before the Governor and Council, fell into a great passion, and gave big words, but when he was told that they had considered him as a person of quality, and therefore had used him with such respect as was meet to be showed to a gentleman and a scholar, but if he would behave himself no better he should be clapt in irons, upon which he grew more calm; and having thus hampered himself and provoked the authority of the country to handle him more roughly, with some of the rest, till they were humble enough to acknowledge their offences, upon their submission they were discharged.

One of the petitioners going that year for England, met with a sad storm at the Land's End, which (as was credibly reported) made him as sick in his conscience, with remorse for what he had done in the business of the petition, as he was in his carcase for the working of the sea, whereupon he delivered the papers about it to a wellaffected passenger, to be thrown over into the sea, which made himself and some others look at them as the Jonah that occasioned the storm that soon after ceased. But another in the ship, of a more resolved and tough humor, that was not a little concerned in the same business, as soon as he came ashore, published his papers concerning that affair, in a pamphlet, which he styled, "Jonah cast on the dry land." These men of scoffing wits abuse the serious acts of Providence to please their idle fancies. The righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God, and happy will that man be found to be, and approved of God, that works righteousness in his sight, that never shall see cause to condemn himself for that thing, which formerly he allowed in himself or others.

Mr. Burton, one of the petitioners, being in the townmeeting at Boston, when the Court's declaration about the petition was there read, was much moved, and spake in high language, and would needs have a copy of it, which so soon as he had, he hasted with it, (as was undoubtedly believed,) to Dr. Child; but in the way,

This is a mistake. "New England's Jonas cast up at London" was published by Major John Child, of Kent, a brother of our Doctor.-H.

making more haste than good speed, he fell down, and lay there in the cold near half an hour before it was known who he was, and company gotten to carry him home in a chair, after which he continued in great pain, and lame divers months.

It was observed that this man had a little before gathered up some Providences about such as were against them, as that Mr. Winslow's horse died in the way as he came to Boston, on account of his being called to be agent for the country, and something of another nature that happened in the family of Mr. Winslow's brother. But now his great trouble was, lest this Providence which befell himself, should be imputed [to their cause,'] and as a bad omen against his own house, and presage the fall thereof. The event did give no small countenance to such an interpretation, for soon after it was understood by the passengers which came from England, as well as by Mr. Winslow's letters, how the hopes and endeavors of Dr. Child and others of the petitioners, had been blasted by the special providence of God, which still wrought against them; for Mr. Vassall, assisted, as was said, by a relation of Dr. Child, set out a pamphlet, called "the Jonah cast on dry land," as was hinted before, wherein he published the petition exhibited to the General Court, and other proceedings of the said Court against them;2 which was answered by Mr. Winslow in another, which he called "the Salamander," (pointing therein at the said Mr. Vassall, a man never at rest, but when he was in the fire of contention,) wherein he cleared the justice of the Massachusetts Court in their proceedings about that affair. Others that went over with intent to procure them trouble ran into it themselves, and found it made good upon them in their experience what Solomon long since declared, with other penmen of holy writ, "He that diggeth a pit, shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him; whoso removeth stones, shall be hurt therewith; and he that cleaveth wood, shall be endangered thereby."3 "There is a day wherein God will make Jerusalem a burthensome stone, and the Gov'See page 516.—x.

1 Supplied from Winthrop.-H. 'Ecclesiastes, x. 8, 9—H.

ernors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf," &c. Mr. Vassall finding no encouragement to stay in England, went to the Barbadoes, the torrid zone being most agreeable to those of his disposition.

Dr. Child also preferred a petition to the Commissioners of Plantations against New England, and put in Mr. Thomas Fowle's name among others; but he hearing of it protested against it, for (as was said) God had brought him very low, both in his estate and reputation, since he joined in the first petition. But it missed the mark, how directly soever it was levelled against the country, and not being able ||to|| effect his design that way, he attempted another sort of revenge by reproaching the place and the fautors thereof. For falling in talk with Mr. Willoughby upon the Exchange, (who not long before belonged to Charlestown of New England,) he flew out in scurrilous language against the people of New England, saying they were a company of rogues and knaves. Mr. Willoughby answered, that he who spake so was a knave, whereupon the Doctor gave him a box on the ear. Mr. Willoughby was ready to have closed with him, &c., but being upon the Royal Exchange he was stayed, but presently arrested him. When the Doctor saw the danger he was in, he employed some friends to make his peace; by whom he was persuaded to give £5 to the poor of New England, and to give Mr. Willoughby open satisfaction in the full Exchange, and to give it under his hand, never to speak evil of New England men after, nor to occasion any trouble to the country, or to any of the people; all which he gladly performed.

In affairs of this nature passed the three first years of this lustre, in all which Mr. Winthrop, by annual election, held the Governor's place, as Mr. Dudley did the Deputy's. Although in the year 1647 there had been great laboring by the friends of the petitioners to have one chosen || the

• Francis Willoughby,

66

Zechariah, xii. 3, 6.-н. a gentleman from England," was chosen Assistant in 1650, was Deputy Governor from 1665 to 1670, and died at Charlestown, April 4, 1671.-H.

3 May 26th.-H.

Governor who favored their cause, and to have added some new magistrates of their side; but Mr. Winthrop carried it by near three hundred votes above any other, nor was any new Assistant chosen but Captain Robert Bridges,' who was not fit for their turn. In the two following years Mr. Dudley was declared, by the vote of the freemen, most worthy to succeed in the place of Governor, the Deputy Governor's place the same time falling to Mr. Endicot's share, Mr. Winthrop, the former Governor, being called hence March 26, 1649, about the sixty-third year of his age. of his age. Whatever were the sepulchre wherein his body was entombed, (not royal, like that of Jehoiada,) yet was he honored with the like epitaph, engraven in the minds of the people, as a worthy gentleman, who had done good in Israel, having spent not only his whole estate, (which at the first was considerable,) but his bodily strength and life, in the service of the country, not sparing, but always, as the burning torch, spending his health and wealth for the good of others. His virtues were very many and very commendable; his errors but few and very small compared with those observed in his detractors. One of the greatest note complained of in him, was his agedia σuatos, i. e. not sparing the body; for the remedy of which his friends wished he had more literally taken notice of Paul's precept to Timothy, "drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake, and thine often infirmities," which too many of that holy Apostle's disciples, or at least pretenders so to be, are very ready to observe, neglecting all the rest. But this good gentleman, having, in those hard times of first planting the wilderness, endeavored to leave to others an unimitable pattern of temperance aud frugality, he so much overcooled his natural heat that he thereby, as it were, invited death to take seizure of his weak body before he had scarce made any entrance into old age.

1 See page 493.-H. This is a most unaccountable mistake. Endicott succeeded Winthrop as Governor, and retained the office until 1654, while Dudley during the same period, until his death, July 31, 1653, was Deputy Governor.-H. This is a mistake. Winthrop was born Jan. 12, 1588, and consequently was, at his decease, 61 years, 2 months, and 14 days old. He was buried on Tuesday, April 3, 1649.-H.

CHAP. LVI.1

Various occurrents in New England, from 1646 to 1651.

IN October 1645, the General Court of the Massachusetts had made an order for ten shillings to be paid upon every butt of Spanish wine landed there. In the spring following there arrived divers English ships, which brought eight hundred butts, but the merchants having lost much by leakage, and coming to a bad market as they said, were very unwilling to pay the impost, and refused to give in an invoice of such wines as they had landed, by reason of which they were forfeited by the forementioned order. But upon their petition, the Court remitted the forfeit and half the impost, (in regard the order was made so late as they could not have notice of it in those parts from which the wines came,) but this notwithstanding, they would not submit to the order, so as the auditor (who had a charge of receiving the said impost) was forced to break open the cellar doors where their wine lay, and took out of their best wines for the impost, which by the order he might do; but that they took also as a great injury, because their best wines being gone, the sale of the rest was thereby much hindered, and the merchants threatened to get recompense some other way.

But too much indulgence in that kind opened a door of encouragement to wine merchants, who have since filled the country with that commodity, to the overflowing of luxury and other evils, whereas, had there been a greater impost laid thereon, it might have turned the stream of traffic into another channel, that might have been much more beneficial to the place. Too much oil extinguishes the light it should maintain. When this commodity began to abound in New England, it might have been truly said, as of old in the times of Constantine, Hodie venenum effusum est in ecclesiam. Once New England complained for want of traffic, but now it may be said, filia devoravit matrem.

1 LV. in the MS.-H.