Mr. Cradock for the usurpation charged in the
information.

The Lords Commissioners, in pursuance of this decision of the Court of
King's Bench, sent a peremptory order to the Governor of Massachusetts
Bay, to transmit the Charter to England, intimating that, in case of
"further neglect or contempt," "a strict course would be taken against
them."[71] They were now brought face to face with the sovereign
authority; the contempt of silence; nor did they think it prudent to
renew military preparations of resistance, as they had done in 1634;
their policy now was to "avoid and protract," by pleading exile,
ignorance, innocence, begging pardon and pity, yet denying that they
had done anything wrong, and insinuating that if their Charter should be
cancelled, their allegiance would be forfeited and they would remove,
with the greater part of the population, and set up a new government. I
have not met with this very curious address in any modern history of the
United States--only glosses of it. I give it entire in a note.[72] They
profess a willingness to "yield all _due_ obedience to their Soveraigne
Lord the King's Majesty," but that they "are much grieved, that your
Lordships should call in our patent, there being no cause knowne to us,
nor any delinquency or fault of ours expressed in the order sent to us
for that purpose, our government being according to his Majestie's
patent, and wee not answerable for any defects in other plantations.
This is that which his Majestie's subjects here doe believe and
professe, and thereupon wee are all humble suitors to your Lordships,
that you will be pleased to take into _further consideration_ our
condition, and to afford us the _liberty of subjects, that we may know
what is laid to our charge_; and have leaive and time to _answer for
ourselves before_ we be condemned as a people unworthy of his Majestie's
favour or protection."

This profession and these statements are made in presence of the facts
that three years before the Royal Commissioners had in like manner
demanded the production of the patent in England, giving the reasons for
it, and the present "humble suitors to their Lordships" had "avoided and
protracted," by not even acknowledging the reception of the order, much
less answering the charges of which they were informed, but rather
preparing military fortifications for resisting a General Governor and
Royal Commissioners of Inquiry, and "for regulating the Plantations."
Y