^/*- INCREASE MATHER. INCREASE MATHER, THE AGENT OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY IN ENGLAND FOR THE CONCESSION OF A CHARTER. By WILLIAM HENRY WHITMORE, A. M. Eepi|inte4 fv^m the " .A'ndros ^ijacts/' published by the Ifijince Society of Boston, !^'. B. Boston. PRINTED BY T. R. MARVIN & SON. 1869. V- .n^^s -.^^ z m ^v^ ' I INCREASE MATHER, THE AGENT OF MASSACHUSETTS COLONY IN ENGLAND FOR THE CONCESSION OF A CHARTER. N the firft volume of thefe Trads, the central figure was that of Andros, the able and refolute reprefentative of that policy which fought to combine the independent Colonies in one Domi- nion of New England. The fcene of the confli6t was cis- Atlantic, and the vi6lory was gained by an uprifmg of the people in which no individual laid claim to the leaderfliip. In our fccond volume we have colle6ted the evidences of the farther ftrife which was waged on Englifli foil by thofe who flrovc fuccefsfuUy to rcftore to the agglomerated Colonies their former individuality, and in a large meafure their former freedom. Here again, one leader, Increafe Mather, ftands out pre-eminent as the champion of his caufe, fighting earneftly and almoft unaided againfl the numerous and obfcure enemies of Charter government. Yet important as this 6 Increafe Mather, this epifode in his life appears, it is but a portion of the fervices which he rendered to his native country, and it would therefore be an ad; of injuflice to affix his name to this colledion. We do not intend to trace the early life of Increafe Mather, interefting as the tafk would prove, fince the fervices which he performed as a political agent were fo widely diffev- ered from the duties which he fulfilled as a clergyman. It will be fufficient to fay of him, that in 1687 he might be regarded as the leader of the clergy of Maffachufetts. The fon of a prominent minifler, well educated, a powerful preacher, he was chofen in 1664, at the age of twenty-five years, paflor of the "Second Church in Bofton. He not only attended to his clerical duties with fidelity, but he was grad- ually forced to accept the burden of other public offices. In 1680, he was Moderator of the Reforming Synod convened to decide upon a Confeffion of Faith. In 1685, he was appointed a6ling Prefident of Harvard Univerfity, and was thus placed at the head of the educational fyftem of the Colony. He had even ventured to take an active part in politics, by advifing the inhabitants of Bofton at a town- meeting, after the writ of Quo Warranto againft the Charter had been iffued, to ftand by their privileges and not to give away what was the inheritance of their fathers. When therefore the inhabitants of Maffachufetts, impelled by a profound difcontent with the centralizing government of Andros, fought a bold, honeft and able reprefentative to make an effort for the reftoration of their beloved Charter, Increafe The Agent of Maffachttfetts, 7 Increafe Mather was confeffedly the perfon, almoft the fole one, for this high and important office. The pubhc defire was accordingly manifefted to him, but not until he had confulted the brethren of his church and obtained their approval, did he confent to accept the charge. Early in April, 1688, Mather failed for England, unpro- vided with the formal credentials hitherto conferred by the General Court on its Agents, but ftill confeffedly the repre- fentative of the hopes and wants of the greater portion of the citizens of Maffachufetts. He bore with him the Ad- dreffes of the churches, expreffnig their thanks for the Declaration of Indulgence recently granted by James II. A more important part of his miffion was to lay at the foot of the throne the complaints of the Colonifts againft the adminiflration of Andros. His departure was hurried and Healthy, fmce the perfonal enmity of Randolph had led him to annoy Mather by an unwarranted fuit. The Government had full information of the intentions of the envoy, but Andros was apparently too fecure in his pofition to interpofe any reftri(5lions. On the 25th of May, 1688, Mather arrived at London, where the ftate of public affairs feemed anything but propi- tious. The clofmg ftruggle between the King and his people had already commenced. A week before the arrival of Mather, the feven Bifliops had figned the petition requeft- ing the King to difpenfe with the diftribution and reading of that Declaration of Indulgence, for which fuch loyal thanks had been forwarded from New England. The pofi- tion 8 Increafe Mather, tion of the Agent was thus full of difficulties. On the one hand, the King was ftill the controller of the fortunes of the Colony, and had perhaps earned its gratitude. On the other, it was patent to Mather that this royal favor had been fliown againft the wiflies of the Englifli people, was pronounced to be unconflitutional, and its acceptance might provoke a fliarp retribution at the next turn of affairs. His natural advifers, the Englifli Diffenters, were difquieted and divided upon the fubje6l. Macaulay, in the feventh chapter of his hiflory, has fully defcribed the fituation of thefe fteadfafl congregations, fo recently the obje6l of fcorn and cruel perfecution, now fuddenly elevated to the rank of arbiter between the contending fa(ftions, and affiduoully courted by both. For a time a portion of the leading Diffenters were in favor of accepting the Royal favor, and to this opinion Mather at firft inclined, influenced perhaps by his friends Penn and Alfop. On the 30th of May, 1688, he waited on the King with the Addrefs of the Congregations of New England and a flmilar document from the inhabitants of Plymouth Colony. James received thefe loyal effufions gracioufly, and promifed the petitioners " a Magna Charta for Liberty of Confcience." Two days later Mather was again admitted into the King's clofet, and then, in reply to a queftion, ventured to fpeak of Andros as an opponent of the Declaration. Being inftrufted by James to commit to writing the matters wherein the Colony defired relief, he promptly prepared a petition which he prefented on the 2nd of July. The The Agent of MaJjfaeJmfetts, 9 The month of June had been full of important events. On the tenth, the ill-fated Prince of Wales was born, and the laft days of the month had witneffed the triumphant acquittal of the feven Bifliops. Amid all thefe preffmg affairs, the King feems to have received the petition courteouHy, and repeated the promife of his continued favor to New England. Then occurred a ftrange converfation. To the King, who had but a few months before forced the Univerfities of Cam- bridge and Oxford to yield a portion of their wealth and honors to Roman Catholics, Mather now preferred a requefl; for a Charter for Harvard College. It was, he faid, hard that the College built by Non-Conformifts fliould be taken from them and put into the hands of Conformifts. The King gravely replied, "It is unreafonable and it fliall not be." Up to this time Mather had made no attempts to obtain a renewal of the Charter of the Colony. He defired to check the progrefs of Epifcopacy in Maffachufetts, to obtain a favorable decifion in regard to the titles of lands here, to which the Crown made great though vague pretenfions, and he may have hoped to procure the recall of Andros. Thefe projects were not unreafonable, and the policy of James was for the prefent favorable to them. The King indeed was apparently difpofed to treat the Colonics as his own efpecial tenants. His pofition as Proprietor of the Colony of New York before his acceffion to the throne, had rendered him familiar with American affairs. The opinion was now expreffed by the Courtiers that all New England was in like manner held by the Crown, independent of the Kingdom, and was fubje6t to fuch laws, ordinances, and forms of gov- ernment lo Increafe Mather, ernment, as the Crown fliould think fit to eflabHfli. Hence the King might well be pleafed to waive one form of fove- reignty over a people over whom he claimed a fupreme authority. He could even afford to encourage one body of heretics to the confufion of another, if he entertained the expectation of eventually fetting up the Roman Catholic relisfion in all the Colonies. o For three months Mather forbore to feek another inter- view, though he negle6led no opportunity to make friends among thofe who enjoyed the Royal favor. His chief coun- fellor and affociate was Sir Henry Afliurft, a wealthy baronet and member of Parliament, whofe family had always been friendly to New England. As a fellow Diffenter he was attached to Mather, and was unwearied in his efforts to ferve the Colony. Thus introduced at the outfet, Mather foon proved his fitnefs to condu6l negotiations in the unaccuf- tomed atmofphere of a court In a fliort time, William Penn, Lord Sunderland, the Earl of Melfort, and the terrible Jeffries, were numbered among his patrons. Even Father Petre was faid to be willing to fpeak a good word for New England. With the gain of fuch fupporters, the Agent feems to have become more ambitious in his views. He hoped now to regain the old Charter of Maffachufetts legally forfeited fome years before. This portion of his hiffory is paffed over rapidly in his fon's narrative, but fome fa6ts are known. In Auguft, Mather, a6ling with Samuel Nowell and Eliflia Hutchinfon, had petitioned the Lords of the Committee, afkins: The Agent of Maffachufetts. 1 1 afking for a confirmation of titles and the liberty of an Affembly, but Sunderland had plainly refufed the latter claufe. On the 26th of September, Mather had an interview with the King, and again had received ample promifes. To this period, and to the pen of Mather, may be fairly attributed the pamphlet entitled ' New England Vindicated from the Afperfions of thofe who faid that the Charter was taken away becaufe the Colonifts deflroyed the manufactures and commerce of England.' The King had at laft been aroufed to the dangers which threatened him from the plans of the Prince of Orange and his adherents. He attempted to conciliate his fubjects by conceffions which mio;ht have been effecflual earlier. Several important fteps were taken in the month of 06lober, notably the reftoration of their franchifes to the municipal corpora- tions. On the 1 6th of the month, the Agents for New England had another interview with the King, and were regaled with more promifes. For a time it feemed as if thefe promifes would be kept, but on a falfe report of the downfall of the Prince's expedition, the affair was flopped, and Mather then felt the falfenefs of his hopes. Perhaps believing that the bad news from Holland was true, the Agents preferred a final requeft to the Committee, aflcing only to have the Council in New England remodeled and made more efficient. Thus low had the hopes and expcda- tions of the New England party fallen. The reaclion, however, was fated to be a fpeedy one. The 12 Increafe Mather, The revolutionary movement in England was not to be flayed by the tardy peace-offerings of the vacillating Kin^, and on the 5th of November, 1688, William landed at Torbay, thenceforward to remain as the chofen ruler of the realm. The fucceeding fteps of the revolution are well- known ; we will cite but two dates. On the 23rd of Decem- ber, 1688, James fled from London, and on the 13th of February, 1688-9, William and Mary were proclaimed King and Oueen of EnHand. Although Mather was not a6lively concerned in the con- fpiracy againft James, he could not have been ignorant of what was intended. It mud be remembered that he was not a ftranger in England. After taking his degree as Mafter of Arts in 1658, at Trinity College, Dublin, he had preached for two years in various parts of England, and had been chaplain to the garrifon at Guernfey. At that time he had made many friends, and fmce his return he had culti- vated intimate relations with the Englifli Diffenters. His brother Nathaniel, after the Reftoration, was for fome time a preacher at Amfterdam. Mather had long been in corref- pondence with the prominent Diffenters there, efpecially with Abraham Kick, the friend of Shaftefbury, at whofe houfe that nobleman died. It is inconceivable, therefore, that the Agent of Maffachufetts remained in ignoramce of the ex2De6lations and plans of the patriots. Still, although the leaders of the Englifli Diffenters could promife a valuable addition to the forces of the Prince of Orange, Mather himfelf could not contribute a Angle foldier to The Agent of Majfaclmfetts. 1 3 to the caufe. He could only fay that the congregations of New England prayed for the fuccefs of the Proteftant religion, and would joyfully acknowledge William as their rightful King. On the 1 8th of December, William arrived at St. James's, and on the 21ft, the clergy of London, headed by Comp- ton, their Bifliop, prefented an Addrefs of congratulation. Among them were mingled fome of the Diffenting minifters, to whofe prefence Compton gracefully referred. On the 2nd of January, 1688-9, the Diffenting minifters to the number of ninety or more prefented their Addrefs. Although we do not find it ftated that Mather was prefent on either occa- fion, the fa(5l that he reprinted thefe two Addreffes in his pamphlet entitled " The Miferies of New England," warrants us in fuppofmg that he accompanied his brethren. On the 9th of January, 1688-9, Mather was favored with an interview with William, being introduced by Philip, Lord Wharton, "renowned as a diftributor of Calviniftic tra6ls and a patron of Calviniftic divines," and father of the notorious Thomas, Earl and Marquis of Wharton. Wharton fpoke earneftly in favor of the petition then prefented, faying that the New Englanders afked not for money or men, but for their ancient privileges. The Prince replied that he intended to take the bed care he could about it, and would fo inftru61; his Secretary, Mr. Jephfon. Lord Wharton then carried Mather to the Secretary and faid to him, " Coufm, obferve this gentleman, and when ever he comes to you, receive him as if I came myfeif." Soon 3 14 Increafe Mather, Soon after, the Agent received the affiftancc of another powerful friend. On February ifl;, 1688-9, Abraham Kick wrote from the Hague to the Princefs Mary in behalf of the New England Colonifts, begging her " to take the firft oppor- tunity to help them to the reftoration of their ancient Patent, privileges and liberties." At this time Mather muft have made public his account of the " Miferies of New England by reafon of an Arbitrary Government erecled there under Sir Edmund Andros," fmce a copy reached Boflon in feafon to be printed before the end of the current year, which clofed on the 24th of March, 1689, according to our modern reckoning. Nor did his exertions ceafe here ; being informed by Mr. Jephfon that a Circular Letter was to be fent to all the Plantations, confirm- ing the exifting governments until farther orders, Mather prevailed on the Secretary to prefent a remonftrance to the King, and fucceeded in flopping the letters for New Eng- land. The date of the letters thus intercepted was January 1 2 th, 1688-9. This prompt adiion was of the higheft importance to the Colonifts. New England was thus feparated from the other Colonies, and fromi that time the queflion of its Charters was an affair to be confidered apart. But for Mather's dexterous intervention Andros would have been confirmed, and as he proved afterward acceptable to the Englifli Court, he would probably have remained to complete the confolidation of the Dominion of New England. It was indeed a turning-point in our national hiftory. Thouo^h The Agejtt of Majfaclmfetts. 15 Though now fuccefsful, the moft delicate duties devolved upon Mather. William " had been bred a Prefbyterian, and was from rational convidlion a Latitudinarian," and there was therefore no reafon to fear that during his reign Popery or Prelacy would be forced upon the Congregationalifts of New England. But religious liberty was not the only defire of the great body of the Colonifts ; the refloration of that Charter, which as interpreted by them, granted virtually political independence, was their deareft wifli : and that Charter was an offence in the eyes oi all parties in England. William, as King of England, was not ready to make con- ceffions that had been condemned and cancelled by his predeceffors. An early effort was made by Mather, at an intendew granted him on March 14th, 1688-9, to fecure the Royal favor, but the King fignificantly replied to his repre- fentations, " I believe they are a good people, but 1 doubt there have been irregularities in their government." For the prefent, the King promifed to recall Andros at once to anfwer for any mal-adminiflration. Various plans were fuggefled for the provifional government of New England, and on the 26th of February, 1688-9, the King propofed to fend tw^o Commiffioners to take the place of Andros until a new Charter fliould be prepared. In the meantime, before the tidings of his Majefty's intentions could reach them, the Colonifts had taken the decifion into their own hands. On the i8th of April, 1689, the inhabi- tants of Bofton rofe againft Andros and his coadjutors, and eftabliflied a provifional government of their own. A Coun- cil of Safety was formed, two Conventions were held, and on 1 6 Increafe Mather, on the 24th of May, Bradftreet and the magiflrates chofen in 1686 reaffumed the charge of affairs until there fliould be other inflrudlions fent from England. The news of this revolution in New England reached London towards the end of June, and on the 4th of July, 1689, Mather had another interview with the King. William then expreffed his approbation of the a61ion of the Colonifts, and on the 12th of Auguft a Royal letter was addreffed to Maffachufetts, ratifying the affumption of government there for the time being. Mather, while thus folicitous of obtaining the confent of the Crown, was not regardlefs of the great power of Parlia- ment to affift in reftoring the Charter. The Convention Parliament, which had called William and Mary to the throne, was ftill in feffion, and was ffrenuous in reforming abufes. By advice of his friends, Mather procured a vote of the Houfe of Commons, " that the taking away of the New England Charters was a grievance, and that they fliould be reftored." A fe(5lion to this effe6l was inferted in the Corpo- ration Bill. This fiep was gained before Parliament took a recefs on the 20th of Auguft, 1689. Befides thefe appeals to the authorities, Mather evidently fought to enlifl the fympathies of the public on his fide. We have mentioned two of his publications during the previous nine months. His third effay feems to have been " The Prefent State of New England," &c., licenfed July 30th, 1689, in which he gave an account of what had been done The Agent of Maffachii/etts. 1 7 done towards eftabli filing a profperous colony under the old Charter. Soon after this, probably after the reaffembling of Parlia- ment on the 19th of Ocftober, a " Reply to the Vindication " was publiflied, which fet forth the impropriety of including the New England Charters in the Corporation Bill. This controverfy and the hopes of the Agents were terminated by the fate of the main bill. After a fevere contefl between the Whigs and Tories, the mod important claufes of the bill were ftricken out, and Parliament was prorogued on the 27th of January, 1689-90. Its formal diffolution took place a few days later. Thus paffed away the year 1689, without any farther change in the affairs of New England. To William, how- ever, the year had been crowded with important events. On the 12th of March, James landed in Ireland, and maintained his fway over a large portion of that ifland throughout the year. On the 7th of May, war with France was proclaimed. The Highland clans threatened for a moment to rcftore Scotland to the Stuarts, but that chance had expired with the death of Dundee at the battle of Killiecrankie on the 27th of July. In England the diffenfions of the rival par- ties had required the utmofl {kill of William to prevent the Revolution from ending in anarchy or a refloration. Towards the end of this year alfo, the opponents of the Charter began to make themfelves heard. Byfield and another writer had publiflied in England the Colonifls' verfion 1 8 Increafe Mather, verfion of the overthrow of Andros. The opinions of the inhabitants were not however unanimoufly in favor of the change. The EpifcopaHans of Bofton fent to England a ftrong: remonftrance, and fmiilar documents were forwarded from the citizens in Charleftown and the fettlers in Maine. Many of the magiftrates appointed or retained by Andros were forry at his overthrow, and Gerfliom Bulkeley pubHflied a pamphlet to fliow that the new government was illegal. Palmer, one of the ableft of Andros's adherents, prepared in prifon a defence of the late government, which found a printer in the diflant Colony of Pennfylvania, and was doubt- lefs freely circulated even in Bofton. We may imagine, that by the beginning of the year 1690, all of thefe documents had reached London, and early in the year, Andros, Dudley, and feveral others of their party were fent thither by command of the King. Mather and Alliurft, now recognized as Agents by the reftored govern- ment of New England, received as colleagues Eliflia Cooke and Thomas Oakes. Very little progrefs however was made in the year 1690 towards fulfilling the wiflies of the Colonifts. The King was bufy with more important matters. His new Parliament met in March ; in June he landed in Ireland, then in open hoftility to him. On the ift of July he gained the battle of the Boyne, and five days later he entered Dublin, virtually the vi6lor in the laft ftruggle to be made for James II. Early in September William returned to England, and until the clofe of the year was chiefly occupied in arranging affairs fo that he could leave England for the camp of his allies abroad. Mather The Ag^nt of MaJfacJmfetts. 1 9 Mather fays that during this year he made "fome effays to fee if by a writ of error in judgment the cafe of the Maffa- chufetts Colony might be brought out of Chancery into the King's Bench ; " but this was " defeated by a furprizing Providence." By this phrafe we are probably not to under- hand that any fpecial accident overthrew the plan of the Agents, but rather as^we fliould now fay, " that it was provi- dentially defeated." There can be little doubt that Mather referred rather to fuch a divifion in the councils of the Agents themfelves as led to an abandonment of the fcheme of a reverfal of the judgment. Eliflia Cooke was for the old Charter or none at all, and Oakes joined with him. Mather and Afliurft were in favor of makinor the befl terms poffible. The difputes between thefe four had gone fo far that Cooke and Oakes would not fign the articles preferred againft Andros before the Privy Council, April 17th, 1690, and the profecution fell through on that ground. Hard words were exchanged, Mather faying that the Earl of Mon- mouth told him " that they had cut the throat of their country in not figning," and Cooke alleging the advice of Sir John Somers in defenfe of his condu6l. A falfe rumor was circulated that Cooke and Oakes faid ' that they could have faved the old Charter if it had not been for Mather, and that he had betrayed his country.' Evidently the mul- titude of counfellors had not ftrengthened the hands of the Aeents. 'C>^ Cooke continued an opponent to the end, and refufed to take any fteps towards obtaining a new Charter, but the others decided to truft to the kindnefs of the King. The Earl 20 Increafe Mather, Earl of Monmouth prefented their requeft, and it was refer- red to the two Lord-Chief-Juftices, Holt and Pollexfen, the Attorney-General Treby, and the Sollicitor-General Somers, with whom Mather was on friendly terms. He was prefent at the confultations at which the new Charter was prepared, and the report, having been fubmitted to the King, was forwarded to the Committee for Trade and Plantations on the I ft of January, 1 690-1. In 1690, the able attack upon Mather entitled " New England's Facftion Difcovered " was publiflied. After the unconditional releafe of Andros in April, his friends feem to have been active and eloquent in oppofmg a re-grant of a Charter to Maffachufetts. Palmer iffued a reprint of his Defence, wifely expunging the Scriptural arguments which were fpecially adapted to a New England audience. Thefe two writers not only praifed the condu6l of Andros, but fkillfully difplayed the feeblenefs of his fucceffors in the government. In reply to them, Mather undoubtedly publiflied his " Vindication of New England," containing the firft Petition of the Epifcopalians of Bofton. Soon after, the Government of Maffachufetts put forth their ftatement entitled " The Revolution in New England Juftified and the People there Vindicated," and the accompanying " Narrative of the Pro- ceedings of Andros," by feveral of his Council. Indeed, the latter pamphlet, dated at Bofton, Feb. 4th, 1 690-1, refers efpecially to " fuch untrue Accounts as that which goes under the name of Capt. John Palmer's, and that fcandalous Pamphlet The Agent of Majfaclmfetts. 2 1 Pamphlet entitled 'New England's Fadlion Difcovered,' fup- pofed to be written by an Implacable Enemy of all good men, and a perfon that for Impudence and Lying has few Equals in the World." By this polite defcription we learn that Randolph was credited with the authorfliip. Laftly, to the pen of fome friend of the Agents, we may attribute the pamphlet called " The Humble Addrefs of the Publicans of New England," with its infmuations that the fecond Petition of the Epifcopalians was intended for which- ever King might fucceed, and that their proteftations of loyalty were worthlefs. The contefl; between the two parties was maintained by able champions, and the King as ufual agreed with neither extreme. On the 1 8th of January, 1 690-1, King William failed for the Hague, where he remained until the middle of April. As we have feen, the matter of the new Charter was in the hands of the Committee for Trade and Plantations, and Mather was bufy in fecuring the intereft of all who might aid him. He publiflied a paper of '* Reafons for the Con- firmation of Charter Privileges ; " he gained the fupport of fuch non-conformift minifters as had influence with noble- men ; he fpecially obtained the good offices of Archbifliop Tillotfon and Bifliop Burnet. Finally, on the 9th of April, 1 69 1, he was granted an interview with the Queen, in which her Majefty difplayed her ufual kindnefs of heart, and prom- ifed to ufe her influence with the King in behalf of the Colonv. In 4 2 2 Increafe Mather In April, William returned to England for a fortnight, and in that time Mather was favored with two interviews with him. At the firft, he only prefented Addreffes from the General Court, and from a number of London merchants. On the 28th of April he had a fecond audience, when he urged the difference between New England and the other Colonies. The work of preparing the new Charter was now fairly commenced, and the firft quefhion fubmitted to the King was whether the Colonifts fliould make their own laws and appoint their own officers, or there fliould be a Governor appointed by the Crown, who fliould have the power of vetoing laws. The King decided for a Royal Governor, but avoided a dire6l decifion of the queftion as to the veto power. On the I ft of May, 1691, William again departed for the Continent, and Mather foon became involved in difputes with the Lords of the Council as to the terms to be employed in the new Charter. The Council evidently intended that the Governor fliould have the veto power ; Mather ftrenu- oufly endeavored to perfuade them to adopt a plan which the Attorney-General Treby had drawn up at his felicitation, and by which the Governor had not this power in any cafe. The matter was referred to the King, but he was too intent on his campaign in Flanders to reply. Mather protefted to the Miniflers that he would fooner part with his life than confent to their plan, or to ' anything that might infringe any liberty or privilege that juftly belonged to his country.' Their The Agent of Maffaclmfetts. 23 Their fignificant reply was, ' that nobody expected or defired his confent ; that they did not look on the Agents from New England as plenipotentiaries from another fovereign flate ; but that if they declared that they would not fubmit unto the King's pleafure, his Majefty would fettle the country as he pleafed, and they were to take what would follow.' The irrepreffible Agent, however, continued to proteft, and perfuaded his friends at Court, and even the Queen, to write to the King, aflcing either that his plan might be adopted, or that the Charter might be delayed until the King's return to England. Believing that he had thus fecured a refpite, Mather went to recruit his health " to the Waters," probably to the fafliionable refort at Bath ; but he was quickly recalled by the news that the King had on the loth of Auguft fignified his approval of the Council's plan, and had ordered the Charter to be proceeded with forthwith. Nothing remained but acquiefcence, and Mather now tried only to obtain all poffible conceffions in the details. He fucceeded in having the territories of Nova Scotia, Maine and Plymouth annexed to Maffachufetts, but failed in having New Hampfliire alfo included. He had the form of Oaths amended to fuit his views, and obtained the addition of a moft important claufe confirming all grants made by the General Court, notwithftanding any defecft that there might be in form of conveyance. The new Charter, thus framed and amended, was figned on the 7th of Oclober, 1691. Here ended the labors of Mather as Agent for Maffachu- fetts. On the 4th of November he waited on his Majefly to thank 24 Ina^eafe Mather. thank him for the Charter, and to notify him that the Agents united in recommending that Sir William Phips fliould be appointed Governor. On the 7th of March, 169 1-2, Mather and the newly commiffioned Governor left London, and on the 29th failed from Plymouth, under convoy of the Nonefuch frigate, for Bofton, where, they arrived on the 14th of May, 1692. It would be foreign to our purpofe to attempt to explain the differences between the old Charter and the new one, or to account for the diffatisfadion which was caufed by the change. Mather received but fcanty praife for his labor and was even forced to defend his a6tions. It feems to us, however, that the information colledled in this volume will render it evident that the Colony was moft fortunate in its choice of an Agent : That he was fagacious, eloquent, dauntlefs and incorruptible : that he maintained his dignity under trying circumftances: and that without facrificing honefty to expediency, he proved himfelf fit to treat with flatefmen and to gain the favor of fovereigns. If any im- portance be attached to the growth of the political fyftem of New England, let it be remembered, that at the moft critical period of its hiftory, the energies of Increafe Mather gave it a form and fliape which it has never loft. w. H. w. INCREASE MATHER Library of Congress 3^^„^u d:_j