then to run west 10° north, until it meets New York line. Although Massachusetts felt herself aggrieved by this decision, and attempted several ways to obtain redress, the line has never been altered, but is, at present, the divisional line between the two states. Douglass mentions, "That the governor of Massachusetts, for many years, was also governor of New Hampshire, with a distinct commission.' This must have been many years after New Hampshire had been erected into a separate government in 1679. He adds that New Hampshire entered a complaint to the king in council against the joint governor, relative to settling the boundaries between the two provinces. This complaint was judged by the king to have been well founded, and therefore a separate governor for New Hampshire was commissioned in 1740.""-Dr. Morse's Hist.

The first permanent settlement in Maine, was effected in York in 1630, by emigrants from Plymouth colony. "In 1635, Sir Ferdinando Gorges obtained a grant from the council of Plymouth, of the tract of country between the rivers Piscataqua and Sagadahok, which is the mouth of Kennebeck; and up Kennebeck so far as to form a square of 120 miles. It is supposed that Sir Ferdinand first instituted government in this province. In 1639, Gorges obtained from the crown a charter of the soil and jurisdiction, containing as ample powers perhaps as the king of England ever granted to any subject.

In the same year he appointed a governor and council, and they administered justice to the settlers until about the year 1647, when, hearing of the death of Gorges, they supposed their authority ceased, and the people on the spot universally combined and agreed to be under civil government, and to elect their officers annually. Government was administered in this form until 1652, when the inhabitants submitted to the Massachusetts, who, by a new construction of their charter which was given to Rosswell and others, in 1628, claimed the soil and jurisdiction of the province of Maine as far as the middle of Časco Bay. Maine then first took the name of Yorkshire; and county courts were held in the manner they were in Massachusetts, and the towns had liberty to send their deputies to the general court at Boston.

In 1664, Charles II. granted to his brother, the Duke of York, all that part of New England which lies between St. Croix and Pemaquid rivers on the sea-coast; and up Pemaquid river, and from the head thereof to Kennebeck river, and thence the shortest course north to St. Lawrence river. This was called the Duke of York's property, and annexed to the government of New York. The Duke of York, on the death of his brother Charles II. be

came James II., and upon James' abdication, these lands reverted to the crown.

Upon the restoration of Charles II., the heirs of Gorges complained to the crown of the Massachusetts usurpation; and in 1665, the King's commissioners who visited New England, came to the province of Maine, and appointed magistrates and other officers independent of Massachusetts Bay. The magistrates, thus appointed, administered government according to such instructions as the king's commissioners had given them, until about the year 1668, when the Massachusetts general court sent down commissioners and interrupted such as acted by the authority derived from the king's commissioners. At this time public affairs were in confusion; some declaring for Gorges and the magistrates appointed by the king's commissioners, and others for Massachusetts. The latter however prevailed, and courts of pleas and criminal jurisdiction were held as in other parts of the Massachusetts Bay.

About the year 1674, the heirs of Gorges complained again to the king and council of the usurpation of Massachusetts Bay, and they were called upon to answer for their conduct. The result was, they ceased for a time to exercise their jurisdiction, and Gorges, grandson of Ferdinando, sent over instructions. But in 1677, the Massachusetts, by their agent, John Usher, Esq., afterward governor of New Hampshire, purchased the right and interest of the patent for £1200 sterling. The Massachusetts now supposed they had both the jurisdiction and the soil, and accordingly governed in the manner the charter of Maine had directed, until 1684, when the Massachusetts charter was vacated. In 1691, by charter from William and Mary, the province of Maine and the large territory eastward, extending to Nova Scotia, was incorporated with Massachusetts Bay."-Dr. Morse.

King Charles in the patent given to Gorges, granted more and greater powers, than had ever been granted by a sovereign to a subject. He enjoined little else in particular, than an establishment of the Episcopal religion. The territory was then called the Province of Mayne, by way of compliment to the queen of Charles I. who was a daughter of France, and owned as her private estate, a province there, called the Province of Mayne, now the department of Maine. Maine became separated from Massachusetts in 1820, by being that year formed into an independent state.

In the spring of 1630 the Great Conspiracy was entered into by the Indians in all parts, from the Narragansetts round to the eastward, to extirpate the English. The colony at Plymouth was the principal object of this conspiracy. They well knew that if they could effect the destruction of Plymouth, the infant

settlement at Massachusetts would fall an easy sacrifice. They laid their plan with much art. Under color of having some diversion at Plymouth, they intended to have fallen upon the inhabitants, and thus to have effected their design. But their plot was disclosed to the people at Charlestown, by John Sagamore, an Indian, who had always been a great friend to the English. This treacherous design of the Indians alarmed the English, and induced them to erect forts and maintain guards, to prevent any such fatal surprise in future. These preparations, and the firing of the great guns, so terrified the Indians that they dispersed, relinquished their design, and declared themselves the friends of the English.

Such was the great increase of inhabitants in New England by natural population, and particularly by emigrations from Great Britain, that in a few years, besides the settlements in Plymouth and Massachusetts, very flourishing colonies were planted in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Haven and New Hampshire. The dangers to which these colonies were exposed from the surrounding Indians, as well as from the Dutch, who, although very friendly to the infant colony at Plymouth, were now likely to prove troublesome neighbors, first induced them to think of an alliance and confederacy for their mutual defence. Accordingly in 1643, the four colonies of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Connecticut and New Haven, agreed upon articles of confederation, whereby a congress was formed, consisting of two commissioners from each colony, who were chosen annually, and when met were considered as the representatives of The United Colonies of New England. The powers delegated to the commissioners, were much the same as those vested in Congress by the articles of confederation, agreed upon by the United States in 1778. The colony of Rhode Island would gladly have joined in this confederacy, but Massachusetts, for particular reasons, refused to admit their commissioners. This union subsisted, with some few alterations, until the year 1686, when all the charters, except that of Connecticut, were, in effect, vacated by a commission from James II.

"In 1656 began what has been generally called the persecution of the Quakers. The first who openly professed the principles of this sect in this colony, were Mary Fisher and Ann Austin, who came from Barbadoes in July of this year. A few weeks after, nine others arrived in the ship Speedwell of London. On the 8th of September, they were brought before the court of Assistants. It seems they had before affirmed that they were sent by God to reprove the people for their sins; they were accordingly questioned how they could make it appear that God sent them? After pausing, 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 is the reason assigned for committing them to prison. A great number of their books which they brought over with intent to scatter them about the country, were seized and reserved for the fire. Soon after this, as the governor was going from public worship on the Lord's day to his own house, several gentlemen accompanying him, 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 opprobrious stuff. The governor sent for her twice 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 much moderation and tenderness endeavored 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 special provision made in the laws 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 upon them all. Afterwards other severe laws were enacted, among which were the following; any Quaker, after the first conviction, if a man, was to lose one ear, and for the second offence, the other-a woman to be each time severely whipped-and the third time, whether man or woman, to have their tongues bored through with a red-hot iron."-Dr. Morse.

"In October, 1658, the members of the general court of Massachusetts, by a majority of one vote only, passed a law for punishing with death all Quakers who should return into their jurisdiction after banishment. Under this law four persons were executed. The friends of the Quakers in England now interposed, and obtained an order from the king, September 9th, 1661, requiring that a stop should be put to all capital or corporeal punishments of his subjects called Quakers, and that such as were obnoxious, should be sent to England. This order was obeyed, and all disturbances by degrees subsided.

Much censure has been passed upon the New England colonies for their severe laws against those calling themselves Quakers; yet it must be recollected that the laws in England against them, at this period, were severe, and although none were put to death by public execution, yet many were confined in prisons, where they died, in consequence of the rigor of the law. One principal thing which tends to mislead the judgment of many, in this present age, is the supposition that those who suffered the punishment of the law were essentially of the same spirit and practice

of the respectable and worthy society of Friends or Quakers of the present day. This is a mistake; many who went by this name at that period may be considered as fanatics, and proper subjects of a madhouse. The following instances of their conduct may be considered as a species of madness. 'Some at Salem, Hampton, Newbury, and other places, coming into the congregations and calling to the minister in time of public worship, declaring their preaching, &c., to be an abomination to the Lord. Thomas Newhouse went into the meeting-house at Boston, with a couple of glass bottles, and broke them before the congregation, and threatened, Thus will the Lord break you in pieces.' Another time, M. Brewster came in with her face smeared and black as a coal. Deborah Wilson went through the streets of Salem as naked as she came into the world."* "That some provision was necessary against these people so far as they were disturbers of civil peace and order, every one will allow; but such sanguinary laws against particular doctrines or tenets in religion are not to be defended."

Soon after the restoration of Charles II. in 1660, many complaints were made to his majesty respecting the colony, and, agreeably to a requisition from him, agents were sent over to answer to them. These were favorably received, and returned in a short time with letters from the king, commanding the alteration of some of the laws and customs, and directing the administration of justice to be in his name. The letters not being strictly obeyed, and new complaints coming to the king's ears, four commissioners were dispatched in 1665, to the colony of Massachusetts, with absolute authority to hear and determine every cause. This authority met with merited opposition. The colonists adhered to what they imagined to be their just rights and privileges, and though somewhat culpable for their obstinate defence of a few unwarrantable peculiarities, deserve commendation for their general conduct. The commissioners left the colony dissatisfied and enraged. Their report, however, occasioned no trouble from England, on account of the jealousies of government which then prevailed there, and the misfortunes of the plague, and fire of London."

The year 1675 is memorable in the history of New England on account of King Philip's War, the most general and destructive ever sustained by the infant colonies. The Indian power in New England was forever broken in a bloody conflict in the depth of winter, called the Swamp fight. The war was ended by the death of Philip, who was killed August 12th, 1676. In this distressing war, the English lost six hundred men, the flower of their strength;

* Hutchinson, vol. i., p. 203 and 204.