OF PLYMOUTH PLANTATION
by William Bradford
1620-1647 Book One / Ch. 1 to 4
Of Plimoth Plantation. AND first of ye occasion and indusments ther unto;
the which that I may truly unfould, I must begine at
ye very roote & rise of ye same. The which I shall
endevor to manefest in a plaine stile, with singuler
regard unto ye simple trueth in all things, at least as
near as my slender judgmente can attaine the same.
1. Chapter.
IT is well knowne unto ye godly and judicious, how
ever since ye first breaking out of ye lighte of ye gospell
in our Honourable Nation of England, (which was ye
first of nations whom ye Lord adorned ther with, affter
yt grosse darknes of popery which had covered & over-
spred ye Christian worled,) what warrs & opposissions
ever since, Satan hath raised, maintained, and continued
against the Saincts, from time to time, in one sorte or
other. Some times by bloody death and cruell tor-
ments; other whiles imprisonments, banishments, &
other hard usages; as being loath his kingdom should
goe downe, the trueth prevaile, and ye churches of God
reverte to their anciente puritie, and recover their prima-
tive order, libertie, & bewtie. But when he could not
4 HISTORY OF [ CHAP. I.
prevaile by these means, against the maine trueths of
ye gospell, but that they began to take rootting in many
places, being watered with ye blooud of ye martires, and
blessed from heaven with a gracious encrease; He then
begane to take him to his anciente strategemes, used
of old against the first Christians. That when by ye
bloody & barbarous persecutions of ye Heathen Em-
perours, he could not stoppe & subuerte the course
of ye gospell, but that it speedily overspred with a
wounderfull celeritie the then best known parts of ye
world, He then begane to sow errours, heresies, and
wounderfull dissentions amongst ye professours them
selves, (working upon their pride & ambition, with
other corrupte passions incidente to all mortall men,
yea to ye saints them selves in some measure,) by
which wofull effects followed; as not only bitter con-
tentions, & hartburnings, schismes, with other horrible
confusions, but Satan tooke occasion & advantage therby
to foyst in a number of vile ceremoneys, with many
unproffitable cannons & decrees, which have since been
as snares to many poore & peaceable souls even to this
day. So as in ye anciente times, the persecutions [2]
by ye heathen & their Emperours, was not greater then
of the Christians one against other; the Arians & other
their complices against ye orthodoxe & true Christians.
As witneseth Socrates in his 2. booke. His words are
these;* The violence truly (saith he) was no less than
*Lib. 2. Chap. 22.
CHAP. I.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 5
that of ould practised towards ye Christians when they
were compelled & drawne to sacrifice to idoles; for many
indured sundrie kinds of tormente, often rackings, & dis-
membering of their joynts; confiscating of ther goods
some bereaved of their native soyle; others departed this
life under ye hands of ye tormentor; and some died in
banishmete, & never saw ther cuntrie againe, &c.
The like methode Satan hath seemed to hold in these
later times, since ye trueth begane to springe & spread
after ye great defection made by Antichrist, yt man of
sine.
For to let pass ye infinite examples in sundrie na-
tions and severall places of ye world, and instance in
our owne, when as yt old serpente could not prevaile
by those firie flames & other his cruell tragedies, which
he * by his instruments put in ure every wher in ye
days of queene Mary & before, he then begane an
other kind of warre, & went more closly to worke;
not only to oppuggen, but even to ruinate & destroy
ye kingdom of Christ, by more secrete & subtile means,
by kindling ye flames of contention and sowing ye
seeds of discorde & bitter enmitie amongst ye proffes-
sors & seeming reformed them selves. For when he
could not prevaile by ye former means against ye prin-
cipall doctrins of faith, he bente his force against ye
holy discipline & outward regimente of ye kingdom of
*In the text, parentheses are used frequently, apparently in place of commas.
For this reason, many are omitted in the reprint.
6 HISTORY OF [CHAP. I.
Christ, by which those holy doctrines should be con-
served, & true pietie maintained amongest the saints
& people of God.
Mr. Foxe recordeth how yt besids those worthy
martires & confessors which were burned in queene
Marys days & otherwise tormented,* many (both stu-
dients re others) fled out of ye land, to ye number of
800. And became severall congregations. At Wesell,
Frankford, Bassill, Emden, Markpurge, Strausborugh,
& Geneva, &c. Amongst whom (but especialy those
at Frankford) begane yt bitter warr of contention &
persecutio aboute ye ceremonies, & servise-booke, and
other popish and antichristian stuffe, the plague of
England to this day, which are like ye highplases in
Israell, wch the prophets cried out against, & were
their ruine; [3] which ye better parte sought, accord-
ing to ye puritie of ye gospell, to roote out and
utterly to abandon. And the other parte (under
veiled pretences) for their ouwn ends & advancments,
sought as stifly to continue, maintaine, & defend. As
appeareth by ye discourse therof published in printe,
Ano: 1575; a booke yt deserves better to be knowne
and considred.
The one side laboured to have ye right worship of
God & discipline of Christ established in ye church,
according to ye simplicitie of ye gospell, without the
mixture of mens inventions, and to have & to be
*Acts & Mon: pag. 1587. editi: 2.
CHAP. I. ] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 7
ruled by ye laws of Gods word, dispensed in those
offices, & by those officers of Pastors, Teachers, &
Elders, &c. according to ye Scripturs. The other par-
tie, though under many colours & pretences, endev-
ored to have ye episcopall dignitie (affter ye popish
maner) with their large power & jurisdiction still re-
tained; with all those courts, cannons, & ceremonies,
togeather with all such livings, revenues, & subordi-
nate officers, with other such means as formerly up-
held their antichristian greatnes, and enabled them
with lordly & tyranous power to persecute ye poore
servants of God. This contention was so great, as
neither ye honour of God, the commone persecution,
nor ye mediation of Mr. Calvin & other worthies of
ye Lord in those places, could prevaile with those
thus episcopally minded, but they proceeded by all
means to disturbe ye peace of this poor persecuted
church, even so farr as to charge (very unjustly, &
ungodlily, yet prelatelike) some of their cheefe op-
posers, with rebellion & hightreason against ye Em-
perour, & other such crimes.
And this contetion dyed not with queene Mary, nor
was left beyonde ye seas, but at her death these peo-
ple returning into England under gracious queene
Elizabeth, many of them being preferred to bish-
opricks & other promotions, according to their aimes
and desires, that inveterate hatered against ye holy
discipline of Christ in his church hath continued to
8 HISTORY OF [ CHAP. I.
this day. In somuch that for fear [4] it should pre-
veile, all plotts & devices have been used to keepe it
out, incensing ye queene & state against it as dan-
gerous for ye comon wealth; and that it was most
needfull yt ye fundamentall poynts of Religion should
be preached in those ignorante & superstitious times;
and to wine ye weake & ignorante, they might retaine
diverse harmles ceremoneis; and though it were to be
wished yt diverse things were reformed, yet this was
not a season for it. And many the like, to stop ye
mouthes of ye more godly, to bring them over to
yeeld to one ceremoney after another, and one cor-
ruption after another; by these wyles begyleing some
& corrupting others till at length they begane to per-
secute all ye zealous professors in ye land (though
they knew little what this discipline mente) both by
word & deed, if they would not submitte to their
ceremonies, & become slaves to them & their popish
trash, which have no ground in ye word of God, but
are relikes of yt man of sine. And the more ye light
of ye gospell grew, ye more yey urged their subscrip-
tions to these corruptions. So as (notwithstanding all
their former pretences & fair colures) they whose
eyes God had not justly blinded might easily see
wherto these things tended. And to cast contempte
the more upon ye sincere servants of God, they oppro-
briously & most injuriously gave unto, & imposed
upon them, that name of Puritans, which [it] is said
CHAP. I.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 9
the Novatians out of prid did assume & take unto
themselves.* And lamentable it is to see ye effects
which have followed. Religion hath been disgraced,
the godly greeved, afflicted, persecuted, and many
exiled, sundrie have lost their lives in prisones &
otherways. On the other hand, sin hath been coun-
tenanced, ignorance, profannes, & atheisme increased,
& the papists encouraged to hope againe for a day.
This made that holy man Mr. Perkins! crie out in
his exhortation to repentance, upon Zeph. 2. Religion
(saith he) hath been amongst us this 35. years; but
the more it is published, the more it is contemned &
reproached of many, &c. Thus not prophanes nor
wickednes, but Religion it selfe is a byword, a moking-
stock, &:, a matter of reproach; so that in England at
this day the man or woman yt begines to profes Religion,
&:, to serve God, must resolve with him selfe to sustaine
[5] mocks & injueries even as though he lived amongst
ye enimies of Religion. And this comone experience
hath confirmed & made too apparente.
A late observation, as it were by the way, worthy to be
Noted.!!
Full litle did I thinke, yt the downfall of ye Bishops, with
their courts, cannons, & ceremonies, &c. had been so neare,
when I first begane these scribled writings (which was aboute
ye year 1630, and so peeced up at times of leasure after-
*Ens: lib: 6. Chap. 42. !Page 421.
!!A note of the author at this place, written subsequent to this portion of
the narrative, on the reverse pages of his History.
10 HISTORY OF [CHAP. I.
ward), or that I should have lived to have seene or heard
of ye same; but it is ye Lords doing, and ought to be
marvelous in our eyes! Every plante which mine heavenly
father hath not planted (saith our Saviour) shall be rooted
up. Mat: 15. 13.* I have snared the, and thou art taken,
0 Babell (Bishops), and thou wast not aware; thou art
found, and also caught, because thou hast striven against
the Lord. Jer. 50. 24. But will they needs strive against ye
truth, against ye servants of God; what, & against the Lord
him selfe? Doe they provoke the Lord to anger? Are they
stronger than he? 1. Cor: 10. 22. No, no, they have mete
with their match. Behold, I come unto ye, O proud man,
saith the Lord God of hosts; for thy day is come, even the
time that I will visite the. Jer: 50. 31. May not the
people of God now say (and these pore people among ye
rest), The Lord hath brought forth our righteousnes; come,
let us declare in Sion the work of the Lord our God. Jer:
51. 10. Let all flesh be still before the Lord; for he is
raised up out of his holy place. Zach: 2. 13.
In this case, these poore people may say (among ye
thousands of Israll), When the Lord brougt againe the cap-
tivite of Zion, we were like them that dreame. Psa: 126. 1.
The Lord hath done greate things for us, wherof we rejoyce.
v. 3. They that sow in teares, shall reap in joye. They
wente weeping, and carried precious seede, but they shall
returne with joye, and bring their sheaves. v. 5, 6.
Doe you not now see ye fruits of your labours, 0 all yee
servants of ye Lord that have suffered for his truth, and
have been faithfull witneses of ye same, and yee litle hand-
fall amongst ye rest, ye least amongest ye thoasands of Israll?
You have not only had a seede time, but many of you have
seene ye joyefull harvest; shoald you not then rejoyse, yea,
*All these and subsequent passages are quoted from the Geneva version
of the Bible.
CHAP. I.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 11
and againe rejoyce, and say Hallelu-iah, salvation, and glorie,
and honour, and power, be to ye Lord our God; for true
and righteous are his judgments. Rev. 19. 1, 2.
But thou wilte aske what is ye mater? What is done?
Why, art thou a stranger in Israll, that thou shouldest not
know what is done? Are not those Jebusites overcome that
have vexed the people of Israll so long, even holding Jeru-
salem till Davids days, and been as thorns in their sids, so
many ages; and now begane to scorne that any David
should meadle with them; they begane to fortifie their tower,
as that of the old Babelonians; but those proud Anakimes
are throwne downe, and their glory laid in ye dust. The
tiranous bishops are ejected, their courts dissolved, their can-
nons forceless, their servise casheired, their ceremonies useles
and despised; their plots for popery prevented, and all their
superstitions discarded & returned to Roome from whence
they came, and ye monuments of idolatrie rooted out of ye land.
And the proud and profane suporters, and cruel I defenders of
these (as bloody papists & wicked athists, and their malignante
consorts) marvelously over throwne. And are not these greate
things? Who can deney it?
But who hath done it? Who, even he that siteth on ye white
horse, who is caled faithfull, & true, and judgeth and fighteth
righteously, Rev: 19. 11. whose garments are dipte in blood,
and his name was caled the word of God, v. 13. for he shall
rule them with a rode of iron; for it is he that treadeth the
winepress of the feircenes and wrath of God almighty. And
he hath upon his garmente, and upon his thigh, a name writen,
The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. v. 15, 16.
Hallelu-iah.
Anno Dom: 1646.
But that I may come more near my intendmente;
when as by the travell & diligence of some godly &
zealous preachers, & Gods blessing on their labours, as
12 HISTORY OF [CHAP. I.
in other places of ye land, so in ye North parts, many
became inlightened by ye word of God, and had their
ignorance & sins discovered unto them, and begane by
his grace to reforme their lives, and make conscience
of their wayes, the worke of God was no sooner mani-
fest in them, but presently they were both scoffed and
scorned by ye prophane multitude, and ye ministers
urged with ye yoak of subscription, or els must be
silenced; and ye poore people were so vexed with
apparators, & pursuants, & ye comissarie courts, as
truly their affliction was not smale; which, notwith-
standing, they bore sundrie years with much patience,
till they were occasioned (by ye continuance & encrease
of these troubls, and other means which ye Lord raised
up in those days) to see further into things by the
light of ye word of God. How not only these base
and beggerly ceremonies were unlawfull, but also that
ye lordly & tiranous power of ye prelats ought not to
be submitted unto; which thus, contrary to the free-
dome of the gospell, would load & burden mens con-
sciences, and by their compulsive power make a prophane
mixture of persons & things in ye worship of God. And
that their offices & calings, courts & cannons, &c. were
unlawfull and antichrist!an; being such as have no war-
rante in ye word of God; but the same yt were used in
poperie, & still retained. Of which a famous author
thus writeth in his Dutch comtaries. At ye coming of
*Em: meter: lib: 25. col. 119.
1602-1606?] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 13
king James into England; The new king (saith he) found
their established ye reformed religion, according to ye re-
formed religion of king Edward ye 6. Retaining, or
keeping still ye spirituall state of ye Bishops, &c. after
ye ould maner, much varying re differing from ye reformed
churches in Scotland, France, & ye Neatherlands, Embden,
Geneva, &c. whose reformation is cut, or shapen much
nerer ye first Christian churches, as it was used in ye
Apostles times.*
[6] SO many therfore of these proffessors as saw ye
evill of these things, in thes parts, and whose harts ye
Lord had touched wth heavenJy zeale for his trueth, they
shooke of this yoake of antichristian bondage, and as
ye Lords free people, joyned them selves (by a covenant
of the Lord) into a church estate, in ye felowship of ye
gospell, to walke in all his wayes, made known, or to
be made known unto them, according to their best en-
deavours, whatsoever it should cost them, the Lord assist-
ing them. And that it cost them something this ensewing
historie will declare.
These people became 2. distincte bodys or churches,
& in regarde of distance of place did congregate sev-
erally; for they were of sundrie townes & vilages, some
in Notingamshire, some of Lincollinshire, and some of
Yorkshire, wher they border- nearest togeather. In one
*The reformed churches shapen much neerer ye primitive patterne then
England, for they cashered ye Bishops with al their courts, cannons, and cere-
moneis, at the first; and left them amongst ye popish tr, .to Ch wch they per-
tained. (The last word in the note is uncertain in the MS.)
14 HISTORY OF [CHAP. I.
of these churches (besids others of note) was Mr. John
Smith, a man of able gifts, a good preacher, who
afterwards was chosen their pastor. But these after-
wards falling into some errours in ye Low Countries,
ther (for ye most part) buried them selves, & their
names.
But in this other church (wch must be ye subjecte of
our discourse) besids other worthy men, was Mr. Richard
Clifton, a grave & revered preacher, who by his paines
and dilligens had done much good, and under God had
ben a means of ye conversion of many. And also that
famous and worthy man Mr. John Robinson, who after-
wards was their pastor for many years, till ye Lord
tooke him away by death. Also Mr. William Brewster a
reverent man, who afterwards was chosen an elder
of ye church and lived with them till old age.
But after these things they could not long continue
in any peaceable condition, but were hunted & perse-
cuted on every side, so as their former afflictions were
but as flea-bitings in comparison of these which now
came upon them. For some were taken & clapt up in
prison, others had their houses besett & watcht night
and day, & hardly escaped their hands; and ye most
were faine to flie & leave their howses & habitations,
and the means of their livelehood. Yet these & many
other sharper things which affterward befell them,
were no other then they looked for, and therfore were ye
better prepared to bear them by ye assistance of Gods
1608.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 15
grace & spirite. Yet seeing, them selves thus molested,
[7] and that ther was no hope of their continuance ther,
by a joynte consente they resolved to goe into ye Low-
Countries, wher they heard was freedome of Relioion
for all men; as also how sundrie from London, & other
parts of ye land, had been exiled and persecuted for
ye same cause, & were gone thither, and lived at Am-
sterdam, & in other places of ye land. So affter they
had continued togeither aboute a year, and kept their
meetings every Saboth in one place or other, exercising
the worship of God amongst them selves, notwithstand-
ing, all ye dilligence & malice of their adverssaries, they
seeing they could no longer continue in yt condition,
they resolved to get over into Hollad as they could;
which was in ye year 1607. & 1608.; of which more at
large in ye next chap.
Of their departure into Holland and their trouble ther
aboute, with some of ye many difficulties they found
and mete withall.
Ano. 1608.
BEING thus constrained to leave their native soyle
and countries their lands & livings, and all their
freinds & famillier acquaintance, it was much, and
thought marvelous by many. But to goe into a coun-
trie they knew not (but by hearsay), wher they must
learne a new language, and get their livings they
16 HISTORY OF [CHAP. II.
knew not how, it being a dear place, & subjecte to
ye misseries of warr, it was by many thought an ad-
venture almost desperate, a case intolerable, & a mis-
serie worse then death. Espetially seeing they were
not aquainted with trads nor traffique, (by which yt
countrie doth subsiste,) but had only been used to a
plaine countrie life, & ye inocente trade of husbandrey.
But these things did not dismay them (though they
did some times trouble them) for their desires were
sett on ye ways of God, & to injoye his ordinances;
but they rested on his providence, & knew whom they
had beleeved. Yet [8] this was not all, for though
they could not stay, yet were ye not suffered to goe,
but ye ports & havens were shut against them, so as
they were faine to seeke secrete means of conveance,
& to bribe & fee ye mariners, & give exterordinarie
rates for their passages. And yet were they often
times betrayed (many of them), and both they &
their goods intercepted & surprised, and therby put
to great trouble & charge, of which I will give an in-
stance or tow, & omitte the rest.
Ther was a large companie of them purposed to get
passage at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and for that end
had hired a shipe wholy to them selves, & made
agreement with the maister to be ready at a certaine
day, and take them and their goods in, at a con-
veniente place, wher they accordingly would all at-
tende in readines. So after long waiting, & large
1608.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 1 7
expences, though he kepte not day with them, yet he
came at length & tooke them in, in ye night. But
when he had them & their goods abord, he betrayed
them, haveing before hand complotted with ye serchers
& other officers so to doe; who tooke them, and put
them into open boats, & ther rifled & ransaked them,
searching them to their shirts for money, yea even ye
women furder then became modestie; and then caried
them back into ye towne, & made them a spectackle
& wonder to ye multitude, which came flocking on all
sids to behould them. Being thus first, by the chatch-
poule officers, rifled, & stripte of their money, books,
and much other goods, they were presented to ye
magestrates, and messengers sente to informe ye lords
of ye Counsell of them; and so they were comited to
ward. Indeed ye magestrats used them courteously,
and shewed them what favour they could; but could
not deliver them, till order came from ye Counsell-
table. But ye issue was that after a months impris-
onmente, ye greatest parte were dismiste, & sent to
ye places from whence they came; but 7. of ye prin-
cipall were still kept in prison, and bound over to
ye Assises.
The nexte spring after, ther was another attempte
made by some of these & others, to get over at an
other place. And it so fell out, that they light of a
Dutchman at Hull, having a ship of his owne belong-
ing to Zealand; they made agreemente with him, and
18 HISTORY OF [CHAP. II.
acquainted [9] him with their condition, hoping to
find more faithfullnes in him, then in ye former of
their owne nation. He bad them not fear, for he
would doe well enough. He was by appointment to
take them in betweene Grimsbe & Hull, wher was a
large comone a good way distante from any towne.
Now aganst the prefixed time, the women & children,
with ye goods, were sent to ye place in a small barke,
which they had hired for yt end; and ye men were to
meete them by land. But it so fell out, that they
were ther a day before ye shipe came, & ye sea being
rough, and ye women very sicke, prevailed with ye
seamen to put into a creeke hardby, wher they lay on
ground at lowwater. The nexte morning ye shipe
came, but they were fast, & could not stir till aboute
noone. In ye mean time, ye shipe maister, perceive-
ing how ye matter was, sente his boate to be getting
ye men abord whom he saw ready, walking aboute ye
shore. But after ye first boat full was gott abord, &
she was ready to goe for more, the mr espied a greate
company, both horse & foote, with bills, & gunes, &
other weapons; for ye countrie was raised to take
them. Ye Dutch-man seeing yt, swore his countries
oath, "sacremente," and having ye wind faire, waiged
his Ancor, hoysed sayles, & away. But ye poore men
which were gott abord, were in great distress for
their wives and children, which they saw thus to be
taken, and were left destitute of their helps; and
1608.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 19
them selves also, not having a cloath to shifte them
with, more then they had on their baks, & some
scarce a peney aboute them, all they had being abord
ye barke. It drew tears from their eyes, and any thing
they had they would have given to have been
a shore againe; but all in vaine, ther was no remedy,
they must thus sadly part. And afterward endured
a fearfull storme at sea, being 14. days or more be-
fore yey arived at their porte, in 7. wherof they
neither saw son, moone, nor stars, & were driven
near ye coast of Norway; the mariners them selves
often despairing of life; and once with shriks & cries
gave over all, as if ye ship had been foundred in ye
sea, & they sinking without recoverie. But when
mans hope & helpe wholy failed, ye Lords power &
mercie appeared in ther recoverie; for ye ship rose
againe, & gave ye mariners courage againe to manage
her. And if modestie woud suffer me, I might de-
clare with what fervente [10] prayres they cried unto
ye Lord in this great distres, (espetialy some of
them,) even without any great distraction, when ye
water rane into their mouthes & ears; & the mariners
cried out, We sinke, we sinke; they cried (if not
with mirakelous, yet with a great hight or degree of
devine faith), Yet Lord thou canst save, yet Lord
thou canst save; with shuch other expressions as I
will forbeare. Upon which ye ship did not only re-
cover, but shortly after ye violence of ye storme be-
20 HISTORY OF [CHAP. II.
gane to abate, and ye Lord filed their afllicted minds
with shuch comforts as everyone canot understand,
and in ye end brought them to their desired Haven,
wher ye people came flockeing admiring their deliver-
ance, the storme having been so longe & sore, in
which much hurt had been don, as ye masters freinds
related unto him in their congrattulations.
But to returne to ye others wher we left. The rest
of ye men yt were in greatest danger, made shift to
escape away before ye troope could surprise them;
those only staying yt best might, to be assistante unto
ye women. But pitifull it was to see ye heavie case
of these poore women in this distress; what weeping
& crying on every side, some for their husbands, that
were caried away in ye ship as is before related;
others not knowing what should become of them, &
their litle ones; others againe melted in teares, see-
ing their poore litle ones hanging aboute them, crying
for feare, and quaking with could. Being thus apre-
hended, they were hurried from one place to another,
and from one justice to another, till in ye ende they
knew not what to doe with them; for to imprison so
many women & innocent children for no other cause
(many of them) but that they must goe with their hus-
bands, semed to be unreasonable and all would crie
out of them; and to send them home againe was as
difficult, for they aledged, as ye trueth was, they had
no homes to goe to, for they had either sould, or other-
1608.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 21
wise disposed of their houses & livings. To be shorte,
after they had been thus turmolyed a good while, and
]conveyed from one constable to another, they were glad
to be ridd of them in ye end upon any termes; for all
were wearied & tired with them. Though in ye mean
time they (poore soules) indured miserie enough; and
thus in ye end necessitie forste a way for them.
But yt I be not tedious in these things, I will omitte
ye rest, though I might relate many other notable pas-
sages and troubles which they endured & underwente
in these their wanderings & travells both at land & sea;
but I hast to [11] other things. Yet I may not omitte
ye fruite that came hearby, for by these so publick
troubls, in so many eminente places, their cause became
famouss, & occasioned many to looke into ye same; and
their godly cariage & Christian behaviour was such as
left a deep impression in the minds of many. And
though some few shrunk at these first conflicts & sharp
beginings, (as it was no marvell,) yet many more came
on with fresh courage, & greatly animated others. And
in ye end, notwithstanding all these stormes of oppossi-
tion, they all gatt over at length, some at one time &
some at an other, and some in one place & some in an
other, and mette togeather againe according to their
desires, with no small rejoycing. .
22 HISTORY OF [CHAP. III.
Of their setling in Holand, & their maner of living, &
entertainmente ther.
BEING now come into ye Low Countries, they saw
many goodly & fortified cities, strongly walled and
garded with troopes of armed men. Also they heard
a strange & uncouth language, and beheld ye differente
maners & customes of ye people, with their strange
fashons and attires; all so farre differing from yt of
their plaine countrie villages (wherin they were bred,
& had so longe lived) as it seemed they were come into
a new world. But these were not ye things they much
looked on, or long tooke up their thoughts; for they
had other work in hand, & an other kind of warr
to wage & maintaine. For though they saw faire &
bewtifull cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of
welth & riches, yet it was not longe before they saw
the grime & grisly face of povertie coming upon them
like an armed man, with whom they must bukle &
incounter, and from whom they could not flye; but
they were armed with faith & patience against him, and
all his encounters; and though they were sometimes
foyled, yet by Gods assistance they prevailed and got
ye victorie.
Now when Mr. Robinson, Mr. Brewster, & other prin-
cipall members were come over, (for they were of ye
1609.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 23
last, & stayed to help ye weakest over before them,)
such things were [12] thought on as were necessarie
for their setting and best ordering of ye church affairs.
And when they had lived at Amsterdam aboute a year,
Mr. Robinson, their pastor, and some others of best
discerning, seeing how Mr. John Smith and his com-
panie was allready fallen in to contention with ye church
yt was ther before them, & no means they could use
would doe any good to cure ye same, and also that
ye flames of contention were like to breake out in yt
anciente church it selfe (as affterwards lamentably
came to pass); which things they prudently foresee-
ing, thought it was best to remove, before they were
any way engaged with ye same; though they well knew
it would be much to ye prejudice of their outward
estats, both at presente & in licklyhood in ye future;
as indeed it proved to be.
Their remoovall to Leyden.
For these &, some other reasons they removed to Ley-
den, a fair & bewtifull citie, and of a sweete situation,
but made more famous by ye universitie wherwith it is
adorned, in which of late had been so many learned
men. But wanting that traffike by sea which Amster-
dam injoyes, it was not so beneficiall for their outward
means of living & estats. But being now hear pitchet
they fell to such trads & employments as they best
could; valewing peace & their spirituall comforte above
24 HISTORY OF [CHAP. III.
any other riches whatsoever. And at lenght they came
to raise a competente & comforteable living, but with
hard and continuall labor.
Being thus setled (after many difficulties) they con-
tinued many years in a comfortable condition, injoying
much sweete & delightefull societie & spirituall com-
forte togeather in ye wayes of God, under ye able minis-
trie, and prudente governmente of Mr. John Robinson,
& Mr. William Brewster, who was an assistante unto
him in ye place of an Elder, unto which he was now
called & chosen by the church. So as they grew in
knowledge & other gifts & graces of ye spirite of God,
& lived togeather in peace, & love, and holines; and
many came unto them from diverse parts of England,
so as they grew a great congregation. And if at any
time any differences arose, or offences broak [13] out
(as it cannot be, but some time ther will, even amongst
ye best of men) they were ever so mete with, and nipt
in ye head betims, or otherwise so well composed, as
still love, peace, and communion was continued; or els
ye church purged of those that were incurable & incor-
rigible, when, after much patience used, no other means
would serve, which seldom came to pass. Yea such
was ye mutuall love, & reciprocall respecte that this
worthy man had to his flocke, and his flocke to him,
that it might be said of them as it once was of yt
famouse Emperour Marcus Aurelious,* and ye people of
* Goulden booke, &c.
1609-1620.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 25
Rome, that it was hard to judge wheather he delighted
more in haveing shuch a people, or they in haveing
such a pastor. His love was greate towards them, and
his care was all ways bente for their best good, both
for soule and body; for besids his singuler abilities in
devine things (wherin he excelled), he was also very
able to give directions in civill affaires, and to foresee
dangers & inconveniences; by wch means he was very
helpfull to their outward estats, & so was every way
as a commone father unto them. And none did more
offend him then those that were close and cleaving to
them selves, and retired from ye commoe good; as also
such as would be stiffe & riged in matters of outward
order, and invey against ye evills of others, and yet be
remisse in them selves, and not so carefull to express
a vertuous conversation. They in like maner had ever
a reverente regard unto him, & had him in precious
estimation, as his worth & wisdom did deserve; and
though they esteemed him highly whilst he lived &
laboured amongst them, yet much more after his death,
when they came to feele ye wante of his help, and saw
(by woefull experience) what a treasure they had lost,
to ye greefe of their harts, and wounding of their sowls;
yea such a loss as they saw could not be repaired; for
it was as hard for them to find such another leader
and feeder in all respects, as for ye Taborits to find
another Ziska. And though they did not call them-
selves orphans, as the other did, after his death, yet
26 HISTORY OF [CHAP. III.
they had cause as much to lamente, in another regard,
their present condition, and. after usage. But to re-
turne; I know not but it may be spoken to ye honour
of God, & without prejudice [14] to any, that such
was ye true pietie, ye humble zeale, & fervent love, of
this people (whilst they thus lived together) towards
God and his waies, and ye single hartednes & sinceir
affection one towards another, that they came as near
ye primative patterne of ye first churches, as any other
church of these later times have done, according to
their ranke & qualitie.
But seeing it is not my purpose to treat of ye sev-
erall passages that befell this people whilst they thus
lived in ye Low Countries, (which might worthily re-
quire a large treatise of it selfe,) but to make way to
shew ye begining of this plantation, which is that I
aime at; yet because some of their adversaries did,
upon ye rumore of their removall, cast out slanders
against them, as if that state had been wearie of them,
& had rather driven them out (as ye heathen histo-
rians did faine of Moyses & ye Isralits when they
went out of Egipte), then yt it was their owne free
choyse & motion, I will therfore mention a perticuler
or too to shew ye contrary, and ye good acceptation
they had in ye place wher they lived. And first
though many of them weer poore, yet ther was none
so poore, but if they were known to be of yt con-
gregation, the Dutch (either bakers or others) would
1609-1620] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 27
trust them in any reasonable matter when yey wanted
money. Because they had found by experience how
carfull they were to keep their word, and saw them so
painfull & dilligente in their callings; yea, they would
strive to gett their custome, and to imploy them above
others, in their worke, for their honestie & diligence.
Againe; ye magistrats of ye citie, aboute ye time of
their coming away, or a litle before, in ye publick
place of justice, gave this comendable testemoney of
them, in ye reproofe of the Wallons, who were of ye
French church in yt citie. These English, said they,
have lived amongst us now this 12. years, and yet we
never had any sute or accusation came against any of
them; but your strifs & quarels are continuall, &c.
In these times allso were ye great troubls raised by
ye Arminians, who, as they greatly mollested ye whole
state, so this citie in particuler, in which was ye
cheefe universitie; so as ther were dayly & hote dis-
puts in ye schooles ther aboute; and as ye studients &
other lerned were devided in their oppinions hearin,
so were ye 2. proffessors or devinitie readers them
selves; the one daly teaching for it, ye other against
it. Which grew to that pass, that few of the discipls
of ye one would hear ye other teach. But Mr. Rob-
inson, though he taught thrise a weeke him selfe, &
write sundrie books, besids his manyfould pains other-
wise, yet he went constantly [15] to hear ther read-
ings, and heard ye one as well as ye other; by which
28 HISTORY OF [CHAP. III.
means he was so well grounded in ye controversie,
and saw ye force of all their arguments, and knew ye
shifts of ye adversarie, and being him selfe very able,
none was fitter to buckle with them then him selfe, as
appered by sundrie disputs; so as he begane to be
terrible to ye Arminians; which made Episcopius (ye
Arminian professor) to put forth his best stringth, and
set forth sundrie Theses, which by publick dispute he
would defend against all men. Now Poliander ye
other proffessor, and ye cheefe preachers of ye citie,
desired Mr. Robinson to dispute against him; but he
was loath, being a stranger; yet the other did impor-
tune him, and tould him yt such was ye abilitie and
nimblnes of ye adversarie, that ye truth would suffer
if he did not help them. So as he condescended, &
prepared him selfe against the time; and when ye day
came, the Lord did so help him to defend ye truth &
foyle this adversarie, as he put him to an apparent
nonplus, in this great & publike audience. And ye
like he did a 2. or 3. time, upon such like occasions.
The which as it caused many to praise God yt the
trueth had so famous victory, so it procured him
much honour & respecte from those lerned men &
others which loved ye trueth. Yea, so farr were they
from being weary of him & his people, or desiring
their absence, as it was said by some, of no mean
note, that were it not for giveing offence to ye state
of England, they would have preferd him otherwise if
1620.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 29
he would, and alowd them some publike favour. Yea
when ther was speech of their remoovall into these
parts, sundrie of note & eminencie of yt nation would
have had them come under them, and for yt end made
them large offers. Now though I might aledg many
other perticulers & examples of ye like kinde, to shew
ye untruth & unlicklyhode of this slander, yet these
shall suffice, seeing it was beleeved of few, being only
raised by ye malice of some, who laboured their
disgrace.
Showing ye reasons & causes of their remoovall.
AFTER they had lived in this citie about some 11.
or 12. years, (which is ye more observable being ye
whole time of yt famose truce between that state &
ye Spaniards,) and sundrie of them were taken away
by death, & many others begane to be well striken in
years, the grave mistris Experience haveing taught
them many things, [16] those prudent governours with
sundrie of ye sagest members begane both deeply to
apprehend their present dangers, & wisely to foresee
ye future, & thinke of timly remedy. In ye agitation
of their thoughts, and much discours of things hear
aboute, at length they began to incline to this conclu-
sion, of remoovall to some other place. Not out of
any newfanglednes, or other such like giddie humor,
by which men are oftentimes transported to their
great hurt & danger, but for sundrie weightie & solid
30 HISTORY OF [CHAP. IV.
reasons; some of ye cheefe of which I will hear breefly
touch. And first, they saw & found by experience the
hardnes of ye place & countrie to be such, as few in
comparison would come to them, and fewer that would
bide it out, and continew with them. For many yt
came to them, and many more yt desired to be with
them, could not endure yt great labor and hard fare,
with other inconveniences which they underwent &
were contented with. But though they loved their
persons, approved their cause, and honoured their suf-
ferings, yet they left them as it weer weeping, as
Orpah did her mother in law Naomie, or as those
Romans did Cato in Utica, who desired to be excused
& borne with, though they could not all be Catoes.
For many, though they desired to injoye ye ordinances
of God in their puritie, and ye libertie of the gospell
with them, yet, alass, they admitted of bondage, with
danger of conscience, rather then to indure these hard-
ships; yea, some preferred & chose ye prisons in Eng-
land, rather then this libertie in Holland, with these
afflictions. But it was thought that if a better and
easier place of living could be had, it would draw many,
& take away these discouragments. Yea, their pastor
would often say, that many of those wo both wrate &
preached now against them, if they were in a place
wher they might have libertie and live comfortably,
they would then practise as they did.
21y. They saw that though ye people generally bore
1620.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 31
all these difficulties very cherfully, & with a resolute
courage, being in ye best & strength of their years, yet
old age began to steale on many of them, (and their
great & continuall labours, with other crosses and sor-
rows, hastened it before ye time,) so as it was not only
probably thought, but apparently seen, that within a
few years more they would be in danger to scatter, by
necessities pressing them, or sinke under their burdens,
or both. And therfore according to ye devine proverb,
yt a wise man seeth ye plague when it cometh, & hideth
him selfe, Pro. 22. 3., so they like skillfull & beaten
souldiers were fearfull either to be intrapped or sur-
rounded by their enimies, so as they should neither be
able to fight nor flie; and therfor thought it better to
dislodge betimes to some place of better advantage &
less danger, if any such could be found. [16] Thirdly;
as necessitie was a taskmaster over them, so they were
forced to be such, not only to their servants, but in a
sorte, to their dearest chilldren; the which as it did not
a title wound ye tender harts of many a loving father &
mother, so it produced likwise sundrie sad & sorowful
effects. For many of their children, that were of best
dispositions and gracious inclinations, haveing lernde
to bear ye yoake in their youth, and willing to bear
parte of their parents burden, were, often times, so
oppressed with their hevie labours, that though their
minds were free and willing, yet their bodies bowed
under ye weight of ye same, and became decreped in
32 HISTORY OF [CHAP. IV.
their early youth; the vigor of nature being consumed
in ye very budd as it were. But that which was more
lamentable, and of all sorowes most heavie to be borne,
was that many of their children, by these occasions,
and ye great licentiousnes of youth in yt countrie, and
ye manifold temptations of the place, were drawne away
by evill examples into extravagante & dangerous courses,
getting ye raines off their neks, & departing from their
parents. Some became souldiers, others tooke upon
them farr viages by sea, and other some worse courses,
tending to dissolutnes & the danger of their soules, to
ye great greefe of their parents and dishonour of God.
So that they saw their posteritie would be in danger
to degenerate & be corrupted.
Lastly, (and which was not least,) a great hope &
inward zeall they had of laying some good foundation,
or at least to make some way therunto, for ye propagat-
ing & advancing ye gospell of ye kingdom of Christ in
those remote parts of ye world; yea, though they should
be but even as stepping-stones unto others for ye per-
forming of so great a work.
These, & some other like reasons, moved them to
undertake this resolution of their removall; the which
they afterward prosecuted with so great difficulties, as
by the sequell will appeare.
The place they had thoughts on was some of those
vast & unpeopled countries of America, which are frut-
full & fitt for habitation, being devoyd of all civill
1620.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 33
inhabitants, wher ther are only salvage & brutish men,
which range up and downe, litle otherwise then ye wild
beasts of the same. This proposition being made pub-
like and coming to ye scaning of all, it raised many
variable opinions amongst men, and caused many fears
& doubts amongst them selves. Some, from their
reasons & hops conceived, laboured to stirr up & in-
courage the rest to undertake & prosecute ye same;
others, againe, out of their fears, objected against it,
& sought to diverte from it, aledging many things, and
those neither unreasonable nor unprobable; as that it,
was a great designe, and subjecte to many unconceivable
perills & dangers; as, besids the casulties of ye seas
(which none can be freed from) the length of ye vioage
was such, as ye weake bodys of women and other
persons worne out with age & traville (as many
of them were) could never be able to endure. And yet
if they should, the miseries of ye land which they
should be [17] exposed unto, would be to hard to be
borne; and lickly, some or all of them togeither, to
consume & utterly to ruinate them. For ther they
should be liable to famine, and nakednes, & ye wante,
in a maner, of all things. The chang of aire, diate, &
drinking of water, would, infecte their bodies with sore
sickneses, and greevous diseases. And also those which
should escape or overcome these difficulties, should yett
be in continuall danger of ye salvage people, who are
cruell, barbarous, & most trecherous, being most furious
34 HISTORY OF [CHAP. IV.
in their rage, and merciles wher they overcome; not
being contente only to kill, & take away life, but delight
to tormente men in ye most bloodie maner that may be ;
fleaing some alive with ye shells of fishes, cutting of ye
members & joynts of others by peesmeale, and broiling
on ye coles, eate ye collops of their flesh in their sight
whilst they live; with other cruelties horrible to be
related. And surely it could not be thought but ye
very hearing of these things could not but move ye
very bowels of men to grate within them, and make ye
weake to quake & tremble. It was furder objected,
that it would require greater sumes of money to furnish
such a voiage, and to fitt them with necessaries, then
their consumed estats would amounte too; and yett
they must as well looke to be seconded with supplies,
as presently to be trasported. Also many presidents
of ill success, & lamentable misseries befalne others in
the like designes, were easie to be found, and not for-
gotten to be aledged; besids their owne experience,
in their former troubles & hardships in their removall
into Holand, and how hard a thing it was for them to
live in that strange place, though it was a neighbour
countrie, & a civill and rich comone wealth.
It was answered, that all great & honourable actions
are accompanied with great difficulties, and must be
both enterprised and overcome with answerable cour-
ages. It was granted ye dangers were great, but not
desperate; the difficulties were many, but not invincible.
1620.] PLYMOUTH PLANTATION. 35
For though their were many of them likly, yet they
were not cartaine; it might be sundrie of ye things
feared might never befale; others by providente care
& ye use of good means, might in a great measure
be prevented; and all of them, through ye help of God,
by fortitude and patience, might either be borne, or
overcome. True it was, that such atempts were not
to be made and undertaken without good ground &
reason; not rashly or lightly as many have done for
curiositie or hope of gaine, &c. But their condition
was not ordinarie; their ends were good & honourable;
their calling lawfull, & urgente; and therfore they might
expecte ye blessing of God in their proceding. Yea,
though they should loose their lives in this action, yet
might they have comforte in the same, and their en-
deavors would be honourable. They lived hear but
as men in exile, & in a poore condition; and as great
miseries might possibly befale them in this place, for
ye 12. years of truce were now out, & ther was nothing
but beating of drumes, and preparing for warr, the
events wherof are all way uncertaine. Ye Spaniard
might prove as cruell as [18] the salvages of America,
and ye famine and pestelence as sore hear as ther, &
their libertie less to looke out for remedie. After
many other perticuler things answered & aledged on
both sids, it was fully concluded by ye major parte,
to put this designe in execution, and to prosecute it
by the best means they could.
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