309 office of benefitt, it would finish his ruine, to be tied by this employment to a close and chargeable attendance, besides the inconvenience of his health, not yet thoroughly confirm'd, his con~titution more suitable to an active then to a sedentary life: these and other things he privately urg'd to him; but he, that was a man regardless of his owne or any man's private interest, wherever he thought the publick service might be advantag'd, instead of keeping him out, got him in, when the collonell had prevail'd ·with others to have indulg'd him that ease he desir'd. Mr. Hutchinson, after he had endeavonr'd to decline this employment and could not, thought that herein, as in other occasions, it being put upon him without his owne desire, God had call'd him to his service in councells as formerly in arms, and applied himselfe to this alsoe, wherein he did his dnty faithfully, and employ'd his power to relieve the oppressed and deiected, freely beeomming the advocate of those who had 'bene his late enemies, in all things that were iust and charitable. Though he had now an oppertunity to have enricht himselfe, as 'tis to be fear'd some in all times have done, by accepting rewards for even iust assistanees, and wanted not many who offer'd them and sollicited him therein, yet such was his generous nature that he abhorr'd the mention of aniething li ke reward, though never so iustly merited, and although he did a thousand high oblieging kindncsses for many, both friends and enemies, he never had aniething in mony or presents of any man. • The truth is, on the contrary, he mett. with many that had not the good manners to make so much <JS a civil! verba]] acknowledgment. Among the rest one Sr. John "' The li sts of t.hc two first councils, which embraced aJmo.,t the whole durati on of the republic, nre preserved by V hitelock, and Col. 1-Iutchinson is in each of them: he went out at the formation of the third. It is ext remely to be regretted that Mrs. Hutchinson should ha,•e been s·o concise in this part of her history, it being a.period which naturnlly excites much cur iosiLy, but of whi ch we have only indi stinct} and, generally speaking, invidious and partial accounts.
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