CHAPTER VIII.

Some are, and must be, greater than the rest.

Pope.

On the second of November, 1631, the Lion arrived again from England, and brought the Governour's wife and some of his children, together with the Rev. John Eliot and about sixty others. This event afforded the Bostonians an opportunity to exhibit their attachment to Mr. Winthrop by one of those publick demonstrations, in which they have always delighted. The vessel was detained below the town two days, and in that time preparation was made for the reception of the honourable passengers. When the Governour and his family left the ship, the Captain gave them a salute of six or seven guns, and at the landing, the military officers received them with a guard, and welcomed them with divers volleys of shot and three artillery pieces. Several of the assistants and most of the people of the neighbourhood assembled to witness the scene and to enhance the joyfulness of the occasion, marvellous store of kids, venison, poultry, geese and partridges, and other luxuries were brought and sent as presents. The like manifestation of love had never been seen in New England. It is hardly necessary to add that on the 11th of November they kept a day of thanksgiving at Boston.

Occurrences.

The succeeding winter passed away without any material At the General Court, in Boston, on the 8th of May, 1632, the same Governour and Deputy were elected, and it was then thought expedient to pass an order that two men should be chosen from each town, to confer with the Court of Assistants about raising a publick stock. This order was the first step towards a house of representatives.*

* More of form was given to this branch of the government in April 1684, when it was determined, that the freemen of each plantation should choose two or three before every general court, and that such persons so deputed should have full power to deal in all the affairs of the commonwealth, wherein the freemen have to do, excepting only the election of magistrates, at which every man was still to give his own voice. In 1636 the number of representatives was apportioned according to the number of inhabitants, no town to have more than three, and persons might send their written votes, endorsed by the name of the voter, instead of attending in person at the court on Election day.

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The delegates were at that time called deputies or committees, and Messrs. William Colburn and William Cheeseborough had the honour to be the first from Boston.

Mr. Wilson returned from London, bringing his wife with him, on the 26th of May, and the congregation began in August to build a house for publick worship, and one for the residence of their pastor. Towards these purposes they made a voluntary contribution of a hundred and twenty pounds. The meeting house was erected on the south side of State Street, opposite the new building now erecting at the head of Wilson's lane, for the accommodation of the United States' Branch Bank. Its roof was thatched and its walls were of mud. It would be pleasant to be able to point to the very ground whereon this first temple stood. Mr. Emerson, in his historical sketch of the church, fixes it not far from the spot on which the Exchange Coffee House had been newly reared. But our search for that edifice is equally unavailing: literally, not one stone of that enormous structure is left upon another. A writer in seventeen hundred ninety-five says it was on the ground on which the Branch bank then stood: we trust it will never be so difficult to direct the future inquirer to the new office of the present Branch.*

As the season grew late and the weather severe, those members of the church who belonged to Charlestown, found it inconvenient to attend worship in Boston. They therefore signified their desire to constitute a new society on the other side of the river. The eleventh of October was set apart for seeking the direction of Heaven, and on the fourteenth, eighteen men and fifteen women were peaceably dismissed from their relation to the church. These afterwards elected Mr. Thomas James for their teacher, and formed the first congregational church in Charlestown.

Mr.

Up to that period one hundred and fifty one members, of whom one hundred and thirty were brethren, had joined the Boston church in full communion. In those days they had a distinction of offices in the church which does not prevail among us. Mr. Wilson was at first ordained as teacher, and on the 22d of November he was chosen pastor. Thomas Oliver was also chosen ruling elder. They were both ordained in form; the two deacons first imposing hands upon the elder, and then the elder and two deacons upon the pastor. The church made considerable effort to retain Mr. Eliot with them in the capacity of teacher, but were disappointed by his fixed resolution to settle at Roxbury.

Boston was now gradually assuming preeminence over the other towns. The court had resolved by general consent, in

* The Dorchester people had built a meeting house prior to March 1632.

October, that it was the fittest place for publick meetings of any in the bay, and ordered a house of correction to be built here, and also a house for the beadle, which was a corporation officer, something similar to a sheriff. Considerable progress had been made towards the fortification of the town, by works on Fort Hill, which was then called Corn Hill, and the people had increased so rapidly that the land within the peninsula was not sufficient for their use. The right of improving several places, in the neighbourhood, for their cattle and the procuring of wood, had therefore been granted them. Another ferry had also become necessary between this and Charlestown, and the wind mill had been brought from Watertown. The latter was a source of profit,

It would seem that Dudley did not witness this advance of Boston with perfect satisfaction. According to the agreement before mentioned, he with Mr. Secretary Bradstreet and other gentlemen of note, went forward in the spring of sixteen hundred thirty-one, with their design to build at Newtown. The Deputy finished his house in a style which the Governour thought too expensive and showy, both on account of the hardness of the times, and of the example, which might lead others to undue extravagance. A wainscoting of clapboards constituted this offensive peculiarity. The Governour himself had also set up a house at Newtown, but in the course of the fall he had it taken down and removed to Boston, where he had resolved in future to reside. This step was no small disappointment to the rest, and occasioned some ill will between the Governour and Deputy. The latter accused the former of a breach of his promise to build at Newtown. The discontent became so great that their mutual friends advised them to submit the subject to the opinion of several ministers. The Governour's answer to the accusation against him was, that he had fulfilled the words of his promise, having had a house up, and servants living in it by the day appointed. As to the removal of the house, he alleged that he perceived the other assistants did not go forward in building: and moreover, the people of Boston having been discouraged by the Deputy from removing to Newtown, had petitioned him, under all their hands, not to leave them, according to the promise he had made to them, when they first sat down with him at Boston. On these and similar explanations, the referees agreed that the Governour's conduct was in some degree excusable, and he acknowledged himself faulty, so far as hey declared him to be so. They awarded that he should pay the Deputy twenty pounds towards his expenses in building, or else provide a minister for the people at Newtown, and contribute something towards his maintenance for a time. The Governour wisely chose to do the former, and remitted the

money. The Deputy was not behind him in complaisance, and returned the same with assurances that he was so well satisfied of the Governour's good will, that he should not have been tempted to accept it, if it had been a hundred pounds instead of twenty. Thus this difficulty terminated, and they afterwards kept peace and friendly correspondency together.

The rising importance of the Massachusetts colony early attracted the attention of travellers as well as of statesmen, and perhaps the fair report of some of the former may have had as much influence in awakening the jealousy of the latter, as the misrepresentations of some disaffected persons are supposed to have had. William Wood, the author of New England's Prospect, has furnished us with the result of his observations in and about Boston in the year 1633. His descriptions are so accurate that they could hardly be amended, and the facts noticed by him are mostly corroborated by other accounts. They are therefore peculiarly entitled to a place here.

First I will begin with the outmost plantation in the patent, to the southward, which is called Wichaguscusset [Weymouth.] This is but a small village, yet is well timbered and hath good store of hay ground.-Three miles to the north of this is Mount Wolaston, a very fertile soil, and a place very convenient for farmers' houses, there being great store of plain ground, without trees.-Six miles further to the north lieth Dorchester, which is the greatest town in New England, well wooded and watered, very good arable and hay grounds. The inhabitants of this town were the first that set upon the trade of fishing in the bay.-A mile from this town lieth Roxbury which is a fair and handsome country town; the inhab itants of it being all very rich a clear and fresh brook runs

through the town, and a quarter of a mile to the north is a small river called Stony River, upon which is built a water mill. Up westward it is something rocky, whence it hath the name of Roxbury. Here is no harbour for ships, because the town is seated in the bottom of a shallow bay; which is made by the neck of land on which Boston is built, so that they can transport all their goods from the ships in boats from Boston, which is the nearest harbour.

This harbour is made by a great company of islands, whose high cliffs shoulder out the boisterous seas; yet may easily deceive any unskilful pilot; presenting many fair openings and broad sounds, which afford too shallow water for ships, though navigable for boats, and pinnaces. It is a safe and pleasant barbour within, having but one common and safe entrance, and that not very broad; there scarce being room for three ships to come in board and board at a time; but being once in, there is room for the anchorage of 500 ships. The seamen having spent their old store of wood and water, may here have fresh supplies from the adjacent islands, with good timber to repair their weather beaten ships.

'Boston is two miles N. E. of Roxbury. Its situation is very pleasant, being a peninsula hemmed in on the south side by the bay of Roxbury, and on the north side, with Charles river, the marshes on the back-side, being not half a quarter of a mile over; so that a little fencing will secure their cattle from the wolves. The greatest wants are wood and meadow ground, which never were in this place; being constrained to fetch their building timber, and fire wood from the islands in boats, and their hay in loyters; it being a neck, and bare of wood, they are not troubled with these great annoyances, wolves, rattlesnakes and muspuetos. Those, that live here upon their cattle, must be constrained to take farms in the country, or else they cannot subsist; the place being too small to contain many, and fittest for such as can trade into England, for such commodities as the country wants, being the chief place for shipping and merchandize.

"This neck of land is not above four miles in compass, in form almost square, having on the south side, at one corner,

* Mr. Wood was wrong in asserting that 'wood was never in this place.' It had doubtless been the favourite residence of the natives for many years, and a considerable portion had been cleared by burning, as was their custom for the culture of corn; hence it was sometimes called the plain neck, and compared with the surrounding country, covered with interminable forests, it might, with propriety be called plain. There were, however, many large clumps left, sufficient for fuel and timber. The growth was probably similar to that of the islands. Had the peninsula been wholly denuded of trees, even the temptation of Mr. Blackstone's spring of fresh water, could not have induced the first planters to settle at Shawmut on the approach of a rigorous winter.-Shaw.