: "'The Planters' Plea' was printed in London in 1630, soon
after the sailing of Winthrop's fleet [with Dudley]. It has generally
been ascribed to the Rev. John White, of Dorchester, England. 'The
Planters' Plea' appears to have been unknown to our historians. Neither
Mather, Prince, Hutchinson, Bancroft, nor Graham make any allusion to
it." (Young's Chronicles of the First Planters of the Colony of
Massachusetts, from 1623 to 1630, pp. 15, 16, in a note.)]

[Footnote 53: The _first_ emigration under the authority of the
Massachusetts Company was that under "Master Endicot, who was sent over
Governor, assisted with a few men, and arriving in safety there in
September, 1628, and uniting his own men with those who were formerly
planted there into one body, they made up in all not much above fifty or
sixty persons."

The second emigration was under Higginson, who says: "We brought with us
about two hundred passengers and planters more," arriving in June, 1629.

The third, or "great emigration," was under Winthrop, arriving in May,
1630.]

[Footnote 54: Young's Chronicles, &c., pp. 15, 16.]

[Footnote 55: This address is called "The humble Request of his
Majesties loyall subjects, the Governor and the Company late gone for
New England; to the rest of their Brethren in and of the Church of
England," and is as follows;

"REVEREND FATHERS AND BRETHREN,--

"The generall rumor of this solemne enterprise, wherein ourselves, with
others, through the providence of the Almightie, are engaged, as it may
spare us the labour of imparting our occasion unto you, so it gives us
the more incouragement to strengthen ourselves by the procurement of the
prayers and blessings of the Lord's faithful servants: For which end wee
are bold to have recourse unto you, as those whom God hath placed
nearest his throne of mercy; which, as it affords you the more
opportunitie, so it imposeth the greater bond upon you to intercede for
his people in all their straights. We beseech you, therefore, by the
mercies of the Lord Jesus, to consider us as your Brethren, standing in
very great need of your helpe, and earnestly imploring it. And howsoever
your charitie may have met with some occasion of discouragement through
the misreport of our intentions, or through the disaffection or
indiscretion of some of us, or rather amongst us, for wee are not of
those that dreame of perfection in this world; yet we desire you would
be pleased to take notice of the