The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-09

Waymouth's discovery In 1905, cooperating
win ropham and others he dispatched
Ohallons and Pring thither in 1906. The
fopham colony followed lin 1907 The fail
ure OF the colony was most keenly felt by
Georges, but he yielded not lot of hope or
courage mot doubling but God would
enect that which men despaired Of
Though the condition of affairs in England
demanded much of his attention, his thoughts
were ever busy with plans for further un-
dertakings. With Captain John Smith, Cap
tain Hobson, and others, he entered from
time to time into new plans all of which were
baf1ied. Richard Vines in 1916 was located
at the mouth of the Saco river In Gorges' in
terest, but his enterprise proved q failure.
Added efforts through Dermer only kindled
hope. With the Pilgrim enterprise at Ply
mouth, Gorges, who was a. Royalst, was
not in sympathy, but as the head of the
Council for New England his hand continued
to shape affairs. he found at length help
er in John Mason, and in 1922 he received a
grant of the territory lying between the Mer-
rimac and the Kennebec rivers, extending
from the coast 60 miles, which he named the
province Of Maine. Not long after his son,
Robert Gorges, was sent over as Governor aud
Acknowledgement of the new country, and
Gorges was busy with new schemes includ-
ing colony at the mouth of the Sagadahec,t to
which was devoted 40 square miles of terri
tory to be called "the State county," and in
which there was to be city named by the
King In 1929, after the war with Spain,
Georges and Mason divided their province of
Maine, Mason taking that part lying be-
tween the Merrimac and Piscataqua rivers,
which he named New Hampshire Gorges
was interested with Mason in establishing
settlement at the mouth of the Piscataqua,
and all his colonial interests manifested now
remarkable activity In 1886 everything was
in fair way to place the entire control of
New England in the hands of Gorges with
almost regal powers. In 1886 he sent over his
nephew, William Gorges, as Governor of New
Somersetshire, his own particular portion of
New England, extending from the Piscataqua
to the Kennebec. Gorges established himself
at Saco which was to be the centre of
royal and prelatical power. In 1641 still
grander scheme was planned. An elaborate
charter was conferred upon the inhabitants
of Agamenticus. The place was to be known
q
aldermen, "a councilmen. a bishops resi-
dence and 'the religion now possessed. in the
church of England" But the great rebellion
broke out. All England was in an uproar.
Gorges united his fortunes with the royal
cause. While the conflict was in progress,
there were those who aimed to wrest from
him his colonial possessions. His rival
Rigby at length secured a confirmation of
the Ligonia patent. This was sharp blow
to Gorges' hopes and he yielded the long
struggle. 1t was at this time, in his old
age, that he penned his Brief Narration, in
which he recorded an account of his colonial
undertakings. His life work was then ended,
and he died early in May 1647.
Mr.. Baxter gives fitting expression to the
character of Gorges in these words:
He was man of broad and benefcent
views, intent upon benefiting his fellow men,
not only in his own day and generation, but
also by leaving behind him works which
should rebound to the welfare of posterity
We may see also that he was man pos sess-
ing the courage of his convictions; brave,
sober, and wise in counsel; staunch friend
and generous enemy, since in his writings
no word OF criticism or i'll feeling relating
to those who opposed him can be found.
His mind was too much occupied with useful
plots, rivalries and enmities which sur
rounded him, and filled up the measures
of some mems lives to the exclusion of
better things: For more than forty years
OF ms life ne had ever before him the glowing
vision of new world, teeming with posi-.
bliities of good to mankind without number
and without limit; and awaiting only the
advent of willing spirits to become the
theatre OF achievements beyond all that man
had yet attained. Such a prospect must
have broadened his outlook upon the world,
and ennobled his spirit. The words with
which he closed his Narration tell of this,
and will serve as fitting termination to this
fragmentary sketch of his life. But end
OF az goodness, and knopS best his cum time
TO bring his ciU to be made monJest, and
appoints his Instruments for the ac-
con1ptsshment thereof; to achose pleasure 1t
as to that nsighty Cod and gr r f'' and
| gracious Lord. to aohom all glory doth
| belong"
These are noble words. That mighty God
ana just and gracious Lord" had other in
struments for the settlement of New Eng
land than Georges and those who were asso-
ciated with him. The Pilgrims at Plymouth
and the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay
were the chosen people, and who does not
see that the establishment on these shores of
the principles for which they stood has con-
ferred blessings upon mankind that could not
have been secured If Gorges and his asso-
ciates had been successful.
There are portions of Mr.. Bakers work
to which / purposed to call especial atten-
ton. He has added to our knowledge of
affairs connected with the Popham colony
and enriched his volume with many new
incidents and suggestions connected with
the early settlement of the coast Of Maine.
But the limit of this notice has already been
reached. This memoir of Gorges is by far
the most important contribution that has
been made to our early annals, and MI.
Baxter has again brought us all under obli-
| cations to him because of his enthusiastic
devotion to the history of his native State.
HENRY S. BURRAGE.
*Sir Ferdinando Gorges and His Province of
Maine; Including the Brief Relation, the Brief
Narration. His Defence, the Charter granted to
him. his Will and his Letters. Edited, with
Memoir and Historical Illustrations, by James
Phinney Baxter, A. M. Vol. l. Boston: Pub
ished by the Prince Society, 1890.