Bradford's history of the Plymouth settlement, 1608-1650: Rendered into modern English by Harold PagetBradford, William
History
Bradford's history of the Plymouth settlement, 1608-1650: Rendered into modern English by Harold Paget
Bradford, William
Massachusetts -- History -- New Plymouth, 1620-1691; Pilgrims (New Plymouth Colony) -- Early works to 1800
Shortly after Captain Gorges, the Governor-General, had got home to
Massachusetts, he sent a warrant to arrest Mr. Weston and his ship,
and sent a seaman to sail her thither, and one, Captain Hanson, of
his suite, to be in charge of him. The Governor and others were
very sorry to see him take this course, and took exceptions to the
warrant, as not legal or sufficient, and wrote to him to dissuade
him from this course, showing him that he would but entangle and
burden himself by doing this, and that he could not do Mr. Weston a
better turn, as things now stood with him, for he had a great many
men in his service in the ship to whom he was deeply in debt for
wages, and that he was practically out of provisions, and winter
was at hand: for all of which Captain Gorges would be responsible
if he arrested his ship. In the meantime Mr. Weston had notice to
shift for himself; but it was supposed that he did not know where to
go or how to better himself, but was rather glad of the issue, and
so did not move. But the Governor-General would not be dissuaded,
and sent a very formal warrant under his hand and seal, with strict
orders, as they would answer for it to the State; he also wrote that
he had better considered things since he was here, and he could not
answer for it to let him go, besides other things that had come to
his knowledge since, which Mr. Weston must account for. So he was
allowed to proceed; but he found in the end that what had been told
him was true; for when an inventory was taken of what was in the
ship, food was found sufficient for only fourteen days, at a bare
allowance, and not much else of any worth, and the men clamoured so
for wages and rations in the meantime, that he was soon weary. So in
conclusion it turned to his loss, and the expense of his provisions;
and towards the spring they came to an agreement, after they had
been east, and the Governor-General restored him his vessel again,
and made satisfaction in biscuit and meal and such like provisions
for what he had used of his, or what had been wanted or consumed.
So Mr. Weston came here again, and afterwards shaped his course
for Virginia, and so for the present I shall leave him. He died
afterwards at Bristol, at the time of the war, of the sickness there.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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