My dear Friend and Brother.
Whom, with yours, I always remember in my best affection, and whose welfare I shall never cease to commend to God, by my best and most earnest prayers.
You thoroughly understand by our general letters the state of things here, which indeed is very pitiful; especially the want of shipping, and not seeing means of providing it; though, in addition, there is great want of money for other needful things. Mr. Pickering, you know before this, will not defray a penny here; though Robert Cushman reckoned upon I know not how many hundred pounds from him, and I know not whom else. But it seems strange that we should be asked to take the risk of his and his partners’ enterprise,—and yet Mr. Weston writes to him that he has drawn upon him for £100 more. There is some mystery in this, as indeed there seems to be in the whole affair. Besides this, those who were to pay in such of their money as is yet in arrears, refuse to do it till they see shipping provided, or steps taken for its provision. Indeed, I think there is not a man here who would pay anything, if he had his money in his purse again. We depended on Mr. Weston alone, and upon such means as he would procure; and when we had in hand another project with the Dutchmen, we broke it off at his instance and upon the conditions propounded by him shortly after. He had our interests sincerely at heart, I know; but he has not fulfilled his pledges thus far. That he ought first to have put in his money is the opinion of many; but that I can well excuse, he being a merchant, and having uses for it in the meantime to his benefit; whereas, others, if it had been in their hands, would have expended it. But that he should not have had shipping ready before this, or at least definite provision for it, duly made known to us, cannot in my conscience be excused. I have heard that when he has been urged about the business, he has put it off and referred it to others; or would go to George Morton and enquire news of him about things, as if he himself had scarcely been even an accessory to it. Whether some of his friends have failed him, and so he is not able to go through with things; or whether he fears it will be ready too soon and so increase the charge of shipping; or whether he thought by holding back to put us in straits, thinking that thereby Mr. Brewer and Mr. Pickering would be induced to do more; or what other mystery is in it, we know not. But certain we are that the arrangements made do not accord with the requirements. Mr. Weston makes himself merry with our endeavours to buy a ship; but we have done nothing about this without good reason, nor about anything else that I know of, except two. The one is that we employed Robert Cushman, who though a good man and of special ability in his way is known to be most unfit to deal for others, because of his singularity and too great indifference to the circumstances,—for, as a matter of fact, we have had nothing from him but terms and suggestions. The other is that we have relied too much by implicit faith as it were, upon generalities, without having the details of ways and means for so important an affair settled between us. For shipping, Mr. Weston it seems is set upon hiring, which I hope he may soon accomplish. Of Mr. Brewer you know what to expect. I do not think Mr. Pickering will take part except to buy, as specified in former letters.
About the conditions, you have our reasons for what is agreed upon. And let this specially be borne in mind; that the greatest part of the colony is likely to be employed constantly not upon cultivating their own particular land, and building houses, but upon fishing, trading, etc. So, though the land and houses would be but a trifling advantage to the adventurers, the ultimate division of them would be a great discouragement to the settlers who would tend them with singular care, to make them comfortable, with borrowed hours from their sleep. The same consideration of common employment, constantly, by the majority, is good reason not to deny to the planters the two days a week for private use. Consider how unfitting you would find it that you and your likes should serve a new apprenticeship of seven years, and not a day’s freedom from task.
Send me word what others are going; who that are possessed of useful faculties; how many; and particulars of everything. I know you do not lack a mind. I am sorry you have not been in London all this while. Time will suffer me to write no more; fare you and yours well, always in the Lord, in Whom I rest.
Yours to use,
JOHN ROBINSON.
June 14th, 1620.
Several of them at Leyden to John Carver and Robert Cushman in England:
To their loving friends John Carver and Robert Cushman:
Good Brethren,
We received several letters at the coming of Mr. Nash and our pilot, which was a great encouragement to us. Indeed, had you not sent him, many would have been ready to lose heart, and give up—partly because of the new conditions which have been accepted by you, which all are against; and partly for lack of our own ability to accomplish any of the important matters which you have commissioned us to do here. As to the former, of which Robert Cushman requests reasons for our dislike and promises to alter them accordingly, saying that otherwise we must think he has no brains,—we desire him to exercise them therein, referring him to our pastor’s former reasons. But our desire is that you will not bind yourselves and us to any such unreasonable stipulations, viz., that the merchants shall have half the houses and lands at the dividend; and that the settlers shall be deprived of the two days a week for their own work, as agreed upon,—otherwise we cannot conceive why any of us should take servants for our own help and comfort, since we could demand no service of them. This alteration we have gathered only by word from Mr. Nash, and not from any letters of yours; so we hope you have not proceeded far in so great a departure from the terms without our concurrence. However, requiring you not to exceed the bounds of your commission, which was to proceed upon the conditions agreed upon and expressed in writing, we leave it,—not without wondering that you yourselves, as you write, knowing how small a thing disturbs our consultations, and hew few understand the business aright, should trouble us with such matters as these.