confinement, put an end to his life on the 26th of March, 1649.

Governour Winthrop kept an exact journal of the occurrences and transactions of the colony during his refidence in it. This journal was of great fervice to several hiftorians. It is ftill in poffeffion of the Connecticut branch of the family, and was published at Hartford, in 1790. Belknap's American Biography, Vol. II.

WILLIAM BRADFORD, Esq. WILLIAM BRADFORD, Efq. was born in 1588, at Anfterfield, an obfcure village in the north of England. His parents dying when he was very young, he was educated in the practice of agriculture.

At twelve years of age, his mind became feriously impreffed with divine truth in reading the Scriptures; and, as he increased in years, a native firmnefs enabled him to vindicate his opinions against oppofition. Being ftigmatized as a separatift, he was obliged to bear the frowns of his relatives, and the ridicule of his neighbours. Nothing however could divert or intimidate him from attending the miniftry of Mr. Richard Clifton, and connecting himfelf with the church over which he and Mr. Robinfon prefided.

When he was eighteen years old, he refolved to migrate to Holland, and at length, after various difficulties, was permitted to join the brethren at Amfterdam.

When the church of Leyden contemplated a removal to America, Mr. Bradford zealouffy engaged in the un

dertaking, and came with the first company in 1620, to Cape Cod. Whilst the ship lay in that harbour, he was one of the foremost in the several hazardous attempts to find a proper place for the feat of the colony, in one of which, he, with others of the principal perfons, narrowly efcaped the deftruction which threatened their fhallop. After the fudden death of governour Carver, he was chofen governour of the infant colony of Plymouth. He was then in the thirty third of his age. piety, fortitude, and goodness of heart were fo confpicuous as to merit the fincere love of the people; and, excepting three years, he was annually chofen governour as long as he lived.

year

His wisdom,

He continued to enjoy his health till the autumn of 1656, when he began to decline, and as the spring advanced he became weaker, but felt not any acute illness till the beginning of May.

After a diftreffing day, his mind was in the following night fo elevated with the idea of futurity, that he said to his friends in the morning, "God has given me a pledge of my happiness in another world, and the firft fruits of eternal glory." The enfuing day, being the ninth of May, 1657, he died in the fixty ninth year of his age; and was greatly lamented by the people of Plymouth, and the neighbouring colonies.

In addition to what is faid of Mr. Bradford's character, it may be observed, that he poffeffed a strong mind, a found judgment, and a tenacious memory. Though not favoured with a liberal education, he was of a very ftudious turn. The French and Dutch languages were familiar to him, and he attained a confiderable knowledge

of the Latin and Greek ; but he more affiduously studied the Hebrew, because he said " he would fee with his own the ancient oracles of God."

eyes

He was well acquainted with history and philofophy; but theology was his favourite ftudy. He was able to manage the polemic part of it with much dexterity; and was particularly vigilant against the fectaries, which inhabited the colonies, though by no means fevere or intole rant, as long as they continued peaceable. He chose rather to confute them by argument, and guard the people against receiving their tenets, than to fupprefs them by violence, or cut them off by the fword of the magiftracy.

He wrote, "A Hiflory of Plymouth People and Colony," beginning with the firft formation of the church in 1602, and ending in 1646.

Belknap's American Biography, Vol. II.

JOHN WINTHROP, Esq.

JOHN WINTHROP, Efq. eldest son of Governour Winthrop, was born at Groton in Suffolk, Feb. 12, 1605. His fine genius was much improved by a liberal education in the universities of Cambridge and Dublin; and by travelling through most of the European kingdoms as far as Turkey. He came to New England, with his father's family, November 4th, 1631; and was, by the unanimous choice of the freemen, appointed a magiftrate of the colony, of which his father was governour. He rendered many fervices to the country, both at home and abroad, particularly in 1636, when, returning to England, he was

by ftrefs of weather forced into Ireland, where meeting with many influential perfons, he had an opportunity to promote the intereft of the colony by their means.

pow

The next year he returned to New England, with ers from the Lords Say and Brook, to fettle a plantation on Connecticut river. But finding that fome other worthy perfons from the Massachusetts had already removed, and others were about removing, to make a settlement on that river, at Hartford and Weathersfield, he gave them no difturbance; but having made an amicable agreement with them, he built a fort at the mouth of the river, and furnished it with the artillery and ftores, which had been fent over, and begun a town there, which, from the two lords who had a principal share in the undertaking, was called Saybrook.

When they had formed themselves into a body politic, they honoured him with an election to the magiftracy, and afterwards chofe him governour of the colony. At the restoration of King Charles II. he undertook a voyage to England, in behalf of the people of Connecticut and New Haven. By his prudent addrefs he obtained from the king a charter, incorporating both colonies into one, with a grant of privileges and powers of government fuperiour to any plantation, which had been fettled in America. The people at his return expreffed their gratitude, by electing him governour fourteen years together, till his death.

Mr. Winthrop's genius led him to philofophical inquiries, and his opportunities of converfing with learned men abroad furnished him with a rich variety of knowledge, particularly in the mineral kingdom. Some of his valuable communications, which were published in the Phila

fophical Transactions, procured him the honour of being elected a member of the Royal Society.

His many valuable qualifications as a gentleman, a philofopher, a christian, and a public ruler, procured him the univerfal respect of the people under his government; and his unwearied attention to public business, and great understanding in the art of government, was of unfpeakable advantage to them. Being one of the Commiffioners of the United Colonies of New England, in the year 1676, in the first general Indian war, as he was attending the fervice at Boston, he was feized with a fever, of which he died in the feventy firft year of his age. He was honourably buried in the fame tomb with his excellent father. Belknap's American Biography, Vol. II.

THOMAS BROWNE.

THOMAS BROWNE was born at London, in the year 1605. Having completed his academical ftudies, he turned his attention to phyfic, and practifed it fome time in Oxfordshire; but foon afterwards quitted his fettlement, and travelled to Ireland, from whence he paffed into France and Italy; made fome stay at Montpelier and Padua, which were then the celebrated schools of phyfic.; and returning home through Holland, was created doctor of phyfic at Leyden.

About the year 1634, he is fuppofed to have returned. to London; and the next year, to have written his celebrated treatife, called Religio Medici, The Religion of a Phyfi cian, which he declares himself never to have intended for