enemie sudenly, & undiscovered. Ther was a barke of this place, newly put in ther, which was come from Conightecutte, who did incourage them to lay hold of the Indeans forwardnes, and to shew as great forwardnes as they, for it would incorage them, and expedition might prove to their great advantage. So they went on, and so ordered their march, as the Indeans brought them to a forte of the enimies (in which most of their cheefe men were) before day. They approached the same with great silence, and surrounded it both with English & Indeans, that they might not breake out; and so assualted them with great courage, shooting amongst them, and entered the forte with all speed; and those that first entered found sharp resistance from the enimie, who both shott at & grapled with them; others rane into their howses, & brought out fire, and sett them on fire, which soone tooke in their matts, &, standing close togeather, with the wind, all was quickly on a flame, and therby more were burnte to death then was otherwise slaine; it burnte their bowstrings, and made them unservisable. Those that scaped the fire were slaine with the sword; some hewed to peeces, others rune throw with their rapiers, so as they were quickly dispatchte, and very few escaped. It was conceived they thus destroyed about 400. at this time. It was a fearfull sight to see them thus frying in the fyer, and the streams of blood quenching the same, and horrible was the stinck & sente ther of; but the victory seemed a sweete sacrifice, and they gave the prays therof to God, who had wrought so wonderfuly for them, thus to inclose their enimise in their hands, and give them so speedy a victory over so proud & insulting an enimie.

SOME VERSES ON NEW ENGLAND

[Printed, from a manuscript of Governor Bradford, in the "Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society," First series, Vol. II, 1794']

Almost ten years we lived here alone,

In other places there were few or none;

For Salem was the next of any fame,

That began to augment New England's name;

['The spelling, etc., were of course modernized by the editor. No exact reprint is available.]

But after multitudes began to flow,

More than well knew themselves where to bestow;
Boston then began her roots to spread,

And quickly soon she grew to be the head,
Not only of the Massachusetts Bay,

But all trade and commerce fell in her way.
And truly it was admirable to know,
How greatly all things here began to grow.
New plantations were in each place begun
And with inhabitants were filled soon.

All sorts of grain which our own land doth yield,
Was hither brought, and sown in every field:
As wheat and rye, barley, oats, beans, and pease
Here all thrive, and they profit from them raise,
All sorts of roots and herbs in gardens grow,
Parsnips, carrots, turnips, or what you'll sow,
Onions, melons, cucumbers, radishes,

Skirets, beets, coleworts, and fair cabbages.
Here grows fine flowers many, and 'mongst those,
The fair white lily and sweet fragrant rose.
Many good wholesome berries here you'll find,
Fit for man's use, almost of every kind,

Pears, apples, cherries, plumbs, quinces, and peach,
Are now no dainties; you may have of each.
Nuts and grapes of several sorts are here,
If you will take the pains them to seek for.

Cattle of every kind do fill the land; Many now are kill'd, and their hides tann'd: By which men are supply'd with meat and shoes, Or what they can, though much by wolves they lose. Here store of cows, which milk and butter yield, And also oxen, for to till the field;

Of which great profit many now do make,

If they have a fit place and able pains do take.
Horses here likewise now do multiply,

They prosper well, and yet their price is high.

Here are swine, good store, and some goats do keep,

But now most begin to get store of sheep,
That with their wool their bodies may be clad,
In time of straits, when things cannot be had;
For merchants keep the price of cloth so high,
As many are not able the same to buy.
And happy would it be for people here,
If they could raise cloth for themselves to wear.

JOHN WINTHROP

[John Winthrop was a man of better family and wider experience in the world than most of the Puritan laymen in early New England. He was born in Suffolk in 1588, and spent two years at Trinity College, Cambridge. His religious experiences inclined him at one time to become a minister, but he finally devoted himself to the law. By 1630, when he came to America as the leader of the new colony of the Massachusetts Company, he was forty-two years of age, had been three times married, had attained some distinction in his profession, and was looked on as a man of weight and substance. For the greater part of the time until his death in 1649 he was either governor or deputy governor of the colony.

Few of Governor Winthrop's writings were printed in his lifetime. "A Short Story of the Rise, reign and ruine of the Antinomians, Familists & Libertines that infected the Churches of New England," a somewhat virulent tract published in London in 1644, has been ascribed to him. His longest and most important work was a journal, which has come to be commonly known by the too inclusive title of "The History of New England." The first part of this was edited by Noah Webster and printed in 1790; and the whole, edited by James Savage, was published in 1825, and again in 1853. Both these versions modernize the spelling, etc.; and no literal reprint of Winthrop's manuscript has been made. The latest edition, by J. K. Hosmer, 1908, follows Savage's text. As in most diaries kept by busy men, the scale of treatment in “The History of New England" is not proportioned to the importance of the events; and there are many blanks which the author evidently intended to fill up in a leisure that never came. The journal is, however, one of the most valuable and readable of the documents from which we gain a picture of early New England life, and not a little of its value comes from the fact that it gives so frank and delightful a revelation of the governor himself. "A Modell of Christian Charity," a homily written on the voyage to America, and other of Winthrop's papers have been published in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society.

The selections from "The History of New England" are from Savage's second edition. The selection from Winthrop's "Christian Experience," and the letters to his third wife, Margaret, are from the "Life and Letters of John Winthrop," by Robert C. Winthrop.]

A HALF YEAR IN MASSACHUSETTS BAY

[From "The History of New England" for 1630]

Thursday, July 1.] The Mayflower and the Whale arrived safe in Charlton harbour.

Their passengers were all in health,

but most of their cattle dead, (whereof a mare and horse of mine). Some stone horses came over in good plight.

Friday, 2.] The Talbot arrived there. She had lost fourteen passengers.

My son, Henry Winthrop, was drowned at Salem.

Saturday, 3.] The Hopewell, and William and Francis arrived. Monday, 5.] The Trial arrived at Charlton, and the Charles at Salem.

Tuesday, 6.] The Success arrived. She had goats and of them, and many of her passengers were near

lost

starved, etc.

Wednesday, 7.] The Lion went back to Salem.

Thursday, 8.] We kept a day of thanksgiving in all the planta

tions.

Thursday, August 18.] Capt. Endecott and Gibson were married by the governour and Mr. Wilson.

Saturday, 20.] The French ship called the Gift, came into the harbour at Charlton. She had been twelve weeks at sea, and lost one passenger and twelve goats; she delivered six.

Monday we kept a court.

Friday, 27.] We, of the congregation, kept a fast, and chose Mr. Wilson our teacher, and Mr. Nowell an elder, and Mr. Gager and Mr. Aspinwall, deacons. We used imposition of hands, but with this protestation by all, that it was only as a sign of election and confirmation, not of any intent that Mr. Wilson should renounce his ministry he received in England. September 20.] Mr. Gager died.

30.] About two in the morning, Mr. Isaac Johnson died; his wife, the lady Arbella, of the house of Lincoln, being dead about one month before. He was a holy man, and wise, and died in sweet peace, leaving some part of his substance to the colony.

The wolves killed six calves at Salem, and they killed one wolf. Thomas Morton adjudged to be imprisoned, till he were sent into England, and his house burnt down, for his many injuries offered to the Indians, and other misdemeanours. Capt. Brook, master of the Gift, refused to carry him.

Finch, of Watertown, had his wigwam burnt and all his goods. Billington executed at Plimouth for murdering one.