de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception
About some three or four years
before this time, there came over one Captain Wollaston (a man of
pretty parts) and with him three or four more of some eminency, who
brought with them a great many servants with provisions and other
implements for to begin a plantation; and pitched themselves in a place
within the Massachusetts which they called, after their Captain’s name,
Mount Wollaston. Among whom was one Thomas Morton, who, it should seem,
had some small adventure (of his own or other men’s) among them, but had
little respect among them and was slighted by the meanest servants.
Having continued there some time and not finding things to answer
their expectations, nor profit to arise as they looked for, Captain
Wollaston takes a great part of the servants and transports them to
Virginia, where he puts them off at good rates, selling their time to
other men to work on tobacco plantations and writes back to one Mr.
Rasdall, one of his chief partners and accounted their merchant, to
bring another part of them to Virginia likewise, intending to put them
off there as he had done the rest. And he, with the consent of the said
Rasdall, appointed one Fitcher to be his lieutenant and govern the
remains of the plantation till he or Rasdall returned to take further
order thereabout.
But this Morton above said, having more craft than honesty, in the
others’ absence watches an opportunity (commons being but hard among
them), and got some strong drink and other junkets, and made them a
feast; and after they were merry, he began to tell them he would give
them good counsel. “You see (saith he) that many of your fellows are
carried to Virginia, and if you stay till this Rasdall return, you will
also be carried away and sold for slaves with the rest. Therefore I
would advise you to thrust out this Lieutenant Fitcher, and I, having a
part in the plantation, will receive you as my partners and consociates;
so may you be free from service, and we will converse, trade, plant,
and live together as equals and support and protect one another,” or to
like effect. This counsel was easily received, so they took opportunity
and thrust Lieutenant Fitcher out of doors and would suffer him to come
no more among them.
After this they fell to great licentiousness and led a dissolute
life, pouring out themselves into all profaneness. And Morton became
lord of misrule and maintained (as it were) a school of atheism. And
after they had got some goods into their hands and got much by trading
with the Indians, they spent it as vainly in quaffing and drinking both
wine and strong waters in great excess, and, as some reported, ten
pounds’ worth in a morning. They also set up a maypole, drinking and
dancing about it many days together, inviting the Indian women for their
consorts, dancing and frisking together (like so many fairies, or
furies, rather) and worse practices, as if they had anew revived and
celebrated the feasts of the Roman goddess Flora, or the beastly
practices of the mad Bacchanalians. Morton likewise (to show his poetry)
composed sundry rhymes and verses, some tending to lasciviousness, and
others to the detraction and scandal of some persons, which he affixed
to this idle, or idol, maypole. They changed also the name of their
place, and instead of calling it Mount Wollaston, they call it
Merrymount, as if this jollity would have lasted ever.
But this continued not long, for after Morton was sent for England
Mr. John Endecott, who brought over a patent under the broad seal, for
the government of the Massachusetts, who, visiting those parts, caused
that maypole to be cut down and rebuked them for their profaneness and
called it Mount Dago
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