was searched and repaired. They had not sailed again more than a hundred leagues, before Reynolds, the master of the Speedwell, complained that his ship was so leaky that he feared that he should founder in the sea if he held on. Both ships put back and went into Plymouth. The Speedwell was searched again, but no great matter appearing, the difficulty was judged to be a general weakness of the ship. "The ship afterwards made divers profitable and successful voyages," some alteration having been made in her masts. The truth was, that the master and crew were under contract to stay a year in America; but fearing the want of provisions and other perils of the adventure, "they plotted this stratagem," says Bradford, "to free themselves; as was afterwards known, and by some of them confessed." "These things falling out, it was resolved by the whole company to dismiss the lesser ship and part of the company with her; and that the other part of the company should proceed in the bigger ship." And now, after another sad parting, on the 6th of September, the Speedwell returns to London, and the Mayflower, with her precious freight, turns her prow to the ocean. For a time the winds are fair, and bear them rapidly forward. Then contrary winds meet them: then fierce storms. The upper works of the ship are shattered, and leak badly; one of the main beams of the midship is bent and cracked; and the ship seems in peril of being crushed by the waves. The seamen and passengers hold a consultation whether to return or hold on. Providence has ordered it that one of the passengers has brought with him a large screw out of Holland. With that screw they bring the beam into its place, where it is secured by the carpenter, and the ship appearing strong under water, they hold on their voyage. A succession of storms comes upon them. For days together the ship is unable to bear a sail; and is tossed and driven at the mercy of the tempests. Two months pass away, and they are yet upon the deep. The chill winds of coming winter give them sad tokens of what they are to expect upon a bleak and houseless shore. At length on the 9th of November, the cry of LAND is heard. It proves to be the extremity of Cape Cod; while their destination is in the vicinity of the Hudson. They alter their course, and stand to the southward. But they are on an unknown coast. The wintry wind, veering, baffling, and stormy, beats upon them. Twelve hours more, and they are entangled in shoals and breakers. The wind begins to fail them. The peril becomes imminent. They hold a consultation what to do, and bear up again for the Cape. And now, while the ship is standing northward along the Cape, the Pilgrims draw up and sign a covenant, by which they combine themselves into a "civil body politic," to enact, constitute and frame such equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions and officers, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony; unto which they promised all due submission and obedience." It was the first social compact in the world, entered into by freemen preserying the liberties of each, and guaranteeing to all equal privileges and rights. It was the germ of the first true republic on earth. The great idea, so novel, so startling to the world, so directly opposed to the divine right of kings and prelates, under whose sway the world had so long groaned in bondage; the great idea of such a republic, as founded in the nature and inalienable rights of man, the Pilgrims derived from the Gospel scheme of a Christian Church. A congregational Church was the original and model of American Republicanism; and for this stupendous discovery, which is now so simple that we wonder it could ever have been overlooked, we are wholly indebted to the diligent search which the Puritans made into the great principles of the rights of conscience, and into the true scriptural model of a Christian Church. That memorable transaction, in the cabin of the Mayflower, arose from no sudden effort of genius, and from no amazing reach of political sagacity; it was only the practical and natural carrying out of principles which had long been canvassed, and which had become in the minds of the Pilgrims settled and undoubted truths. It was the form of government which it was well understood they should adopt, before they sailed from Holland. For eighteen years they had tried the experiment in their republican Church; and so well were they satisfied, that they could never resort to any other constitution of government. These things Mr. Robinson alludes to as understood and settled, in the letter which he sent after them. to Southampton. He speaks of their "design to become a body politic using civil government;" and exhorts them to orderly submission to such government from the consideration that it is God's ordinance, and that they "are to have only them for their governors, which they themselves should make choice of" Nor did the Pilgrims at first contemplate forming a written compact; they seemed to take it for granted, that joining the community under such circumstances, imposed, on every one so joining, a sufficient bond; and that God had naturally given to every community so circumstanced, authority to institute government, which, whenever duly established, should be one of the "Powers ordained of God;" and not dependent on the consent of every individual to bind him to its laws. The occasion for making the compact, was that "they observe some who were not well affected to unity and concord, but who gave some appearance of faction." It was thought good, therefore, that there should be an association and agreement. The compact being signed, the Mayflower was now winding her way around the extremity of Cape Cod; and on the 11th of November, she cast her anchor in what is now Provincetown, or Cape Cod harbor. "Being now passed the vast ocean, and a sea of trouble," says one who then stood upon the deck of the Mayflower, "before their preparation unto further proceedings, as to seek a place of habitation, &c., they fell down upon their knees and blessed the Lord, the God of Heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, and delivered them from all perils and miseries thereof, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth." The same day, some fifteen or sixteen men, well armed, were sent with others to fetch wood, for the Pilgrims had none left, and to see to what sort of land they had come. They returned at night, having discovered no person or habitation; but with "their boat loaded with juniper, which smelled very sweet and strong, and which they burnt most of the time they lay there." The next day was the Sabbath, and all remained quietly on board. On Monday, the 13th of November, they unshipped their shallop to mend and repair her; having been forced to cut her down in stowing her betwixt decks; and "she having become much opened with the people's lying in her." Seventeen days were passed away while the carpenter was completing this indispensable work. In the mean time the people by turns went on shore to refresh themselves, " and the women to wash, as they had great need." The ship had not been able to come nearer than three-fourths of a mile to the shore; and the shallows compelled the people "to wade a bow-shot or two in going to land," "which caused many to get colds and coughs, for many times it was freezing cold weather." In the meantime sixteen men, every one with his musket, sword, and corslet, under the conduct of Capt. Miles Standish, set out to explore the country. On the 27th of November, their shallop and long-boat being repaired, another party of thirty men in the shallop and long-boat proceed along the cape to a greater distance. Stormy weather drives them on shore. They march over hills and through valleys and deserts, making various discoveries and enduring great hardships; but everywhere the soil is barren, and the shore too shelving for a convenient harbor. On the 6th of December, the third exploring party set off from the ship, it "being very cold and bad weather," and several being very near perishing with fatigue and cold, ere they could get clear of a sandy point which lay within a furlong from the ship. The water "froze on their coats, and made them," says their journal, "like coats of iron." After various adventures, passing through storms of snow, and over rough seas, and being nearly lost on breakers, they are driven into a "fair sound," where they "get under the lee of a small rise of land; but are divided about going ashore, lest they should fall into the midst of savages. Some, therefore, keep the boat; but others being so wet, cold and feeble, that they cannot bear it, but venture ashore with great difficulty, kindle a fire, and after midnight, the wind shifting to the north-west, and freezing hard, the rest are glad to get to them, and here stay the night." It was a small island in Plymouth bay, to which Providence had now directed their course. In the morning they explore it and find no inhabitants. The next day is the Sabbath; and though their business is so pressing, and their friends awaiting their return with anxiety, and though winter is already upon them, yet there they KEEP THE SABBATH. The next day they explore the harbor and march into the land. They find vacant corn-fields, little running brooks, a good harbor, and a place good for situation. They returned to the ship. On the 15th of December, the ship weighs anchor, to proceed to the place of settlement; but stormy weather makes them glad to return once more to the shelter of the cape. On the 16th, they come safe into the harbor. This again is Saturday, and the next day being the Sabbath, they remain on board and keep it holy unto the Lord. On Monday, a trusty party. land for further exploration. They march along the coast, but see not an Indian nor a habitation. At night, they return weary to the ship. On the 19th, they go ashore and determine to fix upon one of two places. In the morning of DEC. 20TH, they go ashore, and conclude "by most voices, to set in the main-land on a high ground, where there is a great deal of land cleared and hath been planted with corn, three or four years ago, and there is a very sweet brook runs under the hill-side, and many delicate springs of as good water as can be drunk, and where we may harbor our shallop exceeding well." The next day it was stormy, and those on board could not go ashore; those that remained on land all night, "could do nothing, but were wet, not having daylight sufficient to make them a court of guard to keep them dry." "All that night it blew and rained extremely. It was so tempestuous that the shallop could not go on land so soon as was meet, for they had no victuals on land. About 11 o'clock, the shallop went off with much ado, with provision, but could not return. Friday, Dec. 22d, the storm continued so that those on board could not get to land. On the 23d, so many as could, went on shore and felled timber for building. On Thursday the 28th, they went to work on a hill to form a platform for the cannon on a site commanding all the plain and bay; and began to measure out the ground, and to arrange the families. It was the 20th of Jan., before they made up their shed for their common goods: and on the 21st of Jan., 1621, they kept their first Sabbath on land. XII THE PILGRIMS AT PLYMOUTH. Apparent designs of Providence. Contrast between Popery in South America and Protestantism in the North. The fruits of Puritanism in The first harvest. The first Day of Fasting. Return of LET us now go back to the 10th day of November, A. D. 1620, when the Mayflower, hardly escaping from the shoals and breakers in her attempted passage to the Hudson, turns her course, and bears up once more for the northern extremity of the cape. An eloquent orator has thus drawn the picture. "Let us go up in imagination to yonder hill, and look out upon the November scene. That single dark speck just discernible through the perspective glass on the waste of water, is the fated vessel. The storm moans through her tattered canvass, as she creeps, almost sinking, to her anchorage in Provincetown harbor; and there she lies with all her treasures, not of silver and gold (for of these she had none), but of courage, of patience, of zeal, of high spiritual daring. So often as I dwell in imagination on this scene; when I consider the condition of the Mayflower, utterly incapable as she was of living through another gale; when I survey the terrible front presented by our coast to the navigator, who, unacquainted with its channels and roadsteads, should approach it in the stormy season, I dare not call it a piece of good fortune that the general north and south wall of the shore of New England should be broken by this extraordinary projection of a cape, running out into the ocean a hundred miles, as if on purpose to receive and encircle the precious vessel. As I now see her freighted with the destinies of a continent, barely escaped from the perils of the deep, approaching the shore precisely where the broad sweep of this most remarkable headland presents almost the only point, where, for hundreds of miles, she could with any ease have made a harbor, and this, perhaps, the very best on the seaboard, I feel my spirit raised above the sphere of mere natural agencies. I see the * Hon. Edward Everett, at the Cape Cod Centennial Celebration, 1839. |