icke conception, and very ready
sharpe and weighty exspression. He had an unusuall aspecte, which
though it might naturally proceede both from his father and mother,
nether of which were beautifull persons, yett made men thinke ther was
somewhat in him of extraordinary, and his whole life made good that
imagination. Within a very shorte tyme after he returned from his
studyes in Magdalen Colledge in Oxforde, wher, though he was under the
care of a very worthy Tutour, he lyved not with greate exactnesse, he
spent some little tyme in France, and more in Geneva, and after his
returne into Englande, contracted a full praejudice and bitternesse
against the Church, both against the forme of the goverment and the
lyturgy, which was generally in greate reverence, even with many of
those, who were not frends to the other. In this giddinesse which then
much displeased, or seemed to displease his father, who still appeared
highly conformable, and exceedingly sharpe against those who were not,
he transported himselfe into New Englande, a Colony within few yeeres
before planted by a mixture of all religions, which disposed the
professors to dislike the goverment of the church, who were qualifyed
by the Kings Charter to chuse ther owne goverment and governors, under
the obligation that every man should take the othes of Allegiance and
Supremacy, which all the first planters did, when they receaved ther
charter, before they transported themselves from hence, nor was ther
in many yeeres after the least scruple amongst them of complyinge with
those obligations, so farr men were in the infancy of ther schisme,
from refusinge to take lawfull othes. He was no sooner landed ther,
but his partes made him quickly taken notice of, and very probably his
quality, beinge the eldest sunn of a Privy Councellour, might give
him some advantage, insomuch that when the next season came for the
election of ther Magistrates, he was chosen ther governour, in which
place he had so ill fortune, his workinge and unquyett fancy raysinge
and infusinge a thousande scruples of conscience which they had not
brought over with them, nor hearde of before, that he unsatisfyed
with them, and they with him, he retransported himselfe into
Englande, havinge sowed such seede of dissention ther, as grew up to
prosperously, and miserably devyded the poore Colony into severall
factions and devisions and persequtions of each other, which still
continue to the greate prejudice