Captain Argoll came home from Virginia this week. Upon receiving notice of the intentions of the Council, he left before Sir George Yeardley had arrived there; so there is no small dissatisfaction. But his tidings are ill. He says Mr. Blackwell’s ship did not reach there till March, owing to northwest winds, which carried them to the southward beyond their course. The captain of the ship and some six of the sailors dying, it seems they could not find the bay till after long beating about. Mr. Blackwell is dead, and Mr. Maggner, the Captain; in fact Captain Argoll says 130 persons on that ship died out of a total of 180. There were so many that they were packed together like herrings. They were ill with the flux, and they lacked fresh water; so here it is rather wondered at that as many are alive, than that so many are dead. The merchants here say it was Mr. Blackwell’s fault for packing so many in the ship. There was much grumbling at the time, and Mr. Blackwell was blamed for his disposition of them and his insults to them. They say the streets of Gravesend rang with their quarreling, crying out at each other: “Thou hast brought me to this;” and, “I may thank thee for this!” Heavy news it is, and I wonder how far it will discourage our project. No one here is much discouraged; they seem only to wish to learn by other men’s misfortunes. As we desire to serve one another in love, so take heed of being enthralled by any imperious persons,—especially if they seem to have an eye to their own advantage. It often troubles me to think that in this business all of us must learn, and none can teach; but better so, than to depend upon such teachers as Mr. Blackwell was. He once laid a similar trap for Mr. Johnson and his people at Emden,—which was their ruin. But though in that instance he managed to pluck his neck out of the collar, at last his foot is caught. No letters have arrived yet, as the ship Captain Argoll came in is still on the west coast; all that we hear is his report; it seems he came away secretly. The ship that Mr. Blackwell went in will be here shortly. What Mr. Robinson once said has come true: that we should hear no good of them.

Mr. B. is not well; whether he will return to you or go north, I do not know. For myself I hope to see an end of this business ere I come, though I am sorry to be away from you. If things had gone straight forward, I should have been with you within these 14 days. I pray God direct us, and give us the spirit which is fitting for such a business. Thus having summarily pointed at things which Mr. Brewster I think has more largely written of to Mr. Robinson, I leave you to the Lord’s protection.

Yours in all readiness, etc.,
ROBERT CUSHMAN.

London, May 8th, 1619.

A word or two, by way of digression, about this Mr. Blackwell. He was an Elder of the church at Amsterdam,—a man well known to most of them. He declined from the truth with Mr. Johnson and the rest, and went with them when they parted from the congregation in that woful manner, which brought such great dishonour to God, scandal to the truth, and ruin to themselves in this world. But, I hope, notwithstanding, through the mercies of the Lord, their souls are now at rest with Him in the heavens, and that they have reached the haven of happiness; though some of their bodies were thus buried in the terrible seas, and others sank under the burden of bitter afflictions.

He, with some others, had prepared to go by way of London to Virginia. Being a private meeting—I take it a fast—in London, and being discovered, many of them were arrested, Mr. Blackwell being one; but he so glozed with the bishops, and either dissembled or flatly denied the truth which he had formerly maintained, and very unworthily betrayed another godly man who had escaped, so that he might slip his own neck out of the collar, that he won the bishop’s favour (but lost the Lord’s) and was not only acquitted, but in open court the Archbishop praised him highly, and gave him his solemn blessing to proceed on his voyage. But if such events follow the Archbishop’s blessing, happy are they that miss it; it is much better to keep a good conscience and have the Lord’s blessing, whether in life or death.

But to return to the concerns of the congregation at Leyden. At last, after all these occurrences, and their long waiting, they had a patent granted them and confirmed under the Virginia Company’s seal. But these divisions had alienated many of their less constant supporters, and they were thus disappointed of much of their hoped for and proffered means. By the advice of some friends the patent was not taken out in the name of any of their own members, but in the name of Mr. J. Wincot (a religious gentleman then in the service of the Countess of Lincoln), who intended to go with them. But God so disposed things that he never went, nor did they ever make use of this patent, which had cost them so much labour and expense, as will appear. The patent being sent over for those at Leyden to consider, and also the propositions of such merchants and friends as would go with them or participate in the adventure,—and especially those (Mr. Thomas Weston, etc.), on whom they chiefly depended for shipping and stores,—they were requested to prepare with all speed. And this matter of the patent is a true emblem of the uncertain things of this world, which, when men have toiled to acquire them vanish into smoke!

CHAPTER VI

Agreement between the Congregation at Leyden and the Merchants and Adventurers in London for the accomplishment of the Settlement in New England: 1620.