Indians, the want of provisions, and other calamities; so that before the end of the year 200 of their number were carried off by sickness. About this time settlements were made at Charlestown, Boston, Dorchester, Cambridge, Roxbury, and Medford. The first general court of Massachusetts, was held on the 19th of October, 1631, not by representation, but by the freemen of the corporation at large; 109 freemen were admitted at this court. By the resolutions passed on this occasion, the freemen were in future to choose the assistants, and the latter, from among themselves, were to elect the governor and deputy-governor; the court of assistants to have the power of making laws and appointing officers. At the next general court, in the same year, the freemen passed a most extraordinary law, "that

none but church members should be admitted to their freedom;" and this absurd and unjust law continued in force until the dissolution of the government.

: In 1632, and the year following, great additions were made to the colony, and such was the rage for emigration to New England, that the king thought fit to issue an order to prevent it. The order, however, was not strictly obeyed, for this year came over Messrs. Cotton, Hooker, and Stone, three of most famous pillars of the church; Mr. Cotton settled at Boston, and the other two at Cambridge. Two years after this period, at a meeting of the general court, some of the principal inhabitants appeared as representatives of the body of freemen,

and resolved, "That none but the general court had power to make laws, &c.; that four general courts should be assembled yearly, and not be dissolved without the consent of the majority; and that the freemen of each plantation had a right to send representatives to the said general court." Thus was established the legislative body, which, except reducing the number of court meetings to only two in the year, continued the same as long as the charter lasted.

In 1636, a Mrs. Hutchinson, a very extraordinary woman, who had joined the colony four years before, is stated to have made great disturbance in the churches. Two capital errors with which she was charged, were, “That the Holy Ghost dwells personally in a justified person; and that nothing of sanctification can help to evidence to believers their justification." Disputes ran high about the covenant of works and the covenant of grace, and involved both the civil and religious affairs of the colony in great confusion. The result was, that a synod was held at Cambridge, in 1637, which was attended by both ministers and magistrates; when, after three weeks disputing, they condemned as erroneous above eighty points or opinions, said to have been maintained by some one or other of the colonists. In consequence of this, Mrs. Hutchinson and several of her followers were sentenced to banishment; and she, with her husband and family, settled at Aquidnick, Rhode Island, where, in 1642, Mr. Hutchinson died. She after

wards removed to the Dutch colony beyond Newhaven, and next year, she and all her family, being sixteen souls, were murdered by the Indians, except one daughter, who was carried into captivity.

The year 1637 was distinguished by the Pequot wars, in which were slain five or six hundred Indians, and the tribe almost destroyed; this struck such terror into the natives, that for forty years they never openly attacked the English. The following year was rendered memorable by a very great earthquake throughout New England.

In 1640, the importation of settlers ceased; the motives for emigrating having been removed by a change in the affairs of England. Up to this period, there had arrived in 298 ships, 21,200 passengers, men, women, and children; probably about 4000 families. It was judged that they had, at this time, 12,000 neat cattle, and 3000 sheep; the charge of transporting the families and their substance was computed at £192,000 sterling. Next year, the Indians united under Miantinomo, a leader of the Narraganset tribe, for the extirpation of the English; but the confederacy was fortunately discovered in its infancy, and produced no mischief.

In 1646, the colony was disturbed by some of its principal inhabitants, who had conceived a dislike to certain of the laws, and to the government. Several of these disaffected persons were imprisoned, and the rest compelled to give security for their future good behaviour. An epidemic disease passed

through the country the next year, and swept away many of the English, French and Dutch inhabitants.

In 1648, we have the first instance of the infatuation respecting witchcraft, which for some time prevailed in this colony. Margaret Jones, of Charlestown, was acccused of having so malignant a quality, as to cause vomiting, deafness, and violent pains, merely by her touch. She was accordingly tried, condemned, and executed! Happy would it have been, had there been no other instance of this miserable infatuation. But why should we wonder at the magistrates of New England, when we find the celebrated Lord Chief Justice Hale, and others of high rank, in Old England, shortly after, chargeable with as great delusion? The fact is, that the same spirit prevailed at this time in the mothercountry, and was brought from thence, as were most of the laws and customs of the first settlers in America.

In 1665, a distemper like that which happened eight years before, went through the plantations; but was not attended with a great mortality. In the year following began, what has been generally called the persecution of the Quakers. The first persons who openly professed the principles of this sect in Massachusetts were Mary Fisher and Ann Austin, who came from the West Indies in July of this year. A few weeks after, nine others arrived from London. Upon the 8th of September they were brought before the court of assistants, for

having affirmed that they were

sent by God to On being ques

reprove the people for their sins. tioned how they could make it appear that God sent them? After pausing for a time, they answered, that they had the same call that Abraham had to go out of his country. To other questions they gave rude and contemptuous answers, which was the reason assigned for committing them to prison. A great number of their books, which they had brought for distribution among the people, were seized and condemned to the fire. Soon after this, on a Sunday, as the governor was returning from church, in company with several gentlemen, Mary Prince called to him from a window of the prison, railing at and reviling him, saying, "Woe unto thee, thou art an oppressor;" and denouncing the judgments of God upon him. Not content with this, she wrote a letter to the governor and magistrates, filled with abusive language. The governor then sent for her from the prison to his house, and took much pains to persuade her to desist from such extravagancies. Two of the ministers were present, and with great moderation and tenderness endeavoured to convince her of her errors; to which she returned the grossest railings, reproaching them as hirelings, deceivers of the people, Baal's priests, the seed of the serpent, of the brood of Ishmael, and the like.

At this time there was no law for the punishment of the Quakers; but in virtue of a law which had been made against heretics in general, the court passed sentence of banishment against them all.