invisible and remote-nay, whose very language were all so new, strange and unintelligible, so disconnected and irreconcilable with almost every thing, to which they had been accustomed.

If now we would observe what is the influence, and what have been the effects of Christianity, let us compare the condition of society in that country of Europe, where it prevails in its greatest purity, England, or in our own country, where perhaps the state of morals among all classes is higher than in any other, with what we have seen was the condition of mankind before its establishment. With the ferociousness, the profligacy, and the misery, which then existed, may be compared the present quiet, security and comforts of life, the regular administration of justice, the fellow-feeling and spirit of benevolence diffused through all classes, the publick and private charities, the purity of manners, very great, comparatively speaking, the respect for the institution of marriage, the abolition of domestick slavery in England, its partial abolition in our own country, and the freedom from all those customs, which now appear so horrible or disgusting, the exposure of children, the shews of gladiators, and the shameless indecency of publick spectacles.

This comparison might be pursued. But we have already wandered far, perhaps much too far, from our immediate subject. Some of our readers, however, may find an excuse for us in the object we have had in view. Some, perhaps, if they, shall think that we may have at all succeeded in giving any one, not familiar with the subject we have been treating, a new impression of the importance of Christianity, will not complain of us for having been thus instant out of season. our next we shall return without any further digression to our proper subject.

In

Containing an abstract of New England.
Composed in three bookes.

The first booke setting forth the original of the natives, their manners and customs, together with their tractable nature, and love towards the English.

The second booke setting forth the natural indowments of the country, and what staple commodities it yieldeth.

The third booke setting forth what people are planted there, and what remarkable accidents have happened since the first planting of it, together with their tenents, and the practice of their church.

Written by Thomas Morton, of Clifford's inn, gentleman, upon tenne yeares knowledge and experiment of the country. Printed at Amsterdam, by Frederick Jacob Stam, in the year 1637. 4to..

IN

N the various accounts of the first settlements of New England, we see how prejudices influence the pen of the writers. From the diaries of Bradford and Winthrop, Morton's Memorial, and the histories of Hubbard, Mather, &c. we should suppose the first planters of Plymouth to be men of whom the world was not worthy; that their conduct was so pure and excellent, as to need not even the mantle of charity to cover their failings.

From others, we learn that they were the dupes of puritanick cant, sour, tasteless asceticks, bigotted in their sentiments, and sordid in their manners, desirous of anarchy at home, and practisers of intolerance abroad. Among the writers who took pains to depreciate their worth, and make them appear to every disadvantage, is the author of this production, which now comes under our notice. It is a very scarce and curious book, and we believe only one copy of it is to be found in the country. This was obtained by a gentleman in his travels, and is now preserved in the Athenaeum.

Thomas Morton came over to New England in 1622; in 1625, he joined a company of adventurers, who pitched their tents upon Mount Wollaston, as the place was called in honour of their leader. He was disappointed in his views, and went to Virginia. He took with him part of the company, and gave directions for the rest to follow. But Morton persuaded them to choose him their captain. He changed the name to Merry Mount, and kept up the spirits of the company by high scenes of frolick and dissipation. While their stores lasted, they kept up their jocund amusements, but these were soon exhausted, and they were obliged to trade with the Indians to get the necessaries of life. Our historians say, that Morton supplied them with powder, and taught them the use of arms, but this he denies. Be this as it may, his conduct was so reprehensible, that the other settlers joined together, and with an armed force took him prisoner, and sent him to England. His adherents were scattered; most of them went to Virginia; one of them, accidentally hearing Mr. Higginson preach, was led to alter his courses, and became a distinguished character in Old Massachusetts. This was Major General Gibbons, of whom much is related, and who was as brave and prudent as he was pious.

While Morton was in England, he studied ways of wreaking his resentment against the Plymouth planters, and was frequently consulted by men who bore ill will to the settlement, as his New Canaan was afterwards a text book for those who threw aspersions upon the piety, the principles and habits of our forefathers. The amazing changes, which were then taking place in the kingdom, operated against his measures, and frustrated all his expectations.

His object in writing the book was to give a description of the country, as well as to excite a general prejudice against the European inhabitants.

The first part is a description of the natives, for whom he has some partiality. He gives a lively account of their customs and manners, and of their original. His opinion is that the American Indians sprang from the Trojans. It appears very strange to him that any should think they come from the Tartars, who had no way of getting here, but thinks it very likely that Brutus, the fourth from Eneas, was the father of this country. His strong arguments are "that Brutus did depart from Latium; that we do not find his whole company

went with him at once, or arrived at one place; and being put to sea, might encounter a storm, that might carry them out of sight of land, and then they might sail God knows whither, and so might be upon this coast as well as any other."

He says also that their language is a mixture of Greek and Latin, and brings many words to prove it, which, in sober earnest, hardly exhibit as much proof as Dean Swift brings, in the luxuriance of his humour, to prove the English language to be the mother tongue of those nations.

In the 5th chapter, Mr. Morton treats of the religion of the aboriginals. He says he is not of Cicero's opinion, "that there is no people so barbarous as not to have some kind of religion; and had Cicero lived in this country, says he, so long as I have been, and conversed with them touching their religion, he would have changed his opinion, and allowed there were people, sine fide, sine lege, sine rege.”

From the tenth chapter of this book we learn that duelling is a savage custom. It is styled

"Off their duels, and the honourable estimation of the victory obtained thereby."

"These salvages are not apt to quarrel one with another: yet such hath bin the occasion that a difference hath happened, which has grown to that height, that it has not been reconciled otherwise than by combat, which has been performed in this manner; the two champions prepared for the fight, with their bows in hand, and a quiver full of arrows at their backs, they have entered into the field, the challenger and challenged have chosen two trees, standing within a little distance from each other, they have cast lots for the chief of the trees, then either champion setting himself behind his tree, watches an advantage to let fly his shafts, and to gall his enemy. Then they continue shooting at each other, if by chance they espy any part open, they endeavour to gall the combatant in that part, and use much agility in the performance of the taske they take in hand. Resolute they are in the execution of their vengeance, when once they have begunne, and will in no wise be daunted, or seem to shrink, though they doe catch a clip with an arrow, but fight it out in this manner till one or other be slaine. I have been shewed the place where such duels have been fought, and have found the trees marked for a memorial of the combat, where that champion hath stood, that had the hap to be slain in the duel, and they count it the greatest honour that can be, to the surviving combatant to shew the scars of the wounds, received in this kind of conflict, and if it happen to be in the arms, as those parts are most in danger, they will always wear a bracelet upon that place of the arme, as a trophy of honour to their dying day.”

The second part of the New English Canaan is a description quite lively and poetick; it seems calculated to allure men to come over, and settle the country.

"In the month of June, 1622, it was my chance to arrive in the part of New England, with thirty servants, and provisions of all sorts, fit for a plantation. And whiles our houses were building, I did endeavour to take a survey of the country: The more I looked, the more I liked. And when I had more seriously considered of the beauty of the place, with all its fair endowments, I did not think in all the known world it could be paralel'd. For so many goodly grouves of trees, dainty fine round rising hillucks; delicate fair large plains, sweete chrystal, and cleare running streams, that twine in fine meanders through the meads, making so sweet a murmuring noise to hear, as would even lull the sences with delight asleep, so pleasantly doe they glide upon the pebble stones, jetting most jocundly where they do meete, and hand in hand runne downe to Neptune's court, to pay the yearly tribute, which they owe to him, as soveraigne Lord of all the springs. Contained within the volume of the land, fowles in abundance, fish in multitude, millions of turtle doves on the green boughes, which sat pecking of the full ripe pleasant grapes, that were supported by the lusty trees, whose fruitful loade did cause the arms to bend, which here and there dispersed, (you might see) lillies, and of the Daphnean tree, which makes the land to mee seeme Paradise, for in mine eie 'twas nature's master piece, her cheerful magazine of all, where lives her store; if this land be not rich, then is the whole world poore. What I had resolved on, I really performed, and have endeavoured to use this abstract, as an instrument to be the means to communicate the knowledge I have obtained, by my many years residence in those parts, unto my countrymen, to the end that they may better perceive their errour, who cannot imagine that in the universal world, there is any country which may be compared to our own native soyle, I will now discover to them a country whose indowments are by learned men allowed to stand in a parallel with the Israelites Canaan, which none will deny, to be a land farre more excellent than Old England in her proper nature. This I consider I am bound in duty (as becometh a Christian man) to perform, for the glory of God, in the first place, and next (according to Cicero) to acknowledge that, non nobis solum nati sumus, sed partim patria, partim parentes, partim amici vindicant.

"For which cause I approve of the indeavours of my countrymen that have been studious to enlarge the territories of his majesties empire, by planting colonies in America. And of all these 1 must applaud the judgment of those that have made choice of this part, (whereof I now treat) being of all others most absolute, as I will make it appear hereafter by every parallel. Among those who have settled themselves in N. England, some have gone for conscience sake (as they professe) and I wish they may plant the gospel of Jesus Christ, as becometh them, without satisme or faction, whatsoever their former or present practiwhich I intend not to justify, howsoever they have deserved (in my opinion) some commendations, in that they have furnished the coun

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