the Students, and in the woods amongst the Indians in their Savage booths or wigwams; and albeit it extendeth onely to ye power to acknowledge such kindnesse, without further externall requitalls, yet undoubtedly the Lord Jesus takes notice of all his faithfull subjects prayers and endeavors, to enlarge his Kingdome, and will here requite it, wth the perfume of a good name better then pretious oyntment, and hereafter wth a Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdome. Now for a more speciall answer to the Ten particulars expressed in your letter wee have attended the first in teaching the Indians no use of C when the sound thereof is confounded with S or K. But onely where Ch. soundeth, as in our English Language Chaffe Cheif, Chose, Chuse, wch sound is frequent in their Language also, in these Kochittuate, Kuchomakin, Mattachuset, wch I pray you inform mee why it may not bee most expedient sound, or power of the Letter (Π) Cheth as wee utter it in the word רחל for so I teach for expedience my pupills to pronounce it διακρίσεως ἕνεκα least we should confound it wth ה or on the one side, or with or ק on the other side. 2 whereas you say the letter Q is superfluous in our English, tis true the Southern English confound it with K: but wee in the North (Ego enim Lancastrensis sum) pronounce it fully, and exactly as your selfe teach. Orthographiæ Hebreæ delineationis pag: 5. Col: 1. Sect: 11. of not Kubi dicis nulli Europæi noverint hujus sonum; præter Helvetios. Sc. K. ex imo gutture asperius, sic etiam nos efferimus Quod non ut meridionales (Kod). The Indians also have use of this letter frequently in their tongue as in Quillipiog, Quinticut, Quabâquick &c. wch sound wee can never represent by K. |x indeed there is no need of wth them, but I cannot say so of: Z: wch both their Tongue hath need of in some Syllables, and our owne, ffor the Letter: S: is too dry to expresse these sounds following: Zeal, Hazard, Raze, wch to write Seal, Hasard, Rase, both otherwise doe sound, and Signify | And now that I am fallen on this matter, pardon my freedome in desiring a little more you grounds why you pronounce Teth as Th, and Thau as T: contrary to the most Grammarians, And yet much more I wonder at your judgement in the difference of and for what you write in the forecited place Sect: 12, that the Ephraimites jussi dicere Sibboleth dicebant Schibbolet seemes therefore strange because that Schibbolet is of far, harder, or more difficult pronunciation the text saith ולא יכין לדבר woh wee render hee could not frame to pronounce it right, wch had been easy if the sound had been Sibbolet, at least to our thinking. But and if the difference lye where I have sometimes conceived it, then the pronunciation were by far more difficult, for of these 3 letters and I have for difference sake conceived these sounds as our s in sew as consuere to (sew) as sh to shew indicare, and as sch, as to eschew, vitare, so that every one is a degree dempto; ē. harder or more difficult then other; to sew, shew, eschew Job 1. 8. there wee use the word and you may here how the English utter it. Herein I crave your judgement as also in Y dicis enim nobis ἀphων [ms. sic], at bene subjungis potius quam pronunciatio gn: &c. tecum penitus et ego: veruntamen quid obstat, quo minus efferatur ut nostrum.y. Consona, cui etiam et figura affinis. uti audies nostrates pronunciantes: Yea, yet, yonder, &c. at diutius in hisce; Cum vero tua scripta summum spirant candorem ; nullus dubito quin æqui, bonique, hæc mea consulas, et quod humillime peto responsum retuleris.

To your 2d We doe not trouble the Indians to Learn ou English, But onely such as for their owne behoof doe it of their owne accord.

To the 3d Mr. Eliot is labouring to bring their tongue under the Skill of Rules of Grammar, and Dictionary, but yoTM are mistaken in thinking their Etymologie as single as our English, Albeit this is wonderfull in their Tongue that sometimes one Syllable spreads the virtue of its signification through the whole sentence, They are indeed taken greatly in wondering at the skill of the English, and are enforced to confesse many times God is among us.

To the 4th they were never offended at o calling them Indians, as by misinformation, you seem to conceive, but onely inquired of us, the reason of ye name.

To the 5th. Wee make what good husbandry wee can of the writing books you sent, but find them of more use to the English, then Indians, being above their capacity, for the present especially being writ in the English Tongue, And herein again I am entreated to render thanks from the 4TH S. - VOL 1.

32

severall schooles of the country whereto I have sent them. This answereth also yo 6th and 7th directions.

To yor 8th and 9th The students in the Colledge to whom I have imparted as occasion requireth, yo Hebrew sheet Grammar, wth you Conjugationall, Hebrew Table doe return you hearty thanks, as I my selfe doe for you notes on Udalls Grammar, and you Orthographicall delineation.

Lastly, wee professe o'selves unable to answer the Tender of your good will and propensity of spirit towards us. Our Infant Colledge compared wth the Academyes in Europe, being like Mantua unto Rome, and as unworthy to confine a man of your parts, and place, as that small Town the Prince of the Latin Poets. Yet neverthelesse if Divine providence should waft you over the Atlantick Ocean, or if yo Spirit desire to see what sons of Seth wander in these woods then Harvard-Colledge would think itselfe honourd in yo visit.

Mean time while Gods providence continueth you where you bee, as you Tender you readinesse to further on studies, in the Orientall-Tongues, and have already given a reall Testimony of yo benevolent, and beneficent spirit so if Gods providence put an opportunity into your hand that you help us wth books of those languages from some able hands, and willing hearts (for from yo selfe it were unreasonable to expect any more then such books as yo' selfe are personally the Author of). then should wee bee very glad and evermore thankfull to you, and them, who shall procure us Buxtorfes Concordances; and Bible (for the King of Spaines wee have) and the King of France his Bible is more then wee dare hope for) and what soever Hebrew, Caldee, Syriack, or Arabick-authors, Gods providence shall enlarge their hands, and hearts to procure us: A wonderfull impulse unto these studies lyes on the spirits of our students, some of wch can wth ease dextrously translate Hebrew, and Caldee, into Greek. But I forget my selfe in detaining you so long from yo serious, and more profitable Studies: Let mee heare; I pray, if you received this my letter. The Lord bee wth you, and prosper all you endeavors. So I Intreat pray for

Harvard Coll: Cambr: in NE.
Febru: [1648?]

Yod in the Lord.

A LETTER FROM THE REV. SAMUEL
DANFORTH,

MINISTER OF TAUNTON, MASSACHUSETTS.*

Taunton, Aug. 8, 1720.

MUCH HONORED AND REVEREND FATHERS AND BRETHREN,

IT is a singular favor of Heaven to our land, that the honored and reverend Ministers of Boston, as well by their influence on particular gentlemen that were of a public spirit, and by their influence on the several Churches under their pastoral care, and by their interceding with those whom God had placed over the land in civil power, as well as by their own personal exemplary bounty, have procured support to such as have preached the Gospel in the dark corners of our Province; and by their personal visits, as well as also by their written letters and sermons preached by them, some of which have been printed and gratis bestowed on them, have abundantly testified their sincere desires of the gospelizing those towns of Freetown, Tiverton, Dartmouth, and Nantucket; which towns being within the bounds of our Province, if this Province do not take care for their enjoyment of Gospel light and privileges, who will or can? We have reason also to be thankful to God, that the General Court, representing the whole body politic, have done considerably by their bounty out of the public treasury, as also by renewed acts and orders from year to year, for the bringing order into those towns, and for encouraging the preaching of the Gospel in them ; and the Justices of Peace, in their stations, and in their public sessions, have from time to time acted laudably for the countenancing and promoting this good work. We have also cause to take notice of the good hand of our God working with us, in finding out and inclining the hearts of some worthy men to engage in the work of Christ in those difficult places: particularly that the Reverend Mr. Creaghead hath with heroical courage and patience so long continued in his post at Freetown; that the Reverend Mr. Hunt hath adventured to settle in one corner of Dartmouth; that Barrington hath made so much progress towards good order, and held out so long in supporting the preaching of the word among them, without help from others; and that others have been willing to take their turns, and to preach the Gospel for a time at Tiverton and Nantucket; that a Church is gathered in Dartmouth, and a Pastor ordained; that a small Church was formed in Freetown, though it is now weakened by the removal of some of its members into other towns. It is also our comfort that prayers are put up to God for the success of this work by pious men throughout the Province, whose inquiries from time to time how this work goes forward show how much they delight [in] and are refreshed by the progress of it: and doubtless these prayers will be heard and answered in God's time.

That we have met with obstructions and disappointments in pursuing this work, is no more than was expected by those who set it on foot; and God sees it needful it should be so, to maintain in us a daily sense of our sins which expose us to the frowns of Heaven even when we are engaged in most laudable enterprises; and to maintain in us an entire dependence on our Lord Jesus Christ for success in our essays for the enlargement of the bounds of His vineyard on earth; finding by our own experience that all our projections and essays of accomplishing any thing that is for the glory of God and the good of the souls of men will avail nothing, till the Lord Himself appear in His glory for the building up of Zion, and be pleased to work with us; and therefore to His name alone must be given the glory of every successful step taken in forwarding this His temple-work.