of members, with such contributions as may accompany membership, may discharge the present debt, and obtain a completion of their modest edifice, and make it worthy of those whom it commemorates. There are many who feel, that the most honorable sentiment, as well as the most useful one, of the human heart is, to cultivate gratitude, for the illustrious, and munificent dead. The same acts which evince this sentiment, is an example to successors. It is by such memorials that the generations which rise, and pass away, are made to feel, that they may, and do live, in fact, both before, and after their own days. The following is a brief statement of the causes of the Forefathers' emigration.

When the ecclesiastical 'calm of despotism' was disturbed by 'the Reformation,' dissensions followed, on the continent, and in England, of exceeding bitterness; and every party either borrowed, or suffered by, the arm of civil authority. Many of the contentions were the more fierce and relentless because, they were upon the meaning of words, which had no meaning, within human comprehension. Henry the Eighth wrote a book on the side of the Pope, for which the Pope gave him the title (long retained by English monarchs) of 'Defender of the Faith; Henry then fell out with the Roman Pontiff because he would not consent to the divorce of Catharine, that Henry might marry Ann Boleyn, whom he afterwards married and beheaded. He was not a Reformer. Though he established the English church in opposition to that of Rome; he was, in fact, the Pope of England.— He provided in his will for a fund to be used, through all future time, to pray him out of purgatory. Towards the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries England was divided into the three principal parties, (which may be said to include all others) distinguished by the names of papists, church of England men, and non-conformists, or puritans. Henry the Eighth established the English church. His son, Edward the Sixth, mitigated the severity of Henry's exactions. Mary (Henry's daughter) reestablished the Roman church. Elizabeth (her sister) reestablished the English church, which was continued by James the First, who used to say, that while he appointed Judges and Bishops, he would have what law and gospel he pleased. The Puritans were visited with extreme cruelties under all these changes. Elizabeth was even a more bitter enemy to them than Mary. She established a court of commissioners, before whom the Puritans were tried by interrogation, on oath. If they answered they were condemned on their own confession; if they refused to answer they were imprisoned.

In 1602 a congregation of Puritans had been formed on the confines of the counties of York, Nottingham and Lincoln, who chose for their ministers Richard Clifton, and John Robinson. Robinson was educated at Cambridge. ‘He was of a learned, polished, and modest spirit; pious and studious of the truth, largely accomplished with gifts and qualifications suitable to be a shepherd over this flock of Christ.'

The members of this flock were so much harassed by the penalties of ecclesiastical law, by confinement to their own houses; by imprisonment, and by being driven from their occupations, that they resolved on emigration. They departed for Holland. A pathetic account of their persecutions and sufferings in their attempts to escape, is well remembered in Mr Webster's Centennial Discourse at Plymouth, (1820.) An historical account is found in Belknap's life of Robinson. In 1608 they were established at Amsterdam; and afterwards they removed to Leyden, where they remained, in peace, till 1620. Meanwhile, apprehending that their numbers would, in time, be mingled with, and lost in the Dutch population, and for other reasons, they determined to remove to America. This country was, at that time, known by the name of Virginia, and North Virginia; to the latter, a part of Mr Robinson's flock, with some who joined them on their way, at Southampton, departed. The account given in the 'Memorial,' of their departure, is shortly this;-The Speedwell, of 60 tons, was purchased in Holland. In this vessel they came to Southampton, where the Mayflower, of 'nine score tons' was, which had been hired for the voyage. Their departure from Holland is thus described. (Memorial, page 28.)

'Being prepared to depart, they had a solemn day of humiliation, the pastor teaching, a part of the day, very profitably, and suitably to the present occasion. The rest of the time was spent in pouring out of prayer, mixed with abundance of tears.'-'When they came to the place, (Delft Haven) they found the ship, and all things ready; and such of their friends as could not come with them, followed after them; and sundry came from Amsterdam, to take their leave of them. One night was spent with little sleep, with the most, but with friendly entertainment, and christian discourse. The next day they went on board, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the sight of the sad, and mournful parting, to hear what sobs, and sighs, and prayers, did sound amongst them; what tears did gush from every eye, what pithy speeches pierced each others' 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 dear and unfeigned love. Their reverend pastor falling on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks, commended them unto the Lord;-and then with mutual embraces, and many tears, they took their leave, one of another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them.'

At Southampton they found the Mayflower, and the rest of their

company.

The Mayflower and Speedwell sailed from Southampton the 5th of August, 1620. They had not sailed far when the Speedwell became leaky. They put into Dartmouth, and refitted; and sailed again; but the Speedwell after sailing about 100 leagues, became so leaky that it was necessary to return. Both vessels went back to Plymouth, where the Speedwell was abandoned; and as many as could be, were taken from her, on board the Mayflower, making one hundred and one in all. The rest went back to London. The names of these 101 will be found, in the late edition of Prince's Chronology, page 172. In Davis's New England Memorial, pages 38, 39; and 2 Belknap's A. B. p. 191.

The Mayflower sailed with these 101, on the 6th Sept. 1620. They met with many contrary winds and fierce storms, with which their ship was shrewdly shaken, and her upper works made very leaky; and one of the main beams of the midships was bowed and cracked, but by a screw the said beam was brought into its place, and they resolved to hold on their voyage.'

Their destination was to Hudson river. But their captain had been bribed by the Dutch to land them farther North. In the beginning of November, after a very disastrous passage, they made Cape Cod. They attempted to go South, but fell in with shoals, and breakers, and finding themselves in great peril, resolved to bear up again for the Cape, and arrived in Cape Cod harbor. Here the captain (Jones) came to anchor, and required of the Pilgrims to find themselves a landing; and threatened to put them on shore and leave them, if they did not select a place for themselves. The shallop was fitted out, and manned, and the coast examined. Nearly a month was passed in this search for a place of abode. Those who know what the navigation of this coast is, in November and December, at this day, with good charts, many light houses, skilful pilots, and able seamanship, can judge what it may have been, at that day, and at that season to utter strangers, poorly qualified for such employment. While William Bradford, (afterwards Governor) was absent, on one of these exploring excursions, his wife slipped from the side of the ship, and was drowned.

From the weather and exposure, many of them contracted diseases, and their sufferings were, thereby, greatly increased.

They resolved on Plymouth, as the place of their abode, and the Mayflower had come up within about a mile and an half of the shore, which was as near as the captain would venture to approach it; and on the 22d December they commenced their landing, and on that day first stept on the rock'—to pass to their home in the desert. Their first object was the construction of a building in which they could store the articles they brought; and then, with such means as they had, to construct their habitations. The following occurrence is taken from Mourt's Journal copied in the Memorial, page 64.

'Jan. 12, 1621, John Goodman, and Peter Brown gathering thatch abroad, and not coming home, after their companions, put us in great sorrow. Master Leaver, with 3 or 4 men go to seek for them, but can hear nothing of them. Next day thinking the Indians had surprised them, we arm out 10 or 12 men, who go searching 7 or 8 miles, but return without discovery, to our great discomfort.

'Jan. 14.-Lord's day morning at 6 o'clock, the wind being very high, we, on shipboard, see our rendezvous in flames; and because of the loss of the two men, fear, the savages had fired it; nor can we come to help them for want of tide till 7 o'clock. At landing hear good news of the return of our two men, and that the house was fired by a spark flying into the thatch, which instantly burnt it up. The greatest sufferers are Gov. Carver and Mr Bradford.'

We can form some opinion of the sufferings of the Pilgrims, from the fact, that out of the 101, 44 of them died in the months of December, January, February, and March; among them were

21 of those who signed the civil compact on the 11th Nov. on board the Mayflower.

Mrs Bradford,

Mrs Standish,

4

Mrs Allerton,

Mrs Winslow.

19 Women, children and servants.

44 See Memorial, page 39.

The 5th of April, 1621-'While we are busy about our seed, our Governor, Mr Carver, comes out of the field very sick, complaining greatly of his head;-within a few hours his senses fail, so as he speaks no more, and in a few days after dies, to our great lamentation and heaviness.' Prince's Chro. p. 190.

Those who have a curiosity to see the first Republican compact of the new world, will find it in the Memorial, p. 37; in Belknap, 2 vol. p. 190; in Prince's Chrono. p. 171.

The Pilgrims were not Fanatics, nor exclusive sectaries. Least of all were they men of low and narrow minds. Common sufferings had made for them, a common character, and this had been moulded by the ministry of Robinson, who was respected by his countrymen at home, and on the continent; and among the people of Holland, to whom the fugitive Christians were known, he was highly esteemed and beloved. Robinson was much in advance of the age; and so were all his flock. It is surprising that Robinson, and his people, should be claimed, in this age of the world, under whatsoever impulse, as intolerant exclusive sectaries. The Pilgrims were far superior in liberality of sentiment, to those emigrants who settled in Massachusetts Colony. Roger Williams, the great apostle of liberty of conscience, resided two years among the Pilgrims, unrestrained in the expression of his sentiments, and enjoying entire esteem and respect, though he was actually expelled from the Massachusetts Colony, merely for his religious opinions. He settled Rhode Island, obtained a charter, and was Governor, (there is an interesting notice of this person by Savage, in his 1st vol. of Winthrop's New England, page 41.) In 1641 the Plymouth Colony passed an ordinance in these words: 'No injunction shall be put on any church, or church member, as to doctrine, worship or discipline, whether for substance, or circumstance, beside the command of the Bible.' The Pilgrims did not persecute the quakers. They were not infected by the delusion of witchcraft, which afflicted their neighbors. By wise management they avoided general war with the Indians for half a century.

Among the Pilgrims were men of good education, and of some property; some of them had been wealthy, but their sufferings and sacrifices had impaired their estates.

John Carver, is spoken of by Belknap, as a man in high esteem among the English in Holland; a grave, pious, prudent, judicious man, and sustaining the office of deacon in the Leyden church.

William Bradford was a man of learning, versed in six languages. There is a manuscript of his, of 1652, of singular beauty of penmanship, by which his knowledge of English, Latin, Greek and Hebrew, is proved. Belknap says he had read much of history, and philosophy, but that theology was his favorite study. He left many manuscripts, which existed till 1775, when they were lost by the British taking