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
And first after thir humble praiers unto God for his direction &
assistance, & a generall conferrence held hear aboute, they consulted
what perticuler place to pitch upon, & prepare for. Some (& none of y^e
meanest) had thoughts & were ernest for Guiana, or some of those fertill
places in those hott climats; others were for some parts of Virginia,
wher y^e English had all ready made enterance, & begining. Those for
Guiana aledged that the cuntrie was rich, fruitfull, & blessed with a
perpetuall spring, and a florishing greenes; where vigorous nature
brought forth all things in abundance & plentie without any great labour
or art of man. So as it must needs make y^e inhabitants rich, seing less
provisions of clothing and other things would serve, then in more
coulder & less frutfull countries must be had. As also y^t the Spaniards
(having much more then they could possess) had not yet planted there,
nor any where very near y^e same. But to this it was answered, that out
of question y^e countrie was both frutfull and pleasante, and might
yeeld riches & maintenance to y^e possessors, more easily then y^e
other; yet, other things considered, it would not be so fitt for them.
And first, y^t such hott countries are subject to greevuos diseases,
and many noysome impediments, which other more temperate places are
freer from, and would not so well agree with our English bodys. Againe,
if they should ther live, & doe well, the jealous Spaniard would never
suffer them long, but would displante or overthrow them, as he did y^e
French in Florida, who were seated furder from his richest countries;
and the sooner because they should have none to protect them, & their
owne strength would be too smale to resiste so potent an enemie, & so
neare a neighbor.
On y^e other hand, for Virginia it was objected, that if they lived
among y^e English w^ch wear ther planted, or so near them as to be under
their goverment, they should be in as great danger to be troubled and
persecuted for the cause of religion, as if they lived in England, and
it might be worse. And if they lived too farr of, they should neither
have succour, nor defence from them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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