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

SECT. 10.

SEVERAL Times, about, before and after this Time, did I hear him express himself unto this purpose: I have no need at all, to look after any further Advantages for my self in this World; I may sit still at home, if I will, and enjoy my Ease for the rest of my Life; but I believe that I should offend God in my doing so: For I am now in the prime of my Age and Strength, and, I thank God, I can undergo Hardship: He only knows how long I have to live; but I think 'tis my Duty to venture my Life in doing of Good, before an useless Old Age comes upon me: Wherefore I will now expose my self, while I am able, and as far as I am able, for the Service of my Country: I was born for Others, as well as my self. I say, many a time have I heard him so express himself: And agreeable to this Generous Disposition and Resolution, was all the rest of his Life. About this time New-England was miserably Briared, in the Perplexities of an Indian War; and the Salvages, in the East part of the Country, Issuing ⟨p. 31⟩out from their Inaccessible Swamps, had for many Months made their cruel Depredations upon the poor English Planters, and Surprised many of the Plantations on the Frontiers, into Ruin. The New-Englanders found, that while they continued only on the Defensive part, their People were thinned, and their Treasures wasted, without any hopes of seeing a Period put unto the Indian Tragedies; nor could an Army greater than Xerxes's have easily come at the seemingly contemptible Handful of Tawnies, which made all this Disturbance; Or, Tamerlane, the greatest Conqueror that ever the World saw, have made it a Business of no Trouble to have Conquered them: They found; that they were like to make no Weapons reach their Enswamped Adversaries, except Mr. Milton could have shown them how To have plucked up the Hills with all their Load, Rocks, Waters, Woods, and by their shaggy tops, Up-lifting, bore them in their hands, I herewith The Rebel Host to'v over-whelmed— So it was thought that the English Subjects, in these Regions of America, might very properly take this occasion, to make an attempt upon the French, and by Reducing them under the English Government, put an Eternal Period at once, unto all their Troubles from the Frenchified Pagans. This was a Motion urged by Sir William Phips, unto the General Court of the Massachuset-Colony;