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

This Province is Beheaded, and lies a Bleeding. A GOVERNOR is taken away, who was a Merciful Man; some think, Too Merciful: And if so, 'tis best Erring on that Hand; and a Righteous Man; who, when he had great Opportunities of gaining by Injustice, did refuse to do so. He was a known Friend unto the best Interests, and unto the Churches of God: Not ashamed of owning them: No, how often have I heard him expressing his Desires to be an Instrument of Good unto them! He was a zealous Lover of his Country, if any Man in the World were so: He exposed himself to serve it; He ventured his Life to save it: In that, a true Nehemiah, a Governor, that sought the welfare of his People. He was one, who did not seek to have the Government cast upon him: No, but instead thereof, to my Knowledge, he did several Times Petition the King, that this People might always enjoy the great Privilege of choosing their own Governor; and I have heard him express his Desires, that it might be so, to several of the Chief Ministers of State in the Court of England. He is now Dead, and not capable of being Flattered: But this I must testify concerning him, That though by the Providence of God, I have been with him, at Home and Abroad, near at Home, and afar off, by Land, and by Sea, I never saw him do any Evil Action, or heard him speak any thing unbecoming a Christian. ⟨p. 110⟩The Circumstances of his Death, seem to intimate the Anger of God: In that he was in the Midst of his Days removed; and I know (though Few did) that he had great Purposes in his Heart, which probably would have taken Effect, if he had lived a few Months longer, to the great Advantage of this Province; but now he is gone, there is not a Man Living in the World capacitated for those Undertakings; New-England knows not yet what they have lost!

This Province is Beheaded, and lyes a Bleeding. A GOVERNOUR is taken away, who was a Merciful Man; some think, Too Merciful: And if so, 'tis best Erring on that Hand; and a Righteous Man; who, when he had great Opportunities of gaining by Injustice, did refuse to do so. He was a known Friend unto the best Interests, and unto the Churches of God: Not ashamed of owning them: No, how often have I heard him expressing his Desires to be an Instrument of Good unto them! He was a zealous Lover of his Country, if any Man in the World were so: He exposed himself to serve it; He ventured his Life to save it: In that, a true Nehemiah, a Governour, that sought the welfare of his People. He was one, who did not seek to have the Government cast upon him: No, but instead thereof, to my Knowledge, he did several Times Petition the King, that this People might always enjoy the great Priviledge of choosing their own Governour; and I have heard him express his Desires, that it might be so, to several of the Chief Ministers of State in the Court of England. He is now Dead, and not capable of being Flattered: But this I must testifie concerning him, That though by the Providence of God, I have been with him, at Home and Abroad, near at Home, and afar off, by Land, and by Sea, I never saw him do any Evil Action, or heard him speak any thing unbecoming a Christian.