of publick view and altogether unmeet that such works of God should be hid from present and future Generations And therefore though this Gentlewomans modesty would not thrust it into the Press yet her gratitude unto God made her not hardly perswadable to let it pass that God might have his due glory and others benefit by it as well as her self I hope by this time none will cast any reflection upon this Gentlewoman on the score of this publication of her affliction and deliverance If any should doubtless they may be reckoned with the nine lepers of whom it is said Were there not ten cleansed where are the nine but one returning to give God thanks Let such further know that this was a dispensation of publick note and of universall concernment and so much the more by how much the nearer this Gentlewoman stood related to that faithfull Servant of God whose capacity and employment was publick in the house of God and his name on that account of a very sweet savour in the Churches of Christ who is there of a true Christian spirit that did not look upon himself much concerned in this bereavment this Captivity in the time thereof and in his deliverance when it came yea more then in many others and how many are there to whom so concerned it will doubtless be a very acceptable thing to see the way of God with this Gentlewoman in the aforesaid dispensation thus laid out and pourtrayed before their eyes To conclude whatever any coy phantasies may deem yet it highly concerns those that have so deeply tasted how good the Lord is to enquire with David What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me Psal 116.12 He thinks nothing too great yea being sensible of his own disproportion to the due praises of God he cals in help Oh magnifie the Lord with me let us exalt his Name together Psal 34.3 And it is but reason that out praises should hold proportion with our prayers and that as many hath helped together by prayer for the obtaining of his Mercy so praises should be returned by many on this behalf And forasmuch as not the generall but particular knowledge of things makes deepest impression upon the affections this Narrative particularizing the several passages of this providence will nor a little conduce thereunto And therefore holy David in order to the attainment of that end accounts himself concerned to declare what God had done for his soul Psal 66.16 Come and hear aâ—l ye that fear God and I will declare what God hath done for my soul i. e. for his life see v. 9 10. He holdeth our soul in life and suffers not our feet to be moved for thou our God hast proved us thou hast tryed us as silver is tryed Life-mercies are heart-affecting-mercies of great impression and force to enlarge pious hearts in the praises of God so that such know not how but to talk of Gods acts and to speak of and publish his wonderfull works Deep troubles when the waters come in unto thy soul are wont to produce vowes vowes must be paid It is better not vow than vow and not to pay I may say that as none knows what it is to fight and pursue such an enemy as this but they that have fought and pursued them so none can imagine what it is to be captivated and enslaved to such atheisticall proud wild cruel barbarous bruitish in one word diabolicall creatures as these the worst of the heathen nor what difficulties hardships hazards sorrows anxieties and perplexities do unavoidably wait upon such a condition but those that have tryed it No serieus spirit then especialiy knowing any thing of this Gentlewomans piety can imagine but that the vows of God are upon her Excuse her then if she come thus into publick to pay those vows Come and hear what she hath to say I am confident that no Friend of diviné Providence will ever repent his time and pains spent in reading over these sheets but will judg them worth perusing again and again Hear Reader you may see an instance of the Soveraignty of God who doth what he will with his own as well as others and who may say to him What dofl thou Here you may see an instance of the faith and patience of the Saints under the most heart-sinking tryals here you may see the promises are breasts full of consolation when all the world besides is empty and gives nothing but sorrow That God is indeed the supream Lord of the world ruling the most unruly weakening the most cruel and salvage granting hir People mercy in the sight of the unmercifull curbing the lusts of the most filthy holding the hands of the violent delivering the prey from the mighty and gathering together the out casts of Israel Once and again you have heard but hear you may see that power belongeth unto God that our God is the God of Salvation and to him belong the issues from Death That our God is in the Heavens and doth what ever pleases him Here you have Sampson Riddle examplified and that great promise Rom. 8.28 verified Out of the Eater comes forth meat and sweetness out of the strong The worst of evils working together for the best good How evident is it that the Lord hath made this Gentlewoman a gainer by all this affliction that she can say 't is good for her yea better that she hath been then that she should not have been thus afflicted Ob how doth God shine forth in such things as these Reader if thou gettest no good by such a Declaration as this the fault must needs be tbine own Read therefore Peruse Ponder and from hence lay up something from the experience of another against thine own turn comes that so thou also through patience and consolation of the Scripture mayest have hope PER AMICAM A Narrative of the CAPTIVITY AND REST AVRATION OF Mrs. Mary Rowlandson ON the tenth of February 1675. Came the Indians with great numbers upon Lancaster Their first coming was about Sun-rising hearing the noise of some Guns we looked out several Houses were burning and the Smoke ascending to Heaven There were five persons taken in one house the Father and the Mother and a sucking Child they knockt on the head the other two they took and carried away alive Their were two others who being out of their Garison upon some occasion were set upon one was knockt on the head the other escaped Another their was who running aâ—ong was shot and wounded and sell down he pegged of them his life promising them Money as they told me but they would not hearken to him but knockt him in head and stript him naked and split open his Bowels Another seeing many of the Indians about his Barn ventured and went out but was quickly shot down There were three others belonging to the same Garison who were killed the Indians getting up upon the roof of the Barn had
remembred me whose mercyes are great Then came an Indian to me with a pair of stockings that were too big for him and he would have me ravel them out and knit them fit for him I shewed my self willing and bid him ask my mistriss if I might go along with him a little way she said yes J might but J was not a little refresht with that news that J had my liberty again Then J went along with him and he gave me some roasted Ground-nuts which did again revive my feeble stomach Being got out of her sight J had time and liberty again to look into my Bible Which was my Guid by day and my Pillow by night Now that comfortable Scripture presonted it self to me Isa 54.7 For a smal moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee Thus the Lord carried me along from one time to another and made good to me this precious promise and many others Then my Son came to see me and J asked his master to let him stay a while with me that J might comb his head and look over him for he was almost over come with lice He told me when I had done that he was very hungry but I had nothing to relieve him but bid him go into the Wigwams as he went along and see if he could get any thing among them Which he did and it seemes tarried a little too long for his Master was angry with him and beat him and then sold him Then he came running to tell me he had a new Master and that he had given him some Groundouts already Then I went along with him to his new Master who told me he loved him and he should not want So his Master carried him away j never saw him afterward till j saw him at Pascataqua in Portsmouth That night they bade me go out of the Wigwam again my Mistrisses Papoos was sick and it died that night and there was one benefit in it that there was more room J went to a Wigwam and they bade me come in and gave me a skin to ly upon and a mess of Venson and Ground-nuts which was a choice Dish among them On the morrow they burried the Papoos and afterward both morning and evening there came a company to mourn and howle with her though j confess j could not much condole with them Many sorrowfull dayes j had in this place often getting alone like a Crane or a Swallow so did I chatter I did mourn as a Dove mine eyes fail with looking upward Oh Lord j am oppressed undertake for me Isa 38 14 I could tell the Lord as Hezeakiah ver 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee kow I have walked before thee in truth Now had I time to examine al my wayes my Conscience did not accuse me of un-righteousness toward one or other yet I saw how in m y walk with God I had been a careless creature As David said Against thee thee only have I sinned I might say with the poor Publican God be mereiful unto me a sinner On the Sabbath-dayes I could look upon the Sun and think how People were going to the house of God to have their Souls refresht then home and their bodies also but I was destitute of both might say as the poor Prodigal he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the Swine did eat and no man gave unto him Luke 15.16 For I must say with him Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight ver 21. I remembred how on the night before after the Sabbath when my Family was about me and Relations and Neighbours with us we could pray and sing and then refresh our bodies with the good creatures of God and then have a comfortable Bed to ly down on but in stead of all this I had only a little Swill for the body and then like a Swine must ly down on the ground I cannot express to man the sorrow that lay upon my Spirit the Lord knows it Yet that comfortable Scripture would often come to my mind For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee The fourteenth Remove Now must we pack up and be gone from this Thicket bending our course toward the Bay-towns I haveing nothing to eat by the way this day but a few crumbs of Cake that an Indian gave my girle the same day we were taken She gave it me and I put it in my pocket there it lay till it was so mouldy for want of good baking that one could not tell what it was made of it fell all to crumbs grew so dry and hard that it was like little flints this refreshed me many times when I was ready to faint It was in my thoughts when I put it into my mouth that if ever I returned I would tell the World what a blessing the Lord gave to such mean sood As we went along they killed a Deer with a young one in her they gave me a piece of the Fawn and it was so young and tender that one might eat the bones as well as the flesh and yet I thought it very good When night came on we sate down it rained but they quickly got up a Bark Wigwam where I lay dry that night I looked out in the morning and many of them had line in the rain all night I saw by their Reaking Thus the Lord dealt mercifully with me many times and I fared better than many of them In the morning they took the blood of the Deer and put it into the Paunch and so boyled 〈◊〉 I could eat nothing of that though they ate it â—weâ—â—tly And yet they were so nice in other things that when I had fetcht water and had put the Dish I dipt the water with into the Kettle of water which I brought they would say they would knock me down for they said it was a sluttish trick The fifteenth Remove We went on our Travel I having got one handfull of Ground-nuts for my support that day they gave me my load and j went on cheerfully with the thoughts of going homeward haveing my burden more on my back than my spirit we came to Baquang River again that day near which we abode a few dayes Sometimes one of them would give me a Pipe another a little Tobacco another a little Salt which I would change for a little Victuals I cannot but think what a Wolvish appetite persons have in a starving condition for many times when they gave me that which was hot I was so greedy that I should burn my mouth that it would trouble me hours after and yet I should quickly do the same again And after I was thorougly hungry I was never again satisfied For though sometimes it fell out that I got enough and did eat till I could eat no more yet I was as unsatisfied as J was when I began And now could
the Indians told me they would kill him as he came homeward my Children gone my Relations and Friends gone our House and home and all our comforts within door and without all was gone except my life and I knew not but the next moment that might go too There remained nothing to me but one poor wounded 〈◊〉 and it seemed at present worse than death that it was in such a pitiful condition bespeaking Compassion and I had an refreshing for it nor suitable things to revive it Little do many think what is the savageness and bruitishness of this barbarous Enemy even those that seem to profess more than others among them when the English have fallen into their hands Those seven that were killed at Lancaster the summer before upon a Sabbath day and the one that was afterward killed upon a week day were stain and mangled in a barbarous manner by one-ey'd John and Marlborough's Praying Indians which Capt. Mosely brought to Boston as the Indians told me The second Remove But now the next morning I must turn my back upon the Town and travel with them into the vast and isolate Wilderness I knew not whether It is not 〈◊〉 tongue or pen can express the sorrows of my heart and bitterness of my spirit that I had at this departure but God was with me in a wonderfull manner carrying me along and bearing up my spirit that it did not quite fail One of the indians carried my poor wounded Babe upon a horse it went moaning all along I shall dy I shall dy 〈◊〉 went on foot after it with sorrow that cannot be exprest At length I took it off the horse and â—â—â—â—ed it in my armes till my strength sailed and I fell down with it Then they set me upon a horse with my wounded Child in my lap and there being no furnitunre upon the horse back as we were going down a steep hill we both fell over the horses head at which they like inhumane creatures laught and rejoyced to see it though I thought we should there have ended our dayes as overcome with so many difficulties But the Lord renewed my strength still and carried me along that I might see more of his Power yea so much that I could never have thought of had I not experienced it After this it quickly began to snow and when night came on they stopt and now down I must sit in the snow by a little fire and a few boughs behind me with my sick Child in my lap and calling much for water being now through the wound fallen into a violent Fever My own wound also growing so stiff that I could scarce sit down or rise up yet so it must be that I must sit all this cold winter night upon the cold snowy ground with my sick Child in my armes looking that every hour would be the last of its life and having no Christian friend near me either to comfort or help me Oh I may see the wonderfull power of God that my Spirit did not utterly sink under my affliction still the Lord upheld me with his gracious and mercifull Spirit and we were both alive to see the light of the next morning The third remove The morning being come they prepared to go their way One of the Indians got up upon a horse and they set me up behind him with my poor sick Babe in my lap A very wearisome and tedious day I had of it what with my own wound and my Childs being so exceeding sick and in a lamentable condition with her wound It may be easily judged what a poor feeble condition we were in there being not the least crumb of refreshing that came within either of our mouths from Wednesday night to Saturday night except only a little cold water This day in the afternoon about an hour by Sun we came to the place where they intendded viz. an Indian Town called Wenimesset Norward of Quabaug When we were come Oh the number of Pagans now merciless enemies that there came about me that I may say as David Psal 27.13 I had fainted unless I had believed c. The next day was the Sabbath I then remembred how careless I had been of Gods holy time how many Sabbaths I had lost and mispent and how evily I had walked in Gods sight which lay so closs unto my spirit that it was easie for me to see how righteous it was with God to cut off the threed of my life and cast me out of his presence for ever Yet the Lord still shewed mercy to me and upheld me and as he wounded me with one hand so he healed me with the other This day there came to me one Robbert Pepper a man belonging to Roxbury who was taken in Captain Beers his Fight and had been now a considerable time with the Indians and up with them almost as far as Albany to see king Philip as he told me and was now very lately come into these parts Hearing I say that I was in this Indian Town he obtained leave to come and see me He told me he himself was wounded in the leg at Captain Beers his Fight and was not able some time to go but as they carried him and as he took Oaken leaves and laid to his wound and through the blessing of God he was able to travel again Then I took Oaken leaves and laid to my side and with the blessing of God it cured me also yet before the cure was wrought I may say as it is in Psal 38.5 6. My wounds stink and are corrupt I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long I sat much alone with a poor wounded Child in my lap which moaned night and day having nothing to revive the body or cheer the spirits of her but in stead of that sometimes one Indian would come and tell me one hour that your Master will knock your Child in the head and then a second and then a third your Master will quickly knock your Child in the head This was the comfort I had from them miserable comforters are ye all as he said Thus nine dayes I sat upon my knees with my Babe in my lap till my flesh was raw again my Child being even ready to depart this sorrowfull world they bade me carry it out to another Wigwam I suppose because they would not be troubled with such spectacles Whither I went with a very heavy heart and down I sat with the picture of death in my lap About two houtes in the night my sweet Babe like a Lambe departed this life on Feb. 18. 1675. It being about six yeares and five months old It was nine dayes from the first wounding in this miserable condition without any refreshing of one nature or other except a little cold water I cannot but take notice how at another time I could not bear to be in the room where any dead person was but now the case is changed I must
and couldly down by my dead Babe side by side all the night after I have thought since of the wonderfull goodness of God to me in preserving me in the use of my reason and senses in that distressed time that I did not use wicked and violent means to end my own miserable life In the morning when they understood that my child was dead they sent for me home to my Masters Wigwam by my Master in this writing must be understood Quanopin who was a Saggamore and married King Phillips wives Sister not that be first took me but I was sold to him by another Narrhaganset Indian who took me when first I came out of the Garison I went to take up my dead child in my arms to carry it with me but they bid me let it alone there was no resisting but goe I must and leave it When I had been at my masters wigwam I took the first opportunity I could get to go look after my dead child when I came I askt them what they had done with it then they told me it was upon the hill then they went and shewed me where it was where I saw the ground was newly digged and there they told me they had buried it There I left that Child in the Wilderness and must commit it and my self also in this Wilderness-condition to him who is above all God having taken away this dear Child I went to see my daughter Mary who was at this same Indian Town at a Wigwam not very far off though we had little liberty or opportunity to see one another she was about ten years old taken from the door at first by a Praying Ind afterward sold for a gun When I came in sight she would fall a weeping at which they were provoked and would not let me come near her but bade me be gone which was a heart-cutting word to me I had one Child dead another in the Wilderness I knew not where the third they would not let me come near to Me as he said have ye bereaved of my Children Joseph is not and Simeon is not and ye will take Benjamin also all these things are against me I could not for still in this condition but kept walking from one place to another And as I was going along my heart was â—â—â—n overwhelm'd with the thoughts of my condition and that I should have Children and a Nation which I knew not ruled over them Whereupon learnestly entreated the Lord that he would consider my low estate and shew me a token for good and if it were his blessed will some sign and hope of some relief And indeed quickly the Lord answered in some measure my poor prayers For as I was going up and down mourning and lamenting my condition my Son came to me and asked me how I did I had not seen him before since the destruction of the Town and I knew not where he was till I was informed by himself that he was amongst a smaller percel of Indians whose place was about six miles off with tears in his eyes he asked me whether his Sister Sarah was dead and told me he had seen his Sister Mary and prayed me that I would not be troubled in reserence to himself The occasion of his coming to see me at this time was this There was as I said about six miles from us a smal Plantation of Indians where it seems he had been during his Captivity and at this time there were some Forces of the Ind. gathered out of our company and some also from them among whom was my Sons master to go to assault and burn Medfield In this time of the absence of his master his dame brought him to see me I took this to be some gracious answer to my earnest and unfeigned desire The next day viz. to this the Indians returned from Medfield all the company for those that belonged to the other smal company came thorough the Town that now we were at But before they came to us Oh! the outragious roaring and hooping that there was They began their din about a mile before they came to us By their noise and hooping they signified how many they had destroyed which was at that time twenty three Those that were with us at home were gathered together as soon as they heard the hooping and every time that the other went over their number these at home gave a shout that the very Earth rung again And thus they coutinned till those that had been upon the expedition were come up to the Sagamores Wigwam and then Oh the hideous insulting and triumphing that there was over some English mens scalps that they had taken as their manner it and brought with them I cannot but take notice of the wonderfull mercy of God to me in those afflictions in sending me a Bible One of the Indians that came from Medfield fight had brought some plunder came to me and asked me if I would have a Bible he had got one in his Basket I was glad of it and asked him whether be thought the Indians would let me read he answered yes so I took the Bible and in that melancholy time it came into my mind to read first the 28. Chap. of Deut. which I did and when I had read it my dark heart wrought on this manner That there was no mercy for me that the blessings were gone and the Curses Came in their room and that I bad lost my opportunity But the Lord helped me still to go one reading till I came to Chap. 30 the seven first verses where I sound There was mercy promised again if we would return to him by reportance and though we were scartered from one end of the Earth to the other yet the Lord would gather 〈◊〉 together and turn all those curses upon our Enemies I do not desire to live to forget this Scripture and what comfort it was to me Now the Ind. began to talk of removing from this place some one way and some another There were now besides my self nine English Captives in this place all of them Children except one Woman I got an opportunity to go and take my leave of them they being to go one way and I another I asked them whether they were earnest with God for deliverance they told me they did as they were able and it was some comfort to me that the Lord stirred up Children to look to him The Woman viz. Goodwife Jostin told me she should never see me again and that she could find in her heart to run away I wisht her not to tun away by any means for we were near thirty miles from any English Town and she very big with Child and had but one week to reckon and another Child in her Arms two years old and bad Rivers there were to go over we were feeble with our poor course entertainment I had my Bible with me I pulled it out and asked her whether she would
J see that Scripture verified there being many Scriptures which we do not take notice of or understand till we are affli ed Mic. 6.14 Thou shalt eat and not be satisfied Now might I see more than ever before the miseries that sin hath brought upon us Many times I should be ready to run out against the Heathen but the Scripture would quiet me again Amos 3 6. Shal there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it The Lord help me to make a right improvment of His Word and that I might learn that great lesson Mic. 6.8 9. He hath shewed thee Oh Man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy and walk humbly with thy God Hear ye the rod and who hath appointed it The sixteenth Remove We began this Remove with wading over Baquag River the water was up to the knees and the stream very swift and so cold that I thought it would have cut me in sunder j was so weak and seeble that j reeled as I went along and thought there I must end my dayes at last after my bearing and getting thorough so many difficulties the Indians stood laughing to see me staggering along but in my distress the Lord gave me experience of the truth and goodness of that promise Isai 43.2 When thou passest thorough the Waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee Then I sat down to put on my stockins and shoos with the teares running down mine eyes and many sorrowfull thoughts in my heart but I gat up to go along with them Quickly there came up to us an Indian who informed them that I must go to Wachuset to my master for there was a Letter come from the Council to the Saggamores about redeeming the Captives and that there would be another in fourteen dayes and that I must be there ready My heart was so heavy before that I could scarce speak or go in the path and yet now so light that J could run My strength seemed to come again and recruit my feeble knees and aking heart yet it pleased them to go but one mile that night and there we stayed two dayes In that time came a company of Indians to us near thirty all on horse-back My heart skipt within me thinking they had been English men at the first sigbt of them for they were dressed in English Apparel with Hats white Neckcloths and Sashes about their wasts and Ribbonds upon their shoulders but when they came near their was a vaft difference between the lovely faces of Christians and the foul looks of those Heathens which much damped my spirit again The seventeenth Remove A comfortable Remove it was to me because of my hopes They gave me a pack and along we went chearfully but quickly my will proved more than my strength having little or no refreshing my strength failed me and my spirit were almost quite gone Now may I say with David Psal I 19.22 23 24. I am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me I am gone like the shadow when it decâ—ineth I am tossed up and down like the locusts my knees are weak through fasting and my flish faileth offainess At night we came to an Indian Town and the Indians sate down by a Wigwam discoursing but J was almost spent and could scarce speak I laid down my load and went into the Wigwam and there sat an Indian boyling of Horses feet they being wont to eat the flesh first and when the feet were old and dried and they had nothing else they would cut off the feet and use them I asked him to give me a little of his Broth or Water they were boiling in he took a dish and gave me one spoonfull of Samp and bid me take as much of the Broth as I would Then I put some of the hot water to the Samp and drank it up and my spirit came again He gave me also a piece of the Ruff or Ridding of the small Guts and I broiled it on the coals and now may I say with Jonathan See I pray you how mine eyes have been enlightened because j tasted a little of this honey 1 Sam. 14.29 Now is my Spirit revived again though means be never so inconsiderable yet if the Lord bestow his blessing upon them they shall refresh both Soul and Body The eighteenth Remove We took up our packs and along we went but a wearisome day I had of it As we went along I saw an English-man stript naked and lying dead upon the ground but knew not who it was Then we came to another Indian Town where we stayed all night In this Town there were four English Children Captives and one of them my own Sisters I went to see how she did and she was well considering her Captive-condition I would have tarried that night with her but they that owned her would not suffer it Then I went into another Wigwam where they were boyling Corn and Beant which was alovely sight to see but J could not get a taste thereof Then I went to another Wigwam where there were two of the English Children the Squaw was boyling Horses feet then she cut me off a little piece and gave one of the English Children a piece also Being very hungry I had quickly eat up mine but the Child could not bite it it was so tough and sinewy but lay sucking gnawing chewing and slabbering of it in the moutb and band then I took it of the Child and eat it my self and favoury it was to my taste Then I may say as Job Chap. 6.7 The things that my soul refused to touch are as my sorrowfull meat Thus the Lord made that pleasant refreshing which another time would have been an abomination Then I went home to my mistresses Wigwam and they told me I disgraced my master with begging and if I did so any more they would knock me in head I told them they had as good knock me in head as starve me to death The ninteenth Remove They said when we went out that we must travel to Wachuset this day But a bitter weary day I had of it travelling now three dayes to gether without resting any day between At last after many weary steps I saw Wachuset hills but many miles off Then we came to a great Swamp through which we travelled up to the knees in mud and water which was heavy going to one tyred before Being almost spent I thought I should have sunk down at last and never gat out but I may say as in Psal 94.18 When my foot slipped thy mercy O Lord held me up Going along having indeed my life but little spirit Philip who was in the Company came up and took me by the hand and said Two weeks more and you shal be Mistress again I asked him if he spake true he answered Yes and quickly you shal come to your master again
them one and another after a little while he turned in staggering as he went with his Armes stretched out in either hand a Gun As soon as he came in they all sang and rejoyced exceedingly a while And then he opened the Deer-skin made another speech unto which they all assented in a rejoicing manner and so they ended their business and forthwith went to Sudbury fight To my thinking they went without any scruple but that they should prosper and gain the victory And they went out not so rejoycing but they came home with as great a Victory For they said they had killed two Captains and almost an hundred men One English-man they brought along with them and he said it was too true for they had made sad work at Sudbury as indeed it proved Yet they came home without that rejoycing and triumphing over their victory which they were wont to shew at other times but rather like Dogs as they say which have lost their cars Yet I could not pereceive that it was for their own loss of men They said they had not lost above five or six and I missed none excep in one Wigwam When they went they acted as if the Devil had told them that they should gain the victory and now they acted as if the Devil had told them they should have a fall Whither it were so or no I cannot tell but so it proved for quickly they began to fall and so held on that Summer till they came to utter ruine They came home on a Sabbath day and the Powaw that kneeled upon the Deer-skin came home I may say without abule as black as the Devil When my master came home be came to me and bid me make a shirt for his Papoos of a hollandlaced Pillowbeer About that time there came an Indian to me and bid me come to his Wigwam at night and he would give me some Pork Ground nuts Which I did and as I was eating another Indian said to me he seems to be your good Friend but he killed two Englishmen at Sudbury and there ly their Cloaths behind you I looked behind me and there I saw bloody Cloaths with Bullet holes in them yet the Lord suffered not this wretch to do me any hurt Yea instead of that he many times refresht me five or six times did he and his Squaw refresh my feeble carcass If J went to their Wigwam aâ— any time they would alwayes give me something and yet they were strangers that I never saw before Another Squaw gave me a piece of fresh Pork and a little Salt with it and lent me her Panto Fry it in and I cannot but remember what a sweet pleasant and delightfull relish that bit had to me to this day So little do we prize common mercies when we have them to the full The twentieth Remove It was their usual manner to remove when they bad done any mischief lest they should be found out and so they did at this time We went about three or four miles and there they built a great Wigwam big enough to hold an hundred Indians which they did in preparation to a great day of Dancing They would say now amongst themselves that the Governour would be so angry for his loss at Sudbury that he would send no more about the Captives which made me grieve and tremble My Sister being not sar from the place where we now were and hearing that I was here desired her master to let her come and see me and he was willing to it and would go with her but she being ready before him told him she wonld go before and was come within a Mile or two of the place Then he overtook her and began to rant as if he had been mad and made her go back again in the Rain so that I never saw her till j saw her in Charlestown But the Lord requited many of their ill doings for this Indian her Master was hanged afterward at Boston The Indians now began to come from all quarters against their merry dancing day Among some of them came one Good wife Kettle I told her my heart was so heavy that it was ready to break so is mine too said she but yet said I hope we shall hear some good news shortly I could hear how earnestly my Sister desired to see me I as earnestly desired to see her and yet neither of us could get an opportunity My Daughter was also now about a mile off and I had not seen her in nine or ten weeks as I had not seen my Sister since our first taking I earnestly desired them to let me go and see them yea I intreated begged and perswaded them but to let me see my Daughter and yet so hard hearred were they that they would not suffer it They made use of their tyrannical power whilst they had it but through the Lords wonderfull mercy their time was now but short On a Sabbath day the Sun being about an hour high in the afternoon came Mr. John Hoar the Council permitting him and his own foreward spirit inclining him together with the two forementioned Indians Tom and Peter with their third Letter from the Council When they came near I was abroad though I saw them not they presently called me in and bade me sit down and not stir Then they catched up their Guns and away they ran as if an Enemy had been at hand and the Guns went off apace I manifested some great trouble and they asked me what was the matter I told them I thought they had killed the English-man for they had in the mean time informed me that an English-man was come they said No They shot over his Horse and under and before his Horse and they pusht him this way and that way at their pleasure shewing what they conld do Then they let them come to their Wigwams I begged of them to let me see the English man but they would not But there was I fain to sit their pleasure When they had talked their fill with him they suffered me to go to him We asked each other of our welfare and how my Husband did and all my Friends He told me they were all well and would be glad to see me Amongst other things which my Husband sent me there came a pound of Tobacco which I sold for nine shillings in Money for many of the Indians for want of Tobacco smoaked Hemlock and Ground-Ivy it was a great mistake in any who thought I sent for Tobacco for through the savour of God that desire was overcome I now asked them whither I should go home with Mr. Hoar They answered No one and another of them and it being night we lay down with that answer in the morning Mr Hoar invited the Saggamores to Dinner but when we went to get it ready we fond that they had stollen the greatest part of the Provision Mr. Hoar had brought our of his Bags in the night And we may see
the wonderfull power of God in that one passage in that when there was such a great number of the Indians together and so greedy of a little good food and no English there but Mr. Hoar and my self that there they did not knock us in the bead and take what we had there being not only some Provision but also Trading-cloth a part of the twenty pounds agreed upon But instead of doing us any mischief they seemed to be ashamed of the fact and said it were some Matchit Indian that did it Oh that we could believe that there is no thing too hard for God! God shewed his Power over the Heathen in this as he did ever the hungry Lyons when Daniel was cast into the Den. Mr. Hoar called them betime to Dinner but they are very little they being so busie in dressing themselves and getting ready for their Dance which was carried one by eight of them four Men and four Squaws My master and mistriss being two He was dressed in his Holland shirt with great Laces sewed at the cail of it he had his silver Buttons his white Stockins his Garters were hung round with Shillings and he had Girdles of Wampom upon his head and shoulders She had a Kersey Coat and covered with Girdles of Wampom from the Loins upward her armes from her elbows to her hands were covered with Bracelets there were handfulls of Neck-laces about her neck and severall sorts of Jewels in her ears She had fine red Stokins and white Shoos her hair powdered and face painted Red that was alwayes before Black And all the Dancers were after the same manner There were two other singing and knocking on a Kettle for their musick They keept hopping up and down one after another with a Kettle of water in the midst standing warm upon some Embers to drink of when they were dry They held on till it was almost night throwing out Wampom to the standers by At night I asked them again if I should go home They all as one said No except my Husband would come for me When we were lain down my Master went out of the Wigwam and by and by sent in an Indian called James the Printer who told Mr. Hoar that my Master would let me go home to morrow if he would let him have one pint of Liquors Then Mr. Hoar called his own Indians Tom and Peter and bid the go and see whither he would promise it before them three and if he would he should have it which he did and he had it Then Philip smeling the business cal'd me to him and asked me what I would give him to tell me some good news and speak a good word for me J told him I could not tell what to give him I would anothing I had and asked him what he would have He said two Coats and twenty shillings in Mony and half a bushel of seed Corn and some Tobacco I thanked him for his love but I knew the good news as well as the crafty Fox My Master after he had had his drink quickly came ranting into the Wigwam again and called for Mr. Hoar drinking to him and saying He was a good man and then again he would say Hang him Rogue Being almost drunk he would drink to him and yet presently say he should be hanged Then he called for me I trembled to hear him yet I was sain to go to him and he drank to me shewing no incivility He was the first Indian I saw drunk all the while that I was amongst them At last his Squaw ran out and he after her round the Wigwam with his mony jingling at his knees But she escaped him But having an old Squaw he ran to her and so throngh the Lords mercy we were no more troubled that night Yet I had not a comfortable nights rest for I think J can say j did not sleep for three nights together The night before the Letter came from the Council J could not rest J was so full of feares and troubles God many times leaving us most in the dark when deliverance is nearest yea at this time I could not rest night nor day The next night I was overjoyed Mr. Hoar being come and that with such good tidings The third night I was even swallowed up with the thoughts of things viz. that ever I should go home again and that I must go leaving my Children behind me in the Wilderness so that â—eep was now almost departed from mine eyes On Tuesday morning they called their General Court as they call it to consult and determine whether I should go home or no And they all as one man did seemingly consent to it that I should go home except Philip â—â—ho would not come among them But before I go any further I would take leave to mention a few remarkable passages of providence which I took special notice of in my afflicted time 1. Of the fair opportunity lost in the long March a little after the Fort-fight when our English Army was so numerous and in pursuit of the Enemy and so near as to take several and destroy them and the Enemy in such distriss for food that our men might track them by their rooting in the earth for Ground-nuts whilest they were â—â—ying for their lives I say that then our Army should want Provision and be forced to leave their pursuit and return homeward and the very next week the Enemy came upon our Town like Bears bereft of their whelps or so many ravenous Wolves rending us and our Lambs to death But what shall I say God seemed to leave his People to themselves and order all things for his own holy ends Shal there be evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it They are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph therefore shal they go Captive with the first that go Captive It is the Lords doing and it should be marvelous in our eyes 2. I cannot but remember how the Indians derided the slowness and dulness of the English Army in its setting out For after the desolations at Lancaster and Medfield as I went along with them they asked me when I thought the English Army would come after them I told them I could not tell It may be they will come in May said they Thus did they scoffe at us as if the English would be a quatter of a year getting ready 3. Which also I have hinted before when the English Army with new supplies were sent forth to pursue after the enemy they understanding it fled before them till they came to Baquaug River where they forthwith went over safely that that River should be impassable to the English I can but admire to see the wonderfull providence of God in preserving the heathen for farther affliction to our poor Countrey They could go in great numbers over but the English must stop God had an over-ruling hand in all those things 4. It was thought if their Corn were cut
down they would starve and dy with hunger and all their Corn that could be found was destroyed and they driven from that little they had in store into the Woods in the midst of Winter and yet how to admiration did the Lord preserve them for his holy ends and the destruction of many still amongst the English strangely did the Lord provide for them that I did not see all the time I was among them one Man Woman or Child die with hunger Though many times they would eat that that a Hog or a Dog would hardly touch yet by that God strengthned them to be a securge to his People The chief and commonest food was Ground-nuts They eat also Nuts and Acorns Harty choaks Lilly roots Ground beans and several other weeds and roots that I know nor They would pick up old bones and cut them to pieces at the joynts and if they were full of wormes and magots they would scald them over the fire to make the vermine come out and then boile them and drink up the Liquor and then beat the great end of them in a Morter and so eat them They would eat Horses guts and ears and all sorts of wild Birds which they could catch also Bear Venmson Beaver Tortois Frogs Squirrels Dogs Skunks Rattle-snakes yea the very Bark of Trecs besides all sorts of creatures and provision which they plundered from the English I can but stand in admiration to see the wonderful power of God in providing for such a vast number of our Enemies in the Wilderness where there was nothing to be seen but from hand to mouth Many times in a morning the generality of them would eat up all they had and yet have some further supply against they wanted It is said Psal 81.13 14. Oh that my People bad hearkned to me and Israel had walked in my wayes I should soon have subdued their Enemies and turned my hand against their Adversaries But now our perverse and evil carriages in the sight of the Lord have so offended him that instead of turning his hand against them the Lord feeds nourishes them up to be a scourge to the whole Land 5. Another thing that I would observe is the strange providence of God in turning things about when the Indians was at the highest and the English at the lowest I was with the Enemy eleven weeks and five dayes and not one Week passed without the fury of the Enemy and some desolation by fire and sword upon one place or other They mourned with their black faces for their own losses yet triumphed and rejoyced in their inhumane and many times devilish eruelty to the English They would boast much of their Victories saying that in two hours time they had destroyed such a Captain and his Company at such a place and such a Captain and his Company in such a place and such a Captain and his Company in such a place and boast how many Towns they had destroyed and then scoffe and say They had done them a good turn to send them to Heaven so soon Again they would say This Summer that they would knock all the Rogues in the head or drive them into the Sea or make them flie the Countrey thinking surely Agag-like The bitterness of Death is past Now the Heathen begins to think all is their own the poor Christians hopes to fail as to man and now their eyes are more to God and their hearts sigh heaven-ward and to say in good earnest Help Lord or we perish When the Lord had brought his people to this that they saw no help in any thing but himself then be takes the quarrel into his own hand and though they had made a pit in their own imaginations as deep as hell for the Christians that Summer yet the Lord hurll'd them selves into it And the Lord had not so many wayes before to preserve them but now he hath as many to destroy them But to return again to my going home where we may see a remarkable change of Providence At first they were all against it except my Hu band would come for me but afterwards they assented to it and seemed much to rejoyce in it some askt me to send them some Bread others some Tobacco others shaking me by the hand offering me a Hood and Scarfe to ride in not one moving hand or tongue against it Thus hath the Lord answered my poor desire and the many earnest requests of others put up unto God for me In my travels an Indian came to me and told me if I were willing he and his Squaw would run away and go home along with me I told him No I was not willing to run away but desired to wait Gods time that I might go home quietly and without fear And now God hath granted me my desire O the wonderfull power of God that I have seen and the experience that I have had I have been in the midst of those roaring Lyons and Salvage Bears that feared neither God nor Man nor the Devil by night and day alone and in company sleeping all sorts together and yet not one of them ever offered me the least abuse of unchastity to me in word or action Though some are ready to say J speak it for my own credit But I speak it in the presence of God and to his Glory Gods Power is as great now and as sufficient to save as when he preserved Daniel in the Lions Den or the three Children â—u the fiery Furnace I may well say as his Psal 107.12 Oh give thanks unto the Lord for he is good for his mercy endureth for ever Let the Redeemed of the Lord say so whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the Enemy especially that I should come away in the midst of so many hundreds of Enemies quietly and peacably and not a Dog moving hi tougue So I took my leave of them and in coming along my heart melted into tears more then all the while I was with them and I was almost swallowed up with the thoughts that ever I should go home again About the Sun going down Mr. Hoar and my self and the two Indians came to Lancaster and a solemn sight it was to me There had I lived many comfortable years amongst my Relations and Neighbours and now not one Christian to be seen nor one house lest standing We went on to a Farm house that was yet standing where we lay all night and a comfortable lodging we had though nothing but straw to ly on The Lord preserved us in safety that night and raised us up again in the morning and carried us along that before noon we came to Concord Now was I full of joy and yet not without sorrow joy to see such a lovely sight so many Christians together and some of them my Neighbours There I met with my Brother and my Brother in Law who asked me if I knew where his Wife was Poor heart he had helped to
which hate thee which persecuted thee Thus hath the Lord brought me and mine out of that horrible pit and hath set us in the midst of tender-hearted and compassionate Christians It is the desire of my soul that we may walk worthy of the mercies received and which we are receiving Our Family being now gathered together those of us that were living the South Church in Boston hired an House for us Then were moved from Mr. Shepards those cordial Friends and went to Boston where we continued about three quarters of a year Still the Lord went along with us and provided graciously for us I thought it somewhat strange to fet up House keeping with bare walls but as Solomon sayes Mony answers all things and that we had through the benevolence of Christian-friends some in this Town and some in that and others And some from England that in a little time we might look and see the House furnished with love The Lord hath been exceeding good â—o us in our low estate in that when we had neither house nor home nor other necessaries the Lord so moved the hearts of these and those to wards us that we wanted neither food nor raiment for our selves or ours Prov. 18.24 There is a Friend which sticketh closer than a Brother And how many such Friends have we found and now living amongst And truly such a Friend have we found him to be unto us in whose house we lived viz. Mr. James Whitcomb a Friend unto us near hand and afar off I can remember the time when I used to sleep quietly without workings in my thoughts whole nights together but now it is other wayes with me When all are fast about me and no eye open but his who ever waketh my thoughts are upon things past upon the awfull dispensation of the Lord towards us upon his wonderfull power and might in carrying of us through so many difficulties in returning us in safety and suffering none to hurt us I remember in the night season how the other day I was in the midst of thousands of enemies nothing but death before me It 〈◊〉 then hard work to perswade my self that ever I should be satisfied with bread again But now we are fed with the finest of the Wheat and as I may say With honey out of the rcok In stead of the Husk we have the fatted Calf The thoughts of these things in the particulars of them and of the love and goodness of God towards us make it true of me what David said of himself Psal 6.6 I watered my Couch with my tears Oh! the wonderfull power of God that mine eyes have seen affording matter enough for my thoughts to run in that when others are sleeping mine eyes are weeping I have seen the extrem vanity of this World One hour I have been in health and wealth wanting nothing But the next hour in sickness and wounds and death having nothing but sorrow and affliction Before I knew what affliction meant I was ready sometimes to wish for it When I lived in prosperity having the comforts of the World about me my relations by me my Heart chearfull and taking little care for any thing and yet seeing many whom I preferred before my self under many tryals and afflictions in sickness weakness poverty losses crosses and cares of the World I should be sometimes jealous least I should have my portion in this life and that Scripture would come to my mind Heb. 12.6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth and scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth But now I see the Lord had his time to scourge and chasten me The portion of some is to have their afflictions by drops now one drop and then another but the dregs of the Cup the Wine of astonishment like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food did the Lord prepare to be my portion Affliction I wanted and affliction I had full measure I thought pressed down and running over yet I see when God calls a Person to any thing and through never so many difficulties yet he is fully able to carry them through and make them see and say they have been gainers thereby And I hope I can say in some measure As David did It is good for me that I have been afflicted The Lord hath shewed me the vanity of these outward things That they are the Vanity of vanities and vexation of spirit that they are but a shadow a blast a bubble and things of no continuance That we must rely on God himself and our whole dependance must be upon him If trouble from smallar matters begin to arise in me I have something at hand to check my self with and say why am I troubled It was but the other day that if I had had the world I would have given it for my freedom or to have been a Servant to a Christian I have learned to look beyond present and smaller troubles and to be quieted under them as Mosis said Exod. 14.13 Stand still and ses the salvation of the Lord. FINIS
occasions I hope it is not too much to say with Job Have pitty upon me have pitty upon me O ye my Friends for the Hand of the Lord has touched me And here I cannot but remember how many times sitting in their Wigwams and musing on things past I should suddenly leap up and run out as if I had been at home forgetting where I was and what my condition was But when I was without and saw nothing but Wilderness and Woods and a company of barbarous heathens my mind quickly returned to me which made me think of that spoken concerning Sampson who said I will go out and shake myself as at other times but he wist not that the Lord was departed from him About this time I began to think that all my hopes of Restoration would come to nothing I thought of the English Army and hoped for their coming and being taken by them but that failed I hoped to be carried to Albany at the Indians had discoursed before but that failed also I thought of being sold to my Husband as my master spake but in stead of that my master himself was gone and j left behind so that my Spirit was now quite réady to sink J asked them to let me go out and pick up some sticks that j might get alone And poure out my heart unto the Lord. Then also j took my Bible to read but j found no comfort here neither which many times j was went to find So easie a thing it is with God to dry up the Streames of Scripture-comfort from us Yet j can say that in all my sorrows and afflictions God did not leave me to have my impatience work towards himself as if his wayes were unrighteous But I knew that he laid upon me less then j deserved Afterward before this dolefull time ended with me I was turning the leaves of my Bible and the Lord brought to me some Scriptures which did a little revive me as that Isai 55.8 For my thoughts are not your thougts neither are your wayes my ways saith the Lord. And also that Psal 37.5 Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shal bring it to pass About this time they came yelping from Hadly where they had killed three English men and brought one Captive with them viz. Thomas Read They all gathered about the poor Man asking him many Questions I desired-also to go and see him and when I came he was crying bitterly supposing they would quickly kill him Whereupon j asked one of them whether they intended to kill him he answered me they would not He being a little cheared with that I asked him about the wel-fare of my Husthand he told me he saw him such a time in the Bay and he was well but very melancholly By which I certainly understood though I suspected it before that whatsoever the Indians told me respecting him was vanity and lies Some of them told me he was dead and they had killed him some said he was Married again and that the Governour wished him to Marry and told him he should have his choice and that all perswaded I was dead So like were these barbarous creatures to him who was a lyar from the beginning As I was sitting once in the Wigwam here Phillps Maid came in with the Child in her arms and asked me to give het a piece of my Apron to make a flap for it I told her I would not then my Mist riss bad me give it but still I said no the maid told me if I would not give her a piece she would tear a piece off it I told her I would tear her Coat then with that my Mistriss rises up and takes up a stick big enough to have killed me and struck at me with it but J stept out and she struck the stick into the Mat of the Wigwam But while she was pulling of it out j ran to the Maid and gave her all my Apron and so that storm went over Hearing that my Son was come to this place I went to see him and told him his Father was well but very melancholly he told me he was as much grieved for his Father as for himself I wondred at his speech for I thought I had enough upon my spirit in reference to my self to make me mindless of my Husband and every one else they being safe among their Friends He told me also that a while before his Master together with other Indians where going to the French for Powder but by the way the Mohawks met with them and killed four of their Company which made the rest turn back again for which I desire that myself and he may bless the Lord for it might have been worse with him had he been sold to the French than it proved to be in his remaining with the Indians I went to see an English Youth in this place one John Gilberd of Spring field J found him lying without dores upon to ground j asked him how he did he told me he was very sick of a flux with eating so much blood They had turned him out of the Wigwam and with him an indian Papoos almost dead whose Parents had been killed in a bitter cold day without fire or clothes the young man himself had nothing on but his shirt wastcoat This sight was enough to melt a heart of flint There they lay quivering in the Cold the youth round like a dog the Papoos stretcht out with his eyes and nose and mouth full of dirt and yet alive and groaning j advised John to go and get to some fire he told me he could not stand but ◠perswaded him still left he shouldly there and die and with much adoe j got him to a fire and went my self home As soon as j was got home his Masters Daughter came after me to know what j had done with the English man j told her j had got him to a fire in such a place Now had j need to pray Pauls Prayer 2 Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men For her satisfaction j went along with her and brought her to him but before j got home again it was noised about that j was running away and getting the English youth along with me that as soon as I came in they began to rant and domineer asking me where j had been and what j had been doing and saying they would knock him on the head I told them j had been seeing the English Youth and that I would not run away they told me I lyed and taking up a Hatchet they came to me and said they would knock me down if I stirred out again and so confined me to the Wigwam Now may J say with David 2 Sam. 24.14 I am in a great strait If I keep in I must dy with hunger and if I go out I must be knockt in head This distressed condition held that day and half the next And then the Lord