of smaller occurrences, though many of them worthy of notice, concurring in this grand and ever-to-be-applauded conquest; which, by the manifest overruling hand of God in the several steps come into and pursued so successfully in this affair, that with 77 men, which were the whole body of the English that destroyed such a strong-hold of the enemy in a very short time, and, as was said, near or full 1000 of the natives in it-and by it making way for the quiet and peaceable settlement and enlargement of Connecticut colony, then but newly begun.

It was, among many other things, remarkable, in this undertaking at the fort, two young men,-one John Dyer, the other Thomas Stiles,-had each of them an arrow stuck into the knots of their handkerchiefs about their necks, without any hurt. Another had an arrow stuck in his eyebrow, with the point turned downward, probably by meeting the bone, which Captain Mason, as he says, pulled out. Lieutenant Bull had an arrow stuck into a piece of hard cheese he had in his pocket. Time would fail to enumerate the many instances of the Divine direction, manuduction, successes and salvations granted to this small handful of men in this conflict and enterprise, and the instances above given prove the omnipotency of our God, who rules the whole universe in highest perfection of wisdom, and without control brings about his decreed purposes, in the preservation of his own people, and in the subversion and destruction of his and their enemies; who, as here is manifestly proved, "can save by few, as well as by many." Upon the whole, it may be said without hyperbole, "God was with them of a very truth."

The manner of the Indians here, before the English came, and some time after, was to bring the heads of their victims in triumph in their return from some victorious conquests, as then they had no notion of scalping those they conquered. Nor would it, perhaps, have been put in practice, had not the French instructed the Indians in their interest in this method of scalping. This reminds me of an account we had of a notable old scalper among them. The French, for this reason we may conclude, carried him to France, and introduced him into the King's presence; to whom he declared, he had, with his own hand, killed and scalped 100 (if I remember right) of the English. If so, we may readily con

clude him worthy, in their esteem, of some high place among the canonized in the church of Rome, that had performed so many meritorious acts as to destroy such a number of vile heretics.

The many marvellous manifestations of God's presence and remarkable protections vouchsafed to the poor fugitives from their native land, to make settlements of English inhabitants and churches in this remote and distant part of the world from our mother country, ought to be handed down to the latest posterity. Whose zeal for the true Gospel religion, their faith and patience under great trials, to be exemplified more and more, and not only to maintain a thankful remembrance of the grace of God therein, but also an honorable and lasting regard to the memory of such as God made his special instruments, at the first, to still the rageful disposition of the heathen, among whom God sent our forefathers to dwell. Those I principally intend here, was, firstly, that excellent commander, Captain Miles Standish, of whose worthy and memorable actions I cannot avoid repeatedly to mention, who by his exemplary great wisdom and singular good conduct and behavior towards the Indians, was such (as from an extraordinary influence from heaven) that he drew them into a wonderfully kind and amicable friendship with the English, in the whole spread of their tribes from Mount Hope, then so called, now Bristol, to the Massachusetts, and Plymouth, even to Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard; which peace continued firmly established, in all parts of the country, for more than (as I hear) fifty years, and until King Philip, as he was called, the sachem of Mount Hope, raised a war with the English in the parts of Plymouth and the Massachusetts; of whose perfidious proceedings we shall soon find the sorrowful effects in the run of this history.

The other renowned commander I aim at, was the victorious Captain John Mason, of whose heroic conquests we have just been speaking. Though he was bred to arms, as before is remarked, yet he did not equip himself with arms and the weapons of war, till it was absolutely necessary to stand up against the enemy, and in the defence of a small people then in their beginnings; who otherwise, according to all rational probability, must quickly have been entirely cut off. So as God made Captain Standish, who was distin

guished in the hand of God's overruling providence in the east, for the quieting the heathen there,-Captain Mason was not less distinguished in quieting them in the west, as we have heard, though in a different manner.

I have the rather, and indeed longer insisted on the topic relating to these honorable first commanders in the country, with an intent that their memories may be impressed upon the minds of posterity with a grateful sense of the mercy of God shining illustriously in them; and their names and deeds, though they themselves are long since dead, yet they live in the memory of ages yet to come, and with embellished figures in the annals of New-England.

I have nothing further to add on this Pequot war; and shall only observe here, that after the war was ended, Major Mason was made Major-General by the Court over all the forces in Connecticut colony, and continued so till his death, in the 73d year of his age. And I find the late Rev. Mr. Prince, that excellent divine and elegant historian, in his Introduction to Captain Mason's History of this Pequot War, observing, that the Rev. Mr. Hooker, of Hartford, being desired by the Court and in their name, to deliver the staff into his hand, says thus, "We may imagine he did it with that superior piety, spirit and majesty, which were peculiar to him; like an ancient prophet, addressing himself to the military officer, delivering to him the principal ensign of martial power, to lead the armies and fight the battles of the Lord and of his people."

After this Pequot war was thus happily concluded, as we have heard, the country had peace about forty years, though in this time some murders were committed by the Indians in a private manner. The English inhabitants in this time also greatly increased, partly by those of their own issue in the country, together with such as were transported hither about this time, for the sake of enjoying the Gospel in its purity, and ordinances thereof with freedom and peace of conscience, without ritual impositions. These, with many others, greatly peopled the land. In this time also came into the country many excellent ministers, by which means destitute churches, and others newly embodied, were supplied, we may boldly conclude, with pastors after God's own heart, faithful in their trust and charge of souls, true

ministers of Jesus Christ, free from the gross and dangerous errors at this day lamentably prevailing (I had almost said) not only in churches but whole societies. May God Almighty appear in grace, and in his own time, to recover the ministry and churches in the land to that primitive piety, zeal, soundness in the faith, holiness in life, therein to be followers, not barely of our excellent ancestors here, in whom these, together with other gospel graces, were eminently conspicuous, but more especially to approve ourselves to God, both in church and state, as followers of Christ in a strict adherence to and belief of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity he has taught us in the Gospel.

But as I have published (under my weakness of ability) those important points, as to me they appear, I shall add no more at present on this subject; only with fervent prayer that the God of all grace would step in for our help, in preventing this I am speaking of in its dangerous effects, and all the tragical omens hanging over us with threatening aspects.

Therefore turn back to the time of peace with the Indians, before noted, in which space of time some people settled themselves in the eastern parts of the country, without any gospel order or signs of religion among them. In some, after several families were settled there, a minister from some part providentially kept sabbath and preached with them, and among other things exhorted them to labor for the promotion of religion, alleging that otherwise they would lose the true end of their coming there. It was said, one of the company standing up, boldly replied, "You are greatly mistaken, sir; we came not here for religion, but for the fishing trade,"-which doubtless discovered the minds of many more, if not the sentiments of the whole assembly.

However, it pleased God, some years after, when the French were increased in Canada, to suffer them, with the Indians they had drawn into their interest in those parts, to destroy and drive out the English inhabitants for near, if not full out, seventy miles in length on the seacoast, and within land as far as they had made settlements. The people that escaped were dispersed, and fled for shelter not only to the nearest but many of them to far distant towns. Thus fishery was totally destroyed, the country in that part depopulated, and made desolate for many years.

But before what I have last related, there were several murders committed by the Indians in different parts and quarters of the country. One man killed in the year 1644, the place where, I am uncertain. Three killed at New Haven in the year 1647. The same year three were killed on Long Island.

Massasoit, the aged sachem at Mount Hope, now Bristol, had always manifested and approved himself a steady friend to the English, had two sons; the elder was named Alexander, and the younger Philip. This Alexander, after his father's death, became very surly and ill-tempered toward the English people; for which reason the Court at Plymouth, which was then a distinct colony from the Massachusetts, suspecting him to have some treacherous purposes in view, brought him to Plymouth and put him under confinement ; at which the fellow was enraged to that degree that he refused to eat, and soon starved himself to death in this miserable manner. Philip being now become the next heir to the crown, or sagamoreship, doubtless studied some method of revenge on the English for his brother's death, as the Indians are universally disposed to revenge injuries, whether only apprehended or real. Therefore, some time in June, 1674, the country was alarmed by two men being killed on the main land, not far from Rhode Island. By this Philip's War, as it was called, first began, and not long after he had solemnly engaged to keep and maintain peace and friendship with the English. This tragical and bloody war, though not of long continuance, was very furious and violent, as we shall find in the following sorrowful narrative.

June 24, 1674, nine people were killed at Swanzey, as they were returning from a Fast. June 28, one killed near Mount Hope; five killed about the same time out of a swamp, where the Indians had covered themselves with brush. July 18, before this, a man killed in the woods. Near the place where the man was killed, not far distant from Mount Hope, two men were found; their bodies were miserably mangled and their heads stuck upon poles. The Indians above-noted, hid in the swamp, were supposed to be Nipmuck Indians, of another tribe that had confederated with Philip.

The Nipmuck tribe of Indians having committed several acts of hostility against the English, Captain Hutchinson and