or three their governour. Travelling into the Low-Countries, he fell into acquaintance with the English church at Leyden, and joining himself to them, he shipped himself with that part of them which first came over into America; from which time he was continually engaged in such extraordinary actions, as the assistance of that people to encounter their more than ordinary difficulties, called for. But their publick affairs then requiring an agency of as wise a man as the country could find at Whitehall for them, he was again prevailed withal, in the year 1635, to appear for them at the Council-board; and his appearance there proved as affectual, as it was very seasonable, not only for the colony of Plymouth, but for the Massachusets also, on very important accounts. It was by the blessing of God upon his wary and proper applications, that the attempts of many adversaries to overthrow the whole settlement of New-England, were themselves wholly overthrown; and as a small acknowledgment for his great service therein, they did, upon his return again, chuse him their governour. But in the year 1646, the place of governour being reassumed by Mr. Bradford, the Massachuset-colony addressed themselves unto Mr. Winslow to take another voyage for England, that he might there procure their deliverance from the designs of many troublesome adversaries that were petitioning unto the Parliament against them; and this Hercules having been from his very early days accustomed unto the crushing of that sort of serpents, generously undertook another agency, wherein how many good services he did for New-England, and with what fidelity, discretion, vigour and success he pursued the interests of that happy people, it would make a large history to relate-an history that may not now be expected until the "resurrection of the just." After this he returned no more unto New-England; but being in great favour with the greatest persons then in the nation, he fell into those imployments wherein the whole nation fared the better for him. At length he was imployed as one of the grand commissioners in the expedition against Hispaniola, where a disease (rendred yet more uneasie by his dissatisfaction at the strange miscarriage of that expedition) arresting him, he died between Domingo and Jamaica, on May 8, 1655, in the sixty-first year of his life, and had his body honourably committed unto the sea.

§ 2. Sometimes during the life, but always after the death of Governour Bradford, even until his own, Mr. Thomas Prince was chosen GOVERNOUR of Plymouth. He was a gentleman whose natural parts exceeded his acquired; but the want and worth of acquired parts was a thing so sensible unto him, that Plymouth never had a greater Mecanas of learning in it: it was he that, in spite of much contradiction, procured revenues for the support of grammar-schools in that colony. About the time of Governour Bradford's death, religion it self had like to have died in that colony, through a libertine and Brownistick spirit then prevailing among the people, and a strange disposition to discountenance the gospel-ministry,

by setting up the "gifts of private brethren" in opposition thereunto. The good people being in extream distress from the prospect which this matter gave to them, saw no way so likely and ready to save the churches from ruin, as by the election of Mr. Prince to the place of governour; and this point being by the gracious and marvellous providence of the Lord Jesus Christ gained at the next election, the adverse party from that very time sunk into confusion. He had sojourned for awhile at Eastham, where a church was by his means gathered; but after this time he returned unto his former scituation at Plymouth, where he resided until he died, which was March 29, 1673, when he was about seventy-three years of age. Among the many excellent qualities which adorned him as governour of the colony, there was much notice taken of that integrity, wherewith indeed he was most exemplarily qualified: whence it was that as he ever would refuse any thing that looked like a bribe; so if any person having a case to be heard at Court, had sent a present unto his family in his absence, he would presently send back the value thereof in money unto the person. But had he been only a private Christian, there would yet have been seen upon him those ornaments of prayerfulness, and peaceableness, and profound resignation to the conduct of the Word of God, and a strict walk with God, which might justly have been made an example to a whole colony.

§ 3. Reader, if thou wouldest have seen the true picture of wisdom, courage, and generosity, the successor of Mr. Thomas Prince in the government of Plymouth would have represented it. It was the truly honourable Josiah Winslow, Esq., the first governour that was born in New-England, and one well worthy to be an example to all that should come after him; a true English gentleman, and (that I may say all at once) the true son of that gentleman whom we parted withal no more than two paragraphs ago. His education and his disposition was that of a gentleman; and his many services to his country in the field, as well as on the bench, ought never to be buried in oblivion. All that Homer desired in a ruler was in the life of this gentleman expressed unto the life; to be, Fortes in Hostes, and Bonus in Cives.* Though he hath left an off-spring, yet I must ask for one daughter to be remembred above the rest. As of old, Epaminondas being upbraided with want of issue, boasted that he left behind him one daughter, namely, the battel of Leuctra, which would render him immortal; so our general Winslow hath left behind him his battel at the fort of the Narragansets, to immortalize him: there did he with his own sword make and shape a pen to write his history. But so large a field of merit is now before me, that I dare not give my self the liberty to range in it lest I lose my self. He died on Dec. 18, 1680.

Jam Cinis est, et de tam magno restat Achille

Nescio quid; parvam quod non bene compleat urnam.†

• Brave against the enemy-kind to his subjects.

+ Behold Achilles' dust! the issue learn

Of that heroic will:

These mighty relics now a paltry urn

Can scarcely fill.

§ 4. And what successor had he? Methinks of the two last words in the wonderful prediction of the succession, oracled unto King Henry VII., LEO, NULLUS,* the first would have well suited the valiant Winslow of Plymouth; and the last were to have been wished for him that followed.

CHAPTER III.

PATRES CONSCRIPTI; OR, ASSISTENTS.

THE GOVERNOURS of New-England have still had "righteousness the girdle of their loins, and faithfulness the girdle of their reins"-that is to say, righteous and faithful men about them, in the assistance of such magistrates as were called by the votes of the freemen unto the administration of the government, (according to their charters) and made the judges of the land. These persons have been such members of the churches, and such patrons to the churches, and generally been such examples of courage, wisdom, justice, goodness and religion, that it is fit our Church-History should remember them. The blessed Apollonius, who in a set oration generously and eloquently pleaded the cause of Christianity before the Roman Senate, was not only a learned person, but also (if Jerom say right) a Senator of Rome. The Senators of New-England also have pleaded the cause of Christianity, not so much by orations, as by practising of it, and by suffering for it. Nevertheless, as the Sicyonians would have no other epitaphs written on the tombs of their Kings, but only their names, that they might have no honour but what the remembrance of their actions and merits in the minds of the people should procure for them; so I shall content my self with only reciting the names of these worthy persons, and the times when I find them first chosen unto their magistracy.

MAGISTRATES IN THE COLONY OF NEW-PLYMOUTH.

The good people, soon after their first coming over, chose Mr. William Bradford for their governour, and added five assistents, whose names, I suppose, will be found in the catalogue of them whom I find sitting on the seat of judgment among them, in the year 1633.