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selves, farther than the miserable Distractions of England force them to. "For when God fhall be pleased in his Mercy, to take away and diffipate "the unnatural Divifions of their native Country, they will immediately return to their own profeffed Obedience. What then they should do "in Matters of Contract, Donation or Confeffion of Right, would have little Strength or Signification; much more prefumptive and impertinent, "would it be in me to do it, without their Knowledge or Affent. We " fhall very shortly meet again, and then, if to them you signify your Defires, I fhall labour all I can, to get you a fatisfactory Answer.

« Virginia, "August 20, 1660.

"I am, Sir,

"Your humble Servant,

"WILLIAM BERCKLY."

Governour Stuyvesant was a faithful Servant of the West-India Company: this is abundantly proved by his Letters to them, exciting their Care of the Colony. In one, dated April 20, 1660, which is very long and pathetic, representing the defperate Situation of Affairs on both Sides of the NewNetherland, he writes, "Your Honours imagine, that the Troubles in England will prevent any Attempt on thefe Parts: alas! they are Ten "to One in Number to us, and are able without any Affiftance, to deprive "us of the Country when they pleafe." On the 25th of June, the fame Year, he informs them, "that the Demands, Enchroachments, and Ufurpations, of the English, gave the People here great Concern. The Right "to both Rivers, fays he, by Purchase and Poffeffion is our own, without Difpute. We apprehend, that they, our more powerful Neighbours, lay "their Claims under a Royal Patent, which we are unable hitherto to do in your Name *." Colonel Utie being unsuccessful the last Year, in his Embaffy for the Evacuation of the Dutch Poffeffions on Delaware, Lord Baltimore in Autumn 1660, applied by Captain Neal, his Agent to the

If we fhould argue, from this Letter, that the Weft-India Company had no Grants of the New-Netherlands, from the States General, as fome fuppofe, we difcredit De Laet's Hiftory, dedicated to the States in 1624, as well as all the Dutch Writers, and even Stuyvefant himself, who in his Letter to Richard Nicolls, at the Sur

render, afferts, that they had a Grant, and fhewed it under Seal to the English Deputies. But the genuine Conftruction of the Dutch Governour's Letter, is this, that in 1660, he had not the Patent to the West-India Company, to lay before the English in America, who difputed the Dutch Right to this County.

Weft

Weft-India Company, in Holland, for an Order on the Inhabitants of South River to fubmit to his Authority, which they abfolutely refused, afferting their Right to that Part of their Colony.

The English, from New-England, were every Day incroaching upon the Dutch. The following Letter, from Stuyvefant to the Weft-India Company, dated July 21, 1661, fhews the State of the Colony at that Time, on both Sides. "We have not yet begun the Fort on Long Island, near Oysterbay, "because our Neighbours lay the Boundaries a Mile and an half more "Westerly, than we do, and the more as your Honours, by your Advice " of December 24, are not inclined to stand by the Treaty of Hartford, and propose to fue for Redress on Long Island and the Fresh Water River, by "Means of the States Ambaffador. Lord Sterling is faid to follicit a Con"firmation of his Right to all Long Island, and importunes the present King, to confirm the Grant made by his Royal Father, which is affirmed "to be already obtained. But more probable, and material, is the Advice "from Maryland, that Lord Baltimore's Patent, which contains the Southpart of South River, is confirmed by the King, and published in Print: "that Lord Baltimore's natural Brother, who is a rigid Papist, being made "Governour there, has received Lord Baltimore's Claim, and Protest to your "Honours in Council, (wherewith he feems but little fatisfied) and has now more Hopes of Succefs. We have Advice from England, that there " is an Invasion intended against these Parts, and the Country follicited of "the King, the Duke, and the Parliament, is to be annexed to their Do"minions; and for that Purpose, they defire three or four Frigates, perfuading the King, that the Company poffeffed and held this Country "under an unlawful Title, having only obtained of King James Leave for " a watering Place on Staten Island, in 1623."

In August 1663, a Ship arrived from Holland at South River, with new Planters, Ammunition, and Implements of Husbandry. Lord Baltimore's Son landed a little after, and was entertained by Beekman at Niewer Amftel. This was Charles, the Son of Cecilius, who in 1661, had procured a Grant and Confirmation of the Patent, paffed in Favour of his Father in 1632. The papistical Principles of the Baltimore Family, the Charge of colonizing, the Parliamentary War with Charles I. and Oliver's Ufurpation, all confpired to impede the Settlement of Maryland, till the Year 1661. And thefe Confiderations account for the Extenfion of the Dutch Limits, on the West-side of Delaware Bay.

While the Dutch were contending with their European Neighbours, they had the Art always to maintain a Friendship with the Natives, until the War which broke out this Year with the Indians at Efopus, now Uller County. It continued, however, but a fhort Seafon. The Five Nations never gave them any Disturbance, which was owing to their continual Wars with the French, who fettled at Canada in 1603. I have before observed, that Oliver Cromwell was applied to, for his Aid in the Reduction of this Country, and that his Son Richard took fome Steps towards accomplishing. the Scheme; the Work was however referved for the Reign of Charles II. an indolent Prince, and entirely given up to Pleasure, who was driven to it, more perhaps, by the Differences then fubfifting between England and Holland, than by any Motive that might reflect Honour upon his Prudence, Activity, and Public-Spirit. Before this Expedition, the King granted a Patent on the 12th of March 1664, to his Brother, the Duke of York and Albany, for fundry Tracts of Land in America, the Boundaries of which, because they have given Rife to important and animated Debates, it may not be improper to transcribe.

"All that Part of the main Land of New-England, beginning at a certain "Place, called or known by the Name of St. Croix, next adjoining to New"Scotland in America, and from thence extending along the Sea-coast, unto a certain Place called Pemaquie, or Pemequid, and fo up the River thereof, to the furtheft Head of the fame, as it tendeth Northward; and extending from thence, to the River of Kimbequin, and fo upwards, by the "shortest Course, to the River Canada Northward: and also all that Ifland, " or Islands, commonly called by the feveral Name or Names of Meitowacks, or Long Island, fituate and being towards the Weft of Cape Cod, and the narrow Higanfetts, abutting upon the main Land, between the two "Rivers, there called or known by the several Names of Connecticut and

Hudfon's River, together alfo with the faid River, called Hudson's River, " and all the Land from the Weft-fide of Connecticut River, to the Eaft-fide "of Delaware Bay, and also, all those several Islands, called or known by "the Names of Martin's Vineyard, or Nantuck's, otherwife Nantucket : together, &c."

Part of this Tract was conveyed by the Duke, to John Lord Berkley, Baron of Stratton, and Sir George Carteret of Saltrum in Devon, who were then Members of the King's Council. The Leafe was for the Confideration of ten Shillings, and dated the 23d of June 1664. The Release, dated the

next Day, mentions no particular Sum of Money, as a Confideration for the Grant of the Lands, which have the following Defcription.

"All that Tract of Land, adjacent to New-England, and lying and being "to the Weftward of Long Island, and bounded on the Eaft-part by the "main Sea, and partly by Hudson's River; and hath upon the Weft, Dela"ware Bay, or River, and extendeth Southward, to the main Ocean as far as Cape May, at the Mouth of Delaware Bay and to the Northward, as "far as the northermoft Branch of the faid Bay or River of Delaware, which "is forty one Degrees and forty Minutes of Latitude: which faid Tract of "Land is hereafter to be called by the Name, or Names of Nova Cæfarea, or New Jersey."

Thus the New-Netherlands became divided into New Jersey, fo called after the Ifle of Jersey, in Compliment to Sir George Carteret, whofe Family came from thence; and New-York, which took its Name in Honour of the Duke of York.

The Dutch Inhabitants, by the Vigilance of their Governour, were not unapprised of the Defigns of the English Court against them, for their Records teftify, that on the 8th of July, "The General received Intelligence, from one Thomas Willet, an Englishman, that an Expedition was preparing in England, against this Place, confifting of two Frigates of 40 " and 50 Guns, and a Fly Boat of 40 Guns, having on board three hun"dred Soldiers, and each Frigate 150 Men, and that they then lay at Portsmouth, waiting for a Wind." News arrived alfo from Boston, that they had already fet fail. The Burgomafters were thereupon called into Council. The Fortress ordered to be put into a Posture of Defence, and Spies fent to Milford and Weft-chefter for Intelligence. Bofton was in the Secret of the Expedition, for the General Court had in May preceding, paffed a Vote for a Supply of Provifions, towards refreshing the Ships on their Arrival. They were four in Number, and refolved to rendezvous at Gardeners Island in the Sound, but parted in a Fog about the 20th of July. Richard Nicolls and Sir George Carteret, two of the Commiffioners, were on board the Guyny, and fell in first with Cape Cod. The Winds having blown from the South-weft, the other Ships, with Sir Robert Car, and Mr. Mavenick, the remaining Commiffioners, were rightly concluded, to be driven to the Eastward. After dispatching a Letter to Mr. Winthrop, the Governour of Connecticut, requesting his Affiftance, Colonel Nicolls, proceeded to Nantasket, and thence to Bofton. The other Ships got into Pifcataway. John Endicot, a very old Man, was then Governour of Bofton, and incapable of Bufinefs.

The Commiffioners, therefore, had a Conference with the Council, and earnestly implored the Affiftance of that Colony. Colonel Nicolls and Sir George Carteret, in their Letter from Bolon, to Sir H. Bennet, Secretary of State, complain much of the Backwardness of that Province. The Reasons urged in their Excufe, were Poverty and the Season, it being the Time of Harvest; but perhaps Difaffection to the Stewart Family, whofe perfecuting Fury had driven them from their native Country, was the true Spring of their Conduct. The King's Succefs in the Reduction of the Dutch, evidently opened him a Door, to come at his Enemies in New-England, who were far from being few*; and whether this Confideration might not have given Rise to the Project itself, I leave to the Conjectures of others.

On the 27th of July, Nicolls and Carteret made a formal Request in Writing. "That the Government of Boston would pafs an Act to furnish "them with armed Men, who should begin their March to the Manhattans, "on the 20th of Auguft enfuing, and promised, that if they could get "other Affistance, they would give them an Account of it." The Governour and Council answered, that they would affemble the General Court, and communicate the Proposal to them.

From Bofton, a fecond Letter was written to Governour Winthrop in Connecticut, dated the 29th of July, in which he was informed, that the other Ships were then arrived, and would fail with the first fair Wind, and he was defired to meet them at the Weft-end of Long Island.

One of the Ships entered the Bay of the North River, feveral Days before the reft; and as foon as they were all come up, Stuyvesant fent a Letter dated 1% of Auguft at Fort Anill, directed to the Commanders of the English Frigates, by John Declyer, one of the chief Council, the Reverend John Megapolenfis Minifter, Paul Lunder Vander Grilft Major, and Mr. Samuel Megapolenfis Doctor in Phyfic, with the utmoft Civility, to defire the Reafon of their Approach, and continuing in the Harbour of Naijarlij, without giving Notice to the Dutch, which (he writes) they ought to have done. Colonel Nicolls anfwered the next Day with a Summons.

* T. Dixwel, Efq; one of Charles I's Judges, and excepted out of the General Pardon, lived many Years at New-Haven (incog.) in Quality of a Country Merchant: Sir Edmond Andoofs, in one of his Tours through the Colony of Conmecticut, faw him there at Church, and ftrongly

fufpected him to be one of the Regicides. In his laft Illness, he revealed himself to the Minifter of the Town, and ordered a small Stone to be fet at the Head of his Grave, which I have often feen there, infcribed, T. D. Esq. While at NewHaven, he went under the Name of John Davis.

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