Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation': From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to MassachusettsBradford, William
History
Bradford's History of 'Plimoth Plantation': From the Original Manuscript. With a Report of the Proceedings Incident to the Return of the Manuscript to Massachusetts
Bradford, William
Massachusetts -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Whilst things wente in this maner with them, y^e Gov^r & people hear
had notice y^t Massasoyte ther freind was sick & near unto death. They
sent to vissete him, and withall sente him such comfortable things as
gave him great contente, and was a means of his recovery; upon which
occasion he discovers y^e conspiracie of these Indeans, how they were
resolved to cutt of M^r. Westons people, for the continuall injuries
they did them, & would now take opportunitie of their weaknes to doe it;
and for that end had conspired with other Indeans their neighbours their
aboute. And thinking the people hear would revenge their death, they
therfore thought to doe y^e like by them, & had solisited him to joyne
with them. He advised them therfore to prevent it, and that speedly by
taking of some of y^e cheefe of them, before it was to late, for he
asured them of y^e truth hereof.
This did much trouble them, and they tooke it into serious delibration,
and found upon examenation other evidence to give light hear unto, to
longe hear to relate. In y^e mean time, came one of them from y^e
Massachucets, with a small pack at his back; and though he knew not a
foote of y^e way, yet he got safe hither, but lost his way, which was
well for him, for he was pursued, and so was mist. He tould them hear
how all things stood amongst them, and that he durst stay no longer, he
apprehended they (by what he observed) would be all knokt in y^e head
shortly. This made them make y^e more hast, & dispatched a boate away
w^th Capten Standish & some men, who found them in a miserable
condition, out of which he rescued them, and helped them to some releef,
cut of some few of y^e cheefe conspirators, and, according to his order,
offered to bring them all hither if they thought good; and they should
fare no worse then them selves, till M^r. Weston or some supplie came to
them. Or, if any other course liked them better, he was to doe them any
helpfullnes he could. They thanked him & y^e rest. But most of them
desired he would help them with some corne, and they would goe with
their smale ship to y^e eastward, wher hapily they might here of M^r.
Weston, or some supply from him, seing y^e time of y^e year was for
fishing ships to [95] be in y^e land. If not, they would worke among y^e
fishermen for their liveing, and get ther passage into England, if they
heard nothing from M^r. Weston in time. So they shipped what they had of
any worth, and he got them all y^e corne he could (scarce leaving to
bring him home), and saw them well out of the bay, under saile at sea,
and so came home, not takeing y^e worth of a peny of any thing that was
theirs. I have but touched these things breefly, because they have
allready been published in printe more at large.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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