petent. Prosperity did not come to them speedily even after their fortunes had begun to improve.

In 1624 their difficulties with John Lyford and John Oldham began, which resulted in breaking up the company of the Adventurers and in securing for the colony a new agreement, by which their commercial independence finally was attained. The former had just arrived. The latter had come in the Anne. Lyford was a reprobate but nominally a clergyman of the Church of England. Avowing a wish to join the church in Plymouth, he was received and treated with great respect. But he and Oldham soon were detected in a conspiracy against the public welfare. They were tried and convicted. The particulars need not be narrated. Lyford professed deep penitence and was pardoned. But he soon turned out to be both treacherous and corrupt and finally was expelled from Plymouth. He went to Nantasket and then to Salem and

died at last in Virginia. Oldham also was expelled from the colony, and more speedily. In 1625 Oldham reappeared, more violent than ever, but they dealt with him summarily. They

apointed a gard of musketers wch he was to pass throw, and ever one was ordered to give him a thump. . . with ye but end of his musket, and then [he] was conveied to ye water side, wher a boat was ready to cary him away. Then they bid him goe & mende his maners.12

Not long after he repented and the Plymouth men good-naturedly became reconciled to him and had no further annoyance from him. He settled at Nantasket, went back to England, and was active in planning with the Gorges family for the settlement of the Bay, returned to America after the Bay colony had been established by others, and lived afterwards at Watertown, and in 1636 was killed by Indians. These men had friends among the London Adventurers, and a dispute over them finally broke up that company. 13

It had been rent by divisions from the first, had suffered heavy losses and there was no prospect of greater harmony and

success.

But the Pilgrims had no desire to take advantage of this condition of affairs, and finally, through Standish and Allerton, who successively had been sent to England on the business, they agreed to pay £1,800 within six years, thereby purchasing their financial freedom.14 Allerton paid £200 down and brought back £400 worth of supplies. The colony was reorganized at once for better farming and trade, and, in spite of their burden of debt, they entered courageously upon their new and at last independent career. This arrangement was accomplished in 1627 and 1628.

They never possessed a royal charter. But in 1629 the Council of New England, of which the Earl of Warwick then was president, granted to the colony of New Plymouth a new patent, made out to "William Bradford, his heirs, associates

and assigns." 15 It is dated January 23, 1630, and the original parchment is in the office of the Register of Deeds at Plymouth. It defines the territorial limits of the colony for the first time and it also includes a grant of land for fifteen miles on each side of the Kennebec River, which they obtained in order to establish a fishing and trading station there. They came near being wrecked financially after all, for in 1631 Allerton proved to have mismanaged their funds and to have incurred debts in their name to the large amount of £4,770, in addition to which they still owed £1,000 of their purchase money. 16 But good fortune smiled upon them and by great exertions they appear to have paid all their obligations in full in the course of 1633.17

CHAPTER XXIII.

SUCCEEDING YEARS.

EFORE the scheme of buying out

BEFORE

the share of the Adventurers in their common interest had been carried out, several incidents had occurred in the domestic life of the colony which deserve brief notice. On November 15, 1623, a fire was caused by the carelessness or malice of some sailors belonging to a ship lying in the harbor, who were "roystering" ashore. The thatch upon the roof of the building in which they were ignited, and that house, as well as several others, was destroyed with all the goods and provisions in them. The common house, which stood next door and was full of valuable stores, was barely saved. Of course the sailors insisted that the fire was accidental, but it probably was set, yet