man whom he called his kinswoman, and whom one of his wiues in her letter, names Mary Grove, affirming her to be a knowne harlot, whose sending back into Old England shee allso desired, togeather with her husband. Shortly after this intelligence, wee sent to the house of the said Gardiner (which was 7 miles from vs) to apprehend him and his woman, with a purpose to send them both to London to his wiues there; but the man, who haveing heard some rumour from some who came in the shipp, that Ires. were come to the Governor, requireing justice against him, was readily prepared for flight, soe soone as he should see any crossinge the river, or likely to apprehend him, which hee accordingly perfourmed; for hee dwelling aloone, easily discerned such who were sent to take him, halfe a mile before they approached his house, and with his peece on his neck, went his way, as most men think northwards, hopeing to find some English there like to himselfe; but likely enough it is, which way so ever hee went, hee will loose himselfe in the woods and be stopped with some rivers in his passing, notwithstanding his compass in his pockett, and soe with hunger and cold, will perish before hee find the place hee seekes. His woman brought vnto vs and confessed her name, and that her mother dwells 8 miles from Beirdly in Salopshire, and that Gardiner's father dwells in or neare Gloucester, and was (as shee said) brother to Stephen Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and did disinherit his sonne for his 26 years absence in his travailes in France, Italy, Germany and Turkey; that he had (as he told * was [This story was probably invented by the pretended knight, to raise him in estimation of his paramour. Gardiner, the bishop of Winchester, who was an illegitimate son of Lionel Woodville,the bishop of Salisbury, was born 147 years before this examination, and had been dead 75 years.] 1 her) marryed a wife in his travailes, from whom hee was devorced, and the woman long since dead; that both herselfe and Gardiner were both Catholiques till of late, but were no w Protestants; that shee takes him to be a knight, but never heard when he was knighted. The woman was impenitent and close, confessing noe more then was wrested from her by her owne contradictions, soe wee haue taken order to send her to the two wiues in Old England to search her further. Vpon the 8 of March, from after it was faire day light untill about 8 of the clock in the forenoon, there flew over all the towns in our plantacons soe many flocks of doues, each flock conteyning many thousands, and some soe many that they obscured the light, that passeth credit, if but the truth should bee written; and the thing was the more strange, because I scarce remember to haue seene tenne doues since I came into this country. They were all turtles, as appeared by diverse of them wee killed flying, somewhat bigger than those of Europe, and they flew from the north east to the south west; but what it portends I know not.* The shipp now waits but for wind, which when it blows, there are ready to go aboard therein for England Sr. Richard Saltonstall, Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Coddington, and many others, the most whereof purpose to returne to vs again, if God will. In the meane time, wee are left a people poor and contemptible, yet such as trust in God and are contented with our condition, beeing well assured that he will not faile vs nor forsake vs. *[Gov. Winthrop notices the great number of Pigeons in 1643 and 1648. In the first named year, he says, "The Pigeons came in such flocks, (abore 10,000 in one flock,) that beat down and eat up a very great quantity of EngJish grain." &c.] I had almost forgotten to add this, that the wheate we receiued by this last shipp stands us in 13 or 14 shillinges a strike, and the pease about 11s. a strike, besides the adventure, which is worth 3 or 4 shillinges a strike, which is an higher price than I ever tasted bread of before. Thus, MADAM, I haue as I canne, told your Hon. all ourmatters, knowinge your wisedome canne make good vse thereof. If I liue not to perfourme the like office of my dutie hereafter, likely it is some other will doe it better. Before the depparture of the Shipp(wch. yet was wind bound) there came vnto vs Sagamore John and one of his subiects requireinge sattisfaction for the burning of two wigwams by some of the English, which wiggwams were not inhabitted, but stod in a place convenient for their shelter, when vppon occasion they should travaile that wayes. By examination, wee found that some English fowlers haueing retired into that which belonged to the subiect and leaueinge a fire there in carelessly which they had kindled to warm them, were the cause of burninge thereof; for that which was the Sagamores, wee could find no certaine proofe how it was fired, yet least hee should thinke vs not scedulous enough to find it out, and soe should depart discontentedly from vs, wee gaue both him and his subiect satisfaction for them both. The like accident of fire allso befell Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Colborne* upon the 17 of this March, both whose howses, which were as good, and as well furnished as the most in the plantacon, were in 2 houres space burned to the ground, togeather with much of their househould stuff, appar *[William Colborne or Colbron was a gentleman of great influence in Boston; was long a ruling elder, after ceasing to be deacon, and died 1 August, 1662. NOTE in Savage's Winthrop, I. 37.] ell and other thinges, as allsoe some goods of others who soiourned wth. them in their howses; God soe pleaseing to exercise us with corrections of this kind, as hee hath done with others: for the prevention whereof in our new towne, intended this somer to bee builded, wee haue ordered that noe man there shall build his chimney with wood, nor cover his house with thatch, which was readily assented vnto, for that diverse other howses haue beene burned since our arrivall (the fire allwaies beginninge in the woodden chimneys) and some English wigwams, which haue taken fire in the roofes covered with thatch or boughs. And that this shipp might returne into Old England with heavy newes, vppon the 18 day of March, came one from Salem and told vs, that vppon the 15 thereof, there dyed Mrs. Skelton, the wife of the other minister there, who, about 18 or 20 dayes before, handling cold thinges in a sharpe morninge, put herselfe into a most violent fitt of the wind colleck and vomitting, which continuinge, shee at length fell into a feaver and soe dyed as before. She was a godly and an helpfull woman, and indeed the maine pillar of her family, haueinge left behind her an husband and 4 children, weake and helpeles, who canne scarce tell how to liue without her-She liued desired and dyed lamented, and well deserues to bee honourably remembred, Vppon the 25 of this March, one of Waterton haueing lost a calfe, and about 10 of the clock at night, hearinge the howlinge of some woules not farr off, raysed many of his neighbours out of their bedds, that by dischargeinge their muskeets neere about the place where hee heard the wolues, hee might so putt the wolues to flight, and saue his calfe-The wind serveing fitt to cary the report of the musketts to Rocksbury, 3 miles of at such a time; the inhabitants there tooke an alarme beate vpp their drume, armed themselues, and sent in post to vs to Boston to raise vs allsoe. Soe in the morninge the calfe beeinge found safe, the wolues affrighted, and our danger past, wee went merrily to breakefast. I thought to have ended before, but the stay of the shipp and my desire to informe your honr. of all I canne, hath caused this additon, and every one haueinge warninge to prepare for the shipps departure tomorrow, I am now this 28th of March, 1631, sealing my lres. Journey of Governor Shute from Boston to Portsmouth October, 1716. [Copied from an ancient paper for the Col-. lections by CYRUS P. BRADLEY] On Monday last, his Excellency our Governor proceeded [on] his journey to New Hampshire, being attended out of town by several of his Majesty's Council, the sheriff of the county, with other gentlemen and officers, and at Cambridge was first received by several of his Majesty's justices, with the sheriff of the county of Middlesex, and a troop of horse of Col. Phips' Regiment. At the college, his Excellency was waited on by the President, Fellows and students into the hall, and there saluted with an oration by Mr. Foxcroft, one of the Masters of Art of that house. At Lewis's, his Excellency was met * *[Probably Francis Foxcroft who was graduated at Harvard in 1712.j |