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

That These Men giving out, That the Charters being lost, all the Title that the People had unto their Lands, was lost with them; they began to compel the People every where, to take Patents for their Lands: And accordingly Writs of Intrusion were issued out against the chief Gentlemen in the Territory, by the Terror whereof, many were actually driven to Petition for Patents, that they might quietly enjoy the Lands that had been fifty or sixty Years in their possession, But for these Patents, there were such exorbitant Prices demanded, that Fifty Pounds could not purchase for its Owner, an Estate not worth Two Hundred, nor could all the Money and Moveables in the Territory have defrayed the Charges of Patenting the Lands, at the Hands of these Crocodiles: besides the considerable Quit-Rents for the King. Yea, the Governor caused the Lands of particular persons to be measured out, and given to his Creatures: And some of his Council Petitioned for the Commons belonging to several Towns; and the Agents of the Towns, going to get a voluntary Subscription of the Inhabitants to maintain their Title at Law, they have been dragged Forty or Fifty Miles, to answer as Criminals at the next Assizes; the Officers, in the mean time, extorting three Pounds per Man, for fetching them.

That These Men giving out, That the Charters being lost, all the Title that the People had unto their Lands, was lost with them; they began to compel the People every where, to take Patents for their Lands: And accordingly Writs of Intrusion were issued out against the chief Gentlemen in the Territory, by the Terror whereof, many were actually driven to Petition for Patents, that they might quietly enjoy the Lands that had been fifty or sixty Years in their possession, But for these Patents, there were such exorbitant Prices demanded, that Fifty Pounds could not purchase for its Owner, an Estate not worth Two Hundred, nor could all the Money and Moveables in the Territory have defrayed the Charges of Patenting the Lands, at the Hands of these Crocodiles: besides the considerable Quit-Rents for the King. Yea, the Governour caused the Lands of particular persons to be measured out, and given to his Creatures: And some of his Council Petitioned for the Commons belonging to several Towns; and the Agents of the Towns, going to get a voluntary Subscription of the Inhabitants to maintain their Title at Law, they have been dragg'd Forty or Fifty Miles, to answer as Criminals at the next Assizes; the Officers, in the mean time, extorting three Pounds per Man, for fetching them.