his behaviour was plausible, and he was treated with respect; but it was not long before he began, in concert with John Oldham, to excite a faction. The governor watched them; and, when a ship was about sailing for England, it was observed that Lyford was very busy in writing letters, of which he put a great number on board. The governor, in a boat, followed the ship to sea, and, by favour of the master, who was a friend to the colony, examined the letters, some of which he intercepted and concealed. Lyford and Oldham were at first under much apprehension; but, as nothing transpired, they concluded that the governor had only gone on board to carry his own letters, and felt themselves

secure.

In one of the intercepted letters Lyford had written to his friends, the discontented part of the adventurers, that he and Oldham intended a reformation in Church and State. Accordingly, they began to institute a separate church; and, when Oldham was summoned to take his turn at a military watch, he not only refused compliance, but abused Captain Standish, and drew his knife upon him. For this he was imprisoned, and both he and Lyford were brought to trial before the whole VOL. III.-E

company.

Their behaviour was insolent and obstinate. The governor took pains to convince them of their folly, but in vain. The letters were then produced, their adherents were confounded, and the evidence of their factious and disorderly conduct being satisfactory, they were condemned, and ordered to be banished from the plantation. Lyford was allowed six months for probation; but his pretences proved hypocritical, and he was obliged to depart. After several removals he died in Virginia.* Oldham having returned after banishment, his second expulsion was conducted in this singular manner: "A guard of musketeers was appointed, through which he was obliged to pass; every one was ordered to give him a blow on the hinder parts with the butt end of his musket; then he was conveyed to the water side, where a boat was ready to carry him away, with this

* [This unhappy man came to New-England in 1624. Mr. Cushman, in a letter written at the time (January 24th), speaks of him as 66 a preacher, though not the most eminent, for whose going Mr. Winslow and I gave way, to give content to some at London."-Prince, 226. Bradford says he was "sent by a faction of the adventurers to hinder Mr. Robinson."-Ib., 228. For some previous immoralities, when a minister in Ireland, he had been forced to leave that country. He went from Plymouth to Nantasket, and thence to Cape Ann.-H.]

farewell, Go, and mend your manners."* This discipline had a good effect on him; he made his submission, and was allowed to come and go on trading voyages. In one of these he was killed by the Pequod Indians, which proved the occasion of a war with that nation.t

Mr. Bradford had one son by his first wife, and by his second, Alice Southworth, whom he married in 1623, he had two sons and a daughter. His son William, born in 1624, was deputy-governor of the colony after his father's death, and lived to the age of 80, as appears by his gravestone in Plymouth churchyard. One of his grandsons and two of his great-grandsons were counsellors of Massachusetts. Several others of his descendants

* Morton, 81.

+ [Oldham is supposed to have come to Plymouth in the summer of 1623. Previous to his connexion with Lyford he had been highly esteemed at Plymouth, where he had been even "called to council in chief affairs without distrust." A passionate man, and of rude speech.-Prince, 228, 229. Leaving Plymouth, he went to Nantasket, where he remained till his sentence of banishment was in effect remitted. In the settlement at Cape Ann he was appointed to manage the trade with the Indians. He was a man of much energy, industry, and enterprise. His death took place in August, 1636.-H.]

[She was a widow, with two children. The marriage, which was the fourth in the colony, was solemnized August 14th.Prince, 221. Morton, 103, note.-H.]

have borne respectable characters, and have been placed in stations of honour and usefulness. One of them, William Bradford, has been deputy-governor of the State of Rhode Island, and a Senator in the Congress of the United States. Two others, Alden Bradford and Gamaliel Bradford, are members of the Historical Society.

XX. WILLIAM BREWSTER.

THE place of this gentleman's birth is unknown. The time of it was A.D. 1560.* He received his education at the University of Cambridge, where he became seriously impressed with the truth of religion, which had its genuine influence on his character through his whole life.

After leaving the University he entered into the service of William Davison, a courtier of Queen Elizabeth, and her ambassador in Scotland and in Holland, who found him so capable and faithful that he reposed the utmost confidence in him. He esteemed him as a son, and conversed with him in private, both on religious and political subjects, with the greatest familiarity; and, when anything occurred which required secrecy, Brewster was his confidential friend.

When the queen entered into a league with the United Provinces (1584), and received

* [Mr. Young says 1564. Chronicles of the Pilgrims, p. 469, note. This work, received while these volumes are going through the press, is characterized by singular learning, research, and exactness.-H.]