He further brought them notice of y^e death of their anciente friend, Mr. Cush-man, whom y^e Lord tooke away allso this year, & aboute this time, who was as their right hand with their freinds y^e adventurers, and for diverce years had done & agitated all their bussines with them to ther great advantage. He had write to y^e Gove^r but some few months before, of y^e sore sicknes of M^r. James Sherley, who was a cheefe friend to y^e plantation, and lay at y^e pointe of death, declaring his love & helpfullnes, in all things; and much bemoned the loss they should have of him, if God should now take him away, as being y^e stay & life of y^e whole bussines. As allso his owne purposs this year to come over, and spend his days with them. But he that thus write of anothers sicknes, knew not y^t his owne death was so near. It shows allso that a m[=a]s ways are not in his owne power, but in his hands who hath y^e issues of life and death. Man may purpose, but God doth dispose. Their other freinds from Leyden writ many leters to them full of sad laments for ther heavie loss; and though their wills were good to come to them, yet they saw no probabilitie of means, how it might be effected, but concluded (as it were) that all their hopes were cutt of; and many, being aged, begane to drop away by death. All which things (before related) being well weighed and laied togither, it could not but strick them with great perplexitie; and to looke humanly on y^e state of things as they presented them selves at this time, it is a marvell it did not wholy discourage them, and sinck them. But they gathered up their spirits, and y^e Lord so helped them, whose worke they had in hand, as now when they were at lowest[CB] they begane to rise againe, and being striped (in a maner) of all humane helps and hops, he brought things aboute other wise, in his devine providence, as they were not only upheld & sustained, but their proceedings both honoured and imitated by others; as by y^e sequell will more appeare, if y^e Lord spare me life & time to declare y^e same.