Life of William Phips, Biography · Section 15
SECT. 15.
WHEN Titus Flaminius had freed the poor Grecians from the Bondage which had long oppreſſed them, and the Herald Proclaimed among them the Articles of their Freedom, they cryed out, A Saviour! a Saviour! with ſuch loud Acclamations, that the very Birds fell down from Heaven, aſtoniſh'd at the Cry. Truly, when Mr. Mather brought with him unto the poor New-Englanders, not only a Charter, which though in divers points wanting what both he and they had wiſhed for, yet for ever delivers them from oppreſſions on their Chriſtian and Engliſh Liberties, or, on their Ancient Poſſeſſions, wherein ruining Writs of Intruſion had begun to Invade them all, but alſo a GOVERNOƲR who might call New-England his own Country, and who was above moſt Men in it, full of Affection to the Intereſts of his Country; the ſenſible part of the People, then cauſed the ſence of the Salvations thus brought them, to reach as far as Heaven it ſelf. The various little Humours then working among the People, did not hinder the Great and General Court of the Province, to appoint a Day of Solemn THANKS GIVING to Almighty God for Granting (as the Printed Order expreſs'd it) a Safe Arrival to His Excellency our Governour, and the Reverend Mr. Increaſe Mather, who have induſtriouſly endeavoured the Service of this People, and have brought over with them, a Settlement of Government, in which Their Majesties have Graciouſly given us distinguiſhing Marks of Their Royal Favour and Goodneſs.
And as the Obliged People thus gave Thanks unto the God of Heaven, ſo they ſent an Addreſs of Thanks unto Their Majeſties, with other Letters of Thanks unto ſome Chief Miniſters of State, for the Favourable Aſpect herein caſt upon the Province.
Nor were the People miſtaken, when they promiſed themſelves all the Kindneſs imaginable from this Governour, and expected, Ʋnder his ſhadow we ſhall live eaſie among the Heathen: Why might they not look for Halcyon-days, when they had ſuch a Kings-Fiſher for their Governour?
Governour Phips had, as every Raiſed and Uſeful Perſon muſt have, his envious Enemies; but the paleſt Envy of them, who turned their worſt Enmity upon him, could not hinder them from confeſſing, That according to the best of his Apprehenſion, he ever ſought the good of his Country: His Country quickly felt this on innumerable Occaſions; and they had it eminently demonſtrated, as well in his promoting and Approving the Councils Choice of good Judges, Juſtices and Sheriffs, which being once eſtabliſhed, no Succeſſour could remove them, as in his urging the General Aſſembly to make themſelves happy by preparing a Body of Good Laws, as faſt as they could, which being paſſed by him in his Time, could not be nulled by any other after him.
He would often ſpeak to the Members of the General Aſſembly, in ſuch Terms as theſe, Gentlemen, you may make your ſelves, as eaſie as you will for ever; conſider what may have any tendency to your welfare; and you may be ſure that whatever Bills you offer to me conſiſtent with the Honour and Intereſt of the Crown, I'll paſs them readily; I do but ſeek Opportunities to ſerve you; had it not been for the ſake of this thing, I had never accepted the Government of this Province; and when ever you have ſettled ſuch a Body of good Laws, that no Perſon coming after me, may make you uneaſie, I ſhall deſire not one Day longer to continue in the Government. Accordingly, he ever paſſed every Act for the welfare of the Province propoſed unto him; and inſtead of ever putting them upon Buying his Aſſent unto any good Act, he was much forwarder to give it, than they were to aſk it: Nor indeed, had the Hunger of a Salary, any ſuch Impreſſion upon him, as to make him decline doing all poſſible Service, for the Publick while he was not ſure of having any proportionable, or honourable acknowledgments.
But yet he minded the Preſervation of the King's Rights, with as careful and faithful a Zeal, as became a good Steward for the Crown: And, indeed, he ſtudied nothing more, than to obſerve ſuch a Temper in all things, as to extinguiſh what others have gone to diſtinguiſh; even the Pernicious Notion of a ſeparate Intereſt. There was a Time, when the Roman Empire, was infeſted with a vaſt number of Governours, who were infamous for Infinite Avarice and Villany; and referring to this Time, the Apoſtle John had a Viſion of, People killed with the Beaſts of the Earth.
But Sir William Phips was none of thoſe Governours; wonderfully contrary to this wretchedneſs, was the Happineſs of New-England, when they had Governour Phips, uſing the tenderneſs of a Father towards the People, and being of the Opinion, Ditare magis eſſe Regium quàm Diteſcere, that it was a braver Thing to enrich the People, than to grow rich himſelf. A Father, I ſaid; and what if I had ſaid, an Angel too. If I ſhould from Clemens Alexandrinus from Theodoret, and from Jerom, and others among the Ancients, as well as from Calvin and Bucan, and Peter Martyr, and Chemnitius and Bullinger, and a thouſand more among the Moderns, bring Authorities for the Aſſertion, That each Country and Province, is under the ſpecial care of ſome Angel, by a ſingular Deputation of Heaven aſſigned thereunto, I could back them with a far greater Authority than any of them all. The Scripture it ſelf does plainly aſſert it: And hence the moſt Learned Grotius, writing of Common-Wealths, has a paſſage to this purpoſe, His ſingulis, ſuos Attributos, eſſe Angelos, ex Daniele, magno conſenſu, & Judaei & Chriſtiani veteres colligebant.
But New-England had now, beſides the Guardian-Angel, who more inviſibly intended it's welfare, a Governour, that became wonderfully agreeable thereunto, by his whole Imitation of ſuch a Guardian-Angel. He employed his whole Strength, to guard his People from all Diſaſters, which threatned them either by Sea, or Land; and it was remark'd, that nothing remarkably Diſaſtrous did befal that People, from the Time of his Arrival to the Government, until there arrived an Order for his leaving it: (Except one Thing which was begun before he entred upon the Government:) But inſtead thereof, the Indians were notably defeated, in the Aſſaults, which they now made upon the Engliſh, and ſeveral French Ships did alſo very advantageouſly fall into his Hands; yea, there was by his means a Peace reſtored unto the Province, that had been divers Years languiſhing under the Hectic Feaver of a Lingring War.
And there was this one thing more, that rendered his Government the more deſirable; That whereas 'tis impoſſible for a meer Man to govern without ſome Error, when ever, this Governour was adviſed of any Error in any of his Adminiſtrations, he would immediately retract it, and revoke it, with all poſſible ingenuity; ſo that if any occaſion of juſt complaint aroſe, it was uſually his endeavour, that it ſhould not long be complain'd of
—O, Faelices nimium, ſua ſi Bona, norânt,
Nov-Angli. —
But having in a Parentheſis, newly intimated, that His Excellency, when he entred on his Government, found one Thing, that was remarkably Diſaſtrous begun upon it: Of that one Thing, we will now give ſome Account.
Reader, prepare to be entertained, with as Prodigious Matters, as can be put into any Hiſtory! And let him that writes the next Thaumatographia Pneumatica, allow to theſe Prodigies the chief Place among the wonders.