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
Thinke y^e best of all, and
bear with patience what is wanting, and y^e Lord guid us all.
Your loving freind,
ROBART CUSHMAN.
London, June 10.
An^o: 1620.
I have bene y^e larger in these things, and so shall crave leave in some
like passages following, (thoug in other things I shal labour to be more
contracte,) that their children may see with what difficulties their
fathers wrastled in going throug these things in their first
begi[=n]ings, and how God brought them along notwithstanding all their
weaknesses & infirmities. As allso that some use may be made hereof in
after times by others in such like waightie imployments; and herewith I
will end this chapter.
The 7. Chap.
_Of their departure from Leyden, and other things ther aboute, with
their arivall at South hamton, were they all mete togeather, and tooke
in ther provissions._
At length, after much travell and these debats, all things were got
ready and provided. A smale ship[U] was bought, & fitted in Holand,
which was intended as to serve to help to transport them, so to stay in
y^e cuntrie and atend upon fishing and shuch other affairs as might be
for y^e good & benefite of y^e colonie when they came ther. Another was
hired at London, of burden about 9. score; and all other things gott in
readines. So being ready to departe, they had a day of solleme
humiliation, their pastor taking his texte from Ezra 8. 21. _And ther at
y^e river, by Ahava, I proclaimed a fast, that we might humble ourselves
before our God, and seeke of him a right way for us, and for our
children, and for all our substance._ Upon which he spente a good parte
of y^e day very profitably, and suitable to their presente occasion. The
rest of the time was spente in powering out prairs to y^e Lord with
great fervencie, mixed with abundance of tears. And y^e time being come
that they must departe, they were accompanied with most of their
brethren out of y^e citie, unto a towne sundrie miles of called
Delfes-Haven, wher the ship lay ready to receive them. So they lefte y^t
goodly & pleasante citie, which had been ther resting place near 12.
years; but they knew they were pilgrimes,[V] & looked not much on those
things, but lift up their eyes to y^e heavens, their dearest cuntrie,
and quieted their spirits. When they [37] came to y^e place they found
y^e ship and all things ready; and shuch of their freinds as could not
come with them followed after them, and sundrie also came from
Amsterdame to see them shipte and to take their leave of them. That
night was spent with litle sleepe by y^e most, but with freindly
entertainmente & christian discourse and other reall expressions of true
christian love. The next day, the wind being faire, they wente aborde,
and their freinds with them, where truly dolfull was y^e sight of that
sade and mournfull parting; to see what sighs and sobbs and praires did
sound amongst them, what tears did gush from every eye, & pithy speeches
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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