Standish returns from England—Death of John Robinson and Robert
Cushman—Purchase of trading goods at Monhegan—Isaac Allerton goes to
England—Small ship built: 1626.
About the beginning of April they heard of Captain Standish’s
arrival, and sent a boat to fetch him home with the things he had
brought. He was welcome; but the news he brought was sad in many
regards; not only as to the losses which their friends had suffered,
but also the tidings that Mr. John Robinson, their old pastor,
was dead, which saddened them much and not without cause. Their
adversaries had been long plotting to hinder his coming hither; but
the Lord had appointed him a better place. An account of his death is
given in these few lines written to the Governor and Mr. Brewster.
_A letter from Roger White at Leyden to Governor Bradford and
William Brewster at New Plymouth_:
Loving and kind Friends,
I do not know whether this will ever come to your hands, or
miscarry as my other letters have done. But because of the Lord’s
dealing with us here, I have had a great wish to write to you,
knowing your desire to participate with us both in our joys and
sorrows, as we do with you. This is to give you to understand that
it has pleased the Lord to take out of this vale of tears your and
our loving and faithful pastor, and my dear and reverend brother,
Mr. John Robinson, who was ill for some eight days. He began to
sicken on Saturday morning; yet next day (being the Lord’s day)
he taught us twice. The week after he grew daily weaker, but was
without pain. The physic he took seemed to benefit him, but he grew
weaker every day, though he remained sensible to the last. He fell
sick on Feb. 22nd, and departed this life on March 1st. He suffered
from a continual inward ague, but was free from infection, so
that all his friends came to see him. If either prayers or tears
or care could have saved his life, he had not gone hence. But he
having faithfully finished his course, and performed the work which
the Lord had appointed him here to do, now rests with the Lord in
eternal happiness. Since his going our Church lacks a governor; yet
we still continue by the mercy of God, and hold close together in
peace and quietness; and so hope to do, though we are very weak.
We wish (if such were the will of God) that you and we were again
united, either there or here; but seeing it is the will of the
Lord thus to dispose of things, we must labour with patience to
rest contented, till it please the Lord otherwise to dispose. As
for news, there is not much. In England we have lost our old King
James, who departed this life about a month ago; and here they have
lost the old prince, Grave Maurice; both having departed this life
since my brother Robinson. In England we have a new king, Charles,
of whom there is great hope; here they have put Prince Henry in his
brother’s place. Thus with my love remembered, I take leave and
rest,
Your assured loving friend,
ROGER WHITE.
_Leyden, April 28th, 1625._
Thus these two great princes and the colonists’ old pastor left this
world about the same time: Death makes no difference.
Captain Standish further brought them notice of the death of their
early friend, Mr. Cushman, whom the Lord took away also this
year, and who had been their right hand with their friends, the
adventurers, and for many years had undertaken all their business
with them to great advantage. He had written to the Governor but a
few months before of the serious illness of Mr. James Sherley, one of
the chief friends of the plantation, who lay at the point of death,
praising his love and helpfulness in everything, and much bemoaning
the loss his death would be to them, for he was the stay and life
of the whole business; also that he proposed to come over this year
and spend the rest of his days with them. But he who thus wrote of
another’s illness, knew not his own death was so near. It shows that
a man’s ways are not in his own power, but in His hands, Who has the
issue of life and death. Man may propose, but God doth dispose.
Their other friends from Leyden wrote many sad letters to them,
lamenting the heavy loss of their pastor, and though they would
gladly come to them, they saw no probability of it, but concluded
that all their hopes were at an end; and besides, many, being aged,
began to drop away by death.
They were greatly perplexed—and not without cause. But they took
courage, and the Lord so helped them, Whose work they had in hand,
that now when they seemed at the lowest ebb they began to rise again;
and being stripped as it were of all human helps and props, by His
divine providence they were not only upheld and sustained, but their
example was both honoured and imitated by others; as the sequel will
show if the Lord spare me life and time to unfold it.
Having now no fishing business or other things to attend to besides
their trading and planting, they set themselves to follow them with
the best industry they could. The settlers finding that their spare
corn was a commodity worth six shillings a bushel, spared no pains
in sowing it. The Governor and those appointed to manage the trade
(for it was still retained for the general benefit, and none were
allowed to trade for themselves) co-operated; so, lacking goods to
trade with, and hearing that a settlement which had been at Monhegan
and belonged to some merchants at Plymouth was to break up, and many
useful goods were to be sold, the Governor and Mr. Winslow took a
boat and some hands and went there. Mr. David Thomson, who lived
at Piscataqua, learning their purpose, took the opportunity to go
with them; but lest their competition for the goods should raise the
prices, they agreed to buy them all and divide them equally between
them. They also bought some goats, which they distributed amongst
the colonists as they thought fit in exchange for corn. Their share
of the goods came to above £400 sterling. That same spring a French
ship had been wrecked at Sagadahoc, containing many Biscay rugs and
other commodities, which had fallen into the hands of these people
and some fishermen at Damariscove Islands who had been taken into
partnership; and these extras increased their share of the purchase
to £500. This they made shift to pay for, chiefly with beaver and
goods they had got the winter before, and what they had obtained
that summer. Mr. Thomson having somewhat exceeded his resources,
asked them to relieve him of some of his purchase; but they declined
to take any but the French goods, and on the understanding that the
merchant who was selling them, and who was a Bristol man, would
take their bill to be paid next year; to which both parties agreed.
By this means they were well furnished with articles for trading,
and were able to take up some of their previous engagement, such
as the money raised by Captain Standish and the balance of former
debts. With these goods and their corn when harvested they traded
profitably, and were able to meet their engagements punctually
and get some clothing for the people, and still had some supplies
in hand. But soon they began to be emulated, and others went and
supplied the Indians with corn, and beat down the price, giving them
twice as much as they had done, and under-traded them with other
articles too.
This year they sent Mr. Allerton to England, and gave him
instructions to settle with the adventurers upon as good terms as
he could, for which composition Captain Standish had paved the way
the year before. They enjoined him not to conclude absolutely till
they knew the terms and had well considered them, but to arrange
preliminaries as well as he could, and refer the conclusion to them.
They also gave him commission under their hands and seals to raise
some money, provided it did not exceed the sum specified, for which
they engaged themselves, and instructed him how to expend it for the
use of the plantation.
Finding that they ran great risks in going such long voyages in a
small open boat, especially during the winter, they began to think
how they could get a small pinnace. It was the more necessary since
others were paying the Indians half as much corn again as they had
formerly given, and in such a small boat they could not carry a
quantity sufficient for their purposes. They had no ship-builder
among them, nor did they know how to get one at present; but they had
an ingenious man who was a house carpenter, who had worked under the
ship-builder who died, when he was building their boats. So at their
request he tried his skill, and took one of the biggest of their
shallops, sawed her across the middle, lengthened her about five or
six feet, strengthened her with timbers, built her up, and decked her
and made her a convenient and serviceable vessel, suitable for their
use. They got her finished and fitted with sails and anchors for the
coming year; and she did them service for seven years.
Thus passed the affairs of this year.