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

THE Addition of this French Colony to the English Dominion, was no more than a little step towards a greater Action, which was first in the Design of Sir William Phips, and which was, indeed, the Greatest Action that ever the New-Englanders Attempted. There was a time, when the Philistines had made some Inroads and Assaults from the North-ward, upon the Skirts of Goshen, where the Israelites had a Residence, before their coming out of Egypt, The Israelites, and especially that ⟨p. 33⟩Active Colony of the Ephraimites, were willing to Revenge these Injuries upon their wicked Neighbours; they presumed themselves Powerful and Numerous enough to Encounter the Canaanites, even in their own Country; and they formed a brisk Expedition, but came off unhappy Losers in it; the Jewish Rabbins tell us, they lost no less than Eight Thousand Men. The Time was not yet come; there was more Hast than good Speed in the Attempt; they were not enough concerned for the Counsel and Presence of God in the Undertaking; they mainly propounded the Plunder to be got among a People, whose Trade was that, wherewith Beasts enriched them; so the Business miscarried. This History the Psalmist going to recite, says, I will utter dark Sayings of old. Now that what befell Sir William Phips, with his whole Country of New-England, may not be almost forgotten among the dark Sayings of old, I will here give the true Report of a very memorable Matter.

THE Addition of this French Colony to the English Dominion, was no more than a little step towards a greater Action, which was first in the Design of Sir William Phips, and which was, indeed, the Greatest Action that ever the New-Englanders Attempted. There was a time, when the Philistines had made some Inroads and Assaults from the North-ward, upon the Skirts of Goshen, where the Israelites had a Residence, before their coming out of Egypt, The Israelites, and especially that ⟨p. 33⟩Active Colony of the Ephraimites, were willing to Revenge these Injuries upon their wicked Neighbours; they presumed themselves Powerful and Numerous enough to Encounter the Canaanites, even in their own Country; and they formed a brisk Expedition, but came off unhappy Losers in it; the Jewish Rabbins tell us, they lost no less than Eight Thousand Men. The Time was not yet come; there was more Hast than good Speed in the Attempt; they were not enough concerned for the Counsel and Presence of God in the Undertaking; they mainly propounded the Plunder to be got among a People, whose Trade was that, wherewith Beasts enriched them; so the Business miscarried. This History the Psalmist going to recite, says, I will utter dark Sayings of old. Now that what befel Sir William Phips, with his whole Country of New-England, may not be almost forgotten among the dark Sayings of old, I will here give the true Report of a very memorable Matter.