45. From the Farewell Letter of John Robinson
Bradford's Plymouth Plantation (Original Narratives edition), 84-86.
Robinson was the pastor of the Separatist congregation at Leyden. This letter was written to that part of the congregation which had just embarked for America, soon to found Plymouth colony. It is not dated. Bradford gives the full text. This extract shows that the charter which the Pilgrims had secured from the London Company, but which they were never to use (No. 43 note, and American History and Government, § 51 note), had guaranteed them a large measure of self-government. The letter would fill some five pages of this book.
... Lastly, whereas you are become a body politik, using amongst yourselves civill governmente, and are not furnished with any persons of spetiall eminence above the rest, to be chosen by you into office, let your wisdome and godlines appear, not only in chusing shuch persons as do entirely love and will promote the commone good, but also in yeelding unto them all due honour and obedience ... and this dutie you may the more willingly ... performe, because you are at least for the present to have onely them for your ordinarie governours which your selves shall make choyse of for that worke.
46. The Mayflower Compact
November 11/21, 1620
Bradford's Plymouth Plantation (Original Narratives edition), 107. The original document is lost. Bradford gives no signatures. However, another copy, in Mourt's Relation, has the signatures, forty-two in number.
In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are under writen, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by the grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, and Ireland king, defender of the faith, etc., haveing undertaken, for the glorie of God, and advancemente of the Christian faith, and honour of our king and countrie, a voyage to plant the first colonie in the Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly and mutualy in the presence of God, and one of another, covenant and combine our selves togeather into a civill body politick, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just and equall lawes, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete and convenient for the generall good of the Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witnes whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cap-Codd the 11. of November, in the year of the raigne of our soveraigne lord, King James, of England, France, and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fiftie fourth. Anno: Dom. 1620.
For a discussion of this document, see American History and Government, § 51. Here it should be noted that it is not a "constitution" so much as a preliminary "social compact." Nineteen years later, Wheelwright and his followers (banished from Massachusetts) settled on the New Hampshire coast and adopted an agreement similar to the Mayflower document in occasion and character. Western mining camps have taken like action many times in later days.
The Wheelwright document follows from Hazard's State Papers, I, 463.