govenor of the Corporation for Gos-
pelizing the Indians.

F?wn the Rev. John Eliot to the Hon. Robert Boyle,
Governor of the Company.
Bight honrable
I must change my ditty now. . I have much to
write of lamentation over y" work of Christ among or

53
praying Indians, of wch God hath called you to be
nursing Fathers. The work (in our Pattent) is under
great sufferings, it is killed (in words, wishes & ex-
pression) but not in deeds as yet. it is (as it were) dead,
but not buryed, nor (I believe) shall be. it is made
conformable to Christ (in some poore measure) in dying,
but I believe it shall rise againe, we needed through or
corruptions & infirmitys, all that is come upon us & w"
the Lord hath pformed all his work, his purging work,
upon us, he can easyly, and will lay by the rod. When
the house is swept he will lay away the broome, my
care & labor is, to exhort ym to humiliation & repentanc
to be patient is meete in the sight both of God & men.
I complaine not of our sufferings, but meekly praise the
Lord, y* yei be no worse. Yet I canot but say, they are
greater yn I can, or in modesty & meeknesse is fit for
me to expresse. be it so, it is the Lord that hath done
it, & shall living man complaine ! it is the appoynted
way of God, that through many tribulations we must
enter into the heavenly Kingdome. a tryed faith & a
tryed patience are pcious in the sight of God. hither
unto the Lord hath kept ym y* none of ours have given
any just occasion unto such who have spared no
diligence to make y ' feare inquisition.
There be 350 soules or thereabout, put upon a bleake
bare Hand, the fitest we have, where ye1 suffer hunger
& could, there iB neither foode nor competent fuel to
be had, & yei are bare in clouthing. because y81 cannot
be received to work for cloathing, as yei were wont to
doe. Our Bulers are carefull to order ym foode but it is
1 Words obliterated.

54
so hard to be pformed y' yci suffer much I beg your
prayers, y* the Lord would take care of ym & pvide for
ym. I caiiot w*hout difficulty hardship & peril, get unto
ym. I have bene yet but twice w'h ym. yet I praise God
yt yd oe pU^ ou£ 0f ^-,e way 0f greater perils dangers &
temptations. Capt: Gookins & I did this week visit
another company (where be 59 soules) at Concord.
whom we have ordered in as much safty as the dif
ficulty of the times would pmit us. & so we commit ym to
God, beging his protection over ym. From there we
went to Pentuket, to visit, the poore Wameset Indians.
who in a fright fled into the woods, untill y8i wr halfe
starved the occasion of theire flight was, because some
ungodly & unrulely youth, came upon y™. where y8i
wr ordered by Authority to be, called them forth theire
houses, shot at ym, killed a childe of godly parents
wounded his mother & 4 more, the woman lifted up
her hands to heaven & saide, Lord thou seest y* we have
neither done or saide anything against the English y*
y8' thus deale on us (or words to this effect), they are
come back againe, there be more y" an hundred soules
of yra. We have advanced to quiet & settle matters
there also, so well as we could, & so comit ym to Gods
ptection. At another place there were a company making
ready to goe to the Hand, but were surprised by the
Enemie, & caryed away captive & we canot heare any
thing of ym, what is become of ym, whether any of ym be
martyred we canot tell, we canot say how many there
be of ym, but more yn an hundred, & sundry of ym
right Godly, both men & women. Another great

55
company of or new praying Indians of the Niepmuk fled
at the begining of the Warrs, first to Conecticot offered
ymselves to Mr Pinchon one of or magistrates, but he
(though willing) could not receive ym yei fled fro thence
to Unkas (who is not in hostility against the English)
& I hope ye! be there, this is the present state of the
most of our praying Indians in our Jurisdiction. All in
Plymoth pattent are still in quiet & so are all our
vinyard Indians. & all the Nantuket Indians. I beg
prayers that yei may be still prserved. I shall give your
honor no furthr trouble at prsent. I beseech you let it
be acceptable to you, y* I medle not w*h any thing else
saving the prsent condition of your alumni. So
contending your honor to the Lord I rest
Your honor3 to serve you
in or Lord Jesus.
John Eliot.
Eoxb : this 17 of the 10' 75.
To the Bight hono'able Bobert Boyle
Esq1" Govnor of the Corporation for
gospelizing the Indians these
Psent to bee
Left at Mr Ashhurst at ye Golden Key in.
Watling Streete, London.

56

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Hartford Sept. 5"1 1678.
Bight Honble.
Your letters of the 15th of Aprill. 1678. with
the severall bills transferred, both for prsent distribution
and future setled Stocke amongst us do continue our
assurance of your faithfull and Christian care for the
propagation of religion to the natives of these parts of
America, which together with yor Honours acceptance
of our past mannag8, and accounts, encourage us in our
duty of future care thereabouts, and by so much the
more wee are urged thereto, in that wee perceive the
great quarrell our remote inland Indians have against
them, is their close dependance upon the English, and
their religion, upon whom God hath suffered severall
depradations to be made this last sumer by the Maquas,
at once killing & carrying captive about thirty from one
of our Townes that had been faithfull to us, and dilligent
observers of the Christian religion, for whose recovery
and future security the Country hath ben at consider
able charge, and are not without hopes of their returne,
and genall quiet, and in the meane time have not ben
wanting to encourage their Institucion both in faith and
manners, and advancing for the releife of their neces-
sityes. Since the last distribution allowed of by yor-
selves (the hurryes of the warr haveing procured a neglect
in the getting Of their winters provision) which is not
brought to account at this time, as also have made a

57
small abatem' upon the severall sallaryes (which wee yet
judge competent all things considered) wee being in
nowise willing to exceed the sume allowed to be at this
time divisible amongst them, the account of which dis
tribution is here inclosed, and we hope will be satis
factory to your selves, and wee do highly approve of your
wisdome and prudence in limiting the present distri
bution that thereby you may increase the future supply
of that good worke ; what referrs to the settlement of
the stocke in Mr Bichards hands, or in Mr Serjeants
or others, wee are not capable in this letter to answer,
our session being at Hartford, one hundred miles distant
from Boston, and therefore have referred it to the
Gent™ comissioners of the Mattachusets, to treate them
more particularly thereabouts, being unwilling to shift
or remove the ordering thereof from Mr Bichards, but
upon his refusal! some meet persons will wee doubt not
be found to joyne with Mr Sergeant and of which you
may also heare by this conveyance, Sachem Bobert.of
whome you wrote appeared yesterday, and was invested
with your worthy present to his high sattisfaction,
telling us for answer that he had no meet returne to
offer but his head; which was at the Countryes service,
and at our comands.
Bight Honourable your singular care and affecton to
religion in them, and advantage herein to us your remote
countrymen is wee firmely beleive accepted of God, as
a high service to his interest in the world, and will wee
doubt not advantage your good account at the appear
ance of our Lord, as it doth at present greatly advance
our deep resentm' of your goodnes and favour therein,

58
thus comitting you to the grace and protecton of
almighty God, wee are Bight Honbl8
Your humble Servants the Comissioners
of the United Colonyes. Willm Leete Prsid*.
Thomas Danforth.
Joseph Dudley.
Thos Hinckley Jr.
James Cudworth.
John Allyn.
To the Honourable Bobert Boyle Esq1"
Governo*- of the Corporation for the
propogation of the Gosple amongst the
Indians in New England. These present In London.

From the Commissioners of the Uiiited Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Boston December 26° : 1679.
Bight HonbIe
Yor Lre dated the 30th of May. 79 wee have
received with the bill of 500" inclosed and according to
yor appointm' have now settled or acco*3 and added to the
Stock deposited in the hands of Capt" Jn° Bichards 1106"
wch doth make up just 2000" that is by him put out upon
improvem' though some of it comming late to hand will
not give rent this yeare by reason whereof wee have

found some difficulty to give content to those among
whome the annual! distribution is made, being necessi
tated to shorten them of their wonted allowances and
also there is not in hand to pay at present what is
allowed them ; untill those other bills intimated in yo"
bee received ; yet nevertheless yor prudent management
of this affaire wee doe not onely rest in as orderly for us
to observe but do highly approve thereof.
Those that labour among these poor natives wee hope
they are conscionably diligent and do earnestly endeavour
their profiting yet are not without their discourage
ments, the late Warr haveing greatly vitiated the spirits
of our youth both English & Indians ; wee fully concur
with yor advice as to their learning the English tongue,
and the meanes propounded for their attaining it ; and
have given our orders accordingly to Mr. Elyot and
others that are their Teachers & Bulers that they
endeavour respectively to effect the same, with promise
of a meete reward to those that shall labour therein wQb
wee hope you will enable us to performe. You were
pleased to mention yor beninge thoughts towards 50 of
those Indians, that were deservedly to bee acknowledged
for their ffaithfulness to the English in the late warr.
The acco*5 inclosed will shew that wee have no power in
our hands to performe the same, but they haveing been
put in hopes thereof by Mr Elyot are now in expecta
tion and the performance thereof may not well be
omitted. Bight Honble wee cannot but take notice of the Lords
singular care for the Souls of these poor wilde creatures
that at a juncture of so many hurrys and multiplicity

60
of Avocations, doth yet continue the tender Bespect of
the HonblB Corporation not onely for their present but
future provision and incourag* in yor wise and ffaithfull
management of the Estate comitted to yor trust, and as
wee are informed by some other hands of yor Honw"
peculiar and great bounty for the inlargement thereof,
doubtless yov Beward is with him who fails not to take
notice of a cup of cold water given for his name sake.
In the Armes of whose tender and never failing mercies
wee leave you and Bemain. Bight Hon"'8
Yor humble Servants the Commission™
of the United Colonys in New Eng
land. Tho: Danforth.
J. Dudley.
Thos Hinckley.
To the Eight Honoble Bobert Boyle Esqr
Governor of the Corporation for the
propagation of the Gosple to the
Indians in New England. In London. present.

61

From the President and Fellows of Harvard College to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Honoratissime Vir, Columen Beip : Veteris & Novsb
Anglife, Beliquiq, Illustrissimi Viri Consortes.
penes Quos est munus promovendi Christianis-
mum apud Indos,
Quod ffrutices flaccidos, et vites teneras prse-
cipue natura docuit, ut fulcimentis indigeant, quibus
innitantur, ita ut uberiorem fructum proferant ; nempe
ut vimina qutedam longa emittant, quibus, quasi Brachiis
quibusdam, quicquid comprehendunt, amplectuntur :
consimiliter fieri solet in Academiis, (prsecipue necesse
est, ut fiat in Academia paupercula Harvardina) quas
res angusta domi cogit, ut a subsidiis, et munificentia
Benefactorum dependant, et nos vestra, imprimis, quorum
Industrie, et Cura, non solum Barbarorum salus sterna,
sed etiam Discipulorum Christi Clientela hactenus
fideliter promota est.
Quapropter ad vestram clementiam, quamtoties ex-
perti sumus, in angustiis nostris alacrius confugimus,
Quippe quod vos Praslum, et Typos, et alia ad Typo-
graphiam pertinentia cum experto Typographo ad nos
transmisistis, ut sacro-sancta Biblia in Linguam Indicam
verterentur ; Aliiq, Libri Catechetici, et vers Pietatis
Doctrinam, et Praxin dilucide exprimentes Indice im-
primerentur : Hoc, quantum fieri potuit, fidelissime
peractum est ad Indorum usum et emolumentum,
nimirum Prselo-Typographico impressa sunt, et ad In
dorum necessitatem exhibita: ut nunc certiores vos

62
faciamus pluribus Libris ex Praelo superadditis ampliu3
non sit opus ad Indorum usum.
Itaq, cum Typi nostri, et Characteres Collegii anti-
quiores, quos prius habuimus, diuturno usu valde attriti
sunt, et ad usum Typographicum inepti sunt, id a vobis
obnixe petimus, et ab mdulgentia vestra, ut Collegio
nostro gratis ex doho vestrse magnificentise concedatis,
viz. Characteres et Literas typographicas, et ad Typo-
grapbiam utensilia, tarn quae ad primam Impressionem
Bibliorum transmisistis, quam qua per Johnsonum
Typographum vestrum postmodum ultro prioribus addi-
distis. Veremur enim (Proh Dolor !) ne si Preelum typo
graphicum concidat, aut omnino nobis desit, et Charac
teres auferantur ; imprimis, non modo Typographi
Americam deserent, aut Academia una cum Discipulis
detrimentum in Studiorum progressu patietur, atq,
etiam Comitia, et ad Gradus suscipiendos opportunitas
impedientur : Imo vero : Besp:, Leges-politicse in usum
communem latse, ad infandum Beligionis Christianas, et
Ecclesiarum totius Politic Novse-Anglise tantum non
damnum irreparabile, corruent et eoncident.
Neq, enim verisimile est ut Anniversarii proventus
Collegii, qui vix, aut ne vix quidem sufficiunt ad Corporis
Academici, & studiosorum sustentationem ad tantos
sumptus expendendos qui necessario ad rem Typogra-
phieam requirantur, valere possint.
Parcite (Viri Dignissimi) nostra importunitati, et
necessitati, si in hac opport imitate tale et tantum
Beneficium Literarum expectamus imo Literarum a
Literatissimis, et Liberalissimis Viris propter Illiterate

63
et Indoctae Juventutis Educationem, et Beligionis ad
Posteros propagationem desideramus.
Tui imprimis, Clarissime Praises, & aliorum in hoc
celeberrimo Conventu a Consiliis, studiosissimi.
Carolus Chanccsus Colh Harvar: Prases,
Cum sociis, eorumq, Consensu.
Dat 6°: Calendas Novembris M:D.C.L.X.IX.
To the Honourable Bobert Boyle Esqur
President of the Corporation appointed
for ye Propagation of y" Gospell
amongst y8 Indians in New England.
(Endorsed.)
The Latine letter from the Colledge in New England
for the Pressed*. [translation.]
Most Honoured Sir, Pillar of the Common weal of
Old & New England, and the rest of you, most
Illustrious Sirs, his copartners, Who hold the
office of promoting Christianity among the
Indians, As Nature hath taught frail plants &, speci
ally, young Vines,' to demand supports whereon to lean,
that so they may bear richer fruit, yea to put forth
sundry long shoots, wherewith, as it were with Arms,
they embrace whatsoever they seize, even so is it wont
to be with Academies, (it must specially be so with this
poor Academy of Harvard,) which lacking resources of
t/heir own must needs depend on the support and muni
ficence of benefactors, as we on that mainly of you, by
whose zeal & care not only the eternal welfare of the

64
Barbarians, but also the Association of Christ's Followers
hath been faithfully promoted hitherto.
To your kindness, therefore, which we have so often
experienced, we resort the more readily in our straits.
So, whereas you sent to us a Press & Types & other
things pertaining to Printing, together with a skilled
Printer, that so the Holy Scriptures might be translated
into the Indian tongue, and other Books of Instruction,
clearly setting forth the true Teaching & Practice of
Beligion might be printed in Indian, this, so far as might
be, hath been most faithfully accomplished to the profit
& advantage of the Indians. Surely they have been
printed with the Press, & supplied to the necessity of
the Indians. So we now give you to know that there is
no more need to issue yet further books from the Press
for the use of the Indians.
Now, then, that our Types, as well as the older
characters belonging to the College which we had before,
have by long service become much worn, and unfit to
be used for printing, we make it our urgent entreaty to
you & to your kindness that out of your liberality you
would make a free gift to our College, viz. Types and
Characters and the requisites for printing, as well what
you sent us for the first printing of the Scriptures, as
what you afterwards further added to the former supply,
through your Printer, Johnson.
For we fear (alas !) that if the printing press fall to
wreck, or in any wise fail us, and the Characters be
taken from us, not only, to begin with, will America be
without Printers, & the Academy with its Scholars
suffer damage in the progress of its Studies, & our

65
Very meetings with opportunity for taking Degrees be
hindered, but also the Common weal & the Civil laws
passed for the general good will, to the unspeakable,
almost irreparable, loss of the Christian Beligion and the
Churches of the whole Community of New England,
utterly perish & come to destruction.
For it is not to be expected that the yearly revenues
of the College, which hardly — nay, not so much as
hardly — suffice to maintain the Academic body & its
students, can avail to meet such great expenses as are
of necessity required for the work of Printing.
Forgive, most worthy Sirs, our importunity & our
need, if on this occasion we look for such & so great a
benefit for letters, yea if we ask it for letters from men
most lettered & most liberal, on behalf of unlettered and
unlearned Youth and of the propagation of Beligion to
future ages.
With all devotion to you chiefly, most Noble Presi
dent, and others in your most renowned Committee of
council, Charles Chauncey, President of Harvard College,
with the Fellows, & their common consent.
27th October, 1680.

From the Rev. John Eliot to the Hon. Robert Boyle,
Governor of the Company.
Bight honorable Nursing Fathr
Your Fatherly Care doth extend itselfe not only
untoe the poore Indians ; but also to our plantations, &
f

66
to our Churches and Com : w : in that Fatherly and
prudent Council wch you are pleased to give in the
poynt of prsent toleration, wch counsel you ppose w*h
such Fatherly care & love, yt it is w'hout the least staine
or touch of any byas. I have cofhunicated your letter
unto such as are concerned. Amos. 5. 13. the Prophet
saith the prudent shall keepe silence in yt time, for it is
an evel time, for my owne pt I keepe off from medling
in those matters, there is a time to be silent, & a time
to speak, the Adversary seteth instruments on word
to poyson or praying Indians w'h that cruel &
mercylesse opinion of the Anabaptists, to instigate &
instruct parents to thrust away theire owne children
fro Jesus Christ, to make barren & kill the Lords
vinyard, by breaking off & spoyleing the buds. We
resist ym by the word of God & prayre. Sine the
returne of or Captives who escaped away fro the
Mauquaogs, I have had no intimation fro our Western
pts but I doe dayly cry, pray, waite. Lord open a
Gospel dore ! Untill we have Bibles, we are not furnished
to cary the Gospel unto ym for we have no means to
eary religion thither, saving by the Scriptures, this
very argument (beside all the rest wch are many &
weighty) doth continually instigate my heart, to have the
Bible printed. I see yl the charge doth somewhat
surmount, (by some accidental impediments) my
iexpeciation. but I beseeeh your honor let not yt be so
much as named to be an impediment of such a work.
Ihe Dutch Bible is a gloryous work, & the charges of it
are an hono* ' to Beligion. this work is small, as to
.humane work, but the charges of it, will be, (as the^

former imprssion was) an hoii0': unto the hono'able
Corporation. I know y' a word fro your honor will .
raise a contribution to such a work,, y' will supsede all
demurre about charges, a willing heart shall not want
a full hand, sufficient to goe through w'h this holy &
good wrk. So I speak to ours, into whose hands your
hono" have coimted it. the Lord put it into your hearts
to make thorough work of it. pardon my boldnesse,
hono'able Sir I shall plead no furthr at prsent but
counting yourselves & the cause to God. I rest
Your hono1"3 to Serve you in Jesus Christ
John Eliot,
Eoxb: this 17' of the 4' 81.
Major Gookins (who is my only cordial assistant)
doth prsent his service to your hono" w'h this request,
that the evil reports of the malevolent, taken up by the
miscaryage of the worser sort, may be no stumbling
block to your honors, for where is the people, where
all are good ? for
the right hono'able Bobert Boyle Esq""
Govnor of the hono'able Corporation
for Gospellizing the Indians.
these.
leav. this Letter att Henry Ashhurst
Esq. in St Jn°. Streete In Loud0

> 2

68

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company.
Boston New England May 29th 1682.
Bight HonourWe
Our last to your Honr was Imediatly upon the
Beet of yor3 of October last, wherein we sent a Duplicate
of our Letter & Accounts for the year 1681. as was
desired, but forgot the charge of printing the New
Testament, wch now we can acquaint you amounts to
£249 : 02 : 06 We went the best way to work wee could,
yet are perswaded, that if you shal be pleased to grant
Mr Elliots motion & expectation, for the printing of
the Old Testament also, we may be able to do better,
and contract with workmen cheaper. The Bills sent
over are all of them Beceived, & what was to be added
to the stock here, is already within a small matter put
out to Improvement ; wherein we hope, such care will
from time to time be taken, that it may be not only to
the satisfaction of yor Honr & the Company but your
Incouragement also to go on in makeing further additions
thereunto. We herewith send the Accounts of this last
yeare for which we have begun to make some allowance
to a wel-deserveing person Mr Daniel Gooken, who hath
entred upon Preaching to the Indians at Natick in the
English Tongue ; If we find the successe & benefitt,
answerable, we shal continue so to do. We have also
found it needfull to allow Beverend Mr Elliot (now
growne very aged in this service) a servant to attend
him, when he goes his Journies amongst the Indians.
Old Mr Mayhue of Marthas Vineyard is lately dead, &
there will be one wanting to have the Oversight there ;

69
the place being remote, and y* Christian Indians,
numerous upon it. .Since the agreement made with the
Mohawkes of Fort Albany our Praying Indians, have
not had any disturbance; we desire their Peace &
security from enemies may tend to the furtherance of
the Gospel amongst them, that there may be a more
abundant fruit of so great cost as hath been, & is daily
bestowed on them ; unto which we have now also further
to add the distribution of the last yeares income of your
Hon" most Charitable & Noble Gift, wch shall be
made strictly according to the directions we have
received from you ; And we pray the Good Lord of this
Harvest, for all your great care and bounty in this, &
all other such pious workes, to lay up in store for you a
reward of mercy in the Great Day. These lines (God
sending him safe) will be presented by one of our selves,
our worthy Friend Mr Dudley, one of the Agents, now
sent from y8 Massachusets Colonie, to attend his
Majestie in the publick concernes of that Colonie ; who,
as he wil be able to give yor Honr a more particular
Account of any thing yt may be needfull;' so he is
greatly ambitious to have the Honour & Advantage of
your Favour & Countenance, whereunto we take y'
boldness most humbly & earnestly, to recommend him ;
as well knowing how noble & worthy a Friend these
Colonies have ever had in your Self, And that the
Interest & Prosperity of any One of them, is so of the
whole, w°h wee shall ever labour, with Joint Affections
& Indeavours to promote. We never stood more in
need of the kindnesse & helpfulnesse of all that have
any good will for us, and assure our selves, That what
ever may lye in your Hon" power, and is suitable to

70
be desired, shall not be wanting, whensoever the Agents
now sent shall accordingly apply themselves, With our
most humble Service to Your Honour, and the rest of
the Worthy and Honourable Members of Your Company. .
we subscribe Ourselves. Your most humble Servants
William Stoughton.
Joseph Dudley.
Thos. Hinckley.
John Alletn.
For the Bight Honble Bobert Boyle Esqr
Governour of ye Honble Corporation
for ye propogation of y8 Gospel to ye
Indians in New England.

From the Hon. Robert Boyle, Governor of the Company,
to the Commissioners of the United Colonies.
Honored Gentlemen.
Your Letter of the 29th of May last together w'h
the Accompts & Duplicates therein wee have receaved
and are Well satisfied wth your carefull manageing and
disposeing of such moneys as wee have at sevrall times
remitted to you as Stock & otherwise for the carrying on
that good worke of propagating the Gospell of Jesus
Christ amongst the Indians. As concerning Mr Elliot's
request of haveing the Old Testam' alsoe printed in the
Indian Language wee are not yet fully sattisfied that it
will answeare the end proposed however wee have desired
our hobl° Governor to discourse w'b Mr Joseph Dudley
& Mr Bichards concerning the same in order to yor
receaveing- our full rcsolucon in that affaire by our next

71
Letters wee have ordered 250' sterling wth the advance
of 28' for evrie hundred to be remitted to Simon Broad-
street & Wm Stoughton Esq3 by Bill charged by John
Lane Esq & Tho Lane upon the sd William Stoughton
wch in New Engd money amounts to 320' & w'h 31' 10s
for the profitt of Mr Mowchees giuft makes 35 11 10'
to be disposed of by you together with the benifitt of
the 370' in the hands of Mr Bichards for defraying the
ordinarie charges of the yeare ensuing. Wee have alsoe
made on 425' sterling more wth the like advance of 28l
for evrie hundred wch in New Engl money amounts to
544'— vizt 224' by Bill charged by Mr William Ashurst
our now Trear upon the sd Wm Stoughton & payable
to the above named Simon Broadstreet & Wm Stough
ton 25 61 by Bill charged by Mr Edmond White upon
Mr Humphrey Davie — & payable to the sd Simon
Broadstreet & Wm. Stoughton & 641 by Bill charged by.
Mr Tho. Glover upon the sd Wm Stoughton & payable to
the sd Simon Broadstreet & Wm Stoughton which sd
Svall Sofhes last menconed amounting together to 544'
New Engl money wee have soe remitted to be put forth
in New Engl as a further addicon to our Stock there of
your faithfull pformance whereof w'h all speede wee doe
not doubt.
London— 13"' day of October 1682.
Signed by Order of the Companie for propa
gacon of the Gospell in New England and
the pt adjacent in America.
(Endorsed.)
13th October 1682.
Letter to the Com1'3 of the United Colonies in New
England.

72

From the Commissioners of the United Colonies to the
Hon. Robert Boyle.
Boston in N: E: March. 1: 168|.
Sr. By yor Hono" last letter of the 8" of September
last wee have reed your order for going on wth the work
so much desired and a good while since.entered upon by
good Mr Elliot, the making a new impression of the
Old Testament also in the Indian tongue, which accord
ingly wee have attended & made considerable payments
further towards the same, so that it is at this time in a
good forwardnes, and wee shall hasten it and be frugall
in the Expences of it as much as may be, Mr Elliot
hath taken care to send over Some Copyes of the Penta
teuch according to your desires and hath also promised
us to give your Honor some ace' of the present state of
the work among the Indians which wee hope may be
encouraging, wee thought it best to come from his hands
who labours so constantly therein.
Yor bills of Exc° sent for this last year the one of
384" & the other of 112" are complyed with & the dis
posal! of the whole summe how it stands in our Annuall
Acco'3 now made up you will . find in the said Acco**
which wee have here enclosed, the Profitt of Mr Mou-
chees Gift wee have allotted (& during his life shall
allot) to Eeverend Mr Elliot allowing him an additional
Sallary to make up a competency for his great paines in
so great a Service the fulle reward whereof waits for him
in another world.
You are pleased to make mention of the Proffits of

73
370" ster. in the hands of Mr Bichards wee crave leave
to certify your mistake therein, for that Mr Bichards
more than 3 yeares since declining the service of a
Treasurer & improver of your Stock in this Country it
was wholly by him dtf up & committed (with advise
thereof to your selves) into the hands of Mr Stoughton
where it hath since bin increased by all those consider
able Annuall additions which your honour and the
Honourable^Comp11 have made thereto, great care is
taken for the securing of what is put forth upon Interest,
and the whole summe so under improvement (as you
will see in the Acco') amounts to three thousand three
hundred forty two pounds three shillings, it was lately
a greater summe but Mr Elliots extreame urgency after
he had wholly taken upon himselfe to begin the work of
Printing prevailed with us to call in seventy pounds he
engaging the payment thereof himselfe in case your
allowance could not finally be obtained wee have nothing
to adde but our most humble service & remaine
Yor hono" most humble Servants.
William Stoughton
Joseph Dudley
Peter Bulkeley.
Thos. Hinckley.
These
for the Bight Honorable Bobt Boyle Esqr
Gov7 of the Compa for Propagacon of
the Gospel in New England and the parts
adjacent in America. London.

74

From 16 Indians at Xatick, Massachusetts, to the Rev.
John Eliot.
Worthy and Eeverend Mr Eliot.
God hath made you to us and our nation a
spiritual father, we are inexpresably ingaged to you for
your faithful constant Indefatigable labours, care and
love, to and for us, and you have alwaies manifested the
same to us as wel in our adversity as prosperity, for
about forty years makeing know to us the Glad tidings
of Salvation of Jesus Christ ; for which we desire to give
you our Hearty thanks, and whereas you are now grown
aged, soe that we are deprived of seeing your face and
hearing your voice (especially in the Winter Season) soe
frequently as formerly, wee presume to make this our
Address to you ; touching a matter wherin we acted by
your counsel and incouragm' formerly. Sir you knew'
that the Church and people of Natick about two years
and a half since, made their application and gave a Cal
by a Gen" vote to y8 Eeverend Mr Gookin, Minister of
Sherborn (a village in vicinity of neighbourhood to us),
that he would please to preach a Lecture to us at Natick ;
which invitation of ours, God inclined his heart to
accept, and he hath attended it about Two years and a
half, and we hope not without comEort and benefitt to
some pore souls, through the Grace of God ; Tis true he
preacheth to us in ye English tongue, which al doe not fully
understand, but some learn a litle and desire to know more
of it, but therbeinga wel spoken and Inteligent interpreter
of our own Countrymen, who being the day before instructed

and informed by Mr Gookin in ye matter to be delivered,
is promt and ready to interpret and communicate unto us
in our own language, which practice as we understand
is approved of in Scripture in the primitive times as in
1. Corinthians. 14. 27. 28. that if one speak in an un
known tongue another should interpret. ' unto this
Lecture many Englishmen and women of y" neighbour
hood doe resort, who by their example & comunioa
with us in the worship of God it tendeth (as is evident)
to promote not only Beligion but Civility amongst us
Therefore Dear sir our humble request unto you is that
you wil improve your best interest with and in the right
Honb'e Govr & Corporation for propagating the Gospel
in America, Besiding at London, that they would please
to write effectually unto their Comissioners in New
England to incourage this our worthy Minister Mr
Gookin, to persevere in his labors among us, we under
stand he meets with some discouragement and the
Beason wherof is because he doth not preach in y8 Indian
Language which probably in a little more time after
ward he wil obtain, but we incline to beleive that y°
way wherin he now exercises may and wil promote the
work as much, because now the English Christians, are
present and Coniunicate with us in God's Worship,
which puts a great luster and beauty upon our meeting,
and tendeth to instruct us especially young ones to
learn the English Language, and to cary it with a more
Grave deportment in y8 holy worship of God, for you
know our great poverty especially since the wars, that
we are not able to give Mr Gookin ineouragem' by any
Allowance yearly, and as we beare the Comissioners

76
allow him but 10"* p. Annum, but we hope those most
noble pious and worthy patriots in England, of whose
Goodness and benificence we have often tasted, and
which with al thankfulness both to god and men we
acknowledge, wil incourage this work as wel as others,
which we believe wil not be the least means, to propagate
Beligion and civility among the Indians. So with our
Humble duty and service presented we remaine
Your most loveing and Assured friends
Natick 19 March 16^. Olt Waban His mark +
John maqoof
Daniel Takawompait
Thomas Tray His mark o^
Nemiah N 7
NatanielJohn Moquah His mark i
olt nuomonT His mark £,
Olt Jetro His mark Y
Olt nosauwunna His mark O
Olt Maquis His mark S
Nellem hahatun
jams John Awaquin His mark $
Thomas Waban
Simon Betoqkom.
These
for our Worthy and good friend Mr
John Eliot the Eeverend Teacher of the
Church at Boxbury. in New England.
(Endorsed.)
A Leter from the Indians to Mr Eliott 19" March 1683.

77

From the Company to the Commissioners in New
England.
Honored Gentlemen—
Your Letter of the ffirst of March last together
wth the Accompts therein wee have receaved but are a
little surprized that wee finde by the Accompte of the
Stock by us at sevrall times remitted to you that the
profitt & improvemt thereof is soe small.
Wee desire that you will for the future in your
- yearely Accompte of our Stock perticulerly expresse in
whose hands the sevrall somes of money by us remitted
& to be remitted to you to be managed & disposed of for
& as Stock shall from time to time be.
We have ordered 400' sterling to be this yeare re
mitted to New England that is to say 2501 thereof to
be remitted by Mr Wm Ashurst our Treasurer by his
Bill charged upon Wm Stoughton Esqr for paym' of
325' New England money to Simon Bradstreet Esqr &
the sd Wm. Stoughton at three moneths after sight
which sd some of 325 wth 311 10s for the profitt of Mr
Mowchees Guift makes 356' 10s to be disposed of by
you together wth the profitt of the 3701 sterling formerly
in the hands of Mr Bichards but now as wee are in
formed by yor last Lre in the hands of Mr Stoughton
for defraying the necessarie charges of the yeare ensue-
ing 100' more thereof pd to Mr Edmond White upon
his Bill charged upon Mr Humphry Davie for paymt of
130' New England money to the sd Simon Bradstreet &
Wm Stoughton at three moneths after sight & 501

78
residue of the sd some of 400' pd to Henry Ashurst Esqr
upon the Bill charged upon Mr Danyell Allin merchant
in Boston in New Engld for paymt of 65' New England
money to the sd Simon Bradstreet & Wm Stoughton at
three moneths after sight. Which sd sevall somes of
1301 & 65' last menconed & amounting together to 195'
New England money wee desire may be put out upon
improvemt & be reckoned as a further addicon to our
Stock. Wee doe finde that it will be necessarie for the
satisfaccon of some misinformed psons that there may
be as exact an acconipt as can be taken & sent on to us
in yor next Lres of the number of all the Indian Con
verts amongst you, both men & woemen.
Wee alsoe desire to know how far Mr Elliot hath
proceeded in printing the Bible in the Indian Language,
& that 12 Coppies of the Pentateuch be likewise sent
on to us.
Wee doe well approve of yor paym* of the profitt of
Mr Mowchees Guift to Mr. Elliot & are willing that 10'
a yeare more may be added to his Sallarie & the like
some to Mr Gookins Sallarie. Wee cease to give you
any further trouble at this time.
Signed by Order of the Companie for ppagacon
of the Gospell in New England & the
pla. adjacent in America.
London : 26 day of September 1684.
(Endorsed)
Copy of the CompM Leter to ye Com" in New
England 1684.

79

From Mr. William Stoughton, a Commissioner of the
United Colonies, to Mr. Robert Thompson, Governor
of the Company.
Sr. I writ largely to you by Capt: Toy who is not
yet gone, this comes by Mr Edward Thomas with whome
I have done as much as at present lyes in my power, &
shall still doe what I am able in your affairs, & for your
benefit. Since my last to you I have receaved yor3 of
Sept 9tb & the Corporations letter by you signed, of
Nov 2d And doe Acknowledge that it hath been too long
a time before the accounts of the Indian worke were
sent but my excuse is that Mr Bradstreet never accept
ing to act any thing I have all this while till now, been
wholy left alone, without any body to joyn in the making
up of accounts & attesting them, & have also been under
many discouragements during the late uncomfortable
revolutions & confusions here. I am therefore most glad
that so good a number of worthy & most suitable persons
are joyned in that publick worke, wherein they are
purposed to doe their utmost, as Mr. Mather will more
particularly informe our joynt letter wth the account of
the four year last past hath been aboard Captain Tay
severall weekes, who is not yet say led, & by Mr Edward
Thomas now going in another vessel, a duplicate of sayd
letter & accounts are carefully sent wth I hope will be to
content, & for the future these Gentlemen will hold a
more frequent correspondence with your Honor & the
Company in this great affayr. by what I receaved from
the Dutch Minister at Fort Albany wch is also cofnitted
to Mr Thomason will understand that a goody beginning

so
is there made to gospelise the Indians. The Bill of
Exchange drawn by Mr Increase Mather never came
to hand till a few days agoe, & yesterday I got an order
of the Govr & Council for the Treasurer to pay the same
wch I shall not fayle to sollicit till it be done. Mr
Brenton whose bill of exchange drawn on Mr Loyd
came to hand no sooner than Mr Mathers, is at present
out of Town & Mr Loyd referrs me wholy to him the
drawer, having never had any order or notice thereof,
so that untill I see Mr Brenton I can give no account
what is to be expected if it bee not accepted & payd I
shall protest the same, all the other bills of exchange
wch Mr Bellamy signifies came safe & are payd. The
Govr presents his service to you & so doth he most
sincerely who is
Sr yor assured friend & most humble serv'
Wm Stoughton.
April H" 1693.
For the HonbIe Bobert Thompson Esq
Govr of the Company for propagating
the Gospel amongst the Indians.
these. London.

From the Rev. Increase Mather, D.D., to Sir William
Ashhurst, Governor of the Company.
Boston. January 20. 1697.
Honorable Sir.
Concerning the Indian affair, & what relates to
the success of the Gospell among them there, is Little for

, 81
me to add unto what I have formerly written. Since the
death of Mr. Eliot (that American Apostle) there has
bin a signal blast of heaven on y" Indian work, very
many of the most pious Indians (both professors &
preachers) being dead also, & others of equal worth not
appearing to succeed them wee design (as soon as the
weather will permitt) to send two of them who preach
to the Indians to visit all y8 places where y8 Gospell is
taught among them w°h when they have done, I shall
not faile (if y8 Lord will) either to send you their Account,
or to bring it my selfe there seeming to be a necessity
of my undertaking a voyage for England, in order to y"
obtaining an happy settlement for y8 Colledge here.
Several of those yt were appointed yor Comissioners
here, are gone to theire Best, particularly, Govrnor
Bradstreet, Sr Wm phips, & Major Bichards. Mr
Morton is quite done Infirmities of age have rendered
him unserviceable these many moneths. It is yrfore
needfull y' some other Comissioners should be added, yr
being now none Left but Mr Stoughton, Maj. General
Winthorp, & my selfe, Mr Stoughton desires yt there
may be added, my son Cotton Mather, & Mr Nehemiah
Walker who is my son in law & succeeds Mr. Eliot in his
pastoral office in Boxbury. Concerning these because
they are related to me I say nothing. Mr Stoughton
also desires y* Mr Samuell Sewell & Mr Peter Serjeant
may be joined wth us. Give me Leave to recoffiend once
more to you, old Mr. John Foster who is one of the
Gov" Council, & a very good & discreet Gentleman.
I shall trouble you no further at prsent, butprsenting
my service to yor Honor, w*h all y" gentlemen of yor
o

82
Corporation, I comend you to y8 Grace of Christ, &
remain. Yor3 to serve
Increase Mather.
To the Honorable Sir William Ashurst,
governor of the Corporation for pro
pagating the Gospell in America, at
the Golden Key in Watling Street
London.

From the Rev. Increase Mather, D.D., to Sir William
Ashhurst, Governor of the Company. Boston. July 20. 1698.
Hono'able Sir.
Yor comissioners here have sent two worthy
persons (Mr Bawson & Mr Tanforth) who preach to y8
Indians, to visit all the Indians throughout ye province
y' so we might know w* success ye Gospell has had
amongst them. The account w°h they have retorned
w'h, I now send over to you whereby you will perceive
yt ye Gospell has bin a blessed Leaven. amongst them:
And I believe will never be extirpated untill ye Lord
Himselfe shall Come.
I return great Thanks to yor Honorable Corporation
for ye respect shewed to or. Colledge in ordering 45" of
the Honrable Mr Boyles Legacy to be by them dis
posed of for ye propagating of Beligion amongst the
Natives here. We have not as yet received any part
of it. God has bin graceously pleased to bless y8 Society
wonderfully. I send herewth a Catalogue of such persons

83
as have bin graduated Xtians a sight whereof I pr-
sume will not be unacceptable to you.
I have no more to add at prsent, but comending you'
to ye grace of' Christ, I remayn, Yo" to serve
Increase Mather.
To the Hono'able Sir William Ashurst,
Governor of the Corporation for pro
pagating y8 Gospel in America,
in London.

From the Rev. Jncrease Mather, D.D., the Rev. Cotton
Mather, D.D., and the Rev. Nehemiah Walker to
Sir William Ashhurst, Governor of the Company.
There were in the Southern parts of this province,
about four or five years ago (when your Commissioners
here sent a couple of English Ministers, who were
masters of the English tongue, to visit them) no less
than thirty several congregations of Indians, who com
monly assembled themselves every Lord's day, and, a
great part of them, to lectures on other days also, for
the worship of the great God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
We cannot understand that the number of the congre
gations is considerably altered from what it was when
the gentlemen who then examined their condition
brought in that report of them. Indeed, the number
of Indians in this land is not comparable to what it was

84
fifty years ago. The hand of God has very strangely
wasted them ; and the war which they began upon the
English in the year 1675, hastened a strange desolation .
upon whole nations of them. Almost all that remain
under the influence of the English, in this Massachusetts
province, are so far christianised as that they believe
there is a God, and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
and the Saviour of the world. Mr Experience Mayhew,
who is grandson to the old gentleman that first in
structed the Indians on Martha's vineyard, and, like his
grandfather, a laborious teacher among them, informs us,
that there are about one hundred and four score families
of Indians on that island ; and that of these, there are
no more than two persons which now remain in their
paganism. He is at this time, gathering another church
of Indians, whereof he is himself to be the pastor.
In the Indian congregations, there were at the time
of our last visitation (which we said was about four or
five years ago) about thirty-seven Indians who were the
constant preachers of the gospel unto them in their own
language, in which they have Catechisms, and Bibles,
and Psalm Books, and other books of piety translated
by the vast labours of worthy Englishmen.
Besides these, there are seven or eight English
Ministers, who have learned the Indian tongue, and
visit the Indian Assemblies, and pray and preach among
them, and give such directions as they see needful for
their affairs. The Indian Ministers very frequently
apply themselves to these English ones for their advice
about instructing the flocks under their charge : and
some of the English preachers do constantly spend every

85
Lord's day with the Indian assemblies, having taken the
charge of them.
How the ordinary Congregations among the Indians
are inclined, and how instructed, may be a little appre
hended from some lines in a letter now lying before us,
dated not many weeks ago, from a very valuable servant
of God, namely, Mr Samuel Danforth ; he says, ' They
met me at Little Compton, about two months since, to
hear me preach. Had you been there with me to see
how well they filled up the seats, with what gravity they
behaved themselves, what attention they gave, what
affection they showed ; how powerfully Pawquachoise
(an Indian) prayed (for I had put it upon him to pray,
having never before heard him pray, and being willing
to have some trial of his ability, in order to his appro
bation for office) ; how melodiously Jonathan George
(another Indian) set the tune for the Psalms, and carried it
out ; and how dexterously the young lads of twelve years
old could turn to the proofs throughout the sermon ;
and how thankful they were to me at the last that I would
take so much pains as to come so far from home to
preach to them, I am sure you would be much affected
With it.'
Though there are some Congregations of the Indians
which are not advanced unto all the privileges of the
evangelical church state, combining for and enjoying of
all special ordinances, yet a considerable number of
them are so. Some new churches have been lately
formed and filled, and more will quickly be gathered.
They have pastors and elders of their own, ordained
sometimes by the hands of English Ministers, and

86
sometimes by the hands of Indian Ministers in the pre
sence of the English, all after the solemn English
manner ; and by admonitions and Excommunications
publicly dispensed, they proceed against scandalous
offenders when any such are found amongst them.
We shall here insert an extract of a late letter from
Mr Josiah Torrz, a hopeful young man, who had learned
the Indian tongue, and begun to preach to them in their
own language : he having been an eye-witness of their
proceedings, writes to us in words following : —
' The gravity and diligent attendance in the time of
worship, with the affectionate confessions of such as are
admitted into the church, made me hope that many of
them may have the spirit wrought in them, according to
the working of the mighty power of God. Their method
respecting those that are admitted into their Church
Communion is more according to the manner of the
churches in the primitive times, than is now practised
among the churches in most parts. The person to be
admitted stands forth in the midst of the assembly, and
first makes declaration of his knowledge, and sometimes
desires information in things more arduous and doubtful.
And then he makes Confession of Sins, which they do
(as I have seen) with tears of trembling, like him in the
sixteenth chapter of the Acts. And then he gives an
account of Experience he has had, of convictions,
awakenings, and comforts, in which they are large and
particular. After which, (much comfort and exhorta
tions to remain stedfast in the faith and ways of the
Lord being given them by their pastor and elder,) they
are admitted. I would, and not ungroundedly, hope that

87
additions are made unto the church daily of such as shall
be saved. There are many which maintain a Christian
Conversation, and are to be accounted not almost, but
altogether Christians. And this does encourage the
preaching of the Gospel to them, when we see it pleases
God to make it his power unto Salvation.'
About the manner of performing the more stated ex
ercises of religion in public among the Indians, there
needs no account but this. They are conformed unto
the English.
But we have now before us a letter very lately re
ceived, from as knowing and as faithful a person as
could be inquired of, wherein he speaks a little more
particularly. He says, ' you may remember that yourself, with
some others, were pleased once to bear me company to
a lecture to Assawanpset, and were an eye-witness of
their grave, serious, attentive deportment in their
exercises, and of their excellent singing of psalms with
most ravishing melody. They begin their exercises with
prayer ; they sing a psalm, they preach, and so conclude
with prayer. The administration of Sacraments among
them is like ours, arid as they were taught by their
apostle Eliot. His name is of wonderful authority
among them ; and the rules he gave them for the forms
of marriages among them, and for admonitions and ex
communications in their Churches, are not to be found
fault with by any but it will provoke them. Not long
Bince, an Indian lodged at an Englishman's house one
night, and the next day he visited me, and asked why
the man at whose house he lodged did not pray in his

88
family ? Seeing that Mr Eliot taught the Indians to
do it every day, morning and evening, he thought it
strange that the English should direct them to pray in
their famihes, and yet not to do it themselves. But, at
last, he entertained the distmction, that there were
* matchet ' Englishmen as well as 'matchet' Indians,
and that some English did not practise as they had been
taught to do ; matchet, that is to say, naughty or
wicked.'

March 2nd 1705. Signed Increase Mather.
Cotton Mather.
Nehemiah Walker.
Extracts from a letter Quoted in ' Historical Notices
of the Missions of the Church of England in the North
American Colonies. Chiefly from the M.S. Documents
of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts.' By Ernest Hawkins, B.D.
Secretary to the Society.
London. 1845.

From the Rev. Cotton Mather, D.D., to Sir William
Ashhurst, Governor of the Company.
Boston. N. England Jan. 30 17J§.
The Honourable Corporation for the Propaga
tion of the Gospel among oT Indians, have lately

89
obliged me, and even surpris'd me, with a very kind
present ; for which I render my most humble Thanks
unto them.
When I. would on that occasion have declined the
Acceptance of any such Bewards for services without
Number, which I always thought abundantly Bewarded
in the pleasure of doing them, your Commissioners here
were pleased to Lett me see, that they took a very great
satisfaction in your order ; and that they had another
opinion of my poor services, than I could myself have
of them. They did with all possible Alacrity, and ex
pressions that carried a cogency in them, even compel
me to receive the Favours of the Corporation.
What remains, is for me to multiply my poor en-
deavr8 for the Interests of Christianity among those
objects of your generous charity. And, tho that be but
one of the many channels in which my studies are
continually running, yett it will afford me opportunities
for continual and considerable expence of Time and
Thought ; and purse too (tho' that an Article not
worth mentioning) as well as pen, must be Employ'd
upon it.
I. shall, with the Help of Heaven, go on, you may
be sure, to do all the good that ever I can, and Look
upon the Favours of the Honourable Corporation, as an
Effectual Admonition unto me, to do more than ever I
have done. This being as I Judge, the just expectation
of these worthy Gentlemen, I thus represent it unto
your Honourable Hand, with my grateful Acknowledg
ments to you and them.
May the glorious Lord, the Service of whose King-

90
dome is prosecuted by that Society, bestow upon them
at last a part of his Heavenly Kingdome.
I am,
Your Honours, Most Sincere & very obliged
Servt. Cotton Mather.
To the Honourable Sir William Ashurst,
London.

From the Rev. Cotton Mather, D.D., to Sir William
Ashhurst, Governor of the Company.
Boston, N. England. Nov. 9. 1710.
Honourable Sr
The grateful sense I must forever have of your
unmerited Favours, has compelled me once again, to
break forth into a very public Acknowledgment of the
merits, by which you have been distinguished unto the
world. I humbly tender unto your Acceptance, a Book
newly published under the Title of Bonifacius ; the in
tention of which Book, I am well assured, will be very
Agreeable unto you ; But for the Freedom I have used
in the preface, I do need, and must beg, your pardon.
Therein, if I am guilty of a Trespass on the Modesty,
which might have disposed you to forbid what I have
done, mankind will make my apology ; and we alwayes
look to come off easily when — crimen Amoris erat.
The Appendix, which relates the present State of

91
Beligion among y8 Indians, is inserted, not only for
your Honours more particular Satisfaction, but also as
ye Vindication from an envious passage in a Sermon of
the Bishop of Chichesters, which allowes it as a Trew
matter of Beproach, That y8 Colonies have made no
Application to the Conversion of the Natives. It seems
no Good must Ever be own'd to be done, but what is done
under ye Influence of the mitre. Lett the Gentlemen of
the New Society then be prevailed withal, to send a
Missionary or two, for the Christianizing of the Iroquois
Indians, whose princes (as they were fabulously called)
appearing among you, made bo much noise the other day,
on your side the water. This would free your faithful and
thoughtful Commissioners here, from one of the most
uneasy Sollicitudes ; and the 'objects are without ye
Bounds of New England.
Sr, I shall count myself honoured, if you will please
to lay any of your Commands upon me ; and most of all,
when you shall command me & Direct me, to any matter,
wherein I may also serve the Interests of or glorious
Lord, and of His Holy Beligion.
With prayers, that He will continue to multiply His
Blessings on your person, and your Honourable Family,
I take leave to subscribe myself
Your Honours
Most obliged ServantCotton Mather.
To the Honourable Sr William Asshurst in London.

92

From Mr. Joseph Dudley, a Commissioner of the
United Colonies, to Sir William Ashhurst, Governor of
the Company. Boston. New England. Nov™ 15. 1710.
Sr The Govnment of this province the last year
by their papers, desired your Honour to have accepted
the Agency for this Goverment, & were sorry your want
of health should oblige you to refuse it, they stil hope
that you will please as ocasion offers to recomend them
to her Majesty & the ministry. The people here have
shewed all readiness, for their own defence these seven
years past A good obedience & couriage in the reduction
of portroyall this year '& have granted & payd thirty
thousand pounds per Anum these seven years for their
honorable defence, & think the Governour is very
Just & thrifty in the expence of their Treasure &
the frontiers very well defended better than in any
former Warrs, and all then- Civil affayres in peace &
repose. however I have been my self very unfortunate to be
persued with great displeasure by Sr Henry Ashhurst at
all times, who I doubt is imposed upon by some very
few men from hence, to talk of things which every body
here smiles at as having no shadow of foundation, I
heartily wish Sr Henry health, & a blessing upon his
family & assure him he is equally bound to bless mee &
mine, what I must not have of him I pray of you, that is
the respect to a Gentleman, a Lover of my Country, an

93
Example of good life & manners & moderation in all
things, If you will pardon the freedom and allow mee
amongst the Number of your friends I will take it a
favour to be glad of your Comands.
I am Sr
Your most faithfull
humble Servant J Dudley.

From Sir William Ashhurst, Governor of the Company,
to Governor Nicholson. London January 15"1 l^lj.
Sr I am favoured with yours of 13th November,
which gave me the acceptable account of your good
success in the prudent management of the publiq
affairs, whereby you have prevented all the enemys
attempts upon the Country since the first beginning
of the warr which I beleive all people will beleive to be
an extraordinary piece of service, and if this age had any
sense of obligations, you might expect not only the ap
probation of all good men, but a suitable reward from
the men in power. We have lived to see the greatest
merit condemned, and the greatest benefits this nation
ever received exposed to ridicule and contempt, but I
hope you and every honest man will continue in the
practice of his duty from a better principle than the
expectation of either the favour or rewards of a pre
vailing party.

94
I am very glad that our purchase of my Lord Lyme-
ricks Interest in Martha's Vineyard is so well approved
of, and it will be a great satisfaction to the Corporation
to understand that their designe is answered in it, which
was to prvent the Indians being scattered up and down
the Continent, and returning to the barbarous Customes
of their Ancestors, besides we are of opinion, that the
bringing them to a sociable and civilized way of living
after the Europian fashion is the best way to engage
them to the English Interest and a good step towards
making them Christians.
I am heartily sorry there should be still any com
plaints of the Injust Encroachm*3 made upon the poor
Indians at the Places appropriated for their Settle
ments, and I do wish the Corporation were in a Con
dition to direct their Commissioners to undertake the
proper proceedings agt the Intruders, but it is not
possible for us at present to concerne ourselves in that
affair, otherways, than by our requests to yourself and
the Generall ' assembly, that some provision may be
made by Law to prevent these Intrusions, for I assure
you our Bents are so very ill paid, and the deductions
for Taxes and repairs so large, that we have much ado
to make any tollerable Bemittances to supply the more
necessary occasions of the work under the Comission83
direction. The disappointment of the Expedition ag*
Canada was very surprizing to us here, and I was not a
little concerned at the reflections which were cast upon
New England and the other Colonys, by those who to
excuse their own ill conduct, would have thrown the
blame off themselves, and laid it upon you ; all people

95
are now sensible, that nothing was wanting on your
parts, tho' we have not a few, who would have been glad
of such an occasion to have quarrelld with you, and
done you any diskindness, in their power; I hear
Generall Nicholson is arrived, as he is able, so I doubt
not he will be willing to do you Justice in all places
where prjuce does not prvail. I shall always reckon
myself under the greatest obligations to promote as farr
as is in my power the prosperity of New England, and
in order thereto omit no occasion of approving myself,
Sr
yor Excellencys most
real & humble Servant
Wm. Ashhurst.
Mr Dummer has been wonderfull serviceable to you
in the case of the Expedition to set the matter in a right
light. (Endorsed.)
Copy of a Letter to Govr Nicholson 15 Jan. 1J-\{.

"¦ From Sir William Ashhurst, Governor of the Company,
to the Rev. Increase Mather, D.D.
copie. London Jan? 31" 17&
Eeverend Sr
I am favoured with yours of 3d Nov. and am
very glad to find both by yours and what I have had
from Mr Sewall that what we have done in relation to
the purchase of Marthas vineyard is approved of by you

96
and the Comissioii". I hope it will be a means to make
the Indians live comfortably upon it, and prvent their
scattering abroad, which would certainly have brought
their offspring back again to their old Idolatry. I wish
I had now any Interest at Court, that* I might be
serviceable to New England, in vindicating you from
the Scandalous accusations of yr enemies ; But things
run there so high that at this time, to appear for you
by such a one as myself, would rather be an Injury than
a service ; all the blame of the Canada miscarriage is
laid on your backs, but I hope Coll. Nicholson if for his
interest will vindicate you from the charge tho' I am
apt to believe that some of our managers would be glad
to find you guilty, that they might have some plausible
pretence for not paying yor bills. Things look very
melancholy here at present, The High Church are very
Bampant, how fair Gov. may suffer them to proceed,
for our sins, I dare not divine ; but if one may guess
from their Characters and tempers, they can aim at no
less than imposing the Pretender upon us, and all the
miseries that may be expected from a provoked Tyrant
bred up in the French maxims and principles.
I thank you heartily for your kind present my wife
Joyns with me in our sincere respects to yorselfe and
good Son. I am. Sr.
Yor most affectionate
humble servant
Wm, Ashhurst.
Tho I have no correspondence with the prsent

97
ministry yet I take care that Mr. Dummer have ye best
advice relating to New England.
To the Eeverend Doctor Increase Mather.
In Boston New England.(Endorsed.)
Copy of a letter to Dr. Increase Mather.

From the Rev. Experience Mayheiv to the Company's
Commissioners in New England.
A brief Journal of my visitation of the Pequot & Mohegin
Indians, at the desire of the Honourable Commissioners
for the Propagation of the Gosjiel among the Indians
in Neic England dr. 1713.
Having been desired by the Honb,e Commissioners to
visit the Indians in the Southern parts of this land,
Especially those in the Colony of Connecticut, in order
to their having an offer of the Gospel made to them ; I
set out from Chilmark on Martha's vinyard October 12th.
•but could not pass ye Sound till ye 13th day in the
evening : on the 15th I came to Dartmouth, where
treating wth William Simons an Indian Minister to
accompany me, and he consenting, we on y8 next day
being ye 16th came to Bode Island ; where on ye 17th I
enformed the Honble Governour Cranston of my design,
and desired his countenance w*h relation to that affair,
more especially as it related to ye Indians under his
Gouerment, which he very readily gave me, and told
H

98
me that when I had acquainted myself wth tb
numbers, & circumstances, and let him understa
them, he should readily do anything that might
proper to promote so good a work. On the same day
evening we passed over the Ferries into the Narragan
Country, where y° sd William Simon not being willi
to proceed any further westward, left me and we
northward to a Town of Indians, about six mile from
Ferry, having hi his Company one of his Indian neij
hours that came w'h him from Dartmouth. The ch
man in that place is called in Indian Wamsuttan, &
the English is called black Sachim, Here Japhe
deceased has sometimes preached, and the sd Willia
Simon has also sometimes preached there. The
Indians I understand have manifested desires to ha
the Gospel preached to them, but their number is ve
small, On the same day at evening I met w'h an Indii
named Sam : at the house where I lodged, and findh
y' he could speake English well, (having lived long wi
an English master) I entered into discourse w"' hi
concerning God and religion, and found him as ignora:
of anything of that nature, as it is possible a man endui
w,h reason, should be. He was at a- loss whether the
be a God, and how the world had a being ; He w;
sensible of this his great Ignorance, and said he kne
no more than a dead horse, but that he was willing
Jearn, if any would instruct him, I then spent some tin
in asserting some of the first principles of Beligion ¦
him, and unto the substance yt I said, he did w*1* muc
seeming earnestness & affection profess his assent, ar
said he wished he had his wife w*h him, that I migl

99
instruct her, and if he could, he would bring her and his
brother to me for y* end, which I encouraged him to do,
and so he went away ; but I have not seen him since.
On the 19th day of the moneth (the end of week) I
purposed to have visited the Sachim Ninnicraft, ab' 15
miles further westward than the place where I kept
Sabbath ; and in order to it, took pains to get a good
interpreter, but the man on whome I had most depend-
ance (one Mr Mumford) being bound on a Journey
another way, I could not then obtain him : and therefore
(finding their Dialect very different from ours at
Martha's Vinyard) I passed on that day as far as
Stonington : But in the way thither, in the Narraganset
Country I saw 3 or 4 wigwams not very far from the
Bode, and as providence ordered it meeting w'h a young
man, in my way that could speake Indian competently
well, I improved him as an interpreter, to speake to the
people there. La one of the houses, there was 7 or 8
Indians, whereof one as I was enformed, was the Saga
mores mother. These I enformed of my design, and
proposed some fundamentall truths to them, unto which
some of them seemed to assent ; but one of the Company
shewed dislike. When I shewed them a Bible, and told
them that in that book was written y8 words of the
Great God y' made the world, they seemed much
astonished. I told them if they would learn to read
that book, this would teach them how to know & serve
the only true God, that so they might be happy ; and
that the English were willing to teach them, if they would
consent to it : They told me I had best discourse w*h ye
heads of the people ab' it. So I took my leave of them.

100
When I came to Stonington I went to the Bevd Mr
James Noyes's and acquainting him w'h my Buisiness
into those parts, & desiring his advice & help in the
affair; he shewed a very great readiness to assist &
forward me in the work : wherefore ye next day wc was
y» 20th being accompanied by him and some other
Gentlemen of. the place, we went to the next Town of
Pequots ab' 7 or 8 mile distant northward ; when we
came to their houses, we found that most of the young
men were gone out a hunting, and that the Sachim
Bobin was not at home, and tho' we sent some miles to
look him, yet he was not to be found: However we
enformed as many as we could of the occasion & design
of my coming among them ; and desired that they, &
those of the next town about 2 or 3 miles off, would give
us a meeting as soon as might be ; the Indians them
selves appointing time & place, and giving us notice of
it : and accordingly there came a messenger, from them
to enform us that they would meet us on Fryday y 23rd
day at y8 place wc we were at before. When we came
to the place at the time appointed, there were assembled
there a considerable number of people, the Sachim him
self (of that town,) was present, and several of his
council : Here were also present Joseph and Benjamin,
two sons of Kottupesit deceased, the former Sachim of
the Pequots. Skuttaub the chief of the pequot Sachims
was not at home, and so was not at their meeting, being
now gone a hunting. Joseph before mentioned speakes
English very well, and was our interpreter at that time.
Here the Eevd Mr Noyes having made a short
speech to the assembly declaring the earnest desire of

101
the English to promote their best good, and to show
them all the kindness they can, and their having for
that end sent me to speake to them ; Mr Noyes I say
having made this Introduction: I now made a large
speech to them, wherein I declared to ym that there was
One, & but one true & living God, That this God made
all things in the space of six dayes ; That he made man
at first holy & happy, and gave him good laws to
keep, and promised happiness to him in Case of Obedi
ence ; That man sinned and made God angry w'h him ;
That God sent his son to save man from sin & misery :
That God had spoken to some men in the Lord to reveal
a way of Life & happiness unto them, and Cofrianded
them to make these things known unto others : That
the word of God thus spoken unto some, was by his
Comandment writen in a Book containing all things
necessary to be known by men, in order to their good ;
& that the English were willing to teach them & their
children to read this book, that so they might learn to
know & serve the great God, and do those things that
would make them a happy people &c. To these things
& many others wc I then spake, the Indians seemed to
•give a very good attention and at the end of almost
every sentence some of y8 chief of them would still say
something, and as to many things they shewed some
approbation, particularly they shewed themselves pleased
at the proposal of learning them to read & write, when
I asserted & proved the being of one great God that
made the world, they tho't the mention of that unneces
sary, because they said they knew that as well as I.
After this speech was ended, Mr Noyes again said

102
divers things to them, to encourage them to embrace ye
true Beligion, and pray to the same God as the English
do : he gave them remarkable Instances of God's hear
ing & answering Prayers, and particularly some made
for some among themselves when at the point of Death ;
and at their desire for Bain, in a time of sore Drought.
I added some remarkable Instances of God's hearing
the prayers of the Christian Indians, who now worship
him. We also now enformed them how much better
the Indians lived who serve the true God, than they did :
we told them they kept cowes & oxen & sheep, and
went in good apparel after the manner of the English ;
at the mention whereof they shewed ymselves pleased.
In these discourses we spent (as I suppose at least) two
houres haveing for our Interpreter the forementioned
Joseph of whom more afterwards. In the conclusion
they expressed their thankfulness to the English Gentle
men that had so kindly sent to them, to seek their good,
and said that when their men returned from hunting,
they would have a meeting to consider of the things
proposed unto them : and the Bevd. Mr Noyes will
receive their answer.
I was exceedingly pleased w"'. ye decent & manly
carriage of Joseph our Interpreter, and being desirous if
possible, to gain him, I not only gave him a reward for
the help he had afforded me, but also took much pains
w'b him to open the misteries of the Christian Beligion
to him, and perswade him to Beformation of Life, and I
was the more importunate herein, because I knew him
to be a person of good parts, and of very good quality
among the Indians, and that he stood related in one way

103
or other to every company of them ; for I was enformed
that he was a Pequot by blood, and a Sachim's son ;
and that the Nahanticks, a considerable Company of
Indians in the Town of Lime had chosen him to be
their Sachim, and had a great love for him ; Also that
Coesar y8 young Sachim of the Moheges had marryed his
Daughter, and would probably be much Influenced by
him. He seemed to be affected at my Discourse, and
professed that he beleived the truths wu I proposed to
him, many of w° he had not understood before ; he said
also that he had been in trouble ab* his sins, and had
sometimes prayed to God to help him against them ; He
likewise now engaged to do all that he could to promote
the Interest wc I came upon, and would willingly serve
me, or any other, as an Interpreter, that might come
here to Instruct the Indians.
Having given me such encouragem*, I engaged him
to meet me the next week on Tuesday y° 27th of the
moneth, at New London at the house of the Honblo
Gurdon Saltonstall Esqr &c, and that I might be there
in season, I went thither the day before.
\As soon as the Governr saw me, he readily con
jectured what my design was, which being confirmed in,
he as readily offered me all the assistance he could give
in the managemt of that Affair, and said he would send
a messenger to the Mohegin Indians to cause them to
assemble together on the next Thursday, and to enform
them the occasion of it. I told him that I expected the
above mentioned Joseph the next day at wu he was well
pleased, and said there could be no fitter man : But

104
Joseph not coming till Wednesday, his Honr imediately
sent hini away wlh y8 said message who returning next
day wth one old man wth him said that the Mohegins
were so universally gone out a hunting that it was not
possible to obtain a meeting. Now considering that the
Governr had sent them word that he himself would come
with me to their meeting ; and also Mr Adams y"
minister of the place, and yet we could not obtain a
meeting, I was much discouraged, and knew not well
wt to do further in the affair ; but there his Honr
advised me to draw up in writing some of the principal
things wc I desired to say to them ; and he was pleased
to say that when they returned from their hunting, he
would cause them to assemble together, and would go up
to them, and would cause my Letter to be interpreted,
and take their answer to it, and communicate it to the
Honble Commissioners.
I very gladly & thankfully accepted so kind &
generous an offer : And the Copy of the Letter wc I left
wth his Honr containing also something of the method
of my treating w,h the other Indians, it may not be
Improper to insert in this place. It was that which
here followeth, vizt.

To the Mohegin and Naliantick Indians ; both Sachims
& people.
Gentlemen & Friends.
I came into these parts to visit you & Speake
to you ; but finding very few of you at home, I leave in
writing something that I desired to have spoken to you.

105
You cannot but know that it is a very good and
desireable thing for all men to Love one Another, and
to shew this their Love, by doing one another all the
good they Can. The light of reason in you shews this
to be a truth. The English know this, and therefore
greatly desire to shew their kind love to you Indians by
Beeking your best good.
For this reason it is that the Kings, & the Queen of
England have in then: Letters or writings to then-
Subjects, here in New England, ordered & required, that
they shd teach their Indian friends and neighbours
such things as are needfull to be known in order to their
happiness. And for this Season also it was that some good
people in Old England did make a gathering, that such
as would faithfully & diligently instruct the Indians
here, might be encouraged w'h some reward for so good
a work. And there is a chosen company of great Men
in England y* are appointed to take care of this affair.
And those in England have appointed some Gentlemen
in Boston to order, oversee, and carry on this good work
here in New England.
Now, these Gentlemen at Boston have ordered &
desired me to come into these parts & visit you, and
make known their good will towards you: And they
have also ordered me to propose such things to you as
will be to your great advantage, if you approve them,
and accept of them.
The great thing that these do desire of you is, That
you would learn to. know & serve the same God that
they worship ; and y* because they know, that this is a

106
good God, and they that truely serve him, shall be very
happy. That there is such a God, is most certain : It is he
that has made the world, and all things in it : for this
world could not possibly make itself; nor could any
besides the great God perform such a work : and as
these things wc we see, make it evident that there is a
God ; so they do plainly show that this God is a very.
wise & powerful one ; his wisdom & power do shine
forth in his works.
But this Great God is willing that men in the world,
should have a more clear knowledge of him than what
they can only by his works attain unto, and therefore
has been pleased to speake to some men hi the world,
that so these might make him known to others.
What God has thus spoken unto some men, he has
cofhanded them to write in a book which the English
call a Bible ; and this book teacheth men all that they
need to know in order to their good.
This book belongs unto the Indians as well as unto
English men, and they should learn to read it, that so
they may know the only true God, and learn to serve
him in order to their happiness.
The English Gentlemen that send me to you, do
therefore desire that you would learn to read this and
other good books ; and if you are willing to learn, they
will send Schoolmasters among you, to teach your
children, and yourselves also, if you will.
They are also willing to send ministers to explain
this book to you. In this excellent book w° is the
the Word of God, God tells men what he is, and what

107
he does ; and what he would have them to do, and what
rewards he will bestow upon them.
Here God tells us that he is a Spirit, without
beginning, & without end, every where present, & know
ing all things ; and that he is Bighteous and merciful],
& every way good.
Here the great God enforms us, that he is God
alone, & that there is no other true God besides him ;
and yet also assures us that he is Father, Son, & good
Spirit. In this book of truth God assures us, that he made
the world & all things very good in the space of six
dayes, and made one man & one woman in the last of
the six. This Man's name was Adam, and his Wive's
name was Eve, and from them all nations come.
God made man at first very good and in a very
happy condition ; and when he had made him he gave
him a Law to keep, and promised him great happiness
if he obeyed that Law.
The things that God has commanded men to do, are
all very good, as that he should love God w"' all his
heart, and that he should have & serve no other God ;
and that he should love his neighbour as himself, and
many other good things ; God also forbids that men
should kill, steal, and be drunk, or do any other evill
thing. Man did not long continue in that good Estate
wherein God made him, but quickley broke God's com
mandments, and became exceeding wicked.
The Great God was very angry w*h men for their
Sins, & these are the cause of all the miseries that

108
they undergoe in this world, and they do deserve ever
lasting punishment after mens lives here in this world are
ended : For you must know that there is another Life
after this, in which the Good will be happy ; and the
wicked will be miserable for ever.
When men had thus sinned against God, and made
themselves miserable, God being very mercifull sent his
Son into the world to redeem them from all evill.
The Son of God whose name is Jesus Christ, when
he came into the world took unto him the nature of man,
and being Man as well as God, kept the commandments
of God for men, and dyed for them, and the third day
rose again from the dead, that they might be saved.
The Book of God does enform us, what sinfull men
must do, that so they may be saved by Jesus Christ,
who laid down his Life for them.
Such as would be saved by Jesus Christ, must believe
that he is the son of God, and that he Came into the
world to save sinners, and they must put their trust in
him, and hope in the mercy of God through him : They
must also be sorry for their sins, and forsake them :
They must cease to do Evill, and learn to do well.
They must also Love Jesii3 Christ and be obedient to
all his Commandments, and must worship the Great God,
and pray to him.
These things the English are very desireous that
you should know & do in order to your good ; yea the
Great God whose name is Jehovah requires this of you.
If you refuse to obey God herein, he will be angry
w'h you, and will sorely punish you : but if you obey
him, you will become a happy people.

109
That you may do thus, & be happy, is the earnest
desire of your Loving Friend. Experience Mayhew.
New London, October 29th 1713.
"While I was at New London I had opportunity to
discourse w'h severall Mohegin Indians ab' Matters of
Beligion ; but more especially w'h one Antient Man of
good note among them, who came down wtb Joseph
before mentioned, at his return from the Indian town :
I asked him, whether he did believe that there is a God ?
to which he answered affirmatively. Then I asked him,
whether there were any more Gods than one ? unto which
he answered doubtfully, but seemed something to encline
to the negative : Then I asked him, what kind of being
God was ? to w° he replied that the Indians could not
know that, because they could not read, and he gave the
same answer to some other questions which I then put
to him : I took advantage on this answer to show him
the insufficiency of the mere light of nature to instruct
them in many things needfull to be known by them ;
and proceeded to instruct him in severall necessary
points, and further laboured to shew him how needfull
it was for them ' to learn to read, and told him, the
English were willing to teach them, if they did not refuse
it ; I also desired him to endeavour to perswade his
Country men to let their children learn to read, that so
they might come to the knowledge of those things that
tend to their happiness ; unto which he seemed incline-
able ; & so I parted wth him.
I also now took leave of Joseph my interpreter,
having first given bim the best Counsell I was able ; for

110
which he gave me many thanks and promised me to
endeavour to follow my advice, and also that he would
do all that he could, to promote the designs of Learning
and Beligion among his Countrymen.
On Novemb'' the 3d (after a day or two of Sickness,
and one days hinderance from passing over the Biver by
reason of a high Wind) I returned to the Narraganset
Country ; and on the next day ; having obtained two
Interpreters, one. English man, the other an Indian that
had lived \v'h an English master, I treated w"' Ninnicraft
the Sachim there, about the affairs I went upon.
I told him the occasion & end of my visiting of him,
and desired him to consent that his people should hear
me open the mysteries of Beligion to them, as being that
wc was greatly for their, good : but he did not seem at
all inclineable to what I proposed : He demanded of me
why I did not make the English good in the first place :
for he said many of them were still bad : He also -told
me that he had seen Martha's Vinyard Indians at Bode
Island, that would steal, and these he said I should first
reform before I came to them. He further objected that
the English there at Narraganset were divided, some
keeping Saturday, others Sunday, and others not keep
ing any [lay ; so that y8 Indians could not tell what
religion to be of, if they had a mind to be Christians.
He also added that his people were many of them indebted
to the English, & lived, much amongst them and so did
not care for him, nor would hear me preach, tho he should
bid them : and said he, If they should go to meeting,
their English masters would send constables for them,
and take them away.

Ill
Unto all these objections I gave the best answers I
could, but to no great advantage: He upbraided me that
I had hindered him of his business that day, by dis
coursing w'h him. I told him that he might give so
much honour to the Queen, and the Gentlemen that sent
me, as to spare one day to entertain a message to him :
but that was not all, for he must know that the message
was not from man only, but from the Great God also
that made the world ; and that it was a matter that did
greatly concern himself as well as others, and I there
fore desired him to hear me, tho' his people should refuse :
He then answer'd that he did not despise the Queen, nor
God : but I had best to try first what I could do with
the Pequots, and Mohegins, and if they would submit to
Beligion, it may be he and his people might do so too :
but he was not willing to be the first. I would have
discoursed more w*h him ; but he would stay no longer.
The next day being November 5th, I came to the
place where Wamsuttan dwells with a few other familyes,
abt 25 miles eastward of Ninicrafts Town : and here I
intended to have preached ; but the Indians were so
scattered among the English, that I could not come at
them ; and so I came away.
Benjamin the brother of Joseph so often before men
tioned ; who also understands some English, and has
more knowledge than the generality of the Indians in
those parts, has a son of about seaven years old, that he
is willing to devote to learning, that so (as he speakes)
he may be a minister, and teach his own nation the
knowledge of the true God and his Wayes : But he is
desireous that Mr Joseph Noyes the son of the Bevd Mr

112
Noyes before mentioned should have the education of
him. This is a brief but true account of the principal occur
rences in my Journey and Visitation of the Indians before
mentioned. And is as such offered to your Honours by,
Your most humble Servant
Experience Mayhew."1
Boston NovemV 13"> 1713. (Endorsed.)
Mr Experience Mayhews Journal in his Visitation of
the Pequot & Mohegin Indians, in Oct1" & Novr 1713.
Journal of the Rev. Experience Mayhew during part of
September and October 1714.
Being desired by the honuourable Commissioners to
give the Indians in the Collony of Connecticut a Second
visit, and to renew, and continue the offer of the
Gospell to them I sett out from my own house in
Chilmark on Tuesday September 21s* 1714 : But being
hindred by a high wind for several days I could not
pass the Sound to the main till Saturday the 25th of the
month; and being hindred by another. Storm on the
next Tuesday, I arrived not at Stoniton till Thursday-
September the Last, a little before night. When I came
thither I found the Eeverend Mr James Noyes very
sick, who was very ready to assist me in my former
visitation of the Indians there; so that I could now
have no help from him. The next day I sent for
Joseph an Indian of whom I made much mention in
my former Journal, and haveing discoursed largely with

113
him concerning the state of the Indians thereabouts I
now with his assistance translated the Lord's prayer
and some other sentences of Scripture into Indian, ac
cording to the dialect of the Pequots ; and then sent
him away to the Indian Sachims Skuttaub, and Eobert to
enform them of my being come again to visit them, and
to desire them, w*h their people to give me a meeting
the next Tuesday, being October y8 5th and promised to
meet him that morning at Mr William Wheeler's near
one of the Indian Villages, near the line betwixt Stoniton
and Groton ; I then also wrote a Letter to Capt" John
Morgan of Groton (who had as I was enformed some
Interest in the Indians there) requesting him to use
his best Endeavours to procure a meeting of the Indians
at the time before menconed, and at such place as they
should choose. At the time and place appointed. I met
the sd Joseph with a Letter from Capt" Morgan wherein
he enformed me that he had according to my desire
been with the Indian Sachems, and that his answer was
that he should have been willing with his people to have
waited upon me, but that he was so perplexed in a Law
•business that he could not at present attend it. Joseph
my Indian messenger also enformed me that he had
been with the Sachims and had endavoured to perswade
them to give me a meeting, but that he had found them
so out of frame with the trouble they had lately met
with, and were still under that he could by no means
prevail with them. I was enformed that the English
Inhabitants of Groton had lately divided among them
selves a neck of Land lying by the Sea side, which the
Indians claim as belonging of Bight unto them ; and
i

114
that the Indians haveing pulled up and removed some
ffence that the English had made there, were sued for
it, & damages and charges recovered of them to the
value of seaven or eight pounds ; that for this, execu
tion had been lately brought upon the Estate of the two
Sachims, and that one of the Sachims being something
of a Dealer in Smithery had by the officers, his Anvill
and some other of his tools taken from him &c — These
things hap'ning Just before I came there, proved a very
unhappie obstruction in my way, and produced in the
Indians a greater aversation to the English and their
Beligion than otherwise they would have had; tho
whither they had any wrong herein 'tis hard for me to
Judge. However I was now disappointed in my design of
speaking to them at the time proposed, only some few
persons resorted to me, with whom I discoursed about
the things of God, giving them the best instructions I
was able, and here I found one woman who manifested
a great approbacon of what I said to her, and a desire
that She and the rest of y8 Indians might be instructed
in the Christian religion.
The Indians of Stoniton not being .offended as the
Indians of Groton were, it was thought that I might
have a meeting of them, notwithstanding the disappoint
ment I had now met withall ; I therefore took methods
to have the sd Indians invited to meet me at Stoniton
meeting house, on Thursday Octor y8 14th and then
made the best speed I could to that part of Groton,
where as I was enformed, Skuttaub the Indian Sachim
then was {about eight or nine myles off) takeing one of

115
the sd Skuttaubs men with me, for my Pilot, whom I
providentially met with, in this Journey I enformed
my Pilot of my designe, instructed him in Several
points of Beligion, and endeavoured to shew him the
necessity and excellency of Christianity, and to perswade
him to embrace it : and tho he made some objections,
yet he did not appear very obstinate.
The next day being Octor 6th I met the sd Sachim
(haveing sent for him by my foremenconed Pilot) at the
house of Justice Smith of Groton. There were now
with him my s'd Pilot and Several others of the Cheife
of his people. There at the same time came to Mr
Smiths, Captn James Avery who speaks Indian very
well, and manifests a great tenderness towards that
people. This Mr Avery as he came to this place one
purpose to meet me hearing I was there and under
standing my designe, so at my request he consented to
interpret what I had to say to the Sachim, and the other
Indians now with him.
Unto these I now made a Speech about half an hour
long, enforming them of the occasion & end of coming
to visit them, The desires of the English to promote
their good, and the great Importance of the mysteries
which we were now seeking to instruct them in &c.
I also now proposed and explained several of the
foundamentall Principles of the true Beligion to them,
and told them that the English were willing further to
Instruct them in the things of God, if they were willing
To receive Instruction from them and were willing to
teach them to read the book of God wherein the true
Beligion is revealed, &c.

116
When I had finished my Speech, They severally of
them & the Sachim in particular expressed their thank
fulness to the English for takeing such care of them,
particulerly to me and the Gentlemen that sent me;
but objected as a great discouragem' to them, the
Injuries wch they supposed were done them by the
English, with relation to the Lands before mentioned :
I told them, that was a case which it would not be
proper for me to pass any Judgem' in, but ought to be
refferred to such as were Judges in Civil Causes ; and
that after all, if they received any wrong they ought not
to reject Beligion on that account, for that the deflect
was not in Beligion but in those men that did not Con-
forme their Lives to it, for the great God did forbid all
Injustice. I told them moreover that if they became true
Christians that was the way to have God and Good
men become their friends, and plead their cause for them.
When I had clone, the Sachim told me that he and
his people would take the matter into consideration, and
if the Gentlemen that sent me. would send again next
Aprill or the August following, when most of his people
would be at home, he would give them an answer he
also now promised me that he would, with some of
his people, come to hear me at Stoniton the next
Thursday. This discourse with Skuttaub hap'ned to be upon
the day that the Goods by Execution taken from him
were to be sold at an outcry, and was now going to try
to redeem them, which being considered, better answers
could not be expected from him.

117
These discourses being finished I proceeded in my
Journey to New London, with a designe to visit the
Mohegs about nine or ten myles Northward from sd
Towne, when I came thither I waited upon the Honuour-
able Gurdan Saltonstall The Governour with an account
of the designe I was upon, The dissatisfaction of the
Indians at Groton about the Neck of Land before
mentioned, and my intention to visit the other Indians
in those parts. His Horn? was not apprehensive that
yc Indians had any real wrong in the matter they com
plained of, but rather that certain English men, had too
much countenanced, and encouraged them in their dis
content, and so promoted their offence at religion it self
by their ill conduct therein towards them.
The next day being Octor the 7th his Horn? wrote
A Letter to Captn Thos. Avery who lives near the Cheife
Towne of the Mohegs, understands their language well,
and is at all times, very ready to do any service for their
Good : Him he directed to enforme the Indians of my
being come to visit them, and to desire them to give me
a Meeting on Fryday Octor y8 8th When the time came
I took the forementioned Joseph with me, whom I had
ordered to meet me at New London about that time and
went up to the sd Towne of the Mohegins, being accom
pany3 also when I came thither by the forementioned
Capt" Thos. Avery, being come to the place, the Indians
soon assembled together in a very large double wigwam,
a very considerable number of them, The young Sachim
Sesar was not now at home being gone out a hunting :
but here was present Benjamin Uncas uncle to the s"
Sachim, and who is the Cheife man in managem' of the

118
affairs of these Indians : here were also four or five more
of that Sachims Councill &c.
Unto this Assembly I preached about an hour & a
halfe haveing the sd Avery and the sd Joseph for my
Interpreters. Here haveing for an Introduction to my discourse
particularly enformed them of the occasion & End of my
visiting Them &c I endeavoured to open and explain the
mysteries of religion to them, as I was able to do in so
short a time, first beginning with Those things which
they could most Easily receive, being manifest by the
Things that are made, and therefore obvious to the light
of nature, or reason, duely improved ; such as that there
is an Eternal God of inconceiveable perfections by whoni
all things were created and are Governd ; and then here
upon the Possibility and probabillity of devine revelacon;
shewing them that it was very Seasonable to think that
the great God who Created all things, and Governs them,
by his wisdome and Power, both can and does reveal
himself unto such Excellent and understanding Creatures
as men are. And then that God had realy done so ;
and that the revelacon which he has made of himselfe
and his will is contained in the book of the Scriptures.
Haveing thus asserted these things I now proceeded
to Sett before them Some of the most nes"sary things to
be known that are revealed by God in his Word, as
namely how man was created, The first Covenant that
God made with him, his fall by sin, and misery thereby,
the way of his recovery by a Saviour, and who that
Saviour is : what he has done for men and how they
may have an Interest in him, the Law wrh God has

119
given to man to be the Rule of his Life viz* the Tenn
Commandments & the irnmortallity of the Soul the
Resurrection, and the Bewards and punishments of the
other life.
At the conclusion of this Discourse (into which the
most that were present seemed to give a very good
Attention) I told the Indians that they haveing patiently
heard what I had to say to Them, I was willing now to
hear what they had to say to me concerning the things
I had discoursed about, and particularly I desired to
know of them whither they were willing their children
should be Learned to read and whither they were
willing to hear Ministers preach, and more fully explain
the Mysterys of religion to them ?
By way of reply to me, the Sachims Councill then
present did all one by one very orderly first Express
then- thankfullness to the English for their good will to
them, and then propounded their objections against
Embracing Christianity, all which I endeavoured to
answer and was not disturbed by them in it.
The tendancy of their objections, was not to deny
the truth of Beligion wch I had propounded to them, but
to deny the necessity of it, and to set forth their dis-
couragem*3 from embracing of it :
Some of them said they did Acknowledge that there'
was a God and did worship him, but as several nations
had their distinct way of worship, so they had theirs ;
and they Thought then- way was Good, and that they
had no reason to alter it.
Others sd the difficultys of the Christian Beligion
were such as the Indians could not endure : Their fathers.

120
they said had made some tryal in Mr Fitches time,
and had found Beligion too hard for them, and had
therefore quited it ; and they thought themselves no
better able to endure the hardshipps of it then they
were. Others said some Indians that had seemed most for
ward to profess Beligion had soon after forsaken the
English & Joyn'd with their Enemys, which they would
not have done if They had found such Excellency in
Beligion as we pretended There was.
Others said they could not see That men were ever
the better for being Christians, for the Enghsh that
were Christians would cheat the Indians of their Land
and otherwise wrong them, and that their knowledge of
books made them the more Cunning to Cheat others &
so did more hurt than good.
As to their haveing their children taught to read, they
said they could not now Conclude upon it, many of the
men that had familys of children not being there to
answer for themselves.
And as to then- hearing ministers preach, some of
them said they had heard me now, and they did not
know that it had done them any hurt, and it was likely
they should not refuse to hear again if any came to speak
to yra- In these discourses we spent at least two hours &
they sometimes seemed well pleased w*h the answers I
gave unto their objections.
When I returned to New London and Enformed The
Governour of what passed at this meeting, he was pleas'd
to tell me, that he thought it best that the offers made

121
to These Indians should be continued, and that if the
Honuble Commissioners desired it and Signified it in
writing to him he would himself with the Eevd Mi-
Adams spend one day more among those Indians, &
endeavour to perwsade them to embrace the good offers
made to them.
One Saturday Octor 9th I sent the formenconed Joseph
to an Indian village called Nahantick in the Town of
Lime to see if he could prevail with the Indians there to
give me a meeting in the beginning of the next week, but
he returned on Munday the 11th of the month & Informed
me that the Indians of that place were so many of them
gone out A hunting that it would be to no purpose for
me to goe thither at that time ; wherefore the next day
I left New London, and returned to Grolan, and tarry'd
there till Wednesday ; where I had an opportunity to
discourse with the Bevd Mr Woodbridge the minister of
that Towne. He manifested a great concern for the
Indians in those parts, and sd that if the Honuble Com
missioners desired it, he would be willing to use his best
endeavours for the good of those in that Townshipp, but
thought he should hardly be able to Learn then-
language, and therefore would only propose to speak by
an Interpreter unto them.
The next day was the time appointed for the meeting
of the Indians of Stoniton at the English Meeting house
there, but when I came thither I was surprised, with the
account of a rumour that was spred about without any
ground, that I had altered my mind and concluded not
to have a meeting with the Indians, there that week.
This was a great disapointm* to me, and almost

1 OO
wholy put by the Meeting that was Intended, neverthe
less there came Together a few of the Indians of that
Towne, that had not heard of the Rumour mentioned ;
and being resolved to lose no opportunity for the instruc
tion of that miserable people I spent near two hours in
opening the Mysteries of Beligion to the small number
then present ; when I had done my discourse they did,
I think every one of them, thank me for my pains, and
declare their willingness to hear further of these things ;
& some of them seemed to speak with so much affection
as gave me incouragement to hope that some good might
be done amongst that people. Skuttaub the Indian
Sachim was now sick and therefore not at this meeting :
as he intended to have been. The number of the Eng
lish present was greater than that of the Indians, among
whom beside several Gentlemen of Stoniton, there was
Justice Smith, and Capt" James Avery of Groton, whom
I menconed before.
The English who heard what had Passed, were very
glad, to see the Indians so well disposed to embrace
Xtianity, and I took this opportunity to exhort them to
to do what they could to promote so good a designe, and
prayed such as had Indian Servants living with them,
to teach them to read and carefully- Instruct them in the
principles of the Christian Beligion. and they took well
what I said to them.
Having met with such a disappointm' as that but
now mencoed, and finding the Indians of Stoniton so
willing to hear the word of God preached to them, I
concluded to tarry there till the next week and took the
best method, I could, that the Indians might be again

123
invited to meet me the next Munday at the Same place
as before. On the Sabbath preaching to the English (Mr Hoyes
being still sick) there came six or seaven Indiana who
understood something of the English Tongue and some
of these as I was informed said they understood and
liked what I said.
The next day I went again to the meeting house and
there now met me there about ffiffty Indians most of
them of that Town, and Skuttaub the Sachim being
something recovered of his sickness came now to hear
me, being accompany'd with one of his Chiefe men, the
same who havemg before been my Pilot, had in some
Things been instructed by me. There were also now
present a considerable number of the English inhabit
ants of the Towne, & from Groton The foisementioned
James Avery who shews a forwardness to promote the
Good of the Indians.
Here againe I made a discourse of a sufficient length,
wherein after a brieffe Introduction 1 explained the
Nature of religious worship to them, shewing them that
the great God that made the world, was the only
Suitable object of 'such worship.
That it was exceeding reasonable that such worship
should be given to him.
That men could not worship God aright if they had
no faith in him, and that faith comes by hearing the
word of God contained in the Scriptures, and explamed
by his ministers.
That no worship is acceptable to the great God, but
such as he has prescribed in his word contained in ye bible.

124
That mankind haveing provoked God by their Sins,
God would not accept their worship unless offered
through a Media tour.
That the only mediatour betwixt God & sinners, was
the only Son of God, who came into the world took
on him the nature of men lived & dyed for them, and
rose again to redeem them from misery and make them
happy ;
That this mediatour cannot be known but by the
Script3, which are Gods own word, which therefore all
People should learn to read, and should deligently serch
into, that so they may know the only Saviour.
That men hearts were so bad, since sin entered
into y8 world that they could not worship and serve
God, as they ought unless he did renew them and " assist
them by his spirit which therefore he was wont to
performe for his people.
That such as worshiped God aright should be made
happy for Ever, in Gods presence in the other world
after this life : But that such as refused to do this
should be cast into a place of torment among the divels,
and be for ever miserable. These things were not only
said but in some measure explained to them.
When this discourse was ended, I told them if any of
them, had anything to say concerning what I had now
said to them I would willingly hear them. '
Hereupon an old Indian stood up who is Counted a
Pawau among the Indians, and speaking in broken
English I perceived that he desined to discourage the
Indians as much as he could, I told him I would not
discourse with him unless he would speak in Indian that

125
all the Indians might understand what he said and also
my answer to him.
He then spake in Indian and said if the Indians
present should make any good promises at that time,
yet they could not keep them but would as soon as I was
gone, be drunk and be as bad as ever.
I told him that was more than he knew, and that it
may be some of that people would now be reformed as
many Indians had been, and tho they had not power in
themselves to forsake their Sins, yet the great God
whose Truth I had been speaking of was able to help
them, & I was not out of hopes but that he might
help some of them.
The English said he would pretend to teach the
Indians to be Christians, if they will teach any, let
them teacli their own servants, that live with them.
Yea, said I, let them do so, English people may
observe this and do it ; but this is not all that is required
of us we .must also teach others if they do not refuse to
hear and learn of us, and you should not only learn to
know and Serve God youself, but being an old man,
should Encourage others to do so too.
If I should said he, the young people will grin at me
and hate me for it.
What do you say to this, said I, to the young people
present is this true that this old man saith of you.
He never tryed (said they) and if he had, we should
hot have been offended at him for it.
I own, said the old man, that there is a God, and I
pray to him in my way, havmg by the English learned
something of him.

126
Tis Well said I if you know something of God but if
you worship God only in yo'' own way, and not in his
which is Sett down in his word, your worship will be in
Vain, you and others should therefore learn what is sd in
the Scripture that you may know how to Worship God.
What say you ; would it not be well if the Indians knew
how to worship God aright and did accordingly : yea sd
he I do not deny that, but the Indians Cannot do it,
you affirm said I, that which you know not.
It now growing near night, I told the Indians
present, that I was now returning to the Gentlemen
that sent me to them, & y' they would desire to hear
how they entertained y8 offers wcb I had now made to
ihem, if therefore what had been spoken were acceptable
to them, and if they were willing to have a school
among them to teach their children to read, and would
willingly hear preachers if they came to instruct them,
they should signifie their Consent to these things by
holding up then- hands ; which they immediately did
almost every one of them, but whereas the Sachim
Skuttaub did not : he presently told me the reason,
why he did not, act with the rest, was not from any
disapprobacon of y8 thing, but because he belonged to
another towne, and it would be most proper for him and
his own men together to take y8 matter into Con-
sideracon this was y8 conclusion of that day.
I have frequently mentioned one Joseph, both in this
and my former Journall, he is a Sachim's Son, the Chief
Indian in Stoniton, he was my interpreter the last year,
and gave me some hopes that he would become a
Christian himself, and promote Christianity among his

127
people, he has since that I hear, been overtaken with
drink, once at least, but has I think, faithfully en
deavoured, to perswade his Countrymen, to become
Christians, and was very afficious to me, while I was last
there, I have yet considerable hopes of him, he shewed
penitency when I dealt closely with him, about his own
sins, confessed them with tears, and sd y8 thought of them
made him sick, and of his own accord, he offered to go
with me to Mr Noyes3 and enter into a solemn engagemt,
to endeavour by the help of God, to forsake his drunken
ness and other sins, and to serve the only true God
And he did before I came away, do accordingly.
This Joseph has a brother and a sister, who each of
them have a Son, whom they are willing to devote to
Learning if the Honnble Comissioners will be at the
charge of it.
Besides what is already related I had divers dis
courses with particular persons who seemed much in
clined to embrace the Gospel manifesting Joy at the
instructions I gave them, and expressing desires of
further information.
This is a true account of the Principal things that
accurred in my Journey, and is as such humbley offered
to your hands by Yor humble Servant
Experience Mayhew.
Boston November 4tb 1714. (Endorsed.)
Mr Experience Mayhew's Journal in his Visitation of
the Indians in Connecticut Collony dated 4th November

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