we have herewith sent copies of such commissions (if they may properly be so called), they being only defensive, and were granted by the Deputy Governor (contrary to the mind of the then Governor), and he not knowing the due form and method in such cases, took no bonds, concluding as he hath solemnly declared, that they were bound upon a merchandizing voyage; their design being unknown to the authority.

Your Lordships are further pleased to require copies of the tryall of George Cutler and Robert Munday, with all proceedings from first to last, relating to the same; and of all other persons and things in the like case. Likewise a copy of the laws and Acts of this government, all which we have accordingly done. Humbly submitting ourselves to your Lordships' favorable constructions upon any thing that may therein be found amiss; we being wholly ruled and governed by the good and wholesome [laws] of our Mother, the kingdom of England, as far as the constitution of our place will bear; and we doubt not, but your Lordships are sensible that in these remote parts, we cannot in every punctillo follow the niceties of the laws of England; but it will be a great damage to his Majesty's interest in the settling and peopling the country.

We do also acknowledge the receipt of your Lordships' letter bearing date Whitehall, February the 3d, 1698-9, with his Majesty's Instructions, relating to the observation of the Acts of trade, &c.; all which we kindly accept, and shall with the best of our endeavors comply with the same, and we do further acknowledge the receipt of a letter bearing date Whitehall, January the 24th, 1698-9 (the which came to our hands the 24th instant), wherein his Majesty gives us to understand, that severall ships of force have been fitted out of Scotland, with an intent to settle in some parts of America, contrary to his Majesty's knowledge, forbidding of us to hold any correspondency with them, whilst they are engaged in the aforesaid enterprise; commanding us to send your Lordships an account of our proceeds therein. In obedience to which, we forthwith issued out a Proclamation concerning the same, a copy of which, we herewith send you, and it shall be our further endeavor to see it duly executed.

And may it please your Lordships to accept this further information: that on the beginning of April last, arrived a ship upon our coast, which was by the men that did belong to her, sunk, as they have since confessed. It was a hagboat, of about four hundred tons, belonging to London, bound for the Island of Borneo, in the East India, whereof one Capt'n Gullop was Commander. And at the Island of Polonoys, near

the Island of Sumatra, their Commander being on shore with severall others, the boatswain's mate of said ship, one Bradish, with severall. others combined, and run away with her, leaving their Commander and severall others, on shore, at said Island of Polonoys.

And for your Lordships' better information, we have herewith sent you the examination of one of the men, now a prisoner in his Majesty's jail in this government, who after the sinking of the said ship, distributed themselves into severall parts of this country, and are all taken and secured in the severall governments, except one, with the greatest part of their money that they brought with them.

We having in our hands to the value of twelve hundred pounds, or thereabouts; all which we shall secure till further orders from your Lordships, we having used all the dilligence we can for discovering what more may be distributed about the country.

We shall always for time to come be very observant in following your Lordships, advice and Instructions, in all cases relating to his Majesty's interest, and once more humbly begging your Lordships' favorable constructions in what of weakness may appear in us. We being a plain and mean sort of people, yet true and loyall subjects to his Most Excellent Majesty, King William, and we hope time will make manifest the same to your Lordships, we being not insensible of the many enemies we have, who hath and do make it their business to render us (to his Majesty and your Lordships), as ridiculous as they can, and to present things to your Lordships quite contrary to what they are or were. For instance, there is one Esquire Randolph, who was employed by the Commissioners of his Majesty's Customs, who did publickly declare he would be a means to eclipse us of our priviledges; and we know he picked up severall false reports against us. But we do not doubt your Lordships will in time have a further insight and knowledge of such men's actions, and we humbly beg of your Lordships, that you will not entertain any reports against us, so as to give any determination on the same, to our ill conveniency till we can have liberty to answer for ourselves; we having commissionated and appointed Jahleel Brenton, Esq'r (his Majesty's late Collector of his Customs in these parts), our Agent to answer to what shall be objected against us, or in any other matter or thing, relating to this his Majesty's Collony, begging your Lordships' favor towards him in what shall appear just and right.

So having not further to offer to your Lordships at present, but humbly submitting ourselves to his Most Excellent Majesty, and your

Lordships' favorable constructions of what herein shall appear amiss; wishing his Majesty a long and peaceable reign, and your Lordships health and prosperity under his government.

Your Lordships' most humble servants,

SAMUEL CRANSTON, Governor.

Newport, on Rhode Island, the 27th of May, 1699.

John Russell Bartlett, editor, Records of the Colony of Rhode Island, and Providence Plantations, in New England (Providence, 1858), III, 373–375.

20. An Historical Sketch of New England (1720)

THE

BY DANIEL NEAL

Daniel Neal was an intelligent historian, one of the few careful writers of his time. - Bibliography: Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, V, 157-158; Channing and Hart, Guide, § 130. - For previous New England history, see Contemporaries, I, Part V. The Inhabitants HE Inhabitants of New-England are the Posterity of of New-England. the old English Puritans or Nonconformists to the Church of England, who chose to leave their native Country, and retire into a Wilderness, rather than submit to such Rites and Ceremonies in Religion as they apprehended sinful. They did not differ with the Church in any of the Articles of her Faith, but they scrupled the Vestments, kneeling at the Sacrament, some Parts of the Common-Prayer, and the promiscuous Admission of all Persons to the Communion; for these things they were silenced and deprived of their Livings, which put great Numbers of the Ministers under a Necessity of removing with their Followers to America.

Their Numbers, and military Strength.

THE Number of Planters that went over to NewEngland before the Year 1640, were about 4000; after which for the next 20 Years they had no Increase but what sprung up from among themselves; In the Reigns of King Charles II. and King James II. great Numbers of Dissenters, both Ministers and People went over, to avoid the Hardships they suffer'd from the Church; and it deserves to be taken Notice of, that the Increase of the English Plantations abroad depends very much on the Treatment the Dissenters from the Established Church of England meet with at home: When they are allowed the free Exercise of their Civil and Religious Liberties, they love their native Country too well to leave it; but when they are

oppress'd in so tender a Point as their Consciences, 'tis but reasonable to suppose, that many of them will go where they can make themselves easy; for the Confirmation of this Observation, we need look no further at present than Ireland, from whence, if I am rightly inform'd, above 6000 Scotch Presbyterians have shipp'd off themselves and their Effects within these few Years for the Plantations of America, chiefly on the Account of the Uneasinesses they were under, with Regard to the free Exercise of their Religion: And great Numbers are still going over every Summer, which if the Legislature are not pleas'd to take into Consideration, may in Time very much weaken, if not totally subvert the Protestant Religion in that Kingdom.

To such Causes as these, New-England owes the vast Increase of its Inhabitants. . . the whole Number of Inhabitants must now amount to 160 or 165,000, and of them about 30 or 35000 fighting Men, which is the Military Strength of the Country.

FROM this Calculation we may conclude, that the Province of NewEngland is in no great Danger at present from any of its Neighbours, for the Indians are an inconsiderable Body of themselves, and if the French should joyn them, though they might ravage the Frontiers by their flying Parties, they could make no Impressions upon the Heart of the Country; besides the Indians are divided, some being in Alliance with the French, and others with the English; so that in case of a War they may be play'd one against the other. . .

As the Government of New-England is dependant on Their Trade. the Crown of England, so is their Trade; 'tis impossible

to make an exact Estimate of the Exports and Imports from NewEngland, without examining the Custom-House-Books, but 'tis computed by the most experienced Merchants trading to those Parts, that they receive from hence all Sorts of Woollen-Drapery, Silks, Stuffs, and Hats; all Sorts of Linnen, and printed Callicoes, all Sorts of Iron Manufacture, and Birmingham Ware, as Tools for Mechanicks, Knives, Scissars, Buckles, Nails &c. to the Value of 100,000 7. annually, and upwards.

IN Return for these Goods, our Merchants export from thence about 100,000 Quintals of dried Cod-fish yearly, which they send to Portugal, Spain, and the several Ports of Italy, the Returns for which are made to London out of the Product of those Countries, and may amount to the Value of about 80,000 l. annually. . . .

BUT in the Concerns of Civil Life, as in their Dress, Tables, and Conversation, they affect to be as much English as possible; there is no

Fashion in London, but in three or four Months is to be seen at Boston, nay, they are fond of the very Name and Person of an English Man, insomuch that some who have had no great Affection for the People on the Account of their Preciseness, have yet been so agreeably entertain'd by them, as to leave the Country with Regret. In short, the only Difference between an Old and a New-English Man is in his Religion; and here the Disagreement is chiefly about the Liturgy, and ChurchGovernment, the one being for a National Church, govern'd by ArchBishops, Bishops, and a Convocation: The other esteeming all Ministers to be of the same Order, and every Society of Christians meeting together in the same Place, a compleat Christian Church, having all Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction within itself, without being subject to a Classis, Synod, or Convocation any further than for Advice.

Their Political Interests.

It can't be denied but there are two State-Factions in New-England, as well as in most Kingdoms of Europe, which have arisen partly from a private narrow Spirit in some leading Men, who are a Sort of Spies upon the Gover[n]ment they live under, and express their Dislike of the Management of publick Affairs in all Companies, chiefly because themselves have no Share in it; but I can assure the World, that Religion is no Part of the Quarrel, for there being no Sacramental Test for Preferments in the State, all Parties of Christians among them are easy; Happy People! as long as Religion and the State continue on a separate Basis; the Magistrate not medling in Matters of Religion any further than is necessary for the Preservation of the publick Peace; nor the Churches calling for the Sword of the Magistrate to back their Ecclesiastical Censures with corporal Severities. May they long continue on this Foot a Sanctuary to oppressed Protestants in all Parts of the World!

BUT after all, it will be impossible for New-England to subsist of itself for some Centuries of Years; for tho' they might maintain themselves against their Neighbours on the Continent, they must starve without a free Trade with Europe, the Manufactures of the Country being very inconsiderable; so that if we could suppose them to rebel against England, they must throw themselves into the Arms of some other Potentate, who would protect them no longer than he could sell them to Advantage; the French and Spaniards are Enemies to their Religion and Civil Liberties, and the Dutch are too cautious a People, to run the Hazard of losing their own Country, for the Alliance of another at so great a Distance; 'Tis therefore the Grand Interest of New-England to