The history of the town of Dorchester, Massachusetts, By a committee of the Dorchester antiquarian and historical society ...

658 HISTORY OF DORCHESTER.
"6 set down " at the mouth of Charles River. These,
with the settlers of Salem, established the Puritan
Commonwealth. Although, on their arrival, better
provided than the Pilgrims of Plymouth with the
necessaries of life, and rejoicing in the bright and
genial summer weather, yet who can tell of their
straits in this then inhospitable wilderness? They
were in want of cattle and swine, both for breed
and for husbandry, and were in doubts and fears
concerning their Indian neighbors. Their suffering
during the first winter must have been great; yet
they never wished to turn their feet homeward.
They had suffered too much, before they resolved to
leave their country, to be easily enticed back, and
were determined not "to hazard a celestial advancement for a gilded coronet, or prefer the flattery of
mistaken mortals to the approbation of angels."
Roger Clap, after enumerating their wants for food,
says, " Bread was so very scarce, that sometimes I
tho't the very crusts of my Father's Table would
have been very sweet unto me. And when I could
have meal and water and salt boiled together, it was
so good, who could wish better?" Ponder upon
that, ye epicures and fault-finders of the present
generation. Yet, adds the same writer, " I do not
remember that ever I did wish myself back again to
my Father's house." They kept up a correspondence with their friends in England, and entered
warmly into the plans which helped to crush out
the power of Charles I. and his friends, and looked
with admiration upon Cromwell, who was in Parliament before they left their native shores, and was