Necessity hath forced us, his Majesty’s subjects of New England in general (after long patience) to take this course with this troublesome planter, Mr. Thomas Morton, whom we have sent unto your Honours, that you may be pleased to take that course with him, which to your honourable wisdom shall seem fit; who hath been often admonished not to trade or truck with the Indians, either pieces, powder, or shot, which yet he hath done, and duly makes provision to do, and could not be restrained, taking in high scorn (as he speaks) that any here should controul therein: Now the general weakness of us, his Majesty’s subjects, the strength of the Indians, and at this time their great preparations to do some affront upon us, and the evil example which it gives unto others, and having no subordinate general government, under your Honours, in this land, to restrain such misdemeanours, causeth us to be troublesome to your Lordships, to send this party unto you for remedy and redress hereof: And not only in respect to this particular delinquent, but of the fishing ships, who make it too ordinary a practice, with whom we have neither authority nor ability to deal, and who are more encouraged when the planters themselves are so licentious herein; and therefore most humbly pray your Lordships, to take into your honourable considerations that some speedy course and remedy may be taken herein; otherwise we shall be forced to quit the country, to our great grief, and dishonour to our nation; for we shall be beaten with our own arms if we abide: And that which further presseth us thus to send this party, is the fear we have of the growing of him and his consorts to that strength and height, by the access of loose persons, his house be a receptacle for such, as we should not be able to restrain his inordinariness when we would, they living without all fear of God or common honesty; some of them abusing the Indian women most filthily, as it is notorious: And for further satisfaction of your Lordships we have sent some particular testifications which we aver upon the faith of christians to be true: And likewise this bearer, Mr. John Oldham, who can give your Honours further information upon his oath, if need so require whom we have sent with the prisoner, and to attend your Lordships pleasures: And thus most humbly beseeching your Lordships and Honours to make a favourable construction of our honest intendments herein, of our loyalty and respective service to his Majesty, and our care for the common good of this country, thus we cease, and most humbly commend your Lordships and honours to the protection of the highest.

Your Lordships most humble, &c.

June 9, Anno 1628.

This letter was subscribed by some of the chief of every plantation; but I have not their names to the copy, and therefore omit them; yet they may in part be seen by that which was at the same time underwritten (in another paper) towards the charge, as followeth; though it cost us a great deal more, and yet to little effect, as the event sheweth.

£.s.
From Plymouth,210
From Naumkeak,110
From Pascataquack,210
From Mr. Jeffrey and Mr. Burslem,2
From Natascot,110
From Mrs. Thomson,15
From Mr. Blackston,12
From Edward Hilton,1
127

We wrote this following, likewise, to Sir Fernando Gorges.

Honourable Sir,

As you have ever been, not only a favourer, but also a most special beginner and furtherer of the good of this country, to your great cost and no less honour, we whose names are underwritten, being some of every plantation, in the land, deputed for the rest, do humbly crave your worship’s help and best assistance, in the speedy (if not too late) redress of our almost desperate state and condition in this place, expecting daily to be overrun and spoiled by the Savages, who are already abundantly furnished with pieces, powder and shot, swords, rapers and Jaflings; all which arms and munition is this year plentifully and publickly sold unto them, by our own countrymen; who, under the pretence of fishing, come a trading amongst them; yea, one of them (as your worships may further understand by our particular informations) hath for his part sold twenty or twenty-one pieces, and one hundred weight of powder, by which you may conceive of the rest; for we hear the savages have above sixty pieces amongst them, besides other arms; in a word there is now almost nothing vendible amongst them, but such munition, so they have spoiled the trade, in all other things; and as vice is always fruitful; so from the greedy covetousness of the fishermen, and their evil example, the like hath began to grow amongst some, who pretend themselves to be planters, though indeed they intend nothing less, but to take opportunity of the time, and provide themselves and begone, and leave others to quench the fire which they have kindled; of which number Mr. Thomas Morton is one, being of late a dweller in the Massachusetts bay, and the head of a turbulent and seditious crew, which he had gathered unto him, who, dwelling in the midst of us, hath set up the like practice in these parts, and hath sold sundry pieces to the natives, who can use them with great dexterity, excelling our English therein, and have been vaunting with them, at Sowams, Narragansett and many other places, so as they are spread both north and south, all the land over, to the great peril of all our lives: In the beginning of this mischief we sought friendly to dissuade him from it; but he scorned us therein and prosecuted it the more; so as we were constrained for the safety of ourselves, our wives and innocent children, to apprehend him by force (though with some peril) and now have sent him to the council of New England to receive according to his demerits, and be disposed of as their Honours shall think fit, for the preventing of further mischief, the safety of our lives, and the terror of all other delinquents in the same kind: Now our hope and humble request is, that your worship, and those honourable of his Majesty’s council for New England, will commiserate our case, tender our lives and pity our infants; and consider the great charges and expenses, that we, and our assistants and associates have been at, besides all the miseries and hardships, that we have broken through in these beginnings which have hitherto happily succeeded, for the planting of this country, which is hopeful, if it be cherished and protected against the cankered covetousness of these licentious men; if not, we must return and quit the country: Wherefore we beseech your Worship to afford us your favourable assistance and direction in bringing this man to his answer, before those whom it may concern; and to credit our true informations, sent by this bearer, lest by his audacious and coloured pretences, he deceive you, which know not things as we do; as likewise that such fishermen, may be called to account, for their great abuses offered this year and the last, as many as have been known to offend in this case; and that your worship for the time to come would be a means, in what you may that we may be strengthened with some authority, or good order amongst ourselves, for the redressing of the like abuses which may arise amongst us, till some general government be established in the land: Thus in hopeful assurance that your worship will make a favourable construction of these our honest intendments and humble requests, we commend you to the protection of the highest and rest

At your service, &c.