For which scrap of biographical information, in the too general dearth of anecdote respecting a good and great man, we thank her.*

After his return he writes to his friend John Winthrop, subsequently the Governor of Connecticut, relating, among other incidents of his visit to England, this anecdote of his exchange of languages with John Milton in his blindness—" It pleased the Lord to call me for some time, and, with some persons, to practice the Hebrew, the Greek, Latin, French and Dutch. The Secretary of the Council, Mr. Milton, for my Dutch I read him, read me many more languages." He was intimate with Cromwell and passed much time with Sir Henry Vane, the old Governor of Massachusetts. In this journey he was associated with his friend Mr. John Clarke, who remained in England as the agent of the colony, and in whose behalf, on his return, he addressed a plea to his "beloved friends and countrymen," the General Assembly of Rhode Island. It is a good example of his love of justice, directness, and business tact, and, as such, we present a portion of it in our extracts.‡

Williams was active as usual in the affairs of the colony, and was chosen its President in 1654. The persecution of the Quakers then followed in Massachusetts; their rights were maintained in Rhode Island, though Williams held a controversy with Fox and his disciples, an account of which he embodied in the last of his publications in 1676, George Fox digg'd out of his Burrowes,§ a pun on the names of the Quaker leaders. Fox replied to this in his New England Firebrand Quenched, with abundant bitterness; and Edmundson, one of Williams's personal antagonists in the controversial encounter, which was held both at Newport and Providence, in his Journal of his Life, Sufferings, and Labor, speaks of "one Roger Williams, an old priest and an enemy to truth, putting forth fourteen propositions, as he called them." It was ah unpleasant affair, but the Quakers had laid themselves open to attack by some outrageous extravagances. Seven years afterwards, in 1683, in the seventy-eighth year of his age, the Founder of Rhode Island, the friend of peace and asserter of liberty, died at Providence, on the spot which his genius and labors had consecrated. He left a wife and six children. There is no portrait of him. The engraving prefixed to the Life in Sparks's Ameri

Mr. Elton was led to the knowledge of these letters by Mr. Bancroft the bistorian, and copied them from the original MSS. preserved in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge. + Elton's Life, 114.

It was first published in the Rhode Island Book in 1840. George Fox digg'd out of his Burrowes, or an Offer of Disputation, on fourteen Proposalls made this last Summer, 1672, (so call'd), unto G. Fox, then present on Rode Island, in New England, by R. W. As also how (G. Fox slily departing) the Disputation went on, being managed three Dayes at Newport on Rode Island, and one Day at Providence, between John Stubbs, John Burnet, and William Edmundson, on the one Part, and R. W. on the other. In which many Quotations out of G. Fox and Ed. Burrowes Book in Folio are alledged. With an Appendix, of some Scores of G. F., his simple lame Answers to his Opposites in that Book quoted and replied to, by R. W. of Providence in N. E. Boston, printed by John Foster, 1676.

See Memoir of Roger Williams, the Founder of the State of Rhode Island, by James D. Knowles, for much careful historical investigation on this and other points. Mr. J. R. Bartlett has given an account of Edmundson's book, printed in London 1713, in some Early Notices of Rhode Island, in the Providence Journal for 1855.

can Biography, is from an old painting put forth a few years since, which was soon pronounced an indifferent likeness of Benjamin Franklin.

CONFERENCE Between truth and peace.-FROM THE
BLOODY TENENT.

Truth. In what dark corner of the world (sweet Peace) are we two met? How hath this present evil world banished me from all the coasts and quarters of it? and how hath the righteous God in judgment taken thee from the earth, Rev. vi. 4.

Peace. "Tis lamentably true (blessed Truth) the foundations of the world have long been out of course: the gates of earth and hell have conspired together to intercept our joyful meeting and our holy kisses: with what a weary, tired wing have I flown over nations, kingdoms, cities, towns, to find out precious truth?

Truth. The like enquiries in my flights and travels have I made for Peace, and still am told, she hath left the earth, and fled to heaven.

Peace. Dear Truth, what is the earth but a dungeon of darkness, where Truth is not?

Truth. And what is the Peace thereof but a fleet

ing dream, thine ape and counterfeit?

Peace. Oh, where's the promise of the God of Heaven, that Righteousness and Peace shall kiss each other?

Truth. Patience (sweet Peace), these heavens and earth are growing old, and shall be changed like a garment, Psal. cii. They shall melt away, and be burnt up with all the works that are therein; and the most high Eternal Creator shall gloriously create new heavens and new earth, wherein dwells righteousness, 2 Peter iii. Our kisses shall then have their endless date of pure and sweetest joys; till then both thou and I must hope, and wait, and bear the fury of the dragon's wrath, whose monstrous lies and furies shall with himself be cast into the lake of fire, the second death, Rev. xx.

Peace. Most precious Truth, thou knowest we are both pursued and laid for. Mine heart is full of sighs, mine eyes with tears. Where can I better vent my full oppressed bosom, than into thine, whose faithful lips may for these few hours revive my drooping, wandering spirits, and here begin to wipe tears from mine eyes, and the eyes of my dearest children?

Truth. Sweet daughter of the God of Peace, begin, pour out thy sorrowes, vent thy complaints; how joyful am I to improve these precious minutes to revive our hearts, both thine and mine, and the hearts of all that love the Truth and Peace, Zach. viii.

Peace. Dear Truth, I know thy birth, thy nature, thy delight. They that know thee, will prize thee far above themselves and lives, and sell themselves to buy thee. Well spake that famous Elizabeth to her famous attorney, Sir Edward Coke: "Mr. Attorney, go on as thou hast begun, and still plead, not pro Domina Regina, but pro Domina Veritate.

Truth. 'Tis true, my crown is high, my sceptres strong to break down strongest holds, to throw down highest crowns of all that plead (though but in thought) against me. Some few there are, but oh, how few are valiant for the Truth and dare to plead my cause, as my witnesses in sackcloth, Revel. ii. While all men's tongues are bent like boughs to shoot out lying words against me!

Peace. Oh, how could I spend eternal days and endless dates at thy holy feet, in listening to the precious oracles of thy mouth. All the words of thy mouth are Truth, and there is no iniquity in them. Thy lips drop as the honeycomb. But oh! since we must part anon, let us (as thou saidst) im

prove our minutes, and (according as thou promisedst) revive me with thy words, which are sweeter than the honey, and the honeycomb.

CONCLUSION.

Peace. We have now (dear Truth) through the gracious hand of God clambered up to the top of this our tedious discourse.

Truth. Oh, 'tis mercy unexpressible that either thou or I have had so long a breathing time, and that together!

Peace. If English ground must yet be drunk with English blood, oh, where shall Peace repose her wearied head and heavy heart?

Truth. Dear Peace, if thou find welcome, and the God of peace miraculously please to quench these all-devouring flames, yet where shall Truth find rest from cruel persecutions?

Peace. Oh, will not the authority of holy scriptures, the commands and declarations of the Son of God, therein produced by thee, together with all the lamentable experiences of former and present slaughters, prevail with the sons of men (especially with the sons of Peace) to depart from the dens of lions, and mountains of leopards, and to put on the bowels (if not of Christianity, yet) of humanity each to other!

Truth. Dear Peace, Habacuck's fishes keep their constant bloody game of persecutions in the world's mighty ocean; the greater taking, plundering, swallowing up the lesser: O happy he whose portion is the God of Jacob! Who hath nothing to lose under the sun, but hath a state, a house, an inheritance, a name, a crown, a life, past all the plunderers, ravishers, murtherers reach and fury!

Peace. But lo! Who's here?

Truth. Our sister Patience, whose desired company is as needful as delightful! 'Tis like the wolf will send the scattered sheep in one: the common pirate gathers up the loose and scattered navy! the slaughter of the witnesses by that bloody beast unites the Independents and Presbyterians. The God of Peace, the God of Truth will shortly seal this truth, and confirm this witness, and make it evident to the whole world,

That the doctrine of persecution for cause of conscience, is most evidently and lamentably contrary to the doctrine of Christ Jesus the Prince of Peace. Amen.

PLEA FOR JOHN CLARKE,

The first is peace, commonly called among all men, the King's Peace, among ourselves and among all the King's subjects and friends, in this country and wheresoever: and, further, at our agent's most reasonable petition, the King prohibits all his subjects to act any hostility toward our Natives inhabiting with us without our consent, which hath hitherto been otherwise practiced to our continual and great grievance and disturbance.

The second jewel is Liberty. The first, of our spirits, which neither Old nor New England knows the like, nor no part of the world a greater.

2d. Liberty of our persons; no life, no limb taken from us, no corporeal punishment, no restraint but by known laws and agreements of our own making.

3. Liberty of our Estates, horses, cattle, lands, goods, not a penny to be taken by any rate from us, without every man's free debate by his deputies, chosen by himself, and sent to the General Assembly.

4. Liberty of society or corporation, of sending or being sent to the General Assembly, of choosing and being chosen to all offices and of making or repealing all laws and constitutions among us.

5. A liberty, which other charters have not, to wit, of attending to the laws of England, with a favorable mitigation, viz. not absolutely, but respecting our wilderness estate and condition.

I confess it were to be wished, that these dainties might have fallen from God, and the King, like showers and dews and manna from heaven, gratis and free, like a joyful harvest or vintage, without any pains of our husbandry; but since the most holy God, the first Cause, hath ordered second causes and means and agents and instruments, it is no more honest for us to withdraw in this case, than for men to come to an Ordinary and to call for the best wine and liquor, the best meats roast and baked, the best attendance, &c., and to be able to pay for all and yet most unworthily steal away and not discharge the reckoning.

My second witness is Common Gratitude, famous among all mankind, yea, among brute beasts, even the wildest and fiercest, for kindness received. It is true, Mr. Clarke might have a just respect to his own and the peace and liberty of his friends of his own persuasion. But I believe the weight that turned the scale with him was the truth of God, viz. a just liberty to all men's spirits in spiritual matters, together with the peace and prosperity of the whole colony. This, I know, put him upon incredible pains and travail, straits and anguish, day and night, himself and his friends and ours, which I believe a great sum of money would not hire him to wade through the like again. I will not trouble you with the allowances, payments, and gratuities of other colonies in like cases. Only let me present you with

a famous story out of our English records. Henry the Third, as I remember, fell out with the city of London, took away their charter and set a governor over them, which brought many evils and sorrows on them. But Doctor Redman, so called, pacified the King's anger and procured a restitution of their charter, though with great charges and payments of moneys. Now while this Redman lived, they honored him as a father and heaped all possible gratuities upon him; and when he died they decreed that the Lord Mayor and Aldermen and chief citizens, should yearly and solemnly visit his tomb, which mine eyes have seen performed in the public walks in Paul's, and I presume, it is practised to this day. I will not trouble you with the application of this story, but present you with my third Witness of the fairness of this matter, which is Christianity, which we all pretend to, though in various and different persuasions. This witness soars high above Common justice and Common gratitude, yea, above all religions. This not only speaks home for due payment and due thankfulness, but of doing good for evil, of paying blessing for cursing, of praying for enemies and persecutors, of selling houses and lands, yea, of laying down lives for others. Common justice would not, Common gratitude would not, least of all will Christianity, employ a public messenger unto a mighty King and there leave him to shift for his living and means to go through so high a service, nor leave him to shift for moneys and to mortgage his house and lands to carry on our business and thus to forfeit and lose them; and lost they are, as all must see, except a speedy redemption save them. Shall we say we are christians, yea but ingenuous or just men, to ride securely, in a troublous sea and time, by a new cable and anchor of Mr. Clarke's procuring and to be so far from satisfying his engagement about them, that we turn him adrift to languish and sink, with his back broke, for putting under his shoulder, to ease us. "Which of you,' said Christ Jesus to his enemies, "will see an ox or a sheep fall into a pit and not pull it out on the Sab

bath day?" What beast can labor harder, in ploughing, drawing, or carrying, than Mr. Clarke hath done so long a time, and with so little provender? Shall we now, when he looks for rest at night, tumble him by our neglects into a ditch of sadness, grief, poverty, and ruin?

If we wholly neglect this business, what will become of our credit? Rhode-Island, in the Greek language, is an Isle of Roses, and so the King's Majesty was pleased to resent it; and his honorable commissioners in their last letter to the Massachusetts from the eastward, gave Rhode-Island and this whole colony an honorable testimony which is like to be pointed to the view of the whole world. Shall we now turn our roses into hemlock and our fragrant ointment into carrion? Our own names, in a righteous way, ought to be more precious to us than thousands of gold or silver, how much infinitely more precious, the name of the most Holy and most High and his holy truth of soul-liberty amongst us.

JOHN CLARKE,

THE friend of Roger Williams, was one of the earliest authors of Rhode Island. He was born in 1609, and is supposed to have been a native of Bedfordshire. He was educated as a physician. Soon after his emigration to Massachusetts he publicly claimed, with Roger Williams, full license for religious belief. He was one of the eighteen, who on the seventh of March 1637-8, having formed themselves into an association, purchased Aquetneck and became the Founders of Rhode Island. In 1644, he formed and became the pastor of the Baptist Church at Newport, a charge he retained until his death. In 1649 he was treasurer of the colony. In 1651 he visited his friends at Lynn, and while preaching there on the forenoon of Sunday, July 20, was arrested, compelled to attend meeting in the afternoon, and on the 31st, after trial, condemned to pay a fine of twenty pounds. He wrote from prison proposing a discussion of his theological principles, a course which had been suggested by the judge, Endicott, in passing sentence; but the challenge was not taken up, and Clarke soon after paying his fine, was ordered to leave the colony. In 1651 he went with Roger Williams on an embassy to England, where he remained until he obtained the second charter of the colony dated July 8, 1663. He published in London in 1652, Ill News from New England.* It contains a narrative of his difficulties and a discussion of various theological points, with an inculcation of the great doctrine of toleration. The work is reprinted in the last volume (second of the fourth series) of the Massachusetts Historical Society, where it occupies 113 octavo pages. Its style is diffuse, the sentences being of intolerable length, but is in general animated, and passages occasionally occur which approach to eloquence.

After his return, Clarke was elected for three successive years deputy governor of the colony. He

*Ill News from New England, or a Narrative of New England's Persecution, wherein is declared that while old England is becoming new, New England is become old. Also four proposals to the Honoured Parliament and Council of State, touchIng the way to Propagate the Gospel of Christ (with small charge and great safety), both in Old England and New. Also four conclusions touching the faith and order of the Gospel of Christ, out of his last Will and Testament, confirmed and jus

tified.

died at Newport in 1676, childless, and by his will, directed the annual income produced by his farm (which has amounted to about $200*) to be given to the poor, and employed for the promotion of religion and learning. The same instrument bears testimony to his learning as well as charity, as he also bequeathes "to his dear friend" Richard Bailey, his Hebrew and Greek books, with a Concordance and Lexicon written by himself. He also left a paper expressing his Calvinistic belief.

SAMUEL GORTON.

66

SAMUEL GORTON was born in the town of Gorton, England, where his ancestors had resided for many generations. "I was not brought up," he says, in a letter written to Nathaniel Morton, the annalist, "in the schools of human learning, and I bless God that I never was." In his address to Charles the Second, in 1679, he speaks of "his mother," the Church of England, but in 1636 we find him emigrating from the city of London, where he was engaged in business as a clothier, to Boston, that he might "enjoy liberty of conscience, in respect to faith towards God, and for no other end." After a short residence in Boston, not finding the theology there prevalent to his taste, he removed to Plymouth, where his wife's servant, having smiled in church, was threatened with banishment from the colony as a common vagabond." Gorton incurred odium by his defence of the offender, which was increased by his success as a preacher in drawing off hearers from the Plymouth church. This was peculiarly distasteful to the pastor, the Rev. Rolph Smith, who was instrumental in his arraignment and conviction on the charge of heresy. The court, Gorton says, "proceeded to fine and imprisonment, together with sentence given, that my family should depart out of my own hired house within the space of fourteen days, upon the penalty of another great sum of money (besides my fine paid), and their further wrath and displeasure, which time to depart fell to be in a mighty storm of snow as I have seen in the country; my wife being turned out of doors in the said storm . . . . . and myself to travel in the wilderness I knew not whither, the people comforting my wife and children when I was gone with this, that it was impossible for me to come alive to any plantation." This was in the winter of 1637-8.

He removed to Aquetneck, or Rhode Island, where he soon became involved in difficulty about "a small trespass of swine." He was brought before the governor, Coddington, who ordered, "You that are for the king, lay hold on Gorton." He again, on the other side, called forth, "All you that are for the king, lay hold on Coddington." He was whipped and banished from the island.

He next removed to Providence, where, in January, 1642, he purchased land at Pawtuxet. Here he was followed, as at his previous residences, by those who sympathized with his doctrines. Hə

after followed by a young lady to whom he had been betrothed in England, and on her arrival they were married. He had commenced preaching before he left England, and had promised the friends to whom he officiated that if they would come to New England he would maintain the same relation to them in the new as in the old home. They did so, and settling at Roxbury chose him as their pastor.

Eliot was intrusted, in company with Welde and Richard Mather, with the preparation of the metrical version of the Psalms published in 1640, and known as the "Old Bay Psalm Book."

In 1646 an order was passed requesting the elders of the churches to take into consideration the subject of the conversion of the Indians. Eliot, who had some time before this commenced the study of the Indian language with a native, “a pregnant-witted young man," who could speak English, and was especially interested in the race from his belief that they were the long lost tribes of Israel, came forward to respond to the call. Notice was given of his intention, and on the 28th of October, 1646, he proceeded with three others to address for the first time in history, the North American Indians on the subject of Christianity. The text of his sermon delivered in English, and translated sentence by sentence by an interpreter, was from Ezekiel xxxvii. 9, 10.* It was an hour and a quarter long, but listened to with attention by its auditors. A conversation followed, in which the Indians propounded several questions on the topics of the discourse, and expressed a wish to live together in a town.

A second assembly was held a fortnight after, when Eliot addressed them in their own language. Other meetings followed, and a settlement of "praying Indians," as they were styled, was formed, called Nonantum. The Indians assembled, lived in accordance with the instructions they had received, and labored diligently for their subsistence, under the instructions of their missionary, who taught them the use of farming tools.

A second effort was made at Neponset, within the town of Dorchester, and with similar success. The Indians at Concord, Pawtucket, and on Cape Cod, were also visited and addressed by Eliot.

Two tracts, The Day Breaking, if not the Sun Rising of the Gospel with the Indians in New England, by an anonymous author (probably the Rev. John Wilson, of Boston), and The Clear Sunshine of the Gospel breaking forth upon the Indians in New England, by the Rev. Thomas Shepard, of Cambridge, were published in England in 1647 and 1648. The accounts they gave of these transactions were read with interest, and an appeal was made to Parliament for aid in the cause, which resulted in the formation in 1649 of a corporation, "The President and Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in New England." Money was collected and transmitted to preachers and teachers among the Indians. On the Restoration, in 1660, the society was preserved from

Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.

So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came upon them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great array.

extinction by the exertions of the Hon. Robert Boyle, who was made its president. This distinguished man took a deep interest in Eliot's efforts. He maintained a correspondence with him, portions of which have been published in the collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society; and by his influence obtained an annual stipend of fifty pounds from the Society for the mission

ary.

Meanwhile Eliot was instructing the Indians in Christianity and civilization; and in 1651, founded the Indian town of Natick, eighteen miles southwest of Boston. He framed laws for the inhabitants, which were an exact copy of those of the Pentateuch. In 1660, a church was formed, and the Indian converts, having given sufficient testimony of the sincerity of their faith to satisfy the prudent and practical missionary, were admitted to the Holy Communion.

In a letter written to Winslow, in 1649, Eliot had expressed his desire to translate " some part of the scriptures" into the Indian tongue. In 1651 we find by a letter written by him to England, that he was engaged on the task, but with "no hope to see the Bible translated, much less printed, in my days." He, however, kept steadily at work, and the society in England supplying funds, the New Testament in the Indian language, commenced in 1658 at the first press set up in the colony at Harvard, was published in September, 1661. In 1663, the Old Testament was added to it, a catechism and translation of the Bay Psalm Book being included in the volume. Ă dedication to the king was prefixed to the copies sent to England, but to few of those circulated at home.

This Bible was printed by Samuel Green and Marmaduke Johnson. It was the first, and for nearly a century after, the only version of the Scriptures published in the colonies. A second edition of the New Testament appeared in 1680, and of the Old in 1685. Two thousand copies were printed of these, and fifteen hundred, it is estimated, of the former editions. Eliot received no remuneration for his labor, and contributed from his small salary to defray the expense of publication. The translation is written in a dialect of the Mohegan tongue, which has long since become extinct. The work has been of great service to the students of the Indian languages, and although it has proved, by the dispersion of those for whom it was designed, of less practical benefit than its author anticipated, it must ever be honored as a monument of Christian zeal, patient toil, and earnest scholarship.

Eliot published in 1664 a translation of Baxter's Call to the Unconverted in the Indian language, and in 1666 an Indian grammar. Several communities of Christian Indians had been formed, who were progressing satisfactorily in a life in accordance with their profession, when an interruption occurred to their advance, which proved eventually fatal to their existence. This was King Philip's war. The "praying Indians" suffered from the hatred of the red men, as well as from the distrust of the white, and at the close of the contest many of their communities had been broken up.

Eliot had, throughout the whole period of his Indian labors, retained his connexion with Rox