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CHAPTER II.

OF THEIR DEPARTURE INTO HOLLAND, AND THEIR TROUBLES
THEREABOUT, WITH SOME OF THE MANY DIFFICULTIES

THEY FOUND AND MET WITHAL. 1

II.

BEING thus constrained to leave their native country, CHAP. their lands and livings, and all their friends and familiar acquaintance, it was much, and thought marvellous by many. But to go into a country they knew not, but by hearsay, where they must learn a new language, and get their livings they knew not how, it being a dear place, and subject to the miseries of war,' it was by many thought an adventure almost desperate, a case intolerable, and a misery worse than death; especially seeing they were not acquainted with trades nor traffic, (by which the country doth subsist,) but had only been

1 The Netherlands have, in every age, from the earliest times down to the last great conflict at Waterloo, been the battle-ground of Europe. Bishop Hall says in one of his epistles, "It were pity that your Holland should be still the amphitheatre of the world, on whose scaffolds all other nations should sit, and see variety of bloody shows, not without pity and horror." At this time Spain was waging that dreadful war with her revolted subjects of the United Provinces, which terminated in their independ

ence. The best account of this
war will be found in the contem-
porary historians, Bentivoglio, Della
Guerra di Fiandra, parte iii. lib.
viii. Strada, de Bello Belgico, and
Grotius, Annales et Historiæ de
Rebus Belgicis. See also Brandt's
History of the Reformation in the
Low Countries, Sir William Tem-
ple's Observations upon the United
Provinces of the Netherlands, Wat-
son's Ilistory of the Reign of Philip
II. and III. and Grattan's History
of the Netherlands, in Lardner's
Cyclopedia.

26

II.

THE FIRST ATTEMPT PREVENTED.

CHAP. used to a plain country life and the innocent trade of husbandry. But these things did not dismay them, (although they did sometimes trouble them,) for their desires were set on the ways of God, and to enjoy his ordinances. But they rested on his providence, and knew whom they had believed. Yet this was not all. For although they could not stay, yet were they not suffered to go; but the ports and havens were shut against them, so as they were fain to seek secret means of conveyance, and to fee the mariners, and give extraordinary rates for their passages. And yet were they oftentimes betrayed, many of them, and both they and their goods intercepted and surprised, and thereby put to great trouble and charge; of which I will give an instance or two, and omit the rest.

1607.

There was a great company of them purposed to get passage at Boston, in Lincolnshire; and for that end had hired a ship wholly to themselves, and made agreement with the master to be ready at a certain day, and take them and their goods in at a convenient place, where they accordingly would all attend in readiness. So after long waiting and large expenses, though he kept not the day with them, yet he came at length, and took them in, in the night. And when he had them and their goods aboard, he betrayed them, having beforehand complotted with the searchers and other officers so to do; who took them and put them into open boats, and there rifled and ransacked them, searching them to their shirts for money, yea, even the women, further than became modesty; and then carried them back into the town, and made them a spectacle and wonderment to the multitude, which came flocking on all sides to behold them. Being thus by the catchpole

?

THE PILGRIMS IMPRISONED.

II.

27

officers rifled and stripped of their money, books, and CHAP.
much other goods, they were presented to the magis-
trates, and messengers sent to inform the Lords of
the Council of them; and so they were committed to
ward. Indeed, the magistrates used them courteously,
and showed them what favor they could; but could
not deliver them until order came from the Council
table. But the issue was, that after a month's im-
prisonment the greatest part were dimissed, and sent
to the places from whence they came; but seven of
the principal men' were still kept in prison, and
bound over to the assizes.2

The next spring after, there was another attempt 1608. made, by some of these and others, to get over at another place; and it so fell out that they lighted of a Dutchman at Hull, having a ship of his own belonging

The word in the MS. is some; but I have no doubt that seven was the original reading. Hutchinson, who quotes this passage at length from Bradford's History, reads it seven; and it will be seen by the next note that Morton himself, copying another manuscript of Gov. Bradford alluding to this same affair, mentions "the seven." The word men I have also restored from Hutchinson. See his History, ii.

450.

'Gov. Bradford says, in the memoir already referred to on page 24, that Elder Brewster "was the chief of those that were taken at Boston, in Lincolnshire, and suffered the greatest loss, and one of the seven that were kept longest in prison, and after bound over to the assizes." The books that were in the boats probably belonged to him, as we know that he had a considerable library, which he brought over with him to Plymouth. A catalogue of them is contained in his inventory, in the Records of the Old Colony.

The whole number of volumes was
275, of which 64 were in the learned
languages. They were valued at
£43. Scc Morton's Memorial, p.
221, and Mass. Hist. Coll. iv. 117.

Cotton Mather, in his Life of
Gov. Bradford in the Magnalia, i.
102, states that he was one of those
that were taken and imprisoned at
Boston. He adds that "Mr. Brad-
ford being a young man of about
eighteen, was dismissed sooner
than the rest, so that within a
while he had opportunity with some
others to get over to Zealand,
through perils both by land and sea
not inconsiderable; where he was
not long ashore ere a viper seized
on his hand, that is, an officer, who
carried him unto the magistrates,
unto whom an envious passenger
had accused him as having fled out
of England. When the magistrates
understood the true cause of his
coming thither, they were well
satisfied with him; and so he re-
paired joyfully unto his brethren at
Amsterdam."

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THE SECOND EMBARKATION.

CHAP. to Zealand. They made agreement with him, and II. acquainted him with their condition, hoping to find 1608. more faithfulness in him than in the former, of their

own nation. He bade them not fear; for he would do well enough. He was by appointment to take them in between Grimsby' and Hull, where was a large common, a good way distant from any town. Now against the prefixed time, the women and children, with the goods, were sent to the place in a small bark, which they had hired for that end, and the men were to meet them by land. But it so fell out that they were there a day before the ship came; and the sea being rough, and the women very sick, prevailed with the seamen to put into a creek hard by, where they lay on ground at low water. The next morning the ship came; but they were fast, and could not stir until about noon. In the mean time, the shipmaster, perceiving how the matter was, sent his boat to be getting the men aboard, whom he saw walking about the shore. But after the first boat-full was got aboard, and she was ready to go for more, the master espied a great company, both horse and foot, with bills and guns and other weapons; for the country was raised to take them. The Dutchman seeing that, swore his country's oath, ("sacrament") and having the wind fair, weighed his anchor, hoisted sails, and away.

But the poor men which were got on board were in great distress for their wives and children, which they saw thus to be taken, and were left destitute of their helps, and themselves also not having a cloth to shift

1

Grimsby is a sea-port town in
Lincolnshire, near the mouth of the
Humber. It was once rich and pop-
ulous, and carried on a considerable

foreign trade. See Camden's Britannia, p. 471, and Britton's Topographical Description of the County of Lincoln, p. 689.

A STORM AT SEA.

II.

29

them with, more than they had on their backs, and CHAP. some scarce a penny about them, all they had being on board the bark. It drew tears from their eyes, and 1608. any thing they had they would have given to have been on shore again. But all in vain; there was no remedy; they must thus sadly part; and afterwards endured a fearful storm at sea, being fourteen days or more before they arrived at their port; in seven whereof they neither saw sun, moon, nor stars, and were driven to the coast of Norway; the mariners themselves often despairing of life, and once with shrieks and cries gave over all, as if the ship had been foundered in the sea, and they sinking without recovery. But when man's hope and help wholly failed, the Lord's power and mercy appeared for their recovery; for the ship rose again, and gave the mariners courage again to manage her; and if modesty' would suffer me, I might declare with what fervent prayers they cried unto the Lord in this great distress, especially some of them, even without any great distraction. When the water ran into their very ears and mouths, and the mariners cried out, "We sink, we sink," they cried, if not with miraculous, yet with a great height of divine faith, "Yet, Lord, thou canst save; yet, Lord, thou canst save: " with such other expressions as I will forbear. Upon which the ship did not only recover, but shortly after the violence of the storm began to abate, and the Lord filled their afflicted minds with such comforts as every one cannot understand, and in the end brought them to their desired haven; where the people came flock

1 From this expression, as well as from the whole passage, there can hardly be a doubt that Brad

ford himself was in the vessel.
The description is that of an eye-
witness.

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