The Advocate and news., 1897-12-08

sity graduate, and evidently had nttle
education of the academic kind. BY ma
ture and by early choice he was wan
derer. pioneer, fighter and egotist. HIS
yoluminous writings deserve but Il hum
ble place in literature At their best, MS
hooks lack high literary merit, their
main value being purely historical.
AS fair sample of Smiths method
and style we cite passage from New
England's Trial: Here | must entreat
a little your fauours to digresse. They
did not kill the English referring to the
Indians) because they were Christians
but for their weapons and commodities;
but now they feare we may beate them
out of their dens, which Lyons Clions)
and Tigers (tigers) would not admit but
by force But must this be an argument
for an Englishman, or discourage an
other in Virginia or in New England?
No: for have tried them both
Smith deserves attention, as did some
other recorders, not from the historian
of American literature, but from the
antiquarian.
William Bradford (5SS-1657) was
born in New England and was very un-
like Smith in character. Bradford was
also master of a very much better style
in English writing.
He was a fOre-runner OF literature, the
FIRST Pilgrim writer in America. The
History of Plymouth Plantation was
the principal one of his historical writ
ings, and in that he grew quite poetical.
He has been accused of bigotry and bit
terness, but his writings show him to be
a strong, sincere and useful man.
He possessed what might be called the
style of Milton's prose, as will be seen
in his Introductory to Plymouth Planta-
tions: "And first of ye occasion and in
dusements there unto; the which that |
may truly unfould, | must begin at We
very roote & rise of ye same. The which
| shall endevor to manefest in a plaine
stile, with singular regard unto ye simple
trueth in all things; at least as near as
my slender judgement can attaine the
same"
Edward Winslow, fellow passenger
Of Bradford's on the voyage of the May
flower, was the author OF several books
of his own and part writer OF journal
kept in conjunction with the more IA
nous author-William Bradford. He
was native of Worcestershire, England,
born in 1896, and died 1855.
He emigrated to New England at the
age Of 25. Like many Of the Pilgrims
and Puritans, he could boast of good
birth if he wished.
WinsIow was a modest chronicler OF
events, his journal, which he wrote in
connection with William Bradford, be-
ing his best. Truth is everywhere ap-
parent in the record; and the intensity
Of the writer's seldom interfered with
their common sense and discretion.
The following, in the account of the
first visit of Massasoit, is part OF the
treaty of peace made on Thursday, March
% Q62D with Massasoit, as recorded
in their journal, may be interesting to
our readers:
CD That neither he nor any of his
should injure or do hurt to any of our
people.
(2) And if any of his did hurt to any
of ours, he should send the offender, that
we might punish him.
(3) That if any of our tools were taken
away when our people were at work,
he should cause them to be restored, and
if ours did harm to any Of his, we would
do the like to them.
(4) If any did unjustly war against
him, we would aid him; if any did war
against us, he would aid us.
There were two other clauses in this
strange treaty, and following the ac-
count of it in the journal is T. descrip-
ton OF Massasoit-his person, character,
attire and manner. In speaking of the
character of Winthrop, it is said the
only representation of one of the May
flowers passengers, shows a dignifed,
solid, and thoughtful countenance, well
indexing the character of one, who,
though scarcely man of letters, be-
longed to that noteworthy group of
chroniclers who treasured up the records
of the early deeds of the settlers OF
oh,