ember followinge there dyed by
estimacon about 200 at the least--Soe lowe hath the Lord brought vs!
Well, yet they who survived were not discouraged but bearing God's
corrections with humilitye and trusting in his mercies, and
considering how after a greater ebb hee had raised vpp our neighbours
at Plymouth we beganne againe in December to consult about a fitt
place to build a Toune [town] vppon, leavinge all thoughts of a fort,
because vppon any invasion wee were necessarily to loose our howses
when we should retire thereinto; soe after diverse meetings at Boston,
Rocksbury and Waterton on the 28th of December wee grew to this
resolution to bind all the Assistants Mr. Endicott & Mr. Sharpe
excepted, which last purposeth to returne by the next ships into
England to build howses at a place, a mile east from Waterton neere
Charles river,[3] the next Springe, and to winter there the next
yeare, that soe by our examples and by removeinge the ordinance and
munition thether, all who were able, might be drawne thether, and such
as shall come to vs hereafter to their advantage bee compelled soe to
doe; and soe if God would, a fortifyed Toune might there grow vpp, the
place fitting reasonably well thereto....

But now haueing some leasure to discourse of the motiues for other
mens comeinge to this place or their abstaining from it, after my
brief manner I say this--That if any come hether [hither] to plant for
worldly ends that canne live well at home hee co[m]mits an errour of
which hee will soon repent him. But if for spirittuall [ends] and that
noe particular obstacle hinder his removeall, he may finde here what
may well content him: vizt: materialls to build, fewell [fuel] to
burn, ground to plant, seas and rivers to ffish in, a pure ayer [air]
to breath[e] in, good water to drinke till wine or beare canne be
made, which togeather with the cowes, hoggs and goates brought hether
allready may suffice for food, for as for foule [fowl] and venison,
they are dainties here a well as in England. Ffor cloaths and beddinge
they must bring them with them till time and industry produce them
here. In a word, wee yett enioy [enjoy] little to bee envyed but
endure much to be pittyed in the sicknes & mortalitye of our people.

[1] From Dudley's letter to the Countess of London. Printed in
Hart's "Source Book of American History." Dudley came over with
Winthrop, and at one time was governor of the Colony.

[2] Boston Harb