Pietas in patriam the life of His Excellency Sir William Phips, Knt. late Captain…

It was counted an Humility in King Agathocles, the Son of a Potter, to be served therefore in Earthen Vessels, as Plutarch hath informed us: It was counted an Humility in Arch-Bishop Willigis, the Son of a Wheel-wright, therefore to have Wheels hung about his Bed-Chamber, with this Inscription, Recole undè Veneris, i. e. Remember thy Original. But such was the Humility and Lowliness of this Rising Man! Not only did he after his return to his Country in his Greatness, one Day, make a splendid Feast for the Ship Carpenters of Boston, among whom he was willing at his Table, to Commemorate, the Mercy of God unto him, who had once been a Ship Carpenter himself, but he would on all occasions permit, yea, Study to have his Meannesses remembered.

It was counted an Humility in King Agathocles, the Son of a Potter, to be served therefore in Earthen Vessels, as Plutarch hath informed us: It was counted an Humility in Arch-Bishop Willigis, the Son of a Wheel-wright, therefore to have Wheels hung about his Bed-Chamber, with this Inscription, Recole undè Veneris, i. e. Remember thy Original. But such was the Humility and Lowliness of this Rising Man! Not only did he after his return to his Country in his Greatness, one Day, make a splendid Feast for the Ship Carpenters of Boston, among whom he was willing at his Table, to Commemorate, the Mercy of God unto him, who had once been a Ship Carpenter himself, but he would on all occasions permit, yea, Study to have his Meannesses remembred.

Hence upon frequent occasions of Uneasiness in his Government, he would choose thus to express himself, Gentlemen, were it not that I am to do Service for the Public, I should be much easier in returning unto my Broad Axe again! And hence, according to the Affable Courtesy, which he ordinarily used unto all sorts of Persons (quite contrary to the Asperity, which the old Proverb, expects in the Raised) he would particularly, when Sailing in sight of Kennebec, with Armies under his Command, call the ⟨p. 95⟩Young Soldiers and Sailors upon Deck, and speak to them after this Fashion; Young Men, It was upon that Hill, that I kept Sheep, a few Years ago; and since you see that Almighty God has brought me to something, do you Learn to fear God, and be Honest, and Mind your Business, and follow no bad Courses, and you don't know what you may come to! A Temper not altogether unlike, what the Advanced Shepherd had, when he wrote the Twenty Third Psalm; or when he Imprinted on the Coin of his Kingdom, the Remembrance of his old Condition: For Christianus Gerson, a Christianized Jew, has informed us, That on the one side of David's Coin, were to be seen his old Pouch and Crook, the Instruments of Shepherdy; on the other side, were Enstamped the Towers of Zion.