EXPLANATION OF THE INITIALS I. P. AND R. G.

THE individual to whom the introductory note or letter at the beginning of this volume is addressed, as the writer's much respected friend, Mr. I. P—, is supposed by Dr. Young to be Mr. John Pierce, perhaps a leading merchant under authority from the Council of persons, between whom and King James the patent of incorporation to the Northern Colony of Virginia, between 40 and 48 degrees North, was signed, unknown to the Pilgrims, Nov. 3d, 1620, about a week before their arrival at Cape Cod, while they, under toleration of no King or earthly power, were struggling across the ocean. The incorporated body, composed of the Duke of Lenox, the Marquises of Buckingham and Hamilton, the Earls of Arundel and Warwick, Sir F. Gorges, with thirty-four others, and their successors, were styled, The Council established at Plymouth in the county of Devon, for the planting, ruling, ordering, and governing of New England in America.

The patent for the Plymouth Colony under this body seems to have been taken out in the name of Mr. John Pierce, to whom therefore, in all probability, the initials I. P. belong. Under date of July, 1622, we find in Prince's Chronology, an extract from Governor Bradford's Journal as follows: "By Mr. Weston's ship (from England) comes a letter from Mr. John Pierce, in whose name the Plymouth patent is taken; signifying that whom the Governor admits into the Association, he will approve."

By another entry in Governor Bradford's Journal, it

would seem that this Mr. Pierce afterwards endeavored to deal treacherously by the Colony for his own private advantage; but his scheme was utterly frustrated and broken by the good providence of God. He fitted out a vessel, in which he intended to come to Plymouth himself, with the powers of a liege lord committed to him in a second and separate patent, which, had he succeeded in his plan, might have proved the ruin of the Colony. But God ordered it otherwise, as we see from Governor Bradford's relation, which Mr. Prince sets down in the following words, after mentioning the ship the Paragon, and the number of her passengers. "Being fitted out by Mr. John Pierce, in whose name our first patent was taken, his name being only used in trust; but when he saw we were here hopefully seated, and by the success God gave us had obtained favor with the Council for New England, he gets another patent of a large extent, meaning to keep it to himself, allow us only what he pleased, hold us as his tenants, and sue to his courts as chief lord. But meeting with tempestuous storms in the Downs, the ship is so bruised and leaky, that in fourteen days she returned to London, was forced to be put into the dock, one hundred pounds laid out to mend her, and lay six or seven weeks to Dec. 22d, before she sailed a second time. But being half way over, met with extreme tempestuous weather about the middle of February, which held fourteen days, beat off the round house with all her upper works, obliged them to cut her masts and return to Portsmouth, having 109 souls aboard, with Mr. Pierce himself. Upon which great and repeated loss and disappointment, he is prevailed upon for £500 to resign to the Company his patent, which cost him but £50. And the goods, with charge of passengers in this ship, cost the Company £640, for which they were forced to hire another ship, the Ann." This ship arrived the end of July or beginning of August, 1623.

Such is the simple account of a remarkable providence, interposing for the protection of the Pilgrims, and bringing to naught a plan fraught with despotism and danger. The interpositions of this nature were so frequent and striking, that the attention of all men must have been arrested by them, as that of even the Indians was by God's mercy in the sudden rain, at the day of fasting and prayer in July, 1623. Of this the account will be given in the historical and local illustrations. The present providence is here. noted, because it occurs in connexion with the name of Mr. Pierce, and turns, indeed, upon his attempt to get the mastery of the colony. His plan had not been formed, or if formed, was not developed, when R. G. wrote this recommendation of the Journal of the Pilgrims to "his much respected friend Mr. I. P."

The initials R. G. appended to this letter are supposed to signify the name of Robert Cushman, the G. being possibly a misprint for C. Mr. Cushman was the first agent appointed by the Church of the Pilgrims in Leyden, along with Mr. Carver, afterwards first Governor of the Colony, to treat with the Virginia Company, and endeavor to get liberty of conscience from the King. He had much trust reposed in him, and business put upon him, in preparing the Mayflower and her little company, with the Speedwell, for their voyage. He and his family embarked with them, intending to have been of the first band of Pilgrims, but were compelled to return when the Speedwell put back to England, and afterwards came in the Fortune, Nov. 9, 1621. The only consideration in the least degree in the way of supposing this to be Mr. Cushman's letter, is the fact that it is written as by one of the resident colonists themselves, one supposed to be at Plymouth, while the Journal he recommends is sent to be published in England; whereas Mr. Cushman himself returned to England by appointment of the adventurers, for their better information,

8

EXPLANATION OF THE INITIALS 1. P. AND R. G.

in the same vessel by which the Journal seems to have been sent, namely, the Fortune, which sailed Dec. 13. This, however, may be deemed of little importance, as he wrote in the name and behalf of others. His death prevented him from afterwards settling with the Colony. The same vessel which brought the notice to the Colony of the death of Robinson, their beloved pastor, brought also the news of Mr. Cushman's death, of which Governor Bradford makes the following register in 1626:

"Our captain also brings us notice of the death of our ancient friend Mr. Cushman, who was our right hand with the adventurers, and for divers years has managed all our business with them, to our great advantage. He had wrote to the Governor a few months before of the sickness of Mr. James Sherley, who was a chief friend of the plantation, and lay at the point of death; declaring his love and helpfulness in all things, and bemoaning our loss if God should take him away, as being the stay and life of the business; as also of his own purpose to come this year and spend the rest of his days with us."