Finally he gave his friends advice and directions:
1. First, that the Leyden company (Mr. Robinson and the rest) must still be kept back, or all would be spoiled. Lest any of them should be taken in privately somewhere on the coast of England, as was to be feared, they must change the captain of the ship (Mr. William Pierce), and put someone else in Winslow’s place as agent, or it could not be prevented.
2. He would have such further settlers shipped over as would out-number those here; the private settlers should have votes in all courts and elections, and be free to bear any office; and every private settler should come over as an adventurer, even if he be only a servant, someone else investing the necessary £10, the bill being taken out in the servant’s name, and then assigned to the party whose money it was, proper agreements being drawn between them for the purpose. These things, said he, would be the means of strengthening the private settlers.
3. He told them that if that Captain they spoke of came over to take command, he was sure he would be elected, for “this Captain Standish looks like a silly boy, and is in utter contempt.”
4. Then he argued that if by the aforementioned means they could not get control, it would be better to settle elsewhere by themselves, choosing the place they liked best within three or four miles, and showing that there were far better places for a settlement than this.
5. Lastly, he concluded that if neither of these thing were accomplished, they must join the main body here, perforce. Then he added: “Since I began to write, some letters have come from your company, giving sole authority in various things to the Governor here; which, if it take place, then, Ve nobis. But I hope you will be more vigilant hereafter, that nothing may pass in such a manner. I suppose Mr. Oldham will write to you further about these things. I pray you conceal me as the source of these disclosures, etc.”
I have thus briefly touched some things in his letters and shall now return to their proceedings with him. After reading his letters before the whole company, he was demanded what he could say in defence. But all the answer he made was that Billington and some others had informed him of many things, and had made sundry complaints,—which they now denied. He was asked if that was sufficient ground for him thus to accuse them and traduce them by letter, never saying a word to his colleagues of the council. And so they went on from point to point, and demanded that neither he nor his confederates should spare them, if they had any proof or witness of wrong doing on their part. He said he had been misinformed, and so had wronged them. And this was all the answer they could get; for none would take his part, and Billington and others whom he named denied his statements and protested he wronged them, and that, on the other hand, he would have drawn them to such and such things, which they had declined to do, though they had sometimes attended his meetings. Then they taxed him with dissembling about the church, professing to concur with them in everything; and with the large confession he made at his admittance, not considering himself a minister till he had a new calling, etc. Yet now he separated himself from them, and drew a number away and would administer the sacraments by his episcopal calling, without ever speaking a word to them, either as magistrates or as colleagues. In conclusion, he was fully convicted, and, bursting into tears, confessed: he feared he was a reprobate; his sins were so great he doubted if God would pardon them; he was unsavoury salt, etc.; he had so wronged them that he could never make amends, confessing all that he wrote against them was false and empty, both in matter and manner—and all this as completely as words and tears could express.
After their trial and conviction the court censured them to be expelled the place; Oldham at once, though his wife and family had leave to stay all the winter, or longer, till he could make provision to remove them comfortably. Lyford had leave to stay six months,—with some eye to remission of the sentence if he behaved himself well in the meantime, and his repentance proved sound. Lyford acknowledged his censure was far less than he deserved.
Afterwards he confessed his sin publicly, with tears, in the church, more fully than before. I shall here record it, taken down in his own words. He acknowledged that he had done very evil, and had slanderously abused them. He had thought that most of the people would take part with him, and he would carry all with a strong hand against them; that God might justly lay innocent blood to his charge, for he knew what harm might have come of his writings, and blessed God they were intercepted. He had listened to any evil that was spoken, but shut his eyes and ears against all good; and if God should make him a vagabond on the earth, as was Cain, it was but just; for he had sinned in envy and malice against his brethren. He confessed three things to be the cause of his doings: pride, vainglory, and self-love—amplifying these generalities with many other sad expressions in particular.