unsupportable
extremities; and these evils (among others) will necessarily follow.
(1.) Many thousand souls will be exposed to ruine, being laid open to
the injuries of all men. (2.) If wee be forced to desert this place, the
rest of the plantations (being too weake to subsist alone) will, for the
most part, dissolve and goe with us, and then will this whole country
fall into the hands of the French or Dutch, who would speedily embrace
such an opportunity. (3.) If we should loose all our labour and costs,
and be deprived of those liberties which his Majestie hath granted us,
and nothing layd to our charge, nor any fayling to be found in us in
point of allegiance (which all our countrymen doe take notice of, and
will justify our faithfulness in this behalfe), it will discourage all
men hereafter from the like undertakings upon confidence of his
Majestie's Royal grant. Lastly, if our patent be taken from us (whereby
wee suppose wee may clayme interest in his Majestie's favour and
protection) the common people here will conceive that his Majestie hath
cast them off, and that, heereby, they are freed from their allegiance
and subjection, and, thereupon, will be ready to confederate themselves
under a new Government, for their necessary safety and subsistence,
which will be of dangerous example to other plantations, and perillous
to ourselves of incurring his Majestie's displeasure, which wee would by
all means avoyd.

"Wee dare not question your Lordships' proceedings; wee only desire to
open our griefs where the remedy is to be expected. If in any thing wee
have offended his Majesty and your Lordships, wee humbly prostrate
ourselves at the footstool of supreme authority; let us be made the
object of his Majestie's clemency, and not cut off, in our first appeal,
from all hope of favour. Thus with our earnest prayers to the King of
kings for long life and prosperity to his sacred Majesty and his Royall
family, and for all honour and welfare to your Lordships, we humbly take
leave.

"EDWARD RAWSON, _Secretary_."

(Hutchinson's History of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, Vol. I.,
Appendix V., pp. 507, 508, 509.)]

CHAPTER IV.

THE GOVERNMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY UNDER THE LONG PARLIAMENT, THE
COMMONWEALTH, AND CROMWELL.

Charles the First ceased to rule after 1640, though his death did not
take place until January, 1649. The General Court of Massachusetts Bay,
in their address to the King's Commissioners in Se