University of Virginia Library

Chapter XXIII.
The proceedings and present estate of New England,
since 1624. to this present 1629.

WHEN I went first to the North part of Virginia, where the Westerly
Colony had beene planted, it had dissolved it selfe within
a yeare, and there was not one Christian in all the land. I was set
forth at the sole charge of foure Merchants of London;

the Country
being then reputed by your westerlings, a most rockie, barren, desolate
desart; but the good returne I brought from thence, with the
maps and relations I made of the Country, which I made so manifest,
some of them did beleeve me, and they were well embraced, both by
the Londoners, and Westerlings, for whom I had promised to undertake
it, thinking to have joyned them all together, but that might
well have beene a worke for Hercules. betwixt them long there was
much contention; the Londoners indeed went bravely forward; but
in three or foure yeares, I and my friends consumed many hundred
pounds amongst the Plimothians, who only fed me but with delayes,
promises, and excuses, but no performance of any thing to any purpose.
In the interim, many particular ships went thither, and finding
my relations true, and that I had not taken that I brought home
from the French men, as had beene reported; yet further for my
paines to discredit me, and my calling it New England, they obscured
it, and shadowed it, with the title of Cannada, till at my humble
suit, it pleased our most Royall King Charles, whom God long keepe,
blesse, and preserve, then Prince of Wales, to confirme it with my
map and booke, by the title of New England; the gaine thence returning
did make the fame thereof so increase, that thirty, forty, or
fifty saile, went yearly only to trade and fish; but nothing would bee
done for a plantation, till about some hundred, of your Brownists of
England, Amsterdam, and Leyden, went to New Plimouth, whose
humorous ignorances, caused them for more than a yeare, to endure
a wonderfull deale of misery, with an infinite patience; saying my
books and maps were much better cheape to teach them, than my
selfe; many other have used the ∥ like good husbandry, that have
payed soundly in trying their selfe-willed conclusions; but those in
time doing well, divers others have in small handfulls undertaken to
goe there, to be severall Lords and Kings of themselves, but most
vanished to nothing; notwithstanding the fishing ships, made such
good returnes, at last it was ingrossed by twenty Pattenties, that
divided my map into twenty parts, and cast lots for their shares; but
mony not comming in as they expected, procured a Proclamation,
none should goe thither without their licences to fish; but for every
thirty tunnes of shipping, to pay them five pounds; besides, upon
great penalties, neither to trade with the natives, cut downe wood
for their stages, without giving satisfaction, though all the Country
is nothing but wood, and none to make use of it, with many such
other pretences, for to make this Country plant it selfe, by its owne
wealth: hereupon most men grew so discontented, that few or none
would goe; so that the Pattenties, who never one of them had beene
there, seeing those projects would not prevaile, have since not hindred
any to goe that would, that within these few last yeares, more
have gone thither than ever.

Now this yeare 1629. a great company of people of good ranke,

zeale, meanes, and quality, have made a great stocke, and with six
good ships in the moneths of Aprill and May, they set saile from
Thames, for the Bay of the Massachusetts, otherwise called Charles
River; viz. the George Bonaventure, of twenty peeces of Ordnance, the
Talbot nineteene, the Lions-whelpe eight, the May-flower fourteene, the
Foure Sisters, foureteene, the Pilgrim foure, with three hundred and
fifty men, women, and children; also an hundred and fifteene head
of Cattell, as horse, mares, and neat beast; one and forty goats, some
Conies, with all provision for houshold, and apparell; six peeces of
great Ordnance for a Fort, with Muskets, Pikes, Corselets, Drums,
Colours, with all provisions necessary for a plantation, for the good
of man; other particulars I understand of no more, than is writ in
the generall historie of those Countries.

But you are to understand, that the noble Lord chiefe Justice
Popham, Judge Doderege;

the Right Honourable Earles of Pembroke,
Southampton, Salesbury, and the rest, as I take it, they did
all thinke, as I and them went with me, did; That had those two
Countries beene planted, as it was intended, that no other nation
should come plant betwixt us. If ever the King of Spaine and we
should fall foule, those Countries being so capable of all materialls
for shipping, by this might have beene owners of a good Fleet of
ships, and to have releeved a whole Navy from England upon occasion;
yea, and to have furnished England with the most Easterly
commodities; and now since, seeing how conveniently the Summer
Iles fell to our shares, so neere the West Indies, wee might with much
more facility than the Dutchmen have invaded the West Indies, that
doth now put in practice, what so long hathbeene advised on, by
many an honest English States-man.

Those Countries Captaine Smith oft times used to call his children

that never had mother; and well he might, for few fathers ever
payed dearer for so little content; and for those that would truly
understand, how ∥ many strange accidents hathbefallen them and
him; how oft up, how oft downe, sometimes neere desperate, and ere
long flourishing, cannot but conceive Gods infinite mercies and
favours towards them. Had his designes beene to have perswaded
men to a mine of gold, though few doth conceive either the charge
or paines in refining it, nor the power nor care to defend it; or some
new Invention to passe to the South Sea; or some strange plot to
invade some strange Monastery: or some portable Countrie; or
some chargeable Fleet to take some rich Caracks in the East Indies;
or Letters of Mark to rob some poore Merchants; what multitudes
of both people and mony, would contend to be first imployed: but
in those noble endevours (now) how few of quality, unlesse it be to
beg some Monopolie; and those seldome seeke the common good,
but the commons goods; as you may reade at large in his generall
history, page 217, 218, 219. his generall observations and reasons for
this plantation; for yet those Countries are not so forward but they
may become as miserable as ever, if better courses be not taken than
is; as this Smith will plainly demonstrate to his Majesty; or any other
noble person of ability, liable generously to undertake it; how within
a short time to make Virginia able to resist any enemy, that as yet
lieth open to all; and yeeld the King more custome within these few
yeares, in certaine staple commodities, than ever it did in Tobacco;
which now not being worth bringing home, the custome will bee as
uncertaine to the King, as dangerous to the plantations.