sition, he would give them of his apples, which were the first they ever saw. It is said that when he grew old and unable to travel on foot, not having any horse, he used to ride on a bull, which he had tamed and tutored to that use. He died May 26, 1675, and lies buried on classick ground, on Study Hill, where a flat stone marks his grave. Concerning Mr. Blackstone's family we infer that it consisted of but three persons while he continued in Boston: he having had a portion for three heads allotted to him at Muddy River. His wife, whose name was Sarah, died about two years before him. He left a son named John, for whom guardians were appointed in 1675, and a daughter who was married to Mr. John Stevenson. The death of this venerable pilgrim happened at a critical period, the beginning of an Indian war. His estate was desolated, and his house burnt by the natives. His library which contained a hundred and eighty-six volumes, from folios to pamphlets, shared the same fate. His family is now extinct but we hope and trust the musing stranger will hereaf ter find his name on some marble tablet of historical inscriptions erected by the munificent hand of some Bostonian.* CHAPTER XI. For empire formed, and fit to rule the rest. Dryden. THE long desired arrival of Mr. Cotton took place on the fourth of September, 1633. He came in the Griffin, a ship of three hundred tons, which brought about two hundred other passengers. His celebrity which was great in England, had already filled the American settlements, and prepared him a most welcome reception. His talents were considered common property, and it was the immediate concern of the wise and good, where he should fix his residence and how receive an honourable support. He might have selected any situation in the country, and was indeed urged to accept several invitations other than what he received in Boston, but he was somewhat compelled by the advice of the Governour and a council of the elders in the colony, as well as the unanimous voice of the First Church here to bestow his principal labours. It was at first proposed that Mr. Cotton should be maintained from the treasury, in consideration of the political as well as ecclesiastical benefits, that were expected from his ministry; Mass. H. C. 2. ix. 174. x. 170. but the maturer judgment of a majority of the council quashed the proposal. Mr. Cotton was ordained teacher of the First Church on the tenth of October; and on the same day Mr. Thomas Leverett was chosen a ruling elder, and Mr. Giles Firmin, sen. a godly apothecary from Sudbury in England was chosen deacon.* In addition to the imposition of the hands of the elders, as in the case of Mr. Wilson, the ceremony of calling on the people to signify their election of the candidate, and on him to acknowledge his acceptance of their call, and also the presentation of the right hand of fellowship by the neighbouring ministers, was introduced on this occasion. Immediately upon his induction, Mr. Cotton entered upon the duties of his office and so great was his influence both in ecclesiastical and civil affairs, that the measures he recommended were forthwith adopted in the church, and his private political counsels were with equal readiness enforced by the government. Considerable trading had already been carried on at Boston, but there appears not to have been any regular system introduced, until March, 1634. In Gov. Winthrop's journal for that month, it is stated that by order of court a market was erected at Boston to be kept upon Thursday the fifth day of the week, being lecture day. Samuel Cole set up the first house of entertainment, and John Cogan, merchant, the firstshop. In July of the preceding year, a proposition had been made by the Plymouth people, to have the Bostonians join with them in trading to Connecticut, but they thought fit not to meddle with it. The General Court this year held their session in Mr. Cotton's meeting house. It fell to his lot to preach the Election sermon, and he improved the occasion to deliver this doctrine, that a magistrate ought not to be turned into the condition of a private man, without just cause and on publick conviction, any more than a magistrate may turn a private man out of his freehold without publick trial. His sermon, however, did not have the effect he probably intended; for the freemen proceeding forthwith to vote for a Governour and Deputy, Mr. Winthrop was left out, Mr. Dudley chosen in his place, and Mr. Roger Ludlow elected Deputy. A consequence of this change was that Newtown became the seat of government for the year ensuing. * This Mr. Firmin's son Giles practised physick at Ipswich and afterwards returned to England. † Emerson's Hist. First Church. This is the earliest notice of the Thursday lectures in the Journal, but an order of court, passed in October 1633, regulating the hours at which lectures should be held (1. P. M.) shows that they had been earlier established. In the course of the fall, a little affair occurred which serves to show us somewhat of the spirit of the times. Some of the people had been abused and insulted on board a vessel in the harbour, and it was thought best not to suffer the insult to pass unnoticed. The power of the government and the advice of the ministers was put in requisition, and the supercargo of the ship being on shore was summarily seized, and committed to custody till he gave bail that the offender should be forthcoming. Upon examination, not much could be made of the matter, and the bail was discharged with advice to the master not to bring any such disorderly persons this way again. It will hardly be credited, yet it is true that so early as the period of which we are treating, Mr. Cotton found it necessary to exert his influence to suppress superfluous and unnecessarily expensive fashions. The court in September of this year made a law, that tobacco should not be taken in company, or before strangers, and condemned to disuse a great variety of articles of dress. Gold or silver laces, girdles, or hat-bands, embroidered caps, immoderate great veils and immoderate great sleeves incurred special disapprobation. Such things were all subject to forfeiture, with an exception that some of the articles already in use might be worn out. But a sermon of Mr. Cotton's at Salem had as powerful an effect as the fear of the law. He taught the women there, that they had no occasion to wear the veil, in compliance with any scriptural direction, and they were so enlightened and convinced by his discourse, that every woman in the afternoon appeared without her veil, and ever after considered it a shame to wear one. Mr.Cotton had before urged the same doctrine at Boston; we may safely add, with like success.* We have now reached the date of the oldest volume of the town records, that remains extant. The first page commen ces with the doings of the first day of the seventh month,t 1634. This entry, and those made for a short time after, appear in the handwriting of Gov. Winthrop ; a circumstance which makes us regret the more, that the records of the four first years should have been lost. We are thus left without direct information of the course pursued in regard to the division of land among the settlers, and of other steps they must have taken to bring their affairs into so good order as we find them in, at this period. It is apparent from this first record that the management of the affairs of the town had been committed to a select body of men. The number at this period was ten, as appears from the following extract: * Winthrop, March 4, 1634. Hubbard, N. E. 205. Equivalent to September; March being considered the first month. 'Month 8th, day 6th. At a general meeting upon publick notice given the fifth day of the last week it was ordered and agreed as follows: Imprimis. Richard Bellingham, Esquire, and J. Cogan, merchant, were chosen in the place of Giles Firmin [senior] deceased, to make up the number 10, to manage the affairs of the town.' The persons thus chosen are not distinguished by the appellation of SELECTMEN, till the year sixteen hundred and forty five: they were sometimes called Townsmen. Dorchester chose such a body in 1633, for the first time: it is probable that the measure had been previously adopted in Boston: Charlestown did not choose them till 1634. The courts of the colony had made no provision for any such form of town government. It is not till May 3d. 1636, that we find an order to the following effect:-The freemen of every town are empowered to dispose of lands, grant lots and make such orders as may concern the well ordering of their town, not repugnant to laws of court or kingdom; also to lay fines not exceeding twenty shillings, appoint officers, constables and surveyors.It is clear that the town of Boston exercised all this authority long before the passing of this order. The course had probably been adopted by common consent, and some event may have occurred, which rendered it necessary to give the sanction of court to the procedure. The names of the first board of Selectmen on record are John Winthrop William Coddington Capt. [John] Underhill Thomas Leverett Giles Firmin [sen.] William Pierce William Brenton. It was customary for the inhabitants to meet to transact business relative to the police of the town immediately after the Thursday lecture. On the 11th of December they met to choose seven men who should divide the town lands among them. They chose by ballot and elected all of the inferior sort' except one of the elders and a deacon. This was done through fear that the richer gentlemen would not give the poorer class so large a proportion of the land as they thought should be allotted to them, but would rather leave a greater part at liberty for new comers and for Common, which Gov. Winthrop had often persuaded them was best for the town. Mr. Cotton and others were offended at this proceeding. Mr. Winthrop expressed his regret that Boston should be the first to shake off her magistrates; whereupon, on motion of Mr. Cotton, who showed them that it was scriptural to have all such business committed to the elders, they all agreed to have a new election, which was deferred to the next lecture day. |