1665.

This year Mr. Thomas Prince was elected governor of the jurisdiction of New Plimouth. Mr. William Collier, Mr. John Alden, Major Josias Winslow, Capt. Thomas Southworth, Capt. William Bradford, Mr. Thomas Hinkley, and Mr. James Brown, were chosen assistants to him in government.

In the spring of this year, that honourable gentleman, Mr. John Endicot, governor of the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts, changed this life for a better. He was a very virtuous gentleman, and was greatly honoured and beloved of the most, as he well deserved. He arrived at Salem in the year 1628, and had the chief command of those that, at the first, there seated, and bare a deep share of the difficulties of those first beginnings, which were great, by reason especially of the great sickness and mortality that was then amongst them, as hath been before noted. There he continued, until the jurisdiction of the Massachusetts saw reason to desire his removal to Boston, for the more convenient administration of justice, as governor of the said jurisdiction, to which he was frequently elected, for many years together, with little intermission; and in which honourable service he served God and the country, until old age, and the infirmities thereof, coming upon him, he fell asleep in the Lord, and was, with great honour and solemnity, interred at Boston.¹⁶

This year it pleased God to cause a sad dispensation of his hand to pass before us, in reference to the sudden death of Captain Davenport, who, in the month of July, was slain, as he lay on his bed, with a blow of thunder and lightning. He was a man of some eminency, being betrusted with the command of the castle in the Massachusetts; at which said castle he was slain as aforesaid. The more ought this so sad stroke of God to be considered, and laid to heart, and improved for our humiliation, and the amendment of our lives before the great and terrible God, who so aloud spake unto us in this so sad and awing a providence.

This year it pleased the Lord again to strike the wheat of this country, in a more general way, than the last year, with blasting and mildew, whereby the greatest part of it was spoiled, and the ploughman’s hopes, in that respect, very much frustrated. Howbeit, the Lord still mixed with this affliction very much mercy, in sparing the other grain, whereby the country was in some good measure supplied.

1666.

This year Mr. Thomas Prince was chosen governor of the jurisdiction of New Plimouth. Mr. John Alden, Major Josias Winslow, Capt. Thomas Southworth, Capt. William Bradford, Mr. Thomas Hinkley, Mr. James Brown, and Lieut. John Freeman, were chosen to be his assistants in government.

This year it pleased God to go on in a manifestation of his displeasure against New England, in a very remarkable manner, by striking dead, in a moment, by a blow of thunder, three persons in the town of Marshfield, in the jurisdiction of New Plimouth, in the month of June, namely, one named William Shirtliff, and a woman and a youth; which sad dispensation of God’s hand, being considered, with some circumstances, gave cause to the beholders to be much astonished; the said Shirtliff having his wife by the hand, and sitting by her to cheer her, in respect that the said storm was so fierce, he was slain, and she preserved, though in some measure scorched with the lightning; yea, he had one of his children in his arms, and himself slain, and the child preserved. We have likewise received intelligence of four more, that about that time were slain by thunder and lightning, about Piscataqua, and divers more hurt. At the time of this storm of thunder and lightning, in the which those of Marshfield died, there arose likewise a very great whirlwind, that, where it came, it tore up trees by the roots, though through mercy it did little other hurt.

It was a great while, and many years spent, since the English came into these parts, before any very considerable hurt was done by thunder and lightning, to either man, or beast, appertaining to them, although, sometimes, very fierce storms of that kind, as frequently as in these times. But now, how doth the Lord go on gradually, in this, as in other judgments, here in New England; first, by striking cattle, and then one person at a time, and this year divers, to the number of seven, besides some cattle also.