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Sickness of Massasoit.

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was beaten, and a trumpet sounded; then came Governor Carver to the sachem and kissed his hand, and the two sat down on a rug and made a treaty of peace which protected the colony for nearly a half century.

Edward Winslow returned the visit of Massasoit during the following summer. In March, 1623, news came to Plymouth that the chief was dangerously sick. Mr. Winslow was sent by the colonists to visit him. He was accompanied by Mr. Hamden, and by Hobomok, an Indian interpreter.

Hobomok greatly loved his chief. On the way to Sowamset in Pokonoket, the residence of Massasoit, he would break out into exclamations of grief:

-

"My loving sachem! O my loving sachem! many have I known, but never any like thee. Whilst I live I shall never see his like among Indians!"

Mr. Winslow in his journal has count of this visit to Massasoit.

left a most interesting acHe says:

"When we came to the house we found it so full of men that we could scarcely get in, though they used their best endeavors to make way for us. We found the Indians in the midst of their charms for him, making such a noise as greatly affected those of us who were well, and therefore was not likely to benefit him who was sick. About him were six or eight women, who chafed his limbs to keep heat in him.

"When they had made an end of their charming, one told him that his friends, the English, were come to see him. Having understanding left, though his sight was wholly gone, he asked who was come. They told him, Winslow.

"He desired to speak with me. When I came to him, he put forth his hand and I took it. He then inquired :

"Keen Winslow?' which is to say, 'Art thou Winslow?' "I answered, 'Ahhe;' that is, 'Yes.'

“Then he said, 'Matta neen wouckanet namen, Winslow ;' that is to say, 'O Winslow, I shall never see thee again.'

“I then called Hobomok, and desired him to tell Massasoit that the Governor, hearing of his sickness, was sorry; and though, by reason of much business, he could not come himself, yet he sent me with such things as he thought most likely to do him good in his extremity, and that if he would. like to partake of it I would give it to him. He desired that I would. I then took some conserve on the point of my knife, and gave it to him, but could scarce get it through his teeth. When it had dissolved in his mouth, he swallowed the juice of it. When those who were about him saw this they rejoiced greatly, saying that he had not swallowed any thing for two days before. His mouth was exceedingly furred, and his tongue much swollen. I washed his mouth and scraped his tongue, after which I gave him more of the conserve, which he swallowed with more readiness. He then desired to drink. I dissolved some of the conserve in water, and gave it to him.

"Within half an hour there was a visible change in him. Presently his sight began to come. I gave him more, and told him of an accident we had met with in breaking a bottle of drink the Governor had sent him, assuring him that if he would send any of his men to Patuxet (Plymouth), I would send for more. I also told him that I would send for chickens to make him some broth, and for other things which I knew were good for him, and that I would stay till the messenger returned, if he desired. This he received very kindly, and appointed some who were ready to go by two o'clock in the morning, against which time I made ready a letter.

"He requested that the day following I would take my gun and kill him some fowl, and make him some pottage, such as he had eaten at Plymouth, which I promised to do. His appetite returning before morning, he desired me to make him some broth without fowl before I went out to hunt. I was now quite at a loss what to do. I, however, caused a woman

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The Story of Massasoit.

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to pound some corn, put it into some water, and place it over the fire. When the day broke, we went out to seek herbs; but it being early in the season, we could find none except strawberry leaves. I gathered a handful of them, with some sassafras root, and put them into the porridge. It being boiled, I strained it through my handkerchief, and gave him at least a pint, which he liked very well. After this his sight mended more and more, and he took some rest. We now felt constrained to thank God for giving his blessing to such raw and ignorant means. It now appeared evident that he would recover, and all of them acknowledged us as the instruments of his preservation.

"That morning he caused me to spend in going from one to another of those who were sick in town, requesting me to wash their mouths also, and to give to each of them some of the same that I gave him. This pains I willingly took.

"The messengers who had been sent to Plymouth had by

MANY VISITORS.

this time returned; but Massasoit, finding himself so much

better, would not have the chickens killed, but kept them that they might produce more. Many, whilst we were there, came to see him; some of them, according to their account, came not less than a hundred miles. Upon his recovery, he said: :"Now I see that the English are my friends, and love me, and whilst I live I will never forget this kindness which they have shown me.'

"As we were about to come away he called Hobomok

to him and revealed to him a plot the Massachusetts had formed to destroy the English. He told him that several other tribes were confederate with them; that he, in his sickness, had been earnestly solicited to join them, but had refused, and that he had not suffered any of his people to unite with them."

Massasoit died, as is supposed, in the autumn of 1661, forty-one years after the landing of the Pilgrims. In 1662, his two sons, Wamsetta and Metacom, came to Plymouth to renew the treaty of peace he had made, and desired that English names should be given them. The court named them after the two heroes of Macedon, Alexander and Philip.

The years which followed the coming of the Pilgrims were years through which good men in England found it bitter to live.. Charles I.

was upon the throne. Laud was Archbishop of Canterbury. Bigotry as blind and almost as cruel as England had ever seen thus sat in her high places. A change was near. John Hampden was farming his lands in Buckinghamshire. A greater than he cousin, Oliver

his

Cromwell was leading his quiet rural life at Huntingdon, not without many anxious and indignant thoughts about the evils of his time. John Milton was peacefully writing his