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
About the middle of May this year, three men of war entered the
harbour. The Captain’s name was Thomas Cromwell, and he had captured
several prizes from the Spaniards in the West Indies. He had a
commission from the Earl of Warwick. Aboard his vessel were about 80
strong young fellows, but very unruly, who, when they came ashore, so
distempered themselves with drink that they became like madmen; and
though some of them were punished and imprisoned, they could hardly
be restrained; but in the end they became more moderate and orderly.
They remained here about a month or six weeks, then going on to
Massachusetts; in the meantime scattering a great deal of money among
the people,—and even more sin than money, I fear, notwithstanding all
the care taken to prevent it.
While they were here a sad accident occurred. One desperate fellow
amongst them started wrangling with some of his comrades. Captain
Cromwell commanded him to be quiet and cease his quarreling; but he
would not, and reviled him with bad language, and in the end half
drew his rapier intending to run at him; but the captain closed with
him and snatched the rapier from him and gave him a box on the ear;
even then he would not give over, but continued to assault him.
Whereupon the Captain gave him a blow with the hilt of the rapier,
just as it was in the scabbard. It chanced to hit his head, and the
small end of the bar of the rapier-hilt piercing his skull, he died
a few days after. But the captain was exonerated by court martial,
for it appeared that the fellow was so quarrelsome that he had
several times been chained under hatches to prevent him from hurting
his comrades, to which they testified.
This Captain Cromwell made another voyage to the West Indies from
the Bay of Massachusetts, well manned and provisioned. He was out
three years and took many prizes, and returned rich to Massachusetts.
The same summer he had a fall from his horse; he fell on his rapier
hilt, and bruised himself so badly that he died shortly after. It was
remarked by some that this might show the hand of God, and that as
one of his men had died of the blow he gave him with the rapier hilt,
so his own death was caused by similar means.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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