foure Children Baptized at a time, which wipes away that common aspersion, that women have no Children, being a meere falsity, there being as sweete lusty Children as in any other Nation, and reckoning so many for so many, more double births than in _England_; the women likewise having a more speedy recovery, and gathering of strength after their delivery than in _England_. The last Argument to confirme the healthfulnesse of the Countrey, shall be from mine owne experience, who although in _England_ I was brought up tenderly under the carefull hatching of my dearest friends, yet scarce could I be acquainted with health, having beene let blood sixe times for the _Pleurisie_ before I went; likewise being assailed with other weakning diseases; but being planted in that new Soyle and healthfull Ayre, which was more correspondent to my nature, (I speake it with praise to the mercifull God) though my occasions have beene to passe thorow heate and cold, wet, and dry, by Sea and Land, in Winter and Summer, day by day, for foure yeares together, yet scarse did I know what belonged to a dayes sicknesse. CHAP. IIII. _Of the nature of the Soyle._ The Soyle is for the generall a warme kinde of earth, there being little cold-spewing land, no Morish Fennes, no Quagmires, the lowest grounds be the Marshes, over which every full and change the Sea flowes: these Marshes be rich ground, and bring plenty of Hay, of which the Cattle feed and like, as if they were fed with the best up-land Hay in _New England_; of which likewise there is great store which growes commonly betweene the Marshes and the Woods. This Medow ground lies higher than the Marshes, whereby it is freed from the over-flowing of the Seas; and besides this, in many places where the Trees grow thinne, there is good fodder to be got amongst the Woods. There be likewise in divers places neare the plantations great broad Medowes wherein grow neither shrub nor Tree, lying low, in which Plaines growes as much grasse, as may be throwne out with a Sithe, thicke and long, as high as a mans middle; some as high as the shoulders, so that a good mower may cut three loads in a day. But many object, this is but a course fodder: True it is, that it is not so fine to the eye as _English_ grasse, but it is not sowre, though it grow thus ranke; but being made into Hay, the Cattle eate it as well as it were Lea-hay and like as well with it; I doe not thinke _England_ can shew fairer Cattle either in Winter, or Summer, than is in those parts both Winter and Summer; being generally larger and better of milch, and bring forth young as ordinarily as Cattle doe in _England_, and have hitherto beene free from many diseases that are incident to Cattle in _England_.