prorogued and
afterwards dissolved, and the Sisyphaean labour of the whole year came to
nothing.' All that was obtained was an order that the Government of the
colony should be continued under the old Charter until a new one was
settled; and a letter from the King was forwarded to that effect, signed
by the Earl of Nottingham, for the delivery of Sir Edmund Andros and the
others detained with him, who were to be sent to England for trial."
(Barry's History of Massachusetts, First Period, Chap. xviii., pp.
508-510.)]

[Footnote 208: Hutchinson's History of Massachusetts Bay, Vol. I., pp.
388, 389. But, in addition, Mr. Mather had the countenance of Archbishop
Tillotson and Bishop Burnet, who had not only received him kindly, but
recommended his applications to the favourable consideration of the
King.]

[Footnote 209: The King, on starting for Holland, "left orders with his
Attorney-General to draw up a draft of Charter, according as his Majesty
expressed in Council, to be ready for him to sign at his return. The
Attorney-General presented his draft to the Council Board, June the 8th
(1691), which was rejected, and a new one ordered to be drawn up, which
deprived the people of New England of several essential privileges
contained in their former Charter. Mr. Mather in his great zeal
protested against it; but was told that the agents of New England were
not plenipotentiaries from a foreign State, and therefore must submit to
the King's pleasure. The agents, having obtained a copy of this Charter,
sent over their objections against it to the King, in Flanders, praying
that certain clauses which they pointed out to his Majesty in their
petition might be altered. And the Queen herself, with her own royal
hand, wrote to the King that the Charter of New England might pass as it
was drawn up by the Attorney-General at first, or be deferred till his
return. But, after all, it was his Majesty's pleasure that the Charter
of New England should run in the main points according to the second
draft; and all that the agents could do was to get two or three articles
which they apprehended to be for the good of the country added to it.
The expectations of the people (of the Congregationalists) of New
England were very much disappointed, and their agents were censured as
men not very well skilled in the intrigues of a Court. It was thought
that if they had applied themselves to the proper persons, and in a
right way, they might have ma