t, the exiles say: "We believe and
trust the Lord is with us, and will graciously prosper our endeavors
accordingly to the simplicity of our hearts therein. We are well weaned
from the delicate milk of our mother-country and inured to the
difficulties of a strange and hard land. The people are, for the body of
them, industrious and frugal. We are knit together in a strict and
sacred bond and covenant of the Lord, of the violation whereof we make
great conscience, and by virtue whereof we hold ourselves strictly tied
to all care of others' goods. It is not with us, as with others, whom
small things can discourage, or small discontentments cause to wish
themselves at home again."

For the information of the council of the company, the "requests" of the
Church were sent, signed by nearly the whole congregation, and, in a
letter to Sir John Wolstenholme, explanation was given of their
"judgments" upon three points named by his majesty's privy council, in
which they affirmed that they differed nothing in doctrine and but
little in discipline from the French reformed churches, and expressed
their willingness to take the oath of supremacy if required, "if that
convenient satisfaction be not given by our taking the oath of
allegiance."

The new agents, upon their arrival in England, found the Virginia
Company anxious for their emigration to America, and "willing to give
them a patent with as ample privileges as they had or could grant to
any"; and some of the chief members of the company "doubted not to
obtain their suit of the King for liberty in religion." But the last
"proved a harder work than they took it for." Neither James nor his
bishops would grant such a request. The "advancement of his dominions"
and "the enlargement of the Gospel" his majesty acknowledged to be "an
honorable motive"; and "fishing"--the secular business they expected to
follow--"was an honest trade, the apostle's own calling"; but for any
further liberties he referred them to the prelates of Canterbury and
London. All that could be obtained from the King after the most diligent
"sounding" was a verbal promise that "he would connive at them and not
molest them, provided they conducted themselves peaceably; but to allow
or tolerate them under his seal" he would not consent.

With this answer the messengers returned, and their report was
discouraging to the hopes of the exiles. Should they trust their
monarch's word, when bitter experience had taught