CHAPTER X THE MAYFLOWER CARRIES THE PILGRIMS TO NEW W ENGLAND E have now come to the story of the first people who went to America from England because they wanted liberty to worship God in their own way. These people were known as Separatists, for they thought the forms and ceremonies of the English Church were wrong and they wished to have a separate church of their own, with a different and more simple service. King James would not permit this, for he was afraid that if men had a church without the king at its head, they might soon begin to think that they could do without the king in other things, and so the royal power would be weakened. He therefore commanded that all persons holding services other than those allowed by the national church, should be severely punished. But in spite of the King's command, the Separatists held their meetings at one another's houses. They had their own ministers and their own church government. "Giants at heart they were who believed in God Many of their services were held at Scrooby Manor House, in Nottingham, the home of William Brewster. For some time they managed to hold their meetings every Sunday, going secretly to Scrooby to listen to the long sermons of their ministers; but their enemies found out their secret place of worship and became so cruel in their interference that the Separatists decided to leave England and go to Holland to live, where there would be freedom for their religion. Their first attempt to leave the country was stopped and the leaders of the would-be emigrants were thrown into prison and a year was wasted before they dared try again to get to Holland. For their second attempt to escape the Pilgrims, as they were called when they began their travels, gathered on a lonely part of the Lincolnshire coast. The ship that was to bear them to Amsterdam had part of the company on board and a small boat was just coming back to fetch more passengers, when some horsemen appeared and seized the unfortunate people still on shore. The ship's captain put to sea with what passengers he had and carried them safely to Holland. The others followed, one at a time, as soon as they were free. It seemed as though the troubles of the Pilgrims were over, for the Dutch were kind to them and in no way interfered with their religion. Leaving Amsterdam they went to the smaller city of Leyden to live and there they remained for eleven years, from 1609 to 1620. They supported themselves by their different trades and on Sunday went openly to church to hear John Robinson preach. But although they "lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, and quieted their spirits," the Pilgrims were homesick for English ways and to hear the English tongue. The thought grew among them that they owed it to their children to seek a new land where they "could be English and yet be free," and where they could establish their own faith. In July, 1620, arrangements were made for some of the Pilgrims to go to America. All could not go at once, for they had become a large company. The first instalment from the Leyden church was selected with Brewster, the Elder, to lead it, and the party left Leyden in canal boats for Delfthaven, where they joined the ship that they expected would carry them to the New World. Their vessel was the Speedwell, a Dutch ship of sixty tons burden which the Pilgrims intended to keep with them in their new home. They made a good run as far as Southampton, where the ship Mayflower awaited them. She was a somewhat larger ship than the Speedwell; but small enough when we think of her to-day! The intention was that the two ships, between them, should carry the party of Pilgrims; but hardly had they set sail together when the Speedwell began to leak and had to put back to Dartmouth for repairs. A second setting out was unsuccessful; for again the Speedwell had to stop. This time they put into Plymouth, where the vessel was declared unseaworthy and had to be abandoned. Her passengers then packed into the Mayflower, which finally sailed on the 16th of September. Rough and weary was the long voyage to the folk upon the crowded little ship; the weather was cold and stormy, and often the Mayflower seemed to make no headway against the wind and waves. On one of the most tempestuous days a little boy was born. His name was Peregrine White; and the queer old cradle that rocked him is yet to be seen in Pilgrim Hall at Plymouth, among some other curious pieces of furniture that came from England in the famous Mayflower. While they were at sea, the Pilgrims wrote out the plans for the government of their colony. They acknowledged King James of England as their sovereign; but they meant to do most of the governing without his help. They were to make their own laws, and every man promised to obey them. They chose John Carver to be their first governor. It was the 11th of November when the Mayflower |