wants," his patience and fortitude were put to a severe trial. His care for the souls of his flock committed to him was unremitting, while his medical skill imposed upon him arduous additional duties. His services as a physician were of inestimable value in the new townships where he resided after he came to America. Upon the earnest solicitation of his people he composed a new catechism for the use of their children. It was printed at their expense in 1657, by Samuel Green, Cambridge. It is styled the "Watering of the Plant in Christ's Garden, or a short Catechism for the entrance of our Chelmsford children. Enlarged by a three fold Appendix." After he had been many Lord's days carried to the church in a chair, and preached, as in primitive times, sitting, he, on Jan. 14, saw a rest from his labors.*

The following account of the visit of the Rev. John Eliot and Gen. Gookin to the Indians at Pawtucket falls, is from "Gookin's Historical Account of the Indians," written in 1674.†

"May fifth, 1674, according to our usual custom, Mr. Eliot and myself took our journey to Wamesit or Pawtucket; and arriving there that evening, Mr. Eliot preached to as many of them as could be got together, out of Mat. xxii. 1—14, the parable of the marriage of the king's son.

"We met at the wigwam of one called Wannalancet, about two miles from the town, near Pawtucket falls, and bordering upon the Merrimack river. This person, Wannalancet, is the eldest son of old Pasaconaway, the chiefest Sachem of Pawtucket. He is a sober and grave person, and of years, between fifty and sixty. He hath been always loving and friendly to the English. Many endeavours have been used several years to gain this Sachem to embrace the christian religion; but he hath stood off from time to time, and not yielded up himself personally, though for four years past he hath been willing to hear the word of God preached, and to keep the Sabbath. A great reason that hath kept him off, I conceive, hath been the indisposition and aversion of sundry of his chief men and relations to pray to God, which he foresaw would desert him in case he turned christian. But at this time, May 6, 1674, it pleased God so to influence and overcome his heart, that, it being proposed to him to give his answer concerning prayer to God, after some deliberation and serious pause, he stood up and made a speech to this effect:

"Sirs, you have been pleased for four years last past, in your abundant love, to apply yourselves particularly to me and my people, to exhort, press, and persuade us to pray to God. I am very thankful to you for your pains. I must acknowledge, said he, I have all my days used to pass in an old canoe, (alluding to his frequent custom to pass in a canoe upon the river) and now you exhort me to exchange and leave my old canoe, and embark in a new canoe, to which I have hitherto been unwilling; but now I yield up myself to your advice, and enter into a new canoe, and do engage to pray to God hereafter.

*Rev. Mr. Allen's History of Chelmsford, published 1820.

+"Maj. General Gookin of Cambridge, the author of this account of praying towns, was the superintendent of all the Indians that had subjected themselves to the provincial government. He was accustomed to accompany Mr. Eliot in his missionary tours. While Mr. Eliot preached the gospel to the Indians, General Gookin adminis tered civil affairs among them. In 1675, when Philip's war broke out, the English inhabitants generally were jealous of the praying Indians, and would have destroyed them, had not General Gookin and Mr. Eliot stepped forth in their defence. The Christian Indians were for a while kept on one of the islands in Boston harbor through fear of their becoming traitors and going over to the enemy. The issue proved that these fears were entirely groundless. Not a single praying Indian went over to the enemy. This fact affords abundant encouragement to civilize and christianize the savages of our western forests. This is the most effectual way to preserve our fron tier settlements from savage butchery. General Gookin died in 1687, an old man, whose days were filled with usefulness."-Moore's Life of Eliot.

"This his professed subjection was well pleasing to all that were present, of which there were some English persons of quality; as Mr. Richard Daniel, a gentleman that lived in Billerica, about six miles off; and Lieutenant Henchman, a neighbour at Chelmsford; besides brother Eliot and myself, with sundry others, English and Indians. Mr. Daniel, before named, desired brother Eliot to tell this Sachem from him that it may be whilst he went in his old canoe he passed in a quiet stream; but the end thereof was death and destruction to soul and body; but now he went in a new canoe, perhaps he would meet with storms and trials; but yet he should be encouraged to persevere, for the end of his voyage would be everlasting rest. Moreover, he and his people were exhorted by brother Eliot and myself to go on and sanctify the Sabbath, to hear the word and use the means that God had appointed, and encourage their hearts in the Lord their God. Since that time I hear the Sachem doth persevere, and is a constant and diligent hearer of God's word, and sanctifieth the Sabbath, though he doth travel to Wamesit meeting every Sabbath, which is above two miles; and though sundry of his people have deserted him, since he subjected to the gospel, yet he continues and persists."

The following are the inscriptions on the monuments of the second and fourth ministers in this town:

Memento mori. Fugit hora. Huic pulveri mandatæ sunt Reliquiæ Rev. Dom. Thom. Clark, Gregis Christi Chelmfordianæ Pastoris eximii; qui fide et spe_beatæ resurrectionis animam. In sinum Jesu expiravit die VII Decembris, Anno Domini 1704, ætatis suæ 52.

[The remains of the Rev. Thomas Clark, the faithful Pastor of the flock of Christ in Chelmsford, are here committed to the dust. In the faith and hope of a blessed res-* urrection, he breathed his soul into the bosom of Jesus, Dec. 7, 1704, in the 52 year of his age, (and 27 of his ministry.)]

By the church of Christ in CHELMSFORD, in testimony of their esteem and veneration, this sepultrial stone was erected to stand as a sacred memorial of their late worthy pas tor, the Rev. EBENEZER BRIDGE, who, after having officiated among them in the service of the sanctuary for more than a year above half a century, the strength of nature be. ing exhausted, sunk under the burden of age, and joined the congregation of the dead, Oct. 1, 1792, Æ. 78.

CONCORD.

In the year 1635, Musketaquid was purchased of the Indians, and called Concord, on account of the peaceable manner in which it was obtained, as appears by the testimony of two settlers, William Buttrick and Richard Rice, and two Christian Indians of Natick, Jehojakin and Jethro. They unitedly testify and say, "That they were present at the making of the bargain for the town of Concord; that at the house of the Rev. Peter Bulkley, Mr. Simon Willard, Mr. John Jones, Mr. Spencer, and others, did purchase of squaw sachem, Tahattawan and Nimrod, a tract of land six miles square, the center being the place (or near) where the bargain was made. That said Willard and others did pay for said land in wampanpeague, hatchets, hoes, knives, cotton cloth, and chintz, to said Indians. And that Wappacowet, husband to squaw sachem, received a suit of cotton cloth, a hat, a white linen band, shoes, stockings, and a great coat on account of said bargain. That in the conclusion, the Indians declared they were satisfied, and that the English were welcome."

The first settlement commenced in the fall of 1635, at which period (Sept. 3) the town was incorporated. "The first houses

were built on the south side of the hill from the public square to Merriam's Corner, and the farm lots laid out extending back from the road across the great fields and great meadows, and in front across the meadows on Mill brook. This spot was probably selected because it contained land easy of tillage, and because it afforded the greatest facilities in constructing such temporary dwellings as would shelter the inhabitants from the inclemency of storms and winter. These huts were built by digging into the bank, driving posts into the ground, and placing on them a covering of bark, brushwood, or earth. The second year houses were erected as far as where the south and north bridges now stand." Many of the first settlers were men of acknowledged wealth, talents and education in their native country, and several were of noble families.

The following is from Johnson's "Wonder-working Providence." This author being an inhabitant of Woburn, and often associated with the people of Concord, he had a good opportunity of being acquainted with the early history of the town.

"Upon some inquiry of the Indians, who lived to the North West of the Bay, one Captaine Simon Willard, being acquainted with them, by reason of his trade, became a chiefe instrument in erecting this towne. The land they purchase of the Indians, and with much difficulties travelling through unknowne woods, and through watery swamps, they discover the fitnesse of the place; sometimes passing through the thick ets, where their hands are forced to make way for their bodies passage, and their feete clambering over the crossed trees, which when they missed they sunke into an uncertaine bottome in water, and wade up to their knees, tumbling sometimes higher and sometimes lower. Wearied with this toile, they at end of this meete with a scorching plaine, yet not so plaine, but that the ragged bushes scratch their legs fouly, even to wearing their stockings to their bare skin in two or three hours. If they be not otherwise well defended with bootes or buskings, their flesh will be torne. Some of them being forced to passe on without further provision, have had the bloud trickle downe at every step. And in time of summer, the sun casts such a reflecting heate from the sweete ferne, whose scent is very strong, that some herewith have beene very nere fainting, although very able bodies to undergoe much travel. And this not to be indured for one day, but for many; and verily did not the Lord incourage their natural parts (with hopes of a new and strange discovery, expecting every houre to see some rare sight never seen before), they were never able to hold out and breake through."***"After some dayes spent in search, toyling in the day time as formerly said, like true Jacob, they rest them on the rocks where the night takes them. Their short repast is some small pittance of bread, if it hold out; but as for drinke they have plenty, the countrey being well watered in all places that are yet found out. Their further hardship is to travell sometimes they know not whither, bewildred indeed without sight of sun, their compasse miscarrying in crouding through the bushes. They sadly search up and down for a known way, the Indian paths being not above one foot broad, so that a man may travell many dayes and never find one." "This intricate worke no whit daunted these resolved servants of Christ to go on with the worke in hand; but lying in the open aire, while the watery clouds poure down all the night season, and sometimes the driving snow dissolving on their backs, they keep their wet cloathes warme with a continued fire, till the renewed morning give fresh opportunity of further travell. After they have thus found out a place of aboad, they burrow themselves in the earth for their first shelter under some hill-side, casting the earth aloft upon timber; they make a smoaky fire against the earth at the highest side. And thus these poore servants of Christ provide shelter for themselves, their wives and little ones, keeping off the short showers from their lodgings, but the long raines penetrate through to their great disturbance in the night season. Yet in these poor wigwams they sing psalmes, pray and praise their God, till they can provide them houses, which ordinarily was not wont to be with many till the earth, by the Lord's blessing, brought forth bread to feed them, their wives and little ones, which with sore labours they attain; every one that can lift a hoe to strike it into the earth, standing stoutly to