idered out of joint. The former had not sufficiently
cleansed herself from the pollutions of Rome, and lagging behind at a
wide distance from the primitive model, required to be further
reformed; the latter by encroachments on the liberties of the subject,
and assistance furnished to a corrupt hierarchy, had become odious,
and was to be resisted and restrained. The idea of abolishing the
monarchy had indeed not entered the mind of the most daring reformer;
but it is certain, that when his feelings were inflamed by brooding
over real and fancied wrongs from the established Church, his anger
would overflow upon the government, which, with no sparing hand,
wielded the sword to enforce pains and penalties, imposed, ostensibly
for the protection of religion, but in reality for the interests of an
ally and its own safety. It was this exasperation, partly of a
religious and partly of a political nature, that bore its legitimate
fruit in the execution of Charles.

Before that awful lesson, however, discontent had increased until the
unhappy zealots, too feeble to resist, yet too resolute to submit,
determined to leave their country. Hard fate! Self-banished from the
associations of childhood, from the memorials of their ancestors! But
whither should they fly? They had heard indeed of a country; far
beyond the sea, where a refuge might be found, and whither some of
their countrymen had gone; but those first emigrants were cavaliers,
men of the same creed as their persecutors, and who had been induced
to leave England by motives different from those which controlled
their minds. Their purpose would not be attained by joining the
Virginia colony. They were not merely adventurers, hunting after
earthly treasures, but pilgrims in search of the kingdom of heaven.
Their company consisted of delicate women and children, from whom they
could not part, as well as of hardy men; and such were unfit to
encounter the perils of a new settlement, in an untried climate, and
an unknown country, infested by savages. Their principal want was
religious liberty; that they could find in Holland, and to Holland
they went. It was close at hand, and should any favorable change occur
in England, it would be easy to return. But after an experience of
some dozen years, they found insuperable objections to remaining
there, and determined, no such changes having taken place as they
anticipated when they left their native land, to emigrate to America.
In a s