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
This was y^e end of these that some time bosted of their strength,
(being all able lustie men,) and what they would doe & bring to pass,
in comparison of y^e people hear, who had many women & children and weak
ons amongst them; and said at their first arivall, when they saw the
wants hear, that they would take an other course, and not to fall into
shuch a condition, as this simple people were come too. But a mans way
is not in his owne power; God can make y^e weake to stand; let him also
that standeth take heed least he fall.
Shortly after, M^r. Weston came over with some of y^e fishermen, under
another name, and y^e disguise of a blacke-smith, were he heard of y^e
ruine and disolution of his colony. He got a boat and with a man or 2.
came to see how things were. But by y^e way, for wante of skill, in a
storme, he cast away his shalop in y^e botome of y^e bay between Meremek
river & Pascataquack, & hardly escaped with life, and afterwards fell
into the hands of y^e Indeans, who pillaged him of all he saved from the
sea, & striped him out of all his cloaths to his shirte. At last he got
to Pascataquack, & borrowed a suite of cloaths, and got means to come to
Plimoth. A strang alteration ther was in him to such as had seen & known
him in his former florishing condition; so uncertaine are y^e mutable
things of this unstable world. And yet men set their harts upon them,
though they dayly see y^e vanity therof.
After many passages, and much discourse, (former things boyling in his
mind, but bit in as was discernd,) he desired to borrow some beaver of
them; and tould them he had hope of a ship & good supply to come to him,
and then they should have any thing for it they stood in neede of. They
gave litle credite to his supplie, but pitied his case, and remembered
former curtesies. They tould him he saw their wants, and they knew not
when they should have any supply; also how y^e case stood betweene them
& their adventurers, he well knew; they had not much bever, & if they
should let him have it, it were enoughe to make a mutinie among y^e
people, seeing ther was no other means to procure them foode which they
so much wanted, & cloaths allso. Yet they tould him they would help him,
considering his necessitie, but must doe it secretly for y^e former
reasons. So they let him have 100. beaver-skins, which waighed 170^li.
odd pounds. Thus they helpt him when all y^e world faild him, and with
this means he went againe to y^e ships, and stayed his small ship & some
of his men, & bought provissions and fited him selfe; and it was y^e
only foundation [96] of his after course. But he requited them ill, for
he proved after a bitter enimie unto them upon all occasions, and never
repayed them any thing for it, to this day, but reproches and evill
words. Yea, he divolged it to some that were none of their best freinds,
whilst he yet had y^e beaver in his boat; that he could now set them all
togeather by y^e ears, because they had done more then they could
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