This was a man approoved of the Brethren, both for his zeale and guiftes, yet but a Bubble, and at the publike Chardge conveyed to New England, I thinke to be Master of the Ceremonies betweene the Natives, and the Stenography one guift. Planters: for hee applied himselfe cheifly to pen the language downe in Stenography: But there for want of use, which hee rightly understood not, all was losse of labor; somethinge it was when next it came to view, but what hee could not tell.
This man, Master Bubble, was in the time of Iohn Oldams absence made the howse Chaplaine there, and every night hee made use of his guifts, whose oratory luld his auditory Oratory another guift. fast a sleepe, as Mercuries pipes did Argus eies: for, when hee was in, they sayd hee could not tell how to get out; nay, hee would hardly out till hee were fired out, his zeale was such: (one fire they say drives out another): hee would become a great Merchant, and by any thinge that A great Merchant a third guift. was to be sold so as hee might have day and be trusted never so litle time: the price it seemed hee stood not much upon, but the day: for to his freind hee shewed commodities, so priced as caused him to blame the buyer, till the man this Bubble did declare that it was tane up at day, [{123}] and did rejoyce in the bargaine, insistinge on the day; the day, yea, marry, quoth his friend, if you have doomesday for payment you are then well to passe. But if he had not, it were as good hee had; they were payed all alike.
His day made a common prouerbe.
And now this Bubbles day is become a common proverbe. Hee obtained howse roome at Passonagessit and remooved thether, because it stood convenient for the Beaver trade: and the rather because the owner of Passonagessit had no Corne left, and this man seemed a bigg boned man, and therefore thought to be a good laborer, and to have store of corne; but, contrary wise, hee had none at all, and hoped upon this freind his host: thithere were brought the trophies Trophies of honor. of this Master Bubbles honor, his water tankard and his Porters basket, but no provision; so that one gunne did serve to helpe them both to meat; and now the time for fowle was almost past.
His long grace made the meat cold.
This man and his host at dinner, Bubble begins to say grace; yea, and a long one to, till all the meate was cold; hee would not give his host leave to say grace: belike, hee thought mine host past grace, and further learned as many other Schollers are: but in the usage and custome of this blinde oratory his host tooke himselfe abused, and the whiles fell to and had halfe done before this man Bubble would open his eies to see what stood afore him, which made him more cautius, and learned that brevis oratio penetrat Cælum. Together Bubbles and hee goes in the Canaw to Nut Island[477] for brants, and there his host makes a shotte and breakes the winges of many: Bubble, [{124}] in hast and single handed, paddels out like a Cow in a cage: his host cals back to rowe two handed like to a pare of oares; and, before this could be performed, the fowle had time to swimme to other flockes, and so to escape: the best part of the pray being lost mayd his host to mutter at him, and so to parte for that time discontended.
Chap. XI.
Of a Composition made by the Sachem for a Theft committed by some of his men, shewinge their honest meaninge.
The owner of Passonagessit, to have the benefit of company, left his habitation in the Winter and reposed at Wessaguscus, (to his cost): meane time, in the Depth of Winter, the neighbour Salvages, accustomed to buy foode, The Salvages betake the howse & take the Corne. came to the howse, (for that intent perhaps,) and peepinge in all the windowes, (then unglased,) espied corne, but no body to sell the same; and having company and helpe at hand did make a shift to get into the howse, and, take out corne to serve but for the present, left enough behinde: the Sachem having knowledge of the facte, and being advertised likewise of the displeasure that had ben conceaved by the Proprietor thereof at this offence, prepares a Messenger, the Salvage that had lived in England, and sends him with commission for the trespasse of his men, who had tenne skinnes perposed [{125}] for it to bee payd by a day certaine: The Sachem, at the time appointed, bringes the Beaver to Wessaguscus where the owner lived, but just then was gone abroade: meane time the skinnes were by the Wessaguscus men gelded, and the better halfe by them juggled away before the owner came; and hee by the Actors perswaded A dishonest tricke. to bee contended with the rest, who not so pleased did draw the Sachem then to make a new agreement, and so to pay his remnant left in hand, and tenne skinnes more by a new day asigned, and then to bringe them to Passonagessit; but the Wessaguscus men went the day before to the Salvages with this sayinge, that they were sent to call upon him there for payement; and received tenne skinnes, and tooke a Salvage there to justifie that at their howse the owner stayed the while; hee verified this, because hee saw the man before at Wessaguscus: the Sachem did beleive the tale, and at that time delivered up tenne skinnes on that behalfe, in full dischardge of all demandes against the trespasse and the trespassers, to them; who consented to him, and them, to the owner, and kept nine[478] to themselves, and made the A consenting tricke. The Heathen more just, then the Christians. Salvage take the tenth, and give the owner all that yet was to bee had, themselves confessinge their demaunds for him, and that there was but onely one as yet prepared: so that by this you may easily perceive the uncivilized people are more just than the civilized.