polity in America, the watchful eye of Laud was ever upon them; and he endeavoured to prevent the continual emigration of the Puritans, and to introduce into the newly-founded state the authority of the same arbitrary tribunals with which he harassed them at home. Every possible effort was therefore made to prevent the embarkation of the fugitives. "And thus," continues Bradford," 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."

Of all the seaports on the eastern coast, the most convenient for Holland, and at that time the most important, was Boston, situated amidst the rich level fens of Lincolnshire, intersected by ancient dykes formed by the Romans, and communicating with the sea by the sluggish river Witham. Its origin is remote and obscure; but it had grown up to consideration so early as the year 1204, for, as its chronicles narrate, "when the quinzième was levied (a duty which was raised on the fifteenth part of land and goods at the several ports of England), the merchants of Boston paid 7807., and London paid 8367. The capital paid the largest sum of any port, and Boston was the second in amount. The advantages which it possessed as a seaport and place of trade brought over the merchants of the Hanseatic League, who established their guild here. In 1359 Edward III. assessed eighty-two towns to provide ships and men for the invasion of Brittany. Boston furnished to this navy 17 ships and 361 men— a greater number of vessels than was supplied by Portsmouth, Hull, Harwich, or Lynn."

It was with the wealth accumulated during this period that the Bostonians erected their parish church, the finest in all England,