eded
clothing and cattle for breeding, she conveyed home specific answers by
the Governor, to a dozen baseless criticisms. Two are cited, in the
loose orthography of the day. Variable spelling was no sure sign of
illiteracy then, as with Bradford and contemporary writers of good
thought and dignified style.

Thus he meets the leading calumny, as to "diversitie about Religion:"

"We know no such matter, for here was never any controversie or
opposition, either publicke or private, (to our knowledg,) since we
came."

The last objection designed to injure Plymouth was this: "The people are
much anoyed with muskeetoes.

"Ans: They are too delicate and unfitte to begin new-plantations and
collonies, that cannot enduer the biting of a muskeeto; we would wish
such to keepe at home till at least they be muskeeto proofe. Yet this
place is as free as any, and experience teacheth that y^e more y^e land
is tild, and y^e woods cut downe, the fewer ther will be, and in the end
scarce any at all."

Bradford prepared this clear and direct rejoinder to the unjust charges,
at the urgent request of the planters' foreign agent. And the unexpected
defense "did so confound y^e objecters, as some confessed their falte,
and others deneyed what they had said, and eate their words, & some
others of them have since come over againe and heere lived to convince
them selves sufficiently, both in their owne & other mens judgments."

The Governor further justified Plymouth's course by a series of replies,
which became useful locally and for posterity, but were not sent
abroad, as the letters of complaint were intercepted and seized. He had
now to cope with internal revolt, headed by John Lyford and John Oldham.
Lyford was an exceedingly disreputable and discredited clergyman of the
Established Church who, like Morell of Wessagusset previously, had been
sent in hope of superseding Elder Brewster and breaking up the much
disliked Separatist order in New England. Morell had perceived the
strength of the Pilgrim fellowship, and was wise enough to make no vain
attempt to subvert its order, only daring to mention, on leaving the
country, the ecclesiastical authority with which he had been invested.
His successor, in this dark scheme of foreign persecution, sought with
serpentine cleverness to ingratiate himself; but his effusive servility
nauseated those sterling souls. As Bradford graphically recorded, "when
this man first came a shore, he saluted t