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after banishment. Under this impolitic as well as unjuft law, however, four perfons only fuffered death.

The laws in England, at this time, were very fevere against the Quakers; and though none were actually put to death by public execution, yet many were confined in prifons, where they died in confequence of the rigour of the law. King Charles the Second alfo, in a letter to the colony of Maffachusetts, approved of their severity*.

Thefe unhappy difturbances continued until the friends of the Quakers in England interpofed, and obtained an order from the king, September 9th, 1661. requiring that a ftop fhould be put to all capital or corporal punishments of his fubjects calied Quakers. This order was prudently complied with, and the difturbances by degrees fubfided. From this time the Quakers have here as well as every where elfe been deservedly confidered as an orderly, peaceable people, and have cheerfully fubmitted to the laws of the governments, under which they have refided, except fuch as relate to the militia and the fupport of the ministry, and in their fcruples as to these they have from time to time wifely been indulged. They are a moral, friendly, and benevolent people, and have much merit as a body for their ftrict difcipline, regular correfpondence, for their hofpitality, and particularly for their exertions in the abolition of the flavery of Negroes.

Soon after the refloration of Charles II. in 1660, many complaints were made to his majefly refpecting the colony, and, agreeably to a requifition from him, agents were fent over to answer to them. These were favourably received, and returned in a short time with letters from the king, commanding the alteration of fome of the laws and cuftoms, and directing the adminiftration of juftice to be in his name. The letters not being strictly obeyed, and new complaints coming to the king's ears, four commithioners were dispatched in 1665 to the colony, with abfolute authority to hear and determine every caufe. This authority met with merited oppofition. The colonifts firmly adhered to their juft rights and privileges, and the commiflioners foon after left the colony diffatisfied and enraged.

Their report, however, occafioned no trouble from England, on account of the jealoufies of government which then prevailed there, and the misfortunes of the plague and fire of London.

The colony now attained a more profperous condition than it had hitherto known. A fpirit of industry and economy pervaded the people, and many of the magiflrates and merchants became opulent. The civil and ecclefiafti. cal parts of the conflitution had, from the beginning, been harmoniously unized, and continued to be until 1670, when a divifion, which had been made fome years before in the church, originated a difpute, in which the civil authority interpofed, and claimed a fuperiority to the ecclefiaftical. The cler gy, notwithstanding, continued to have great influence in government until ane diffolution of the charter.

The war, commonly called Philip's war, occafioned the next diflurbances in the colony. This war Jalled feveral years. Many Indians were engaped in it. They meditated the general deftruftion of the English, and much

* Extract from the king's letter, dated the 28th of June, 1€62.

"We cannot be underitood hereby to direct or with that any indulgence should be granted to those perfors commonly called Quakers, whole principles being a confiftent with any kind of government, we have found it neceflary," by the advice of our parliament here, to make a fharp law ad them, and are well soutened

hat you do the like there.

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cruelty was exercised by both parties, until a period was put to hoftilities by the death of Philip, the Indian chi f, in 1676.

In the height of the diffrets of the war, and while the colony was contending for the poffeffior of the fon with the natives, complaints were renewed in England, which truck at the powers of government, and an enquiry was fet on tool, and followed from time to time, until 1684, when a judgment was given agaft the charter.

The fucceeding y at, the legislature, expecting 'every day to be fuperceded, paid little attention to pubac affairs.

In 1686 May 15th, a commiilioner arrived, appointing a prefident, and divers gentlemen of the council, to take upon them the adminitration of govérement. This adminifliation was fhort, and productive of no grievances.

On the 19th of December, the fame year, arrived Sir Edmund Andros, with a commition from king James for the government of New-England. Connecticut, however, was not included in his commffion. His kind profeffans encouraged, for a while, the hopes of the people, who, from his character, expected a different treatment from him. He foon out atted himself, and, together with his council, did many arbitrary acts to the oppression of the people, and the enrichment of himfelf and followers.

The prefs was refrained-public thanksgiving, without an order from the crown, was prohibited-fees of all officers were increafed, and the people compelled to petition for new patents of their lands, for which they were obliged to pay exorbitant prices.

he colony was greatly difquieted by thefe and fimilar tyrannical preceedings; and when news arrived of the declaration of the prince of Orange, in 189. the governor and about fifty others were feized and confined, and afterwards fent home, and the old magifirates reinflated in their offices.

The affairs of the colony were conducted with prudence, and liberty being granted to the people by the crown to exercife for the prefent their former government, they proceeded with regularity according to the old charter, living in vain to get it confirmed, until, in 1692, they received and adop ted a new one. The new charter comprehended all the territory of the old one, together with the colony of New-Plymouth, the province of Main and Nova Scotia, and al the country between the province of Main an N vaScotia, as far northward as the river St. Lawrence; alfo Elizabeth Iflands, and the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

By the new chanter, he appoinment fihe governor was in the crown, and every freeholder of foury thillings flerling a year, and every inhabitant of forty pounds flerling perfona! eftate, was a voter for reprefentatives.

Te French of Quebec inftigating the Indians, and joining with them to plunder and kill the English, aid the French of Acadie infefting the coals, and taking many veffels, the general court, in the winter of 1689, meditated upon Port-Royal, now called Annapolis Royal and upon Quebec. Forces were fout our and trok Port-Royal, and the whole fea-coaft from that to Penobfcot, and the New England elements.

an attack

The fucccts of this expedition, and the ravage of the French and Indians at the opening of the (pring, determined the general court to profecute their delign upon Queber. But he feafon was fo fat advanced when the troops are rived at Canada-he French to fuperior in mun bir- he weather fo tem peftuous, and the ficknets fo great among the foldiers, that this expedition was attended with great lofs,

A truce was concluded with the neighbouring Indians, while the troops were gone out of the colony, but hoftilities were toon renewed.

The French and Indians molefled the inhabitants of the frontiers daily. Acadie fell again into the ha ds of the French, and was afterwards retake by the English. The in' abitants of this territory experienced the greatctt fufferings at every change of their malter.

A new expedition was planned against Canada, and affillance from England fucked year after year for he reduction of the French, who were endeavouring, by the aid of the favages, to ruin entirely th: British

feulements.

In 1692, the fpirit of infatuation refpecting witchcraft was again reviv ed in New-England, ad raged with uncommon violence.

S-veral hun

dreds were accufed, many were condemned, and fome execured.

In 1711, fome ships and troops were fent over. the colony toons joined them, and an attempt was made upon Canada, in which the grea er P rt of them perihed. Tois difalter was very grievous to the people of New-England and many perfons, ia confequence of it, abandoned every expectation of conquering Canada.

as the

Frequent excurfions on the frontiers immediately followed; but, as foon peace of Utrecht was known, the Indians of the various tubes requefied to be at peace with the English-alked pardon for their violation of former treaties, and engaged for the future to demean themselves as good fubjects of the crown of Great Britain. Articles of a general treaty were drawn up and figned by both parties.

From 1675, when Phlip's war began, to the year 1713, five or fix thousand of the youth of the country had perifhed by the enemy, or by dif tempers contracted in the fervice of their country. The colonies, which ufually doubled their inhabi ants in five-and-twenty years, had not at this time doubled the number which they had fifty years before. The prof pect of a long peace, which the general treaty afforded. was interrupted by the machinations of one Ralle a French Jefuit, who infligated the Indians to make fresh incurfions on the borders of the colony in 1717. Afier feveral ineffectual attempts to perfuade the Indians to defit from their operations, forces were fent out by government from time to time, who deAroyed feveral parties of the Indians, but there was no ceffation of hoflilities until the death of Ralle in 1704

In 1725, a treaty was made with the Indians, and a long peace fuccecded it. The length of the peace is in a great meafire to be quibuted. to the favourable acts of government, made foon after its commencement, refp cting the Indian tribe.

Inorulation was !n

In 1791, the fmall-pox made great havock in Bofton and the adjacent towns. Of 5389, who took it in Boston, 844 died. troduced on this occafion, contrary however to the minds of the inhib wants in general. Dr. C. Mather, one of the principal minifters of Befton, bid obferved in the philofophical tranfactions, a letter from Timonius from Conftantinople. giving a favourable account of the operation. He recommended it to the phyficians of Bufton to make the experiment, but al! declined except Dr. Boylston. To fhew his confidence of fuccefs, he began with his own children and fervants. Many pious people were firuck with horror at the idea, and were of opinion, that if any of his patients fhould die, he ought to be treated as a murderer.

All orders of men, in a greater or lefs degree, condemned a practice which is now univerfally approved, and to which thoufands owe the prefervation of their lives.

In 1745, according to a propofal and plan of the governor of this colony, Louifburg was befieged and taken. The poffeffion of this place appeared neceffary for the fecurity of the English fishery, and toprevent an attack upon Nova Scotia, which the French had meditated and threatened.

The reduction of Louifburg by an English colony, furprifed Great Britain and France, and occafioned both powers to form important plans for the next year. Great Britain had in view the reduction of Canada, and the extirpation of the French from the northern continent. France, the recovery of Louifburgh, the conqueft of Nova-Scotia, and the deftruction of the English fea-coaft from Nova Scotia to Georgia.. Great preparations were accordingly made by both monarchs. A very formidable French fleet failed for the American coaft; a British Squadron was long expected to oppose them, and to protect the colonies, but expected in vain. The colonies were in immediate and imminent danger, but fortunately for them, the French fleet was rendered unfit to accomplish their defign, by a violent ftorm, which damaged moft of the fhips fo much, that they were obliged to return to France, or retire to the Weft- Indies to refit.

By the time the fears of the colonies, which had been excited by the French fleet, were removed, the fealon was too far advanced to profecute the Canda expedition. The inactive profecution of the war in Europe on both fides indicated peace to be near, which was effected in 1748.

The events of the war, which commenced in the year 1775, and which ultimately terminated in the independence of this country, have already been related, in the fketch we have given of the hiftory of the United States. It ought, however, in juftice to be here observed, that in point of military, political, commercial, and literary importance, Maffachufetts is inferior to none, and fuperior to most of the flates in the Union, and that he may with peculiar propriety be termed the cradle of American liberty. An infurrection broke out in this commonwealth, in December 1786, under one Daniel Shays, who, accompanied by a number of his mifguided followers, had the audacity to attack the ftate troops under general Shepherd. at Springfield; but upon three of the infurgents being killed and one wounded, they retreated with the greatest precipitation. The ringleaders were convicted, but foon after pardoned by government.

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