29O, 7 hLIFE of the LIB. I, § 148. 1(hall next infect Tome account of theBufinefs which I had fo often with the Lord Chancellour at this time : Becaufe it was molt done in the inter-fpace between the pallingof the King's Declaration , and the Debates about the Litur . gyIn the timeof Cromwd's Government, Mr. fohn Elliot, with fome Al1ítant in New.England, having learnt the Natives Language, and Converted many Souls a- mong them (not to be baptized and forget their Names as well as Creed , as it is among the Spaniard's Convertsat Mexico, Peru, &c. but to furious Godlinefs ); it was found that the great hinderance of the progrefsof that Work was the Poverty and Barbaroufneß of the People,whichmade many to live dilperfed like wild Beafts in Wilderneffes, fo that having neither Towns, nor Food , nor Entertainment fit for EnglifhBodies, few of them could be got together tobe fpoken to, nor could the English go far, or flay long among them. Wherefore to build them Floufes, and draw them together, and maintain the Preachers that went amongthem, and pay School -matters to teach their Children, and keep their Children at School,&. Cromwell caufed a Colledtion to be made in England in every Parifh ; and People did contribute very largely : And with the Money ( befide fume left in flock) was bought 7 or 80o 1. per Annumof Lands, and aCorporation chorea to difpofeof the Rents for the furthering of the Works among the Indians. This Land was almoft all- bought for the worth of it ofone Colonel Beddingfield, a Papift , an Officer in the King's Army : When the King came in, Beddingfield feizeth on the Lands p- gain; and keepeth them, and refufeth either to furrender them, or to repay the' Money,; becaufe all that was done in C,answrll's time beingnow judged void , as being without Law, that Corporationwas now null, and fo could have no right to Money or Lands : And he pretended that he fold it under the worth, in expe- &ation of the recovery of it, upon the King's return. The Prefident ofthe Cor- poration was the Lord Steele, a Judge (a worthy Man ) : The Treafurer was Mr. Henry Aftmrft, and the Memberswere fach fober godly Men , as were belt affedted to New-Englands Work : Mr. Afhurfl (being the molt exemplary Perlon for emi- nent Sobriety, Self -denial, Piety, and Charity, that London could glory of, as far as pnblick Obfervation, and Fame, and his most intimate Friends Reports could teftifie) did make this (and all other Publick Good which he could do) his Bufr- nell Ilecalled the Old Corporation together , and defired me to meet them where we all agreed, that filch as had incurred the King's Difpleafure, by bring Members ofany Courts of Juflice, in Cromwell's days, fhould quietly recede, and we fhould try if we could get the Corporation restored, and the rest continuetl,and more fit Men added, that the Land might be recovered : And becaufe ofour other Bufinefs, I had ready accefi to the Lord Cbancellour, they defired are to solicit hint about it : fo Mr.Afhurfl and I did follow the Burma. TheLord Chancellour At the very fn It was ready to further us, approving of the Work, as that which could not be for any FaBicn, or Evil end,- but honourable to the King and Land. And he told me, That Beddingfield could have no right to that which he hadfold, and that the right wasin the ling, who would readily grant it to the good utè in. tended : and that we Ihould have his heft aflittance to recover it. And indeed I found him real to us in this Bufnefs from firfl to laft : yet did Beddingfield by the friendship of the Attorney General, and tome others, fo delay the Buhstefs, as bring- ing it to a Suit in Chancery, he kept Mr. Afhuril in a Twelve- months trouble before he could recover the Land : but when it came to Judgment, the LordChancellour fpake very much against him, and granted a Decree for the New Corporation. For I had procured of him before, the King's Grant of a New Corporation ;and Mr. Afhurff and my Pelf had the naming of the Members : And we defired Mn Robert Boyle (a worthy Person of Learning and a Publick Spirit, and Brother to the Earl of Cork) to be Prefjdent (now called Governour ) and I got Mr. Affsarft tobe Treafurer again, and foreof the old Members, and many other godly, able - Citizens made up theFelt : Only we left the Nomination of force' Lords to his IV.ïajelly, as not presuming to nominate fach, ( And the Lord Chancellour, Lord Chamberlain, and fix or fever more were added). But it was Mr. Boyle and Mr. AfhurJ, with the Citizens, that did the Work : But efpecially the care and trouble of all was on Mr. 4ppur, ft. And thus that Bufinefi was happily restored. § 149. And as-a fruit of this his IVlajefly's Favour, Mr. Elliot fent the King, firft the New Teftament and then the whole Bible, tranflated and printed in the Indian's Language: Such a Work and Fruit of a Plantation , as was never before prefent ed to a King. And lie fent word, that next he would print my Call to the Uncon- verted, and then The Pratlice of Piety : But Mr. Boylefens him word it would be bet- 'ter
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