was so over-peopled that the poor found their children to be great burdens instead of the chiefest of blessings. In addition to the superabundance of people, there was such an excess of competition in all trades that the honest man found it hard to get a living. These drawbacks existed at home, while a whole continent, both fruitful and fitted for man's use, lay waste accross the ocean. That continent had a few native-born inhabitants, who as they neither enclosed the land nor had tame cattle and a settled habitation, were held by Winthrop to possess only "a natural right to those countries." He arrived at the conclusion, which was more convenient to him than to the natives, and which less scrupulous men after him have reached without elaborate argument, "If we leave them sufficient for their use, we may lawfully take the rest, there being more than enough for them and us." He communicated his plans and his reasons for adopting them to several friends, among them to Robert Ryece, who was an accomplished gentleman and a great preserver of the antiquities of Suffolk.' The latter, though agreeing with Winthrop in the main, advised him to stay at home, urging the following weighty considera tion:-"The Church and Commonwealth here at home hath more need of your best ability in these dangerous times than any remote plantation." Had other patriots of that day, such as Pym, Hampden, Cromwell, Haslerig, Holles, and Strode, left the country also, the course of English history might have taken a different direction. A fable originated by Cotton Mather, and included as an authentic fact in many carelessly compiled histories, is current to the effect that three of the men just named were turned back by force when about to embark for New England. Winthrop was unshackled by any obstacle in carrying out his design to leave his native country and begin life anew in a strange land, where he might have no cause to dread the tyranny of Charles I. in civil affairs, or the Romanizing innovations of Laud in the doctrine and discipline of the Church. When contemplating emigration he naturally turned his thoughts toward America. Many colonies had been founded there, and the suitability of the land for colonisation had been demonstrated. In 1628 a Puritan colony had been established at Salem, in Massachusetts, with Endicott as the governor. The company which sent forth this colony did so under the security of a patent obtained from the Council for New England. Desiring to enlarge the scope of the enterprise, the company applied for a royal charter and obtained one empowering "The Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England," to make laws and govern the territory on certain conditions, and to resist by force of arms all attacks made upon themselves and their property, whether on land or water. Charles I. signed this document on the 21st of March, 1629; a few days afterwards he intimated his intention of governing the country without a parliament. It may be surmised that

In a re

the king looked upon a Puritan emigration as most desirable, insomuch as it lessened the number of his adversaries. The writings of Laud supply evidence in support of such a conclusion. port made to the king in 1636, Laud remarked that a lecturer at Yarmouth having gone to New England there was peace in the town, and that Mr. Bridge, a Puritan clergyman, had departed from Norwich to Holland. After reading this Charles wrote on the margin, "Let him go; we are well rid of him." Indeed, so far from showing any desire to detain the Puritan leaders in England, the king was resigned to their departure and was prepared to exclaim out of the fulness of a thankful heart, "We are well rid of them." Twelve gentlemen met at Cambridge in August, 1629, and resolved that, if the charter could be legally transferred to America, they would embark for the plantation of Massachusetts Bay by the first day of the following March, with the view "to inhabit and continue in New England," and that they would take their wives and families, if the latter would consent to accompany them. They likewise agreed that any one who failed through his own default in keeping this agreement, should forfeit £3 for every day that he was unprepared to start. Winthrop was present at the meeting and assented to the resolutions. Two days later, a general court of the Company was held in London, when it was resolved that the government should be transferred to the plantation itself. At the same meeting, John Winthrop was elected governor of the Company. In April, 1630, he set sail in the Arbella for the Western continent. Sir Simonds D'Ewes, writing four years later, thus describes how this expedition was viewed by contemporaries. Previous emigrants to New England had "chiefly aimed at trade and gain, till about the year 1630, in the spring, when John Winthrop, Esq., a Suffolk man, and many other godly and well-disposed Christians, with the main of their estates, and many of them with their entire families, to avoid the burdens and snares which were here laid upon their consciences, departed thither. Nathaniel Morton, who was at New Plymouth when the Puritans sailed from England, writes in his "New England's Memorial," "This year, 1630, it pleased God of His rich grace to transport over into the Bay of Massachusetts divers honourable personages and many worthy Christians. . . . Among the rest, a chief one amongst them was that famous pattern of piety and justice, Mr. John Winthrop, the first governor of the jurisdiction, accompanied with divers other precious sons of Zion, which might be compared to the most fine gold." Before sailing, Winthrop issued a farewell address to his brethren in the Church, wherein he said far his associates and himself that "we esteem it an honour to call the Church of England, from whence we rise, our dear mother, and cannot part from our native country, where she specially resideth, without much sadness of heart, and many tears in our

e. es."

Winthrop had taken a personal farewell of his friends and associates at a dinner before embarking. When about to drink their healths his feelings overpowered him, and the company wept in concert at the thought of never seeing each other's faces any more. But it was a still greater trial to part from his wife, who, expecting an addition to her family, could not accompany him. She was a devoted wife and mother. When her husband's departure had been determined on and while he was making the final preparations in London, she wrote a beautiful letter from Groton, in which she thus expresses her feelings and her hopes: "My request now shall be to the Lord to prosper thee in thy voyage, and enable thee and fit thee for it, and give all graces and gifts for such employ. ments as he shall call thee to. I trust God will bring us together before you go, that we may see each other with gladness, and take solemn leave, till we, through the goodness of our God, shall meet in New England, which will be a joyful day to us.' His answer is contained in a postscript to another letter which he had written before receiving hers: "Being now ready to send away my letters, I received thine; the reading of it has dissolved my head into tears. I can write no more. If I live I will see thee ere I go. I shall part from thee with sorrow enough; be comfortable, my most sweet wife, our God will be with thee." These touching words came straight from his heart; those printed in Italics are almost illegible in the manuscript from the tears which watered the paper. The sacrifice which Winthrop made in leaving his native land has seldom been equalled by any self-exiled Englishman. He left a fine estate, where he lived as a county gentleman in the rereceipt of an ample income and enjoying the esteem of his neighbours. The best society of the age was open to him. He had everything, in short, which constitutes human happiness, and it proves the strength of his religious sentiments, that he parted with his property, withdrew from all the attractions of society, and separated himself from a dearly beloved wife, in order that he might help to establish what he considered to be a pure Church and commonwealth on the North American Continent.

He arrived at Salem on the 12th of June, 1631, after a voyage of two months' duration. The sea was often very rough, but, as Winthrop records, however the tempest might blow and the waves rage, it was the exception for Sunday not to be duly kept, and two sermons be preached. Every Tuesday and Wednesday the passengers were catechized. On board ship Winthrop composed and probably delivered a discourse entitled Christian Charity." In the course of it he set forth the objects of their society, which was composed of persons professing to be fellow members of Christ, who were seeking out a place of cohabitation and consortship under a due form of goverment both civil and ecclesiastical," whose end was the improvement of their lives, and who hoped to attain it by

bringing "into familiar and constant practice" what most of the churches in England "maintained as truth in profession only." It was essential, to prevent shipwreck of their plans, for them to be knit together as one man : 'We must entertain each other in brotherly affection. We must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities, for the supply of others' necessities. We must uphold a familiar commune together in all meekness, gentleness, patience, and liberality. We must delight in each other; make others' conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labour and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body." He urged, moreover, that if they succeeded, the desire of other persons would be to copy their example, while failure would cause their principles to be ridiculed; that they would be as a city set up on a hill, the cynosure of all eyes. On the sixtieth day after sailing land was seen: "There came a smell off the shore, like the smell of a garden." Four days later Winthrop was able to record that he and others went on shore, where they supped on a good venison pasty and good beer," and that some of the passengers "gathered store of fine strawberries at Cape Ann."

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The settlers at Salem numbered three hundred when Winthrop arrived. About a thousand persons were transported in the ships which sailed with him or followed after. The cost of the enterprise was reckoned at £192,000 The vessels were laden with provisions to feed the settlers, wood and iron wherewith to build houses, and sheep, pigs, cattle, and horses wherewith to stock the land. Most of the goats and horses died at sea, and only half of the cows survived. This was not the worst. The settlers were in great straits for food, and stood in need of the assistance which the newcomers expected from them. Fever broke out, and carried off two hundred before Winthrop had been six months in the country. At least a hundred returned to England, both because they were in dread of famine, and also because they objected to the strictness of the discipline which prevailed. Deputy-Governor Dudley, when informing the Countess of Lincoln, by letter, what had occurred, states that those persons who thought of joining them for worldly ends had better stay at home, but that, if influenced by spiritual motives, they would find in New England what would satisfy them; that is, "materials to build, fuel to burn, ground to plant, seas and rivers to fish in, a pure air to breathe in, good water to drink till wine and beer can be made, which, together with the cows, hogs, and goats brought hither already, may suffice for food. As for fowl and venison, they are dainties here as well as in England. For clothes and bedding, they must bring them with them till time and industry produce them here. In a word, we yet enjoy little to be envied, but endure much to be pitied in the sickness and mortality of our people."

Winthrop has more to bear than many of his associates. His second son, Henry, who had missed getting on board the Arbella before she sailed from the Isle of Wight, and who followed in another ship, was drowned the day after reaching Salem. His third son, Forth, whom he left behind at Cambridge, who was destined for the ministry, and who was to embark for New England as soon as his studies were finished, died after a short illness. His infant daughter, Anne, died at sea shortly after his wife had sailed to rejoin him. The reunion of husband and wife took place in November, 1631. The arrival of Margaret Winthrop and her children was the subject of rejoicing among the people, who were unfeignedly glad that their governor's happiness was increased. Winthrop was greatly impressed with the demonstration, remarking that "the like joy and manifestation of love had never been seen in New England.' His eldest son, John, came also, bringing a wife with him. He had completed the sale of Groton Manor, though at a price far below what his father desired, the sum obtained being £4,200, and the valuation being £5,760. William Bradford, the Governor of New Plymouth, made a journey in order to congratulate "his much honoured and beloved friend," the Governor of Massachusetts Bay, on being surrounded by his family in his new home.

The story of Winthrop's life during the nineteen years passed in New England is virtually the history of the rise and progress of the Company of Massachusetts Bay. As some of the principal incidents in his career will be narrated hereafter in connection with the lives of other founders of New England, I shall merely indicate now the main incidents in it. It was owing to him that the peninsula then called Shawmut, upon which Boston now stands, was selected as suitable for settlement, an excellent spring of water being the chief attraction. The Rev. William Blackstone, who claimed the right of ownership, was paid a small sum for permitting houses to be erected on Shawmut, and he left the spot when he found that he was to be under subjection to stricter Puritans than himself. He was a clergyman of the Church of England who. had emigrated to America in the hope of being unmolested there on account of his religious principles. He assigned as the reason for leaving Shawmut that, having quitted England to escape from the tyranny of the Lord Bishops, he was not disposed to submit in America to the tyranny of the Lord Brethren. For the first three and the last three years of Winthrop's life in New England he was annually chosen governor; he was deputy-governor for three years. His chief fault, in the opinion of his associates, was that he was too tolerant. His excuse was that he thought it right, in the infancy of a plantation, not to be very rigid in administering the law, seeing that the people were more ignorant of their duties than they would be in an older and more settled State; however,