“God knows,” pursue they, “our greatest ambition is to have a quiet life in a corner of the world. We came not into this wilderness to seek great things to ourselves; and if any come after us to seek them here, they will be disappointed. We keep ourselves within our line; a just dependence upon and subjection to your majesty, according to our charter, it is far from our hearts to disacknowledge. We would gladly do anything within our power to purchase the continuance of your favourable aspect. But it is a great unhappiness to have no testimony of our loyalty offered but this, to yield up our liberties, which are far dearer to us than our lives, and for which we have willingly ventured our lives, and passed through many deaths to obtain.” The conclusion is characteristic: “It was Job’s excellency, when he sat as king among his people, that he was a father to the poor. A poor people, destitute of outward favour, wealth and power, now cry unto their lord the king. May your majesty regard their cause and maintain their right; it will stand among the marks of lasting honour to after generations.” This remonstrance was not well received in England. The commission was justified and submission recommended. But the sturdy magistrates would not yield; and the commissioners, perfect jacks-in-office, were pompous and over-bearing. Each day increased the mutual dislike of the two parties. In the interval, however, between the remonstrance being sent and the answer returned, the commissioners visited Plymouth and Rhode Island. In Rhode Island all went smoothly. Plymouth, the weakest of all the colonies, was offered the bribe of an independent charter, for which she had long been urgent, if she would set an example of compliance, and allow the king to nominate the governor. But Plymouth was nobly true to the great principle of democratic liberty; and, to the sound of the trumpet, to give emphasis to their decision, the representatives declared, in the face of the commissioners, that, “by authority of the charter, and in observance of their duty to God, to the king, and their constituents, they would not suffer any to abet his majesty’s honoured commissioners in their proceedings.” “Since you will misconstrue our endeavours,” said the angry commissioners, “we will lose no more of our labours upon you!” And leaving Plymouth, they proceeded to the north, to establish the boundaries and re-assert proprietary claims in New Hampshire and Maine; and here again they came to issue with Massachusetts, which at once forbade the towns on the Piscataqua, which had put themselves under her jurisdiction, to obey the commissioners on their peril.