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30

ARRIVAL IN HOLLAND.

CHAP. ing, admiring their deliverance, the storm having been II. so long and sore, in which much hurt had been done,

1608.

as the master's friends had related unto him in their congratulations.1

But to return to the others where we left. The rest of the men that were in the greatest danger made shift to escape away before the troop could surprise them, those only staying that best might, to be assistant to the women. But pitiful it was to see the heavy case of these poor women in this distress; what weeping and crying on every side; some for their husbands that

1 Cotton Mather, in the Magnalia, i. 101, 102, records this and the previous attempt to escape from England; but he perversely transposes their chronological order; the effect of which is to make it appear that Bradford was imprisoned in Boston after he had escaped to Holland. He did not derive his information from Bradford's original manuscript but from this copy of it in the records of Plymouth church, which he cursorily examined when on his visits to his uncle, John Cotton, the minister of that church.

Mather did not know how to use his valuable materials, and took no pains to ascertain his facts or verify his statements. One instance of his utter disregard of accuracy, even when it could be easily attained, will suffice. In his Life of his father, Increase Mather, he states, p. 24, that he married the only daughter of John Cotton; whilst in the Magnalia, i. 260, he asserts that Cotton had three daughters, two of whom were married. One would have thought that he might have taken the trouble to find the exact truth about such a simple fact as this, relating to his own mother. And yet Cotton Mather is universally cited by Europeans, as well as by our own countrymen, who

undertake to write our history, not only as an authority, but as the highest authority. This has been the case from Neal and Robertson downwards. De Tocqueville, whose selection of authorities is in all other respects singularly judicious, puts the Magnalia at the head, calling it "the most valuable and important document on the history of New England ;" and Grahame, whose excellent History of the United States evinces great discrimination, calls it "the most considerable of the early historical works, and the most interesting performance that the literature of New England has ever produced. The biographical portions, in particular," he adds, possess the highest excellence, and are superior in dignity and interest to the compositions of Plutarch." It is quite time that it was generally understood that Cotton Mather is not to be relied upon as an authority for any fact, unsupported by other evidence. Mr. Savage, the learned editor of Winthrop's Journal, states the simple truth when he says, that "Cotton Mather has published more errors of carelessness than any other writer on the history of New England." De Tocqueville, Democracy in America, p. 424, Grahame, i. 415; Savage's Winthrop, ii. 24.

66

THE WOMEN LEFT BEHIND.

31

II.

were carried away in the ship, as it was before related; CHAP. others not knowing what should become of them and their little ones; others melted in tears, seeing their 1608. poor little ones hanging about them, crying for fear and quaking with cold. Being thus apprehended, they were hurried from one place to another, and from one justice to another, until, in the end, they knew not what to do with them. For to imprison so many women and innocent children for no other cause, many of them, but that they would go with their husbands, seemed to be unreasonable, and all would cry out of them; and to send them home again was as difficult, for they alleged (as the truth was) they had no homes to go to, for they had sold or otherwise disposed of their houses and livings. To be short, after they had been thus turmoiled a good while, and conveyed from one constable to another, they were glad to be rid of them in the end upon any terms, for all were wearied and tired with them; though, in the mean time, the poor souls endured misery enough; and thus in the end necessity forced a way for them.

But that I be not tedious in these things, I will omit the rest, although I might relate other notable passages and troubles which they endured and underwent in these their wanderings and travels, both at land and sea. But I haste to other things. omit the fruit that came hereby.

2

'I have here substituted would, which Hutchinson gives as the reading of Bradford's MS. for must, which is in Morton's copy. There can be no doubt as to which is the true reading.

It is much to be regretted that the worthy Governor did not see

Yet I may not
For by these so

fit to preserve the particulars of
these perils and sufferings of his
brethren. Could he have forescen
the deep interest which, two hun-
dred years afterwards, would be
felt in every thing relating to these
poor exiles, he would not have failed
to record the minutest occurrences

32

RESULT OF THE PERSECUTION.

CHAP. public troubles in so many eminent places1 their cause 11. became famous, and occasioned many to look into the 1608. same; and their godly carriage and christian behaviour

was such as left a deep impression in the minds of many. And though some few shrunk at those first conflicts and sharp beginnings, (as it was no marvel,) yet many more came on with fresh courage, and greatly animated others; and in the end, notwithstanding all these storms of opposition, they all got over at length, some at one time and some at another, and met together again, according to their desires, with no small rejoicing.

in their history. But these humble
and modest men did not suppose
that posterity would be solicitous to
know about their trials and perse-

cutions. They were not aware that they were to be the germs of a great empire.

Boston, Hull, and Grimsby.

CHAPTER III.

OF THEIR SETTLING IN HOLLAND, AND THEIR MANNER OF
LIVING AND ENTERTAINMENT THERE.

III.

BEING now come into the Low Countries, they saw CHAP. many goodly and fortified cities, strongly walled, and guarded with troops of armed men. Also they heard 1608. a strange and uncouth language, and beheld the different manners and customs of the people, with their strange fashions and attires; all so far differing from that of their plain country villages, wherein they were bred and born and had so long lived, as it seemed they were come into a new world. But those were not the things they much looked on, or long took up their thoughts; for they had other work in hand, and another kind of war to wage and maintain. For though they saw fair and beautiful cities, flowing with abundance of all sorts of wealth and riches, yet it was not long before they saw the grim and griseled face of poverty coming on them like an armed man, with whom they must buckle and encounter, and from whom they could not fly. But they were armed with

faith and patience against him and all his encounters;

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34

THE PILGRIMS IN AMSTERDAM.

CHAP. and though they were sometimes foiled, yet by God's assistance they prevailed and got the victory.

III.

1608. Now when Mr. Robinson, Mr. Brewster, and other principal members were come over, (for they were of the last, and stayed to help the weakest over before them,) such things were thought on as were necessary for their settling and best ordering of the church affairs. And when they had lived at Amsterdam about a year, Mr. Robinson, their pastor, and some others of best discerning, seeing how Mr. John Smith and his company was already fallen into contention with the church that was there before them, and no means they could use would do any good to cure the same; and also that the flames of contention were like to break out in that ancient church itself, (as afterwards lamentably came to pass); which things they prudently foreseeing, thought it was best to remove before they were any way engaged with the same;' though they well knew it would be much to the prejudice of their outward

'Neal, Hist. of New England, i. 76, falls into an error when he speaks of" the flames of contention having broken out in Mr. Smith's church." Belknap, Amer. Biog. ii. 157, follows it when he says, "these people (Smith and his congregation) fell into controversy, and were soon scattered;" and Francis Baylies, Memoir of Plymouth, i. 11, repeats it when he says, some dissensions happening amongst them, (Smith's people) the church was dissolved." This error arises from their not being aware of, or not attending to, the fact of the existence of another congregation of Separatists at Amsterdam, which had been established many years before Smith settled there; who went over to Holland, as appears

from page 22, only a short time before Robinson. The contention was not among the members of Smith's congregation, but between his church and "the church that was there before them," "that ancient church," namely Johnson's, mentioned in the note on page 24. Baylie, in his Dissuasive, p. 16, Hornius, Hist. Eccles. p. 232, and Neal, Hist. Puritans, i. 437, err in saying that Smith set up his church at Leyden; whereas it was to avoid him and his company that Robinson removed to that city. Cotton, in his Way of Cong. Churches, p. 7, says, "I understand by such as lived in those parts at that time, Smith lived at Amsterdam, and there died, and at Leyden in Holland he never came."

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