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joined the church at Boston."

She was only sixteen when married, and it was not unusual at that time to be married at so early an age, especially among the Puritans, for of them it was said, "They married early and often," if occasion gave opportunity. So long as they lived at Cambridge her husband was at home constantly. The General Court was a legislative body, as well as a Court of Record, and the court of last resort and final appeal for all judicial matters. The official duties of Governor Simon Bradstreet, and as a magistrate, were numerous and exacting; it required all his time, but being near his home and wife, she was never long left alone, but continuously enjoyed her husband's society. They lived in the central and business part of the Colony, but when her father and husband removed to Ipswich, far away from the center of the Colony, their duties took them away from their Ipswich home. Her family was increasing, five children were born at Ipswich, and this was the time when she was most fruitful with her poems and poetry. Daniel Dennison, of Ipswich, had married Anne Bradstreet's sister; he was appointed Captain of Ipswich by the General Court, the troops to train eight times a year, the pay to Captain Dennison £24, 7s. as their military leader.

Her mother, Dorothy Dudley, was living at Ipswich near the Bradstreet home, for their homesteads were adjoining each other on High Street. The two houses it is supposed were located near the head of Mineral Street, one-half mile from the Meeting House, the farthest distance allowed therefrom for dwelling houses, by a law passed in 1635 by the General Court, as a precaution against Indian raids.

The three families so closely related, the Dudleys, the Dennisons, and the Bradstreets, thus living not far apart, gave a sense of security, with all their "hired help" and attendants, which they would not otherwise have felt.

When Anne moved to Ipswich she was twenty-one or two years old and had been married six years. Her husband, manly in form and of a noble, loving, generous nature, their lives ran smoothly and happily along. Any husband might well be proud of a wife who could address him as she did in the following lines: A POETICAL LOVE MISSIVE.

"To my dear and loving Husband:

If ever two were one then surely we,
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me ye women if you can.

I prize thy love more than whole Mines of Gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,
Nor aught but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,

The heavens reward thee, manifold I pray.
Then while we live in love let's so persevere,

That when we live no more, we may live ever."

Again, the "Letter to her husband absent upon some public business," away at Boston or Cambridge, was not printed in her first edition, being regarded as too personal to be made public during her life.

EXTRACT OF LETTER TO HER ABSENT HUSBAND.

Return my Dear, my joy, my only love

Unto thine Hinde, thy mullet and thy Dove,
Who neither joys in pasture, house nor streams,
The substance gone, O me, these are but dreams.

Together at one tree oh let us browse,

And like two Turtles roost within one house,

And like the Mullets in one river glide,

Let's still remain but one till death divide.

Thy loving Love and Dearest Dear,
At home, abroad, and every where.

A. B.

CHAPTER IV.

"M

MRS. ANNE BRADSTREET'S CHILDREN.

ULTIPLY and replenish the earth," was a command the Colonial Puritans did not fail to obey; they had a gift for marriage and large families. Governor Winthrop married three times, and not long time for mourning allowed between; "he could not live alone." One of his daughters was the mother of eighteen children. Sir William Phipps, a leading Puritan, was one of twenty-one children, all boys; Benjamin Franklin was one of seventeen children. Population was sparce, work was plentiful and so was food. The Puritan household of the early Colonists was one full to overflowing. The Psalmist's appreciation of many children was theirs, "As arrows are in the hands of a mighty hunter, so are the children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them."

Mrs. Bradstreet was the mother of eight children, all but one, Dorothy, were living at the time of her death in 1672. They were: First, SAMUEL, her first-born, who was born at Cambridge, and graduated at Harvard College in 1653. He practiced as a physician in Boston many years. He was twice married. He had three children living when he died in 1682, who afterward lived with their grandfather, Governor Bradstreet.

Second, DOROTHY, born in Ipswich, and married Rev. Seaborn Cotton, who was son of Rev. John Cotton, and born on the ocean during a stormy voyage, hence his Sea-born; his father was a dear friend of Mrs. Bradstreet and a famous preacher.

Third, SARAH, born in Ipswich and married Richard Hubbard of that town, a brother of the historian. Mrs. Bradstreet refers to this marriage in her "Bird's Nest" simile. Aurora means Ipswich.

Fourth, SIMON, was born in Ipswich, September 28, 1640, and graduated at Harvard. He was a minister and author, and pastor of a church in New London, Conn. It would appear from the following extract from his diary that he was prepared for college at Ipswich by Ezekiell Cheevers, 1651. "I had my education in the same town Ipswich in the free School, the master of w'ch

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was my ever respected friend Mr. Ezekiell Cheevers."

Fifth, HANNAH, born in Ipswich and married Andrew Wiggins, of Exeter, N. H., died 1707.

Sixth, MERCY, born in Ipswich and married Nathaniel Wade, of Ipswich, who afterwards moved to Medford, where his father, Jonathan Wade, owned large tracts of land, and divided equally with his son. There was quite a controversy between Governor Bradstreet and Jonathan Wade of Ipswich, as to dower or endowment of Nathaniel before the marriage was consummated. was at last amicably settled.

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Seventh, DUDLEY, 1648, born in Andover, held various public offices. In 1698 he and his family were captured by the Indians at North Andover, and were held captives but a short time.

Eighth, JOHN, was born in Andover, July 22, 1652, and resided in Topsfield, where he married the daughter of Rev. William Perkins.

Among the descendants may be counted many celebrated scholars and divines: Dr. William E. Channing; the Rev. Buckminster, of Portsmouth, and his accomplished son; Richard H. Dana the poet, and his son, the eminent lawyer. Also Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, the poet and humorist; Wendell Phillips the orator, who bore a striking resemblance to the old Simon Bradstreet,

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