Till labour blesse the earths encrease, and food each Towne doth fill, The land being sowne with man and beast, great store retaining still.

A briefe description of the Land, Beasts,
Birds, Trees, and Fruits.

Vnlevel'd lies this land new found with hills and vallies low,
With many mixtures of such mold where fruits do firtile grow.
Well watered with the pleasant springs that from the hills arise,
The waters run with warbling tunes, with stones that in them lies.
To welcome weary travellers, resting unneath the shade,
Of lofty banks, where lowly boughs, for them fresh harbour made.
The lesser Rivelets rent themselves into a wider way,

Where scouring torrents furious fall, through rocks their streames doe stray.

Spring.

At end of March begins the Spring, by Sols new elivation,
Stealing away the earths white robe, dropping with sweats vexation.
The Codfish, Holybut, and Basse, do sport the rivers in,
And Allewifes with their crowding sholes, in every creek do swim.
Leaving their spawn in ponds to thrive 'mongst Pikes devouring jawes,
That swallow Trowts, Tench, Roach and Breme into their greedy mawes.
Pirch, Shad, and Eeles, there plenty fill the panyard and the pan,
Smelts, Lobsters, Crab-fish, pranes and shrimps, with cockles, mussels

clams.

Plenty of oysters overgrow the flowed lands so thick,
That thousand loads to lime are turn'd, to lay fast stone and brick.
The Cormorants with greedy gut full fast the fishes follow,
And Eagles with their piercing sight look through the waters shallow.
Ducks, Hens, and Pheasants often row upon the waters brim,
With plenty of their fellow fowles to welcome in the spring.
Devouring fires burning black the earths old rusty hew,

Like torch-bearers in gloomy night, their flames with wind sore flew.
Like Phenix rare, from ashes old, of grasse, doth grasse arise,
The earth casts off her mourning coate, gay clad like bride to eyes.
With herbs and divers precious plants for physicks operation,
Diversity of fragrant flowers for sences recreation.

Sommer.

Bespread with Roses Sommer 'gins take place with hasty speed,
Whose parching heate Strawberries coole doth moderation breed.
Ayre darkening sholes of pigeons picke their berries sweet and good,
The lovely cherries birds entice to feast themselves in woods.
The Turkies, Partridge, Heath-hens and their young ones tracing passe,
The woods and medowes, Achorns eat, and hoppers in the grasse.
Like Virgils knat musketo flies with buzzy humming dare

Assault the stoutest with long trunke, both blood and blisters reare.
When little lineaments the Sun, or winde doth feeble make

Yea cooling dewes their swarms allay, and strength of stinging slake. The little hum-birds sucking sweet, from flowers draw their food, Humilities in summer-time only find livelihood.

Autumne.

Good wholsome and delightfull food, variety and store,

The Husband-man rejoycing keeps, with fruit the earths wombe boare. Peas plenty, Barley, Oats and Wheat, Rye richly stocking stands, Such store the plough-man late hath found, that they feed forreign lands. Cucumbers, mellons, apples, peares, and plums do flourish faire, Yea what delight and profit would, they still are adding there. Sixe sorts of Oakes the land affords, Walnuts doe differ so, That divers shapes their fruit retains, and food that in them grow. Roots are not wanting, wild and tame, in gardens they encrease,

Ground nuts, ground beans, not gathered till, warmth doth the earth

release.

Grapes wanting vintage, common grow, fit for the travellers hand,
With food from berries multitude, that grow throughout the land.

Winter.

Sharpe, sudden, yet with lightsome looks doth winters cold come in, With thicke, large Coat doth cloath the earth, both soft, smooth, white

and trim.

The large tempestuous surges are bound in with frozen band,

Where ship did anker, men doe walke, and carts as on the land. (The Geese flye prating night and day, to tell the approaching season, Brought downe by gun shot from their flight unto the Indians geson. The tumbling beares intrapped are, 'mongst houses sudden enter, O'rethrowne by eager hunters, who pursue them in this venter. The tripping Deer with length of leaps, do burst through frozen snow, Hunters pursue with bracket shooes, at length they weary grow. Then down the dogs them sudden draw, expos'd to hunters pleasure, Their flesh well welcome, and their skins, are chiefe of Indian treasure. Whole kennels of devouring wolves both Deer and Swine destroy, Yet scar'd by weakest children, they them the lesse annoy. The Suns bright presence most dayes doth cheere man and beast with joy, With hope of pleasant springs approach to free from colds annoy. With mineralls the earth is fraught, though Alcumists are wanting, Which makes [the] current mettle priz'd 'mongst Merchants daily scanting.

Of their building, planting, and giving
out of LANDS.

Delightfull to the eye did lye the woods and medowes greene,
The paths untrod by man and beast, both smooth and clenly seene.
Most men unlanded till this time, for large lands Eages * sue,

Had not restraint knockt of their hands, too big their fermes had grew. Give eare I pray unto the praise set on a new Plantation,

First for the medow sirs says one, I have found such a station. Where grasse doth grow as high as I, round stalkes and very thicke, No hassocks but a bottom plain, Carts cannot therein stick.

Salt hay and fresh there thousands are of acres I do deeme,
A gallant harbour there 's for ships the best that yet is seene.
Boates may come up unto our doors, the Creeks convenient lye,
Fish plenty taken in them are, plains plowable hard by.
No bush nor roots to hinder them, yet stately timber is,

In every swamp, yea uplands too, most clobberd trees I wis.
Clay there for bricke and tile, pot-earth with ease, and store,
Some men suppose black lead is there, silver and copper o're.
Carry but guns, and wild fowle will be brought unto our dishes,
Venison and Moose you there may catch according to your wishes.
All creatures thrive exceeding well, Goats, Swine, and sheep for meat,
Horse, Cows, and Calves encrease as well, ther's store of English wheat.
Five, seven, or nine old Planters doe take up their station first,
Whose property is not to share unto themselves the worst.
Their Cottages like Crows nests built, new commers goods attain,
For mens accommodation sake, they truck their seats for gaine.
Come buy my house, here may you have, much medow at your dore,
'T will dearer be if you stay till, the landed be planted o're.
See you that garden-plat inclos'd, Pumkins there hundreds are,
Parsnips and Roots, with Cabiges, grow in great plenty there.
Lay out an hundred pound or two, you shall have such a seat,
When you have planted but one crop, you cannot want for meate.
This praise doth make the purchaser his gold and silver throw,
Into his hand for house and land that yet he did not know.
Unseen, and yet [so] sudden bought, when once the sale was ended,
His purchase makes him misse of more, with gifts he's not befriended.
One he hath friends to praise his parts, his lot shall larger be,

For usefull men are highly priz'd, such shall sell two or three. Sure much mistaken, towns have been, for many have made prize, Get all they can, sell often, than, and thus old Planters rise. They build to sell, and sell to build, where they find towns are planting, Till men no more the Sea passe o're, and Customers are wanting. Then those that boast their townes were full for company are longing, Who lately fear'd land would fall short, when men to them came

thronging.

Insatiate minds for medow, and best land they could attain,
Hath caused Townes, land lay by lot, I wish it were not vaine.

Of their Civill Government.

The Transplantation of this people and patten inrevaded (though rare yet) honest advice in law was had by wise, sober, and godly Gentlemens, fore-seeing the daily adding stones to such a work, would be more envyed then the Golden-fleece of Calchos. God giving favour, they attain'd a large patten under the broad Seale of England, to set up government, not only for the orderly execution of judgment and justice among themselves, but for the suppressing of all malignant adversaries to the kingdome of Christ, that at any time should invade or disturb this government: for proofe ask their adversaries, who though Doeg like will tel you both Magistrates and Ministers joyne heart and hand herein, yet the latter meddle not with Civill Justice, as some would beare men in hand: But lets on, this patten hath proved corrasive to some, especially in not admitting appeales: Some seeking to have it reca'd; others crying out it's forfeit, yet hitherto held, and meet men yearly chose for Governour, Deputy, and Assistants, (whose acts of justice have passed sundry censures) as also from each Towne two Deputies are sent in the name of the Freemen, who joyning together in one body or generall Court, have according to their patten made many causes agreeable to the word of God, and their wildernesse condition both for English and Indian to follow. Quarter Session, or Goale-delivery are kept by seven Magistrates, the Governour or Deputy being one: as also in the severall Shires for tryals between man and man, are constant Courts kept, and in every Town certain persons are yearly chosen to end causes of lesser vertue, with free accesse for any persons that finde themselves grieved, to appeal from one Court to another, even to the highest, which is the generall Court. Their laws are of three sorts; 1. The lawes of England, so far as the people and place can be capable. 2. Lawes wholly of their own. 3. When cases fall out, that neither of these will reach, they are to follow such rules as are cleerly drawn from the word of God: and because many men take upon them to interpret the Scriptures now adays: so that instead of one of a thousand, there appears a thousand to one, which makes them endeavour (with the ablest gifted men God hath given them) to obtaine positive lawes: for all matters may come in judgment, that Arbitrarinesse may be avoided. And now because the courage, dexterity, and skill of Commanders appeareth most when they meete with their enemie: know foure sorts of persons have battered this goverment not only with their greater Artillery, at 900. leagues distance, but with continuall small shot at 10. or 12. and sometimes at pistoll-shot, raising over-topping batteries, brest-works, 4TH S. VOL. I.

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and out-facing Galleries, delving deepe to undermine the foundation (though built on the surest rocke) casting forth fierce fireing granadoes, using all the stratagems such cunning Engineers could possibly invent. The first onset was given by Bonasosias under the conduct of their host of Merri-mount, who having some tryals in the Courts of Justice, assaid to mend his bad cause with bribes: but finding repulse in both, began to make use of an Engine for battery called Pontificatus (consulting with such as were best skil'd herein) to beate downe this new erected government, yet did little dammage it, being of small force in these American parts: at length was intreated to depart, which he refusing, was shipt with a takele for the fertile Isle of great Brittain, which those Gentlemen now ruling this Collony so loftly left, where he arriving, made his complaint to those, whose lordly injunctions enforced the greater part of this people to make choise of a banished condition for them and theirs, enduring rather the wants of a wildernesse, than a Prelats prison his (complaint being heard) appeales to England, being of purpose left out in the Mattachusets Patten, no Somner nor Pursevant was found to venter so far: yet the Host to make a merriment of the departure of so many reverend, learned, godly and judicious men (a sad Omen of some following tragedy) set forth a Pamphlet in print, full fraught with loud lies to make his Bonasosia's laugh. But prevailing little, ventured another voyage in these parts to find a new place for storming this government afresh, tracing the Countrey to and fro, was apprehended of Indian ammunition, arrow heads of a more mortal nature than any yet used among them. The second onset was given by greater troops of Sexs, not marshal'd under the command of any one in chief: but those that could best use their battering Engine, were leaders of the rest: and verily they handled the matter so, that they came to handy gripes undiscovered: their new Engine was called Populatri aure Captator,* somewhat like the Trojan horse for rarity, it was covered with womens aprons, and bolstered out with the judgement and deep discerning of the godly and reverent: but to say truth, they fouly belied him; These Sectaries having made a breach in most