having occasioned disturbances, by advancing tenets considered not only heretical but seditious, and being found irreclaimable, was ordered to leave the colony. He retired to Rehoboth, which was then within the jurisdiction of Plymouth. 26. In 1635, Massachusetts received from England a large number of inhabitants, and among them came two who afterwards acted conspicuous parts in the affairs of their native country. One was Hugh Peters, who was subsequently a chaplain of Oliver Cromwell; the other was Mr. Vane, afterwards Sir Henry Vane. The latter was but twenty-five years of age; but by his show of great humility, his grave and solemn deportment, and his ardent professions of attachment to liberty, he stole the hearts of the puritans, and, the year after his arrival, was made governor of the colony. 27. His popularity, however, was transient. During his administration, the celebrated Mrs. Hutchinson, a woman who was distinguished for her eloquence, and had imbibed the enthusiasm of the age, instituted weekly meetings for persons of her own sex, in which she commented on the sermons of the preceding Sunday, and advanced certain mystical and extravagant doctrines. These spread rapidly among the people, and many became converts. 28. Governor Vane, with Mr. Cotton and Mr. Wheelwright, two distinguished clergymen, embraced them with ardor; but lieutenant governor Winthrop, and a majority of the churches, deemed them heretical and seditious. Great excitement was produced among the people; many conferences were held; public fasts were appointed; a general synod was summoned; and after much intemperate discussion, her opinions were determined to be erroneous, and she and some of her adherents were banished from the colony. 29. Not being again chosen governor, Vane returned in disgust to England, engaged in the civil wars, which soon after afflicted that country, sustained high offices in the republican party, and, after the restoration of Charles II, was accused of high treason, convicted and executed. Peters pursued a similar career, and met with the same fate. 30. In such high repute, at this time, were the settlements in Massachusetts, that other Englishmen, still more conspicuous, had determined to leave their native land, that they might enjoy, in a desert, the civil and religious liberty which was denied them at home. Among these were Mr. Hambden, Sir Arthur Haselrig, and Oliver Cromwell, whom king Charles, by express order, detained, when on the point of embarking. Little did he imagine that, by this act of arbitrary power, he kept within his kingdom those restless votaries of freedom, who were destined to overturn his throne, and bring his head to the block. 31. By the settlement of Massachusetts, the attention of emigrants was diverted from the colony of Plymouth, where the soil was less fertile. It nevertheless continued to increase, although slowly, in population. In 1633, the government of that colony built a trading house, near Hartford, which was the first building erected within the boundaries of Connecticut. Soon after, many persons repaired thither from Massachusetts. In 1636, Roger Williams laid the foundation of Rhode Island. Subsequently, New-Hampshire and New-Haven were founded, which increased to five the number of colonies in New-England. 32. The rapid progress of the English settlements, excited the jealousy of the natives, They had welcomed, without fear, the emigrants who first landed, not anticipating their future encroachments. The experience of a few years convinced them that they must either exterminate these invaders of their country, or be themselves exterminated. 33. Within the boundaries of Rhode Island and Connecticut, lived two warlike tribes, the Pequods and Narragansets. The former were hostile, the latter friendly, to the whites. Between the two tribes an inveterate enmity existed; but the more sagacious and politic Pequods proposed that all animosities should be forgotten, and their united strength directed against their invaders, before they had become too strong to be resisted. At first the Narragansets wavered, but their hatred of the Pequods overpowered the suggestions of policy. They disclosed the proposal to the English, and invited them to join in a war against their common enemy. 34. The colonies were roused to a sense of their danger. In 1637, Massachusetts, Plymouth, and Connecticut, agreed to unite their forces, and attempt the entire destruction of the Pequods. Captain Mason, with eighty inen, principally from Connecticut, and three hundred friendly Indians, was immediately sent into the country of the enemy. Early in the morning of the 26th of May, he attacked one of the principal villages, which had been surrounded with pallisades. The resistance was brave and obstinate, and the issue of the battle for some time doubtful; but the whites, forcing their way into the enclosure, set fire to the wigwams, and then, retreating a short distance, surrounded the town. Many of the Indians perished in the flames; others were shot, in their attempts to flee. Of five or six hundred, within the enclosure, but few escaped. The English troops, of whom two were killed and sixteen wounded, returned in triumph to Hartford. 35. In June, another body of troons, principally from Massa chusetts, marched into the enemy's country, surrounded a swamp, into which a party of them had retired, and took eighty captive. Some escaping, they were pursued to another svamp, situated near New-Haven, where the whole strength of the tribe was collected. This was, in like manner, surrounded; a sharp contest ensued; but the whites were again victorious. Two hundred Pequods were killed or made prisoners. The remainder fled to the country of the Mohawks. The brilliant success of the English, in this first and short war with the natives, gave the neighboring tribes such an exalted idea of their prowess, that, for nearly forty years, they were neither attacked nor molested. The 36. Ten years had now elapsed since the first settlement was made at Salem. It has been computed that, within that time, twenty-one thousand persons arrived in Massachusetts. dissenters in England having obtained the ascendency in the government, all motives for emigration ceased; and it is supposed that, for many years afterwards, more persons returned to England, than came from England to the colonies. 37. Such, however, were the character and virtues of the emigrants; such the power over difficulties which their resolute minds, and bodies hardened by labor, had imparted to them, that they continued to increase, with astonishing rapidity, in wealth and numbers. And a vote of the house of commons, stating that "the plantations in New-England had had good and prosperous success, without any public charge to the state," is quoted, by a historian of those times, as an honorable testimony of the high merit of the colonists. 38. Circumstances and events had already impressed a character upon them, which, though softened in its worst features by the progress of refinement, still distinguishes their descendants. Persecution made them bigots; piety made them moral; poverty made them frugal; incessant toil made them hardy and robust; dreary solitudes made them gloomy and superstitious; their numerous clergy and well educated leaders, made them venerate literature and the sciences. 39. Four of the New-England colonies, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Plymouth, and New-Haven, apprehending danger from the Indians, from the Dutch, at New-York, and from the French, at Acadia, formed, in 1643, a firm and perpetual league, offensive and defensive. By the articles of this league, each colony was to appoint two commissioners, who were to assemble, by rotation, in the respective colonies, and were empowered to enact ordinances of general concern; and, in case of invasion, each colony was bound, upon the application of three magistrates of the in Valed colony, to furnish a stipulated proportion of men and money 40. Strengthened by this league, the colonies were respected by their civilized and savage neighbors. With the French, under D'Aulney, Massachusetts had a long and troublesome dispute; which was adjusted, in 1644, by a treaty made by governor Endicott, and afterwards ratified by the commissioners. 41. When representatives were first chosen, they sat and voted in the same chamber with the assistants. In 1635, when Mr. Hooker applied for permission to form a settlement on Connecticut river, a majority of the assistants voted against granting per mission; but a majority of the whole assembly in favor of it. The representatives contended that a majority of the assistants was not necessary, and that the vote had passed in the affirmative. The assistants claimed to be a distinct branch of the legis lature, and contended that it had passed in the negative. 42. No provision having been made for a case of this kind, an adjournment, for a week, took place; a public fast was appointed, and the divine direction implored in all the congregations. When the assembly again met, a sermon was preached, by Mr. Cotton, which induced the representatives to yield to the claim of the assistants. In 1644, the dispute was renewed, and the assistants were again victorious. The representatives then proposed that the two classes should sit apart, and form distinct bo dies, and in this proposition the assistants concurred. 43. The contest between the king and parliament, at length resulted in open war; and the New-England colonies, actuated by the same feeling as the puritans in England, embraced, with ardor, the cause of the latter. The parliament rewarded this attachment, by exempting them from all taxes; and when the supreme authority devolved upon Cromwell, as protector of the liberties of England, they found in him a friend no less sincere and zealous. 44. After the conquest of Ireland, he invited them to return and settle in that country; and, subsequently, having conquered Jamaica, he endeavored to persuade them to remove to that fertile island, and more genial climate. But his arguments and solicitations were unavailing. They enjoyed, in their present abode, complete religious freedom, and that privilege they were unwilling to hazard in pursuit of advantages less essential to their happiness. 45. In 1641, the settlements in New-Hampshire were incorporated with Massachusetts. And, in 1652, the inhabitants of the province of Maine were, at their own request, taken under her protection. This province had been granted to Sir Ferdinand Gorges, who, in 1639, first established a government over it In 1640, a general court was held at Saco. Upon the death or the proprietor, in 1649, most of the officers whom he had appointed, deserted it, and the people found it necesssary to resort elsewhere for protection. 46. In 1656, several Quakers arrived in the colony. In this age of enthusiasts, these sectarians surpassed all others in enthu siasm. Their behavior was rude, contemptuous, and disorderly They reviled magistrates and ministers, and, entering churches on the Sabbath, disturbed the solemnities of public worship. For these offences they were first imprisoned, and then banished. A law was passed prohibiting Quakers from coming into the colony, imposing the penalty of banishment upon the first offence, and of death upon such as should return after banishment. Four, who were so infatuated as to return and obtrude themselves upon the notice of the government, suffered the death which they appeared to seek. This cruel and impolitic law was soon afterwards repealed. 47. Cromwell, who had governed England with greater ability and higher merit than most of her kings, died in 1658, and after an interval of two years, Charles the second, a prince destitute of honor and virtue, was recalled from exile and placed upon the throne. He was reluctantly acknowledged by the colonies of New-England. They had been the favorites of the parliament, and the protector, and apprehended, with good reason, the loss of their civil and religious privileges. 48. A short time after, Whalley and Goffe, two of the judges who had sentenced Charles the first to be beheaded, having fled before the return of his successor, arrived in New-England. Their first place of residence was Cambridge; but they often appeared publicly in Boston, particularly on Sundays and other days of religious solemnities. They had sustained high rank in Cromwell's army, were men of uncommon talents, and, by their dignified manners and grave deportment, commanded universal respect. 49. As soon as it was known that they were excepted from the general pardon, the governor suggested to the court of assistants the expediency of arresting them. A majority opposed it, and many members of the general court gave them assurances of protection. Considering themselves, however, unsafe at Cambridge, they removed to New-Haven, where they were received with great respect by the clergy and magistrates. 50. After a short residence there, enjoying, in private, the society of their friends, the governor of Massachusetts received a mandate to arrest them. A warrant was immediately issued, authorising two zealous royalists to search for, and seize them, wherever found, in New-England. They hastened to the colony of New-Haven, exhibited the warrant to the governor, who re |