THE LIFE OF COL. CHURCH.

COLONEL BENJAMIN CHURCH was born in 1639, at Duxbury, near Plymouth, of reputable parents, who lived and died there. His father's name was Joseph, who, with two of his brethren, came early into Newengland, as refugees from the religious oppression of the parent state. Mr. Joseph Church, among other children, had three sons, Joseph, Caleb, and Benjamin. Caleb settled at Watertown, the other two at Seconet, or Little Compton. Benjamin, the hero of this history, was of a good stature, his body well proportioned, and built for hardiness and activity. Although he was very corpulent and heavy in the latter part of his life, yet, when he was a young man he was not so; being then active, sprightly and vigorous. He carried dignity in his countenance -thought and acted with a rational and manly judgment-which, joined with a naturally generous, obliging and hospitable disposition, procured him both authority and esteem. He married Mrs. Alice Southworth, by whom he had a daughter, Mrs. Rothbotham, and five sons, viz., Thomas Church, the author or publisher of this history, and father of the honourable Thomas Church, Esq., now living in Little Compton; Constant Church a Captain under his father in the eastern expedition, and in the militia; and of a mili

*The life of Church was not added to the first edition.-But to the second it was, and was the last article in the book; excepting a Latin ode of one page, which is now omitted. This life containing some prefatory remarks, it was thought proper to place it at the beginning of the work. It was judged best to omit the above mentioned Latin ode to give place to more interesting articles. What follows was placed at the head of the page. Ode Heroica (a nepote Herois composta) Biographia pracedenti diffigenda sit.

tary and enterprising spirit; Benjamin Church, who died a bachelor; Edward Church, whose only son now living, is Deacon Benjamin Church of Boston, who furnishes these memoirs of the family; and Charles Church, who had a numerous issue.

Colonel Church was a man of integrity, justice, and uprightness, of piety and serious religion. He was a member of the church of Bristol at its foundation, in the Rev. Mr. Lee's day. He was constant and devout in family worship, wherein he read and often expounded the scriptures to his household. He was exemplary in observing the Sabbath, and in attending the worship and ordinances of God in the sanctuary. He lived regularly, and left an example worthy of

* He was also a Captain under his father in the last eastern expedition.

Probably the same whose name is found associated with the venerable JAMES OTIS, SAMUEL ADAMS, JOSEPH WARREN, and others, as a "Committee of correspondence" in the memorable revolution, and to which he probably belonged when he wrote this account of the family. See American Annals, II, 300. Also the standing which he appears to have maintained among the fraternity of Masons, speaks his emi

nence.

What is here said of the Colonel, is placed after his son Edward, by a writer in Farmer and Moore's Collections; where this account appears to be copied. It must be an errour in the copyist, and one, too, which it required some pains to commit; not but that the son (for aught I know) deserved as high encomiums, but we have no right to bestow such upon the son, at the father's expense. But thus much were it intentional.

§ Rev. Samuel Lee, the first minister of Bristol, R. I. He was born in London, 1625, came to this country in 1686; but in two or three years came to the conclusion to return to his native country. Before he sailed, he told his wife that he had discovered a star, which, according to the laws of Astrology, presaged captivity, which unfortunately came to pass. He sailed in 1691, and in his passage was taken by the French, and carried into France, where he died the same year. See Allen's Biog. 381. Dr. C. Mather represents him as possessing very extraordinary learning. See Magnalia Christi Americana, I, 548.

the imitation of his posterity. He was a friend to the civil and religious liberties of his country, and greatly rejoiced in the revolution.* He was Colonel of the militia in the county of Bristol. The several offices of civil and military trust, with which he was entrusted from time to time, through a long life, he discharged with fidelity and usefulness.

The war of 1675, was the most important Indian war, that Newengland ever saw. PHILIP or Metacomett (a son of good old MASSASOIT, and his second successor) had wrought up the Indians of all the tribes through Newengland, into a dangerous com

* By William and Mary.

†Though the chiefs of savage nations are generally called Kings, yet says Smith, they have no such dignity or office among them." Hist. N. Y. 197. Philip, at different periods of his life, was known by different names, as at first, he was called Metacomet or Metacom. See Morton, 171, 172. This celebrated chief has been called by some, though wrongly I contend, King of the Narragansets. He was King or chief of the Wampanoags, or Pokanokets, the situation of whose country will be described in my first note to Philip's War." It is true that these Indians as well as the Narragansets themselves inhabited about the bay of that name, but they had their King as well as the Pokanokets, and were independent of each other.

Different opinions seem to have prevailed with regard to this chief's pedigree; that is, whether he were a son or grandson of Massassoit. Prince and Trumbull inform us that he was his grandson; Hutchinson and Belknap, that he was his son. Why these respectable authors saw cause to differ, and not inform us, is not easy to tell. These are not all the authors on each side, but most readers are apprised of this, no doubt, before I had taken this trouble to inform them.

Prince, in his text, writes Masassoit; but adds this note. "The printed accounts generally spell him Massasoit; Governour Bradford writes him Massasoyt, and Massasoyet; but I find the ancient people from their fathers in Plymouth colony, pronounce his name Ma-sas-so-it." N. E. Chron. 187. However, the most preferable way seems to be Massassoit. Some account of the life of this constant friend of the Pilgrims will be found in the course of this history.

bination to extirpate the English. It was one of the last works of the commissioners of the united colonies, (a council [in] which subsisted the great security of Newengland, from 1643 to 1678) to break up this confederacy. An army of one thousand English was on foot at once, under the command of Governour Winslow. Whoever desires further information concerning this war, may consult Mr. Hubbard's history of it. The part Colonel Church acted in it is exhibited in this plain narrative, given by his son, two years before his father's death.

Colonel Church perfectly understood the manner of the Indians in fighting, and was thoroughly acquainted with their haunts, swamps, and places of refuge, on the territory between Narraganset and cape Cod. There he was particularly successful; on that field he gathered his laurels. The surprisal and seizure of ANNAWON was an act of true boldness and heroism. Had the eastern Indians been surrounded with English settlements, there is reason to think that he would have been more successful among them. But on a long and extended frontier, open to immense deserts, little more has ever been done by troops of undoubted courage, than to arouse and drive off the Indians into a wide howling wilderness,

Mr. William Hubbard, minister of Ipswich, the best historian in Newengland, of the age, unless we except Mr. Prince. The truth of which his works abundantly prove. Although some labour has been done to detract from him some of his justly acquired fame, yet, it does and ever will remain unimpaired. This would be true had he rever written any thing but his NARRATIVE. To his "History of Newengland," Mather is chiefly indebted for what is correct in his renowned book of jargons, the Magnalia Christi_AmeriHe died See president Allen's Biog. Dictionary.

cana.

Sept. 1704, aged 83 years. Gov. Hutchinson remarks on the character of him, that "he was a man of learning, of a candid and benevolent mind, accompanied, as it generally is, with a good degree of catholicism; which, think, was not accounted the most valuable part of his character in the age in which he lived ” Hist. Mass. II, 136.

where it was as much in vain to seek them, as for Cæsar to seek the Gauls in the Hircinian forests.

The present edition* of this history is given without alteration in the body of it; being thought best to let it go down to posterity, (like the Periplus of Hannot) with its own internal marks of originality. However the editor in the margin hath given the English names of places described by Indian names in the narrative; and also some few notes and illustrations.

After Philip's war Colonel Church settled; and at first at Bristol, then at Fallriver, (Troy) lastly at Seconet. At each of which places he acquired, and left a large estate. Having served his generation faithfully, by the will of God he fell asleep, and was gathered unto his fathers. He died and was buried at Little Compton.

The morning before his death, he went about two miles on horse back to visit his only sister, Mrs. Irish, to sympathise with her on the death of her only child. After a friendly and pious visit, in a moving and affecting manner, he took his leave of her, and said, it was a last farewell. Telling her, [that] he was persuaded he should never see her more; but hoped to meet her in heaven. Returning homeward, he had not rode above half a mile, before his horse stumbled, and threw him over his head. And the Colonel being exceeding fat and heavy, fell with *The edition from which this is taken.

Hanno was "the famous Carthaginian," who in a remote age of navigation, made a voyage into the Atlantick ocean, and "sailed seeking for thirty days the western parts," taking his departure from the pillars of Hercules (straits of Gibraltar.) Hence some infer that he must have discovered some parts of America, because Columbus did in about the same length of time. He wrote a book containing an account of his discoveries, which he entitled Periplum or Peripl is. See a work lettered "America Known to the Ancents," Dr. Robertson's Hist. America, I, i. Belknap's I iog. I, 16.