FROM

MAGNALIA CHRISTI AMERICANA

CAPTAIN PHIPS'S SEARCH FOR SUNKEN TREASURE

§. 4. . . . . Being thus of the True Temper, for doing of Great Things, he betakes himself to the Sea, the Right Scene for such Things; and upon Advice of a Spanish Wreck about the Bahama's, he took a Voyage thither; but with little more success, than what just served him a little to furnish him for a Voyage to England; whither he went in a Vessel, not much unlike that which the Dutchmen stamped on their First Coin, with these Words about it, Incertum quo Fata ferant. Having first informed himself that there was another Spanish Wreck, wherein was lost a mighty Treasure, hitherto undiscovered, he had a strong Impression upon his Mind that He must be the Discoverer; and he made such Representations of his Design at White-Hall, that by the Year 1683. he became the Captain of a King's Ship, and arrived at New-England Commander of the Algier-Rose, a Frigot of Eighteen Guns, and Ninety-Five Men.

§. 5. To Relate all the Dangers through which he passed, both by Sea and Land, and all the Tiresome Trials of his Patience, as well as of his Courage, while Year after Year the most vexing Accidents imaginable delay'd the Success of his Design, it would even Tire the patience of the Reader: For very great was the Experiment that Captain Phips made of the Italian Observation, He that cann't suffer both Good and Evil, will never come to any great Preferment. . . .

§. 6. So proper was his Behaviour, that the best Noble Men in the Kingdom now admitted him into their Conversation; but yet he was opposed by powerful Enemies, that Clogg'd his Affairs with such Demurrages, and such Disappointments, as would have wholly Discouraged his Designs, if his Patience had not been Invincible. He who can wait, hath what he desireth. This his Indefatigable Patience, with a proportionable Diligence, at length overcame the Difficulties that had been thrown in his way; and prevailing with the Duke of Albemarle, and some other Persons of Quality, to fit him out, he set Sail for the Fishing-Ground, which had been so well baited half an Hundred Years before: And as he had already discovered his Capacity for Business in many considerable Actions, he now added unto those Discoveries, by not only providing all, but also by inventing many of

the Instruments necessary to the prosecution of his intended Fishery. Captain Phips arriving with a Ship and a Tender at Port de la Plata, made a stout Canoo of a stately Cotton-Tree, so large as to carry Eight or Ten Oars, for the making of which Periaga (as they call it) he did, with the same industry that he did every thing else, employ his own Hand and Adse, and endure no little hardship, lying abroad in the Woods many Nights together. This Periaga, with the Tender, being Anchored at a place Convenient, the Periaga kept Busking to and again, but could only discover a Reef of Rising Shoals thereabouts, called, The Boilers, which Rising to be within Two or Three Foot of the Surface of the Sea, were yet so steep, that a Ship striking on them, would immediately sink down, who could say, how many Fathom into the Ocean? Here they could get no other Pay for their long peeping among the Boilers, but only such as caused them to think upon returning to their Captain with the bad News of their total Disappointment. Nevertheless, as they were upon the Return, one of the Men looking over the side of the Periaga, into the calm Water, he spied a Sea Feather, growing, as he judged, out of a Rock; whereupon they bad one of their Indians to Dive and fetch this Feather, that they might however carry home something with them, and make, at least, as fair a Triumph as Caligula's. The Diver bringing up the Feather, brought therewithal a surprizing Story, That he perceived a Number of Great Guns in the Watry World where he had found his Feather; the Report of which Great Guns exceedingly astonished the whole Company; and at once turned their Despondencies for their ill success into Assurances, that they had now lit upon the true Spot of Ground which they had been looking for; and they were further confirmed in these Assurances, when upon further Diving, the Indian fetcht up a Sow, as they stil'd it, or a Lump of Silver, worth perhaps Two or Three Hundred Pounds. Upon this they prudently Buoy'd the place, that they might readily find it again; and they went back unto their Captain whom for some while they distressed with nothing but such Bad News, as they formerly thought they must have carried him: Nevertheless, they so slipt in the Sow of Silver on one side under the Table, where they were now sitting with the Captain, and hearing him express his Resolutions to wait still patiently upon the Providence of God under these Disappointments, that when he should look on one side, he might see that Odd Thing before him. At last he saw it; see

ing it, he cried out with some Agony, Why? What is this? Whence comes this? And then, with changed Countenances, they told him how, and where they got it: Then, said he, Thanks be to God! We are made; and so away they went, all hands to Work; wherein they had this one further piece of Remarkable Prosperity, that whereas if they had first fallen upon that part of the Spanish Wreck, where the Pieces of Eight had been stowed in Bags among the Ballast, they had seen a more laborious, and less enriching time of it: Now, most happily, they first fell upon that Room in the Wreck where the Bullion had been stored up; and they so prospered in this New Fishery, that in a little while they had, without the loss of any Man's Life, brought up Thirty Two Tuns of Silver; for it was now come to measuring of Silver by Tuns. Besides which, one Adderly of Providence, who had formerly been very helpful to Captain Phips in the Search of this Wreck, did upon former Agreement meet him now with a little Vessel here; and he, with his few hands, took up about Six Tuns of Silver; whereof nevertheless he made so little use, that in a Year or Two he Died at Bermudas, and as I have heard, he ran Distracted some while before he Died. Thus did there once again come into the Light of the Sun, a Treasure which had been half an Hundred Years groaning under the Waters: And in this time there was grown upon the Plate a Crust like Limestone, to the thickness of several Inches; which Crust being broken open by Irons contrived for that purpose, they knockt out whole Bushels of rusty Pieces of Eight which were grown thereinto. Besides that incredible Treasure of Plate in various Forms, thus fetch'd up, from Seven or Eight Fathom under Water, there were vast Riches of Gold, and Pearls, and Jewels, which they also lit upon; and indeed, for a more Comprehensive Invoice, I must but summarily say, All that a Spanish Frigot uses to be enricht withal. Thus did they continue Fishing till their Provisions failing them, 'twas time to be gone; but before they went, Captain Phips caused Adderly and his Folk to swear, That they would none of them Discover the Place of the Wreck, or come to the Place any more till the next Year, when he expected again to be there himself. And it was also Remarkable, that though the Sows came up still so fast, that on the very last Day of their being there, they took up Twenty, yet it was afterwards found, that they had in a manner wholly cleared that Room of the Ship where those Massy things were Stowed.

THOMAS HOOKER

§14. Returning into England in order to a further Voyage, he was quickly scented by the Pursevants; who at length got so far up with him, as to knock at the Door of that very Chamber, where he was now discoursing with Mr. Stone; who was now become his designed Companion and Assistent for the New English Enterprize. Mr. Stone was at that Instant smoking of Tobacco; for which Mr. Hooker had been reproving him, as being then used by few Persons of Sobriety; being also of a sudden and pleasant Wit, he stept unto the Door, with his Pipe in his mouth, and such an Air of Speech and Look, as gave him some Credit with the Officer. The Officer demanded, Whether Mr. Hooker were not there? Mr. Stone replied with a braving sort of Confidence, What Hooker? Do you mean Hooker that liv'd once at Chelmsford! The Officer answered, Yes, He! Mr. Stone immediately, with a Diversion like that which once helped Athanasius, made this true Answer, If it be he you look for, I saw him about an Hour ago, at such an House in the Town; you had best hasten thither after him. The Officer took this for a sufficient Account, and went his way; but Mr. Hooker, upon this Intimation, concealed himself more carefully and securely, till he went on Board, at the Downs, in the Year 1633, the Ship which brought him, and Mr. Cotton, and Mr. Stone to NewEngland: Where none but Mr. Stone was owned for a Preacher, at their first coming aboard; the other two delaying to take their Turns in the Publick Worship of the Ship, till they were got so far into the main ocean, that they might with Safety, discover who they

were. . . . .

§ 16. Mr. Hooker and Mr. Cotton were, for their different Genius, the Luther and Melancthon of New England; at their Arrival unto which Country, Mr. Cotton settled with the Church of Boston, but Mr. Hooker with the Church of New-Town, having Mr. Stone for his Assistant. Inexpressible now was the Joy of Mr. Hooker, to find himself surrounded with his Friends, who were come over the Year before, to prepare for his Reception; with open Arms he embraced them, and uttered these words, Now I live, if you stand fast in the Lord. But such multitudes flocked over to New-England after them, that the Plantation of New Town became to straight for them; and it was Mr. Hooker's Advice, that they should not incur the danger of a Sitna, or an Esek, where they might have a Rehoboth. Accordingly in the

Month of June 1636, they removed an Hundred Miles to the Westward, with a purpose to settle upon the delightful Banks of Connecticut River: And there were about an Hundred Persons in the first Company that made this Removal; who not being able to walk above Ten Miles a Day, took up near a Fortnight in the Journey; having no Pillows to take their Nightly Rest upon, but such as their Father Jacob found in the way to Padan-Aram. Here Mr. Hooker was the chief Instrument of beginning another Colony, as Mr. Cotton, whom he left behind him, was, of preserving and perfecting that Colony where he left him; for, indeed each of them were the Oracle of their several Colonies.

§ 17. Tho' Mr. Hooker had thus removed from the MassachusetBay, yet he sometimes came down to visit the Churches in that Bay: But when ever he came, he was received with an Affection, like that which Paul found among the Galatians; yea, 'tis thought, that once there seemed some Intimation from Heaven, as if the good People had overdone in that Affection: For on May 26. 1639. Mr. Hooker being here to preach that Lord's Day in the Afternoon, his great Fame had gathered a vast Multitude of Hearers from several other Congregations, and among the rest, the Governour himself, to be made Partaker of his Ministry. But when he came to preach, he found himself so unaccountably at a loss, that after some shattered and broken Attempts to proceed, he made a full stop; saying to the Assembly, That every thing which he would have spoken, was taken both out of his Mouth, and out of his Mind also; wherefore he desired them to sing a Psalm, while he withdrew about half an Hour from them: Returning then to the Congregation, he preached a most admirable Sermon, wherein he held them for two Hours together in an extraordinary Strain both of Pertinency and Vivacity.

§ 20. That Reverend and Excellent Man, Mr. Whitfield, having spent many Years in studying of Books, did at length take two or three Years to study Men; and in pursuance of this Design, having acquainted himself with the most considerable Divines in England, at last he fell into the Acquaintance of Mr. Hooker; concerning whom, he afterwards gave this Testimony: "That he had not thought there had been such a Man on Earth; a Man in whom there shone so many Excellencies, as were in this incomparable Hooker; a Man in whom Learning and Wisdom, were so tempered with Zeal, Holiness, and