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
with the like injustice indevored to doe y^e same to thos that
entertained them.
Lyford denyed that he had any thing to doe with them in England, or knew
of their courses, and made other things as strange that he was charged
with. Then his letters were prodused & some of them read, at which he
was struck mute. But Oldam begane to rage furiously, because they had
intercepted and opened his letters, threatening them in very high
language, and in a most audacious and mutinous maner stood up & caled
upon y^e people, saying, My maisters, wher is your harts? now shew your
courage, you have oft complained to me so & so; now is y^e time, if you
will doe any thing, I will stand by you, &c. Thinking y^t every one
(knowing his humor) that had soothed and flattered him, or other wise in
their discontente uttered any thing unto him, would now side w^th him in
open rebellion. But he was deceived, for not a man opened his mouth, but
all were silent, being strucken with the injustice of y^e thing. Then
y^e Gov^r turned his speech to M^r. Lyford, and asked him if he thought
they had done evill to open his letters; but he was silente, & would not
say a word, well knowing what they might reply. Then y^e Gov^r shewed
the people he did it as a magistrate, and was bound to it by his place,
to prevent y^e mischeefe & ruine that this conspiracie and plots of
theirs would bring on this poor colony. But he, besids his evill dealing
hear, had delte trecherusly with his freinds y^t trusted him, & stole
their letters & opened them, and sent coppies of them, with disgracefull
a[=n]otations, to his freinds in England. And then y^e Gov^r produced
them and his other letters under his owne hand, (which he could not
deney,) and caused them to be read before all y^e people; at which all
his freinds were blanke, and had not a word to say.
It would be too long & tedious here to inserte his letters (which would
almost fill a volume), though I have them by me. I shall only note a few
of y^e cheefe things collected out of them, with y^e answers to them as
they were then given; and but a few of those many, only for instance, by
which the rest may be judged of.
[121[BT]] 1. First, he saith, the church would have none to live hear
but them selves. 2^ly. Neither are any willing so to doe if they had
company to live elswher.
Ans: Their answer was, that this was false, in both y^e parts of it; for
they were willing & desirous y^t any honest men may live with them, that
will cary them selves peacably, and seek y^e co[=m]one good, or at least
doe them no hurte. And againe, ther are many that will not live els
wher so long as they may live with them.
2. That if ther come over any honest men that are not of y^e seperation,
they will quickly distast them, &c.
A. Ther answer was as before, that it was a false callumniation, for
they had many amongst them that they liked well of, and were glad of
their company; and should be of any such like that should come amongst
them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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