George have thought that Strachey's book may have been in the great dramatist's mind when he wrote the play. The following sentences from Strachey are of interest: During all this time the heavens looked so black upon us, that it was not possible the elevation of the Pole might be observed; not a star by night nor sunbeam by day was to be seen. Only upon the Thursday night, Sir George Summers being upon the watch, had an apparition of a little round light, like a faint star, trembling and streaming along with a sparkling blaze, half the height upon the mainmast, and shooting sometimes from shroud to shroud, tempting to settle as it were upon any of the four shrouds, and for three or four hours together, or rather more, half the night it kept with us, running sometimes along the main yard to the very end, and then returning. At which Sir George Summers called divers about him and showed them the same, who observed it with much wonder and carefulness. But upon a sudden, towards the morning watch, they lost the sight of it and knew not what way it made. Compare this with "The Tempest," Act I, Scene II: Ariel. I boarded the king's ship; now on the beak, I flam'd amazement: Sometimes, I'd divide, And burn in many places; on the topmast, The yards, and bowsprit, would I flame distinctly, It seems quite probable that Strachey's prose may George Sandys, called by Dryden "best versifier of the former age," came to Virginia in 1621, and while there translated the last ten books of Ovid's "Metamorphoses. Whittaker. Among these Virginia colonists was one who had the spirit we are more accustomed to associate with the Pilgrim Fathers. Alexander Whittaker, a clergy- Alexander man of the Church of England, came to Virginia as a missionary in 1611, and in 1613 published in London a book called "Good News from Virginia." A sentence from this book shows the spirit of the man. Wherefore you— right wise and noble adventurers of Virginia - whose hearts God hath stirred up to build Him a temple, to make Him an house, to conquer a kingdom for Him here, be not discouraged with those many lamentable assaults that the devil hath made against us; he now rageth most because he knoweth his kingdom is to have a short end. Go forward boldly and remember that you fight under the banner of Jesus Christ, that you plant His kingdom who hath already broken the serpent's head. God may defer His temporal reward for a season, but be assured that in the end you shall find riches and honor in this world and blessed immortality in the world to come. 1620. On December 22, 1620, thirteen years after the settlement at Jamestown, the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth; and in the fifty years following, by the Plymouth, growth of that colony and by Puritan settlements at Boston, Salem, and other points, the eastern part of what is now the state of Massachusetts became a prosperous community. The Plymouth colonists were separatists of a sect called Brownists, who had fled to Holland in order to worship according to their convictions, and from Holland came to America. The other New England colonists, the Puritans, had not formally separated from the Church of England, William Bradford, 1588-1657. but had abandoned the use of the Book of Common Prayer, and in their beliefs and usages closely resembled the Pilgrims. By the Act of Uniformity those who sympathized with them in England were compelled either to resume the usages they had abandoned or give up their positions in the Church. Many of them joined the colonists. They were all Calvinists in religious belief and sympathized with Cromwell in politics. And out of these conditions the peculiarities of their life and writings grew. One of the leaders of the Plymouth colony was William Bradford. His life was very different from that of John Smith, but in its own way equally interesting. Born in Yorkshire, England, 1588, he joined the Brownists in 1606, with them fled to Holland and with them came to New England. In all the early history of the colony he was a leading spirit, and was chosen governor every year until he died in 1657. He left several bits of historical writing; but the most important is the "History of Plymouth Plantation," which was preserved in his manuscript in Boston till the Revolution, when it disappeared. In 1855 it was discovered in the Fulham Library in England; and the following year a copy was made and published by the Massachusetts Historical Society. This precious manuscript was recently, through the good offices of Ambassador Thomas F. Bayard, and the generosity of the English authorities, given into the keeping of the state of Massachusetts. Bradford has been called the Father of American History. It will be interesting to compare an extract from his book with that from John Smith, to see if the character of the men is at all reflected in their style. I select the passage describing the embarkation of the Pilgrims. And the time being come that they must depart, they were accompanied with most of their brethren out of ye city into a towne sundrie miles off, called Delfe's Haven; where the ship lay ready to receive them. So they left ye goodly and pleasante city, which had been their resting place near twelve years; but they knew they were pilgrims and looked not much on these things, but lift up their eyes to the heavens, their dearest countrie, and quieted their spirits. When they came to the place they found the ship and all things ready; and such of their friends as could not come with them followed after them, and sundrie also came from Amsterdam to see them shipte and to take their leave of them. That night was spent with little sleepe by the most, but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse and other real expressions of true Christian love. The next day the wind being faire, they went aboarde, and their friends with them, when truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting; to see what sighs and sobbs and prayers did sound amongst them, what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each heart-that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the key as spectators could not refrain from tears yet comfortable and sweet it was to see such lively and true expressions of clear and unfained love. But the tyde which waits for no man-calling them away that were thus loathe to depart, their Reverend Pastor, falling downe on his knees, and they all with him. - with waterie cheeks commended them with most fervent prayers to the Lord and His blessing. And then with mutual imbrases and many tears, they took their leaves of one another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them. Closely associated with Bradford and equally prominent in the early history of Plymouth was Edward Winslow. In connection with Bradford he kept a journal of the first days of the colony, which is an important source of history. It was long known as "Mourt's Relation"; but is now printed under its proper title of "Bradford and Winslow's Journal." In vivid contrast to these staid leaders of the Pilgrim colony was Thomas Morton, a rollicking English adventurer who founded a colony at Mount Wollaston now Braintree - called it Maremount, or Merrymount, invited the Indians to help him celebrate May-day, and furnished them with strong drink and firearms. These proceedings of course scandalized the Pilgrims, and the last performance, that of giving the Indians firearms, seriously and justly alarmed them. An expedition, under command of Miles Standish, was sent against Morton; his colony was broken up, and he himself sent back to England. He was a friend of Butler, the author of "Hudibras," and his account of an execution in Plymouth is the origin of a passage in that poem; Part 2, Canto 2, Lines 409436. Morton published at Amsterdam, in 1637, "The New English Canaan." It is a queer farrago, opening and closing with some verses of which the following are a fair specimen : See what multitudes of fish |