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
On y^e 15. _of Desem^r_: they wayed anchor to goe to y^e place they had
discovered, & came within 2. leagues of it, but were faine to bear up
againe; but y^e 16. _day_ y^e winde came faire, and they arrived safe in
this harbor. And after wards tooke better view of y^e place, and
resolved wher to pitch their dwelling; and y^e 25. _day_ begane to
erecte y^e first house for co[=m]one use to receive them and their
goods.
The 2. Booke.
The rest of this History (if God give me life, & opportunitie) I shall,
for brevitis sake, handle by way of _annalls_, noteing only the heads of
principall things, and passages as they fell in order of time, and may
seeme to be profitable to know, or to make use of. And this may be as
y^e 2. Booke.
_The remainder of An^o:_ 1620.
I shall a litle returne backe and begine with a combination made by them
before they came ashore, being y^e first foundation of their govermente
in this place; occasioned partly by y^e discontented & mutinous speeches
that some of the strangers amongst them had let fall from them in y^e
ship--That when they came a shore they would use their owne libertie;
for none had power to co[=m]and them, the patente they had being for
Virginia, and not for New-england, which belonged to an other Goverment,
with which y^e Virginia Company had nothing to doe. And partly that
shuch an [54] acte by them done (this their condition considered) might
be as firme as any patent, and in some respects more sure.
The forme was as followeth.
In y^e name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwriten, the loyall
subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by y^e grace of
God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of y^e faith,
&c., haveing undertaken, for y^e glorie of God, and advancemente of
y^e Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to
plant y^e first colonie in y^e Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by
these presents solemnly & mutualy in y^e presence of God, and one of
another, covenant & combine our selves togeather into a civill body
politick, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of y^e
ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame
such just & equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, & offices,
from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for y^e
generall good of y^e Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission
and obedience. In witnes wherof we have hereunder subscribed our names
at Cap-Codd y^e 11. of November, in y^e year of y^e raigne of our
soveraigne lord, King James, of England, France, & Ireland y^e
eighteenth, and of Scotland y^e fiftie fourth. An^o: Dom. 1620.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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