24

THEY RESOLVE TO FLY INTO HOLLAND.

CHAP. Sundry from London and other parts of the land, that I. had been exiled and persecuted for the same cause, were gone thither, and lived at Amsterdam,' and in other places of the land.

1607.

So after they had continued together about a year, and kept their meetings every Sabbath in one place or another, exercising the worship of God amongst themselves, notwithstanding all the diligence and malice of their adversaries, they seeing they could no longer continue in that condition, they resolved to get over into Holland, as they could, which was in the year 1607 and 1608; of which more in that which followeth.

standing at a stay like corn among
weeds." Beaumont and Fletcher,
in their play, The Fair Maid of the
Inn, introduce one of their charac-
ters as saying,

"I am a schoolmaster, Sir, and would fain
Confer with you about erecting four
New sects of religion at Amsterdam."

And Andrew Marvell, in his "Char-
acter of Holland," writes,

"Sure when religion did itself embark,
And from the east would westward steer
its ark,

It struck; and splitting on this unknown
ground,

Each one thence pillaged the first piece he

found.

Hence Amsterdam, Turk, Christian, Pa-
gan, Jew,

Staple of sects, and mint of schism, grew;
That bank of conscience, where not one so
strange

Opinion, but finds credit and exchange.
In vain for catholics ourselves we bear;
The universal church is only there."

The English church at Am-
sterdam was that of which Francis
Johnson was pastor and Henry
Ainsworth teacher, and which had
been originally set up at London,
in 1592, and soon afterwards re-
moved to Holland. It came very
near being torn in pieces at first by
intestine divisions, but afterwards
flourished under a succession of
pastors for more than a century.

In 1596 they published a "Confession of Faith of certain English people living in exile in the Low Countries," which was reprinted in 1604, in "An Apology or Defence of such true Christians as are commonly, but unjustly, called Brownists." This work has sometimes been confounded with John Robinson's "Just and Necessary Apology of certain Christians not less contumeliously than commonly called Brownists or Barrowists," which was first published in 1619. Some account of Johnson and Ainsworth is contained in Bradford's Dialogue, in a subsequent part of this volume. See Brandt's History of the Reformation in the Low Countries, i. 479; Neal's Puritans, i. 363, 386; Prince, p. 303.

In a memoir of Elder Brewster, written by Gov. Bradford, and copied by Morton into the records of the Plymouth Church, it is stated that "they ordinarily met at his (Brewster's) house on the Lord's Day, which was within a manor of the bishop's; and with great love he entertained them when they came, making provision for them to his great charge, and continued to do so while they could stay in England."

CHAPTER II.

OF THEIR DEPARTURE

INTO

HOLLAND, AND THEIR

TROUBLES THEREABOUT, WITH SOME OF THE MANY
DIFFICULTIES THEY FOUND AND MET WITHAL.

but

II.

BEING thus constrained to leave their native country, CHAP. their lands and livings, and all their friends and familiar acquaintance, it was much, and thought marvellous by many. But to go into a country they knew not, by hearsay, where they must learn a new language, and get their livings they knew not how, it being a dear place, and subject to the miseries of war, it was by many thought an adventure almost desperate, a case intolerable, and a misery worse than death; especially seeing they were not acquainted with trades nor traffic, (by which the country doth subsist) but had only been

1 The Netherlands have, in every age, from the earliest times down to the last great conflict at Waterloo, been the battle-ground of Europe. Bishop Hall says in one of his epistles, "It were pity that your Holland should be still the amphitheatre of the world, on whose scaffolds all other nations should sit, and see variety of bloody shows, not without pity and horror." At this time Spain was waging that dreadful war with her revolted subjects of the United Provinces, which terminated in their inde

pendence. The best account of this
war will be found in the contem-
porary historians, Bentivoglio, Re-
latione delle Provincie Unite di
Fiandra, Strada, de Bello Belgico,
and Grotius, Annales et Historia
de Rebus Belgicis. See also
Brandt's History of the Reforma-
tion in the Low Countries, Sir
William Temple's Observations
upon the United Provinces of the
Netherlands, Watson's History of
the Reign of Philip II. and III. and
Grattan's History of the Nether-
lands, in Lardner's Cyclopedia.

26

THE FIRST ATTEMPT PREVENTED.

CHAP. used to a plain country life and the innocent trade of husbandry. But these things did not dismay them, (although they did sometimes trouble them,) for their desires were set on the ways of God, and to enjoy his ordinances. But they rested on his providence, and knew whom they had believed. Yet this was not all. For 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.

1607.

There was a great company of them purposed to get passage at Boston, in Lincolnshire; and for that end had hired a ship wholly to themselves, and made agreement with the master to be ready at a certain day, and take them and their goods in at a convenient place, where they accordingly would all attend in readiness. So after long waiting and large expenses, though he kept not the day with them, yet he came at length, and took them in, in the night. And when he had them and their goods aboard, he betrayed them, having beforehand complotted with the searchers and other officers so to do; who took them and put them into open boats, and there rifled and ransacked them, searching them to their shirts for money, yea, even the women, further than became modesty; and then carried them back into the town, and made them a spectacle and wonderment to the multitude, which came flocking on all sides to behold them. Being thus by the catchpole

THE PILGRIMS IMPRISONED.

II.

27

officers rifled and stripped of their money, books, and CHAP. much other goods, they were presented to the magistrates, and messengers sent to inform the Lords of the Council of them; and so they were committed to ward. Indeed, the magistrates used them courteously, and showed them what favor they could; but could not deliver them until order came from the Council table. But the issue was, that after a month's imprisonment the greatest part were dismissed, and sent to the places from whence they came; but seven' of the principal men1 were still kept in prison, and bound over to the assizes.2

The next spring after, there was another attempt 1608. made, by some of these and others, to get over at another place; and it so fell out that they lighted of a Dutchman at Hull, having a ship of his own belonging

1 The word in the MS. is some; but I have no doubt that seven was the original reading. Hutchinson, who quotes this passage at length from Bradford's History, reads it seven; and it will be seen by the next note that Morton himself, copying another manuscript of Gov. Bradford alluding to this same affair, mentions "the seven." The word men I have also restored from Hutchinson. See his History, ii. 450.

2 Gov. Bradford says, in the memoir already referred to on page 24, that Elder Brewster "was the chief of those that were taken at Boston, in Lincolnshire, and suffered the greatest loss, and one of the seven that were kept longest in prison, and after bound over to the assizes." The books that were in the boats probably belonged to him, as we know that he had a considerable library, which he brought over with him to Plymouth. A catalogue of them is contained in his inventory, in the Records of the Old Colony.

The whole number of volumes was
275, of which 64 were in the learned
languages. They were valued at
£43. See Morton's Memorial, p.
221, and Mass. Hist. Coll. iv. 117.

Cotton Mather, in his Life of
Gov. Bradford in the Magnalia, i.
102, states that he was one of those
that were taken and imprisoned at
Boston. He adds that "Mr. Brad-
ford being a young man of about
eighteen, was dismissed sooner
than the rest, so that within a
while he had opportunity with
some others to get over to Zealand,
through perils both by land and sea
not inconsiderable; where he was
not long ashore ere a viper seized
on his hand, that is, an officer, who
carried him unto the magistrates,
unto whom an envious passenger
had accused him as having fled out
of England. When the magistrates
understood the true cause of his
coming thither, they were well
satisfied with him; and so he re-
paired joyfully unto his brethren at
Amsterdam."

28

THE SECOND EMBARKATION.

II.

1608.

CHAP. to Zealand. They made agreement with him, and acquainted him with their condition, hoping to find more faithfulness in him than in the former, of their own nation. He bade them not fear; for he would do well enough. He was by appointment to take them in between Grimsby' and Hull, where was a large common, a good way distant from any town. Now against the prefixed time, the women and children, with the goods, were sent to the place in a small bark, which they had hired for that end, and the men were to meet them by land. But it so fell out that they were there a day before the ship came; and the sea being rough,2 and the women very sick, prevailed with the seamen to put into a creek hard by, where they lay on ground at low water. The next morning the ship came; but they were fast, and could not stir until about noon. In the mean time, the shipmaster, perceiving how the matter was, sent his boat to be getting the men aboard, whom he saw walking about the shore. But after the first boat-full was got aboard, and she was ready to go for more, the master espied a great company, both horse and foot, with bills and guns and other weapons; for the country was raised to take them. The Dutchman seeing that, swore his country's oath, (" sacrament") and having the wind fair, weighed his anchor, hoisted sails, and away.

But the poor men which were got on board were in great distress for their wives and children, which they

Grimsby is a sea-port town in Lincolnshire, near the mouth of the Humber. It was once rich and populous, and carried on a considerable foreign trade. See Camden's Britannia, p. 471, and Britton's Topographical Description of the County of Lincoln, p. 689.

Mr. Bancroft, who is generally very accurate in his facts, errs in saying that "the embarkation was to be made under the shelter of darkness;" and also draws upon his imagination for "a night storm." Hist. U. S. i. 302.