Part 8
Aboute this time, whilst they were perplexed with y^e proseedings of y^e Virginia Company, & y^e ill news from thence aboute M^r. Blackwell & his company, and making inquirey about y^e hiring & buying of shiping for their vioage, some Dutchmen made them faire offers aboute goeing with them. Also one M^r. Thomas Weston, a m^{r}chant of London, came to Leyden aboute y^e same time, (who was well aquainted with some of them, and a furtherer of them in their former proseedings,) haveing much conferance w^th M^r. Robinson & other of y^e cheefe of them, perswaded them to goe on (as it seems) & not to medle with y^e Dutch, or too much to depend on the Virginia Company; for if that failed, if they came to resolution, he and such marchants as were his freinds (togeather with their owne means) would sett them forth; and they should make ready, and neither feare wante of shipping nor money; for what they wanted should be provided. And, not so much for him selfe as for y^e satisfing of such frends as he should procure to adventure in this bussines, they were to draw such articls of agreemente, and make such propossitions, as might y^e better induce his freinds to venture. Upon which (after y^e formere conclusion) articles were drawne & agreed unto, and were showne unto him, and approved by him; and afterwards by their messenger (M^r. John Carver) sent into England, who, togeather with Robart Cushman, were to receive y^e moneys & make provissione both for shiping & other things for y^e vioage; with this charge, not to exseede their co[=m]ission, but to proseed according to y^e former articles. Also some were chossen to doe y^e like for such things as were to be prepared there; so those that weare to goe, prepared them selves with all speed, and sould of their estats and (such as were able) put in their moneys into y^e commone stock, which was disposed by those appointed, for y^e making of generall provissions. Aboute this time also they had heard, both by M^r. Weston and others, y^t sundrie Hon^bl: Lords had obtained a large grante from y^e king, for y^e more northerly parts of that countrie, derived out of y^e Virginia patente, and wholy secluded from their Govermente, and to be called by another name, viz. New-England. Unto which M^r. Weston, and y^e cheefe of them, begane to incline it was [28] best for them to goe, as for other reasons, so cheefly for y^e hope of present profite to be made by y^e fishing that was found in y^t countrie.
But as in all bussineses y^e acting parte is most difficulte, espetially wher y^e worke of many agents must concurr, so it was found in this; for some of those y^t should have gone in England, fell of & would not goe; other marchants & freinds y^t had offered to adventure their moneys withdrew, and pretended many excuses. Some disliking they wente not to Guiana; others againe would adventure nothing excepte they wente to Virginia. Some againe (and those that were most relied on) fell in utter dislike with Virginia, and would doe nothing if they wente thither. In y^e midds of these distractions, they of Leyden, who had put of their estats, and laid out their moneys, were brought into a greate streight, fearing what issue these things would come too; but at length y^e generalitie was swaid to this latter opinion.
But now another difficultie arose, for M^r. Weston and some other that were for this course, either for their better advantage or rather for y^e drawing on of others, as they pretended, would have some of those conditions altered y^t were first agreed on at Leyden. To which y^e 2. agents sent from Leyden (or at least one of them who is most charged with it) did consente; seeing els y^t all was like to be dashte, & y^e opportunitie lost, and y^t they which had put of their estats and paid in their moneys were in hazard to be undon. They presumed to conclude with y^e marchants on those termes, in some things contrary to their order & co[=m]ission, and without giving them notice of y^e same; yea, it was conceled least it should make any furder delay; which was y^e cause afterward of much trouble & contention.
It will be meete I here inserte these conditions, which are as foloweth.
An^o: 1620. July 1.
1. The adventurers & planters doe agree, that every person that goeth being aged 16. years & upward, be rated at 10^li., and ten pounds to be accounted a single share.
2. That he that goeth in person, and furnisheth him selfe out with 10^li. either in money or other provissions, be accounted as haveing 20^li. in stock, and in y^e devission shall receive a double share.
3. The persons transported & y^e adventurers shall continue their joynt stock & partnership togeather, y^e space of 7. years, (excepte some unexpected impedimente doe cause y^e whole company to agree otherwise,) during which time, all profits & benifits that are gott by trade, traffick, trucking, working, fishing, or any other means of any person or persons, remaine still in y^e co[=m]one stock untill y^e division.
4. That at their co[=m]ing ther, they chose out such a number of fitt persons, as may furnish their ships and boats for fishing upon y^e sea; imploying the rest in their severall faculties upon y^e land; as building houses, tilling, and planting y^e ground, & makeing shuch co[=m]odities as shall be most usefull for y^e collonie.
5. That at y^e end of y^e 7. years, y^e capitall & profits, viz. the houses, lands, goods and chatles, be equally devided betwixte y^e adventurers, and planters; w^ch done, every man shall be free from other of them of any debt or detrimente concerning this adventure.
[29] 6. Whosoever cometh to y^e colonie herafter, or putteth any into y^e stock, shall at the ende of y^e 7. years be alowed proportionably to y^e time of his so doing.
7. He that shall carie his wife & children, or servants, shall be alowed for everie person now aged 16. years & upward, a single share in y^e devision, or if he provid them necessaries, a duble share, or if they be between 10. year old and 16., then 2. of them to be reconed for a person, both in tr[=a]sportation and devision.
8. That such children as now goe, & are under y^e age of ten years, have noe other shar in y^e devision, but 50. acers of unmanured land.
9. That such persons as die before y^e 7. years be expired, their executors to have their parte or sharr at y^e devision, proportionably to y^e time of their life in y^e collonie.
10. That all such persons as are of this collonie, are to have their meate, drink, apparell, and all provissions out of y^e co[=m]on stock & goods of y^e said collonie.
The cheefe & principall differences betwene these & the former conditions, stood in those 2. points; that y^e houses, & lands improved, espetialy gardens & home lotts should remaine undevided wholy to y^e planters at y^e 7. years end. 2^ly, y^t they should have had 2. days in a weeke for their owne private imploymente, for y^e more comforte of them selves and their families, espetialy such as had families. But because letters are by some wise men counted y^e best parte of histories, I shall shew their greevances hereaboute by their owne letters, in which y^e passages of things will be more truly discerned.
_A letter of M^r. Robinsons to John Carver._
June 14. 1620. N. Stile.
My dear freind & brother, whom with yours I alwaise remember in my best affection, and whose wellfare I shall never cease to co[=m]end to God by my best & most earnest praires. You doe throwly understand by our generall letters y^e estate of things hear, which indeed is very pitifull; espetialy by wante of shiping, and not seeing means lickly, much less certaine, of having it provided; though withall ther be great want of money & means to doe needfull things. M^r. Pickering, you know before this, will not defray a peny hear; though Robart Cushman presumed of I know not how many 100^li. from him, & I know not whom. Yet it seems strange y^t we should be put to him to receive both his & his partners adventer, and yet M^r. Weston write unto him, y^t in regard of it, he hath drawne upon him a 100^li. more. But ther is in this some misterie, as indeed it seems ther is in y^e whole course. Besids, wheras diverse are to pay in some parts of their moneys yet behinde, they refuse to doe it, till they see shiping provided, or a course taken for it. Neither doe I thinke is ther a man hear would pay any thing, if he had againe his money in his purse. You know right well we depended on M^r. Weston alone, and upon such means as he would procure for this commone bussines; and when we had in hand another course with y^e Dutchmen, broke it of at his motion, and upon y^e conditions by him shortly after propounded. He did this in his love I know, but things appeare not answerable from him hitherto. That he should have first have put in his moneys, is thought by many to have been but fitt, but y^t I can well excuse, he being a marchante and haveing use of it to his benefite; wheras others, if it had been in their hands, would have consumed it. [30] But y^t he should not but have had either shipping ready before this time, or at least certaine means, and course, and y^e same knowne to us for it, or have taken other order otherwise, cannot in my conscience be excused. I have heard y^t when he hath been moved in the bussines, he hath put it of from him selfe, and referred it to y^e others;[P] and would come to Georg Morton, & enquire news of him aboute things, as if he had scarce been some accessarie unto it. Wether he hath failed of some helps from others which he expected, and so be not well able to goe through with things, or whether he hath feared least you should be ready too soone & so encrease y^e charge of shiping above y^t is meete, or whether he have thought by withhoulding to put us upon straits, thinking y^t therby M^r. Brewer and M^r. Pickering would be drawne by importunitie to doe more, or what other misterie is in it, we know not; but sure we are y^t things are not answerable to such an occasion. M^r. Weston maks himselfe mery with our endeavors about buying a ship, but we have done nothing in this but with good reason, as I am perswaded, nor yet that I know in any thing els, save in those tow; y^e one, that we imployed Robart Cushman, who is known (though a good man, & of spetiall abilities in his kind, yet) most unfitt to deale for other men, by reason of his singularitie, and too great indifferancie for any conditions, and for (to speak truly) that[Q] we have had nothing from him but termes & presumptions. The other, y^t we have so much relyed, by implicite faith as it were, upon generalities, without seeing y^e perticuler course & means for so waghtie an affaire set down unto us. For shiping, M^r. Weston, it should seeme, is set upon hireing, which yet I wish he may presently effecte; but I see litle hope of help from hence if so it be. Of M^r. Brewer you know what to expecte. I doe not thinke M^r. Pickering will ingage, excepte in y^e course of buying, in former letters specified. Aboute y^e conditions, you have our reasons for our judgments of what is agreed. And let this spetially be borne in minde, y^t the greatest parte of y^e Collonie is like to be imployed constantly, not upon dressing ther perticuler land & building houses, but upon fishing, trading, &c. So as y^e land & house will be but a trifell for advantage to y^e adventurers, and yet the devission of it a great discouragmente to y^e planters, who would with singuler care make it comfortable with borowed houres from their sleep. The same consideration of co[=m]one imploymente constantly by the most is a good reason not to have y^e 2. daies in a weeke denyed y^e few planters for private use, which yet is subordinate to co[=m]one good. Consider also how much unfite that you & your liks must serve a new prentishipe of 7. years, and not a daies freedome from taske. Send me word what persons are to goe, who of usefull faculties, & how many, & perticulerly of every thing. I know you wante not a minde. I am sorie you have not been at London all this while, but y^e provissions could not wante you. Time will suffer me to write no more; fare you & yours well allways in y^e Lord, in whom I rest.
Yours to use, JOHN ROBINSON.
_An other letter from sundrie of them at y^e same time._
[31] To their loving freinds John Carver and Robart Cushman, these, &c.
Good bretheren, after salutations, &c. We received diverse letters at y^e coming of M^r. Nash & our pilott, which is a great incouragmente unto us, and for whom we hop after times will minister occasion of praising God; and indeed had you not sente him, many would have been ready to fainte and goe backe. Partly in respecte of y^e new conditions which have bene taken up by you, which all men are against, and partly in regard of our owne inabillitie to doe any one of those many waightie bussineses you referr to us here. For y^e former wherof, wheras Robart Cushman desirs reasons for our dislike, promising therupon to alter y^e same, or els saing we should thinke he hath no brains, we desire him to exercise them therin, refering him to our pastors former reasons, and them to y^e censure of y^e godly wise. But our desires are that you will not entangle your selvs and us in any such unreasonable courses as those are, viz. y^t the marchants should have y^e halfe of mens houses and lands at y^e dividente; and that persons should be deprived of y^e 2. days in a weeke agreed upon, yea every momente of time for their owne perticuler; by reason wherof we cannot conceive why any should carie servants for their own help and comfort; for that we can require no more of them then all men one of another. This we have only by relation from M^r. Nash, & not from any writing of your owne, & therfore hope you have not proceeded farr in so great a thing without us. But requiring you not to exseed the bounds of your co[=m]ission, which was to proceed upon y^e things or conditions agred upon and expressed in writing (at your going over about it), we leave it, not without marveling, that you^r selfe, as you write, knowing how smale a thing troubleth our consultations, and how few, as you fear, understands the busnes aright, should trouble us with such matters as these are, &c.
Salute M^r. Weston from us, in whom we hope we are not deceived; we pray you make known our estate unto him, and if you thinke good shew him our letters, at least tell him (y^t under God) we much relie upon him & put our confidence in him; and, as your selves well know, that if he had not been an adventurer with us, we had not taken it in hand; presuming that if he had not seene means to accomplish it, he would not have begune it; so we hope in our extremitie he will so farr help us as our expectation be no way made frustrate concerning him. Since therfore, good brethren, we have plainly opened y^e state of things with us in this matter, you will, &c. Thus beseeching y^e Allmightie, who is allsufficiente to raise us out of this depth of dificulties, to assiste us herein; raising such means by his providence and fatherly care for us, his pore children & servants, as we may with comforte behould y^e hand of our God for good towards us in this our bussines, which we undertake in his name & fear, we take leave & remaine
Your perplexed, yet hopfull bretheren,
S. F. E. W. W. B. J. A.[R]
June 10. New Stille, An^o: 1620.
_A letter of Robart Cushmans to them._
Brethern, I understand by letters & passagess y^t have come to me, that ther are great discontents, & dislike of my proceedings amongst you. Sorie I am to hear it, yet contente to beare it, as not doubting but y^t partly by writing, and more principally by word when we shall come togeather, I shall satisfie any reasonable man. I have been perswaded [32] by some, espetialy this bearer, to come and clear things unto you; but as things now stand I ca[=n]ot be absente one day, excepte I should hazard all y^e viage. Neither conceive I any great good would come of it. Take then, brethern, this as a step to give you contente. First, for your dislike of y^e alteration of one clause in y^e conditions, if you conceive it right, ther can be no blame lye on me at all. For y^e articles first brought over by John Carver were never seene of any of y^e adventurers hear, excepte M^r. Weston, neither did any of them like them because of that clause; nor M^r. Weston him selfe, after he had well considered it. But as at y^e first ther was 500^li. withdrawne by S^r. Georg Farrer and his brother upon that dislike, so all y^e rest would have withdrawne (M^r. Weston excepted) if we had not altered y^t clause. Now whilst we at Leyden conclude upon points, as we did, we reckoned without our host, which was not my falte. Besids, I shewed you by a letter y^e equitie of y^t condition, & our inconveniences, which might be sett against all M^r. Rob: inconveniences, that without y^e alteration of y^t clause, we could neither have means to gett thither, nor supplie wherby to subsiste when we were ther. Yet notwithstanding all those reasons, which were not mine, but other mens wiser then my selfe, without answer to any one of them, here cometh over many quirimonies, and complaints against me, of lording it over my brethern, and making conditions fitter for theeves & bondslaves then honest men, and that of my owne head I did what I list. And at last a paper of reasons, framed against y^t clause in y^e conditions, which as y^ey were delivered me open, so my answer is open to you all. And first, as they are no other but inconveniences, such as a man might frame 20. as great on y^e other side, and yet prove nor disprove nothing by them, so they misse & mistake both y^e very ground of y^e article and nature of y^e project. For, first, it is said, that if ther had been no divission of houses & lands, it had been better for y^e poore. True, and y^t showeth y^e inequalitie of y^e condition; we should more respecte him y^t ventureth both his money and his person, then him y^t ventureth but his person only.
2. Consider wheraboute we are, not giveing almes, but furnishing a store house; no one shall be porer then another for 7. years, and if any be rich, none can be pore. At y^e least, we must not in such bussines crie, Pore, pore, mercie, mercie. Charitie hath it life in wraks, not in venturs; you are by this most in a hopefull pitie of makeing, therfore complaine not before you have need.
3. This will hinder y^e building of good and faire houses, contrarie to y^e advise of pollitiks. A. So we would have it; our purpose is to build for y^e presente such houses as, if need be, we may with litle greefe set a fire, and rune away by the lighte; our riches shall not be in pompe, but in strenght; if God send us riches, we will imploye them to provid more men, ships, munition, &c. You may see it amongst the best pollitiks, that a co[=m]onwele is readier to ebe then to flow, when once fine houses and gay cloaths come up.
4. The Gove^t may prevente excess in building. A. But if it be on all men beforehand resolved on, to build mean houses, y^e Gove^r laboure is spared.
5. All men are not of one condition. A. If by condition you mean wealth, you are mistaken; if you mean by condition, qualities, then I say he that is not contente his neighbour shall have as good a house, fare, means, &c. as him selfe, is not of a good qualitie. 2^ly. Such retired persons, as have aneie only to them selves, are fitter to come wher catching is, then closing; and are fitter to live alone, then in any societie, either civill or religious.
6. It will be of litle value, scarce worth 5^li. A. True, it may be not worth halfe 5^li. [33] If then so smale a thing will content them, why strive we thus aboute it, and give them occasion to suspecte us to be worldly & covetous? I will not say what I have heard since these complaints came first over.
7. Our freinds with us y^t adventure mind not their owne profite, as did y^e old adventurers. A. Then they are better then we, who for a litle matter of profite are readie to draw back, and it is more apparente brethern looke too it, that make profite your maine end; repente of this, els goe not least you be like Jonas to Tarshis. 2^ly. Though some of them mind not their profite, yet others doe mind it; and why not as well as we? venturs are made by all sorts of men, and we must labour to give them all contente, if we can.
8. It will break y^e course of co[=m]unitie, as may be showed by many reasons. A. That is but said, and I say againe, it will best foster comunion, as may be showed by many reasons.
9. Great profite is like to be made by trucking, fishing, &c. A. As it is better for them, so for us; for halfe is ours, besids our living still upon it, and if such profite in y^t way come, our labour shall be y^e less on y^e land, and our houses and lands must & will be of less value.
10. Our hazard is greater then theirs. A. True, but doe they put us upon it? doe they urge or egg us? hath not y^e motion & resolution been always in our selves? doe they any more then in seeing us resolute if we had means, help us to means upon equall termes & conditions? If we will not goe, they are content to keep their moneys. Thus I have pointed at a way to loose those knots, which I hope you will consider seriously, and let me have no more stirre about them.