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EDITORS' BOOK TABLE.

Your season of life, the new scenes opening before you, the flatteries that will surround you as the wife of a rich and celebrated man; all these have a blinding power, a power over the senses and even the understanding, which will inevitably fascinate and deceive you, unless you reason and reflect carefully, and are resolute to do that which is right.

"There is, in the arrangement of the household routine, so much depending on the discretion and deportment of the mistress of the family, that I sometimes think good sense is more indispensable for women than for men. At least, in the domestic circle no accomplishments will compensate for the lack of good sense or discretion in the lady of the ménage. In her narrow circle every mistake

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must be apparent, and consistency of conduct, which was never found united with a frivolous or ill-regulated mind, is the foundation of domestic comfort and moral improvement.

"How much is included in that simple phrase-domestic happiness! How I hope my Caroline will ever enjoy it. But remember that the heart of woman is too finely tuned with the harmony of heaven ever to be happy on earth, unless she cherishes devotional feelings. I cannot think of woman as an unbeliever. I cannot think of a wife who does not pray for the husband she loves, or of a mother whose heart is not daily flowing out in prayers for her children, as I now pray for thee, my Caroline."

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religious opinion, even in a small community, most favourably situated for the purpose, soon became apparent. Among the emigrants of 1630 was Roger Williams, a puritan minister who officiated for some time as a pastor in New Plymouth; but subsequently obtained leave to resign his functions at that place, and in 1633 was appointed minister at Salem. His unflinching assertion of the rights of conscience, and the new views which he developed of the nature of religious liberty, had early attracted the attention of the leading men of the colony,

and excited the hostility of a great portion of the people. Indeed there was much in his doctrine to awaken the prejudices and excite the alarm of those who had adopted the exclusive theory of Winthrop and his adherents.

"He maintained that it was not lawful for an unregenerate man to pray, nor for Christians to join in family prayer with those whom they judged unregenerate: that it was not lawful to take an oath of allegiance, which he had declined himself to take, and advised his congregation equally to reject: that King Charles had unjustly

usurped the power of disposing of the territory of the Indians, and hence the colonial patent was utterly invalid: that the civil magistrate had no right to restrain or direct the consciences of men; and that anything short of unlimited toleration for all religious systems was detestable persecution.'

"These opinions and others of a kindred nature, enforced with an uncompromising zeal, soon occasioned his separation from his pastoral charge. A few admirers clung to him in his retirement; and when he denounced the use of the cross on the British flag, the fiery and enthusiastic Endicott cut the Popish emblem, as he styled it, from the national standard; nor did the censure of this act by the provincial authorities convince the military trained bands of Williams's error. With them the leaders were obliged to compromise. While measures were in agitation for bringing Williams to a judicial reckoning, Cotton and other ministers proposed a conference with him, of the fruitlessness of which the far-sighted Winthrop warned them-' You are deceived in that man, if you think he will condescend to learn of any of you.' Subsequent events showed that these two men, the most distinguished in the colony, regarded each other with mutual respect throughout the whole controversy. The conference was ineffectual; and sentence of banishment was pronounced against Williams. This sentence was so unpopular in Salem, that a large proportion of the inhabitants prepared to follow him into exile;, when an earnest remonstrance from Cotton and the other ministers of Boston, hardly induced them to relinquish their purpose. Alarmed at this movement, his enemies determined to send him to England; but he evaded the warrant issued for his apprehension, and making his escape in the midst of winter, sought shelter among the recesses of the forest. His sufferings should never be forgotten by

the friends of religious liberty. For more than three months he was a houseless wanderer in the woods (1635). It was well for him that his philanthropic spirit had previously led him to cultivate the friendship of the Indians. From Massasoit and Canonicus he received a cordial wel come; and he was ever after their advocate and friend." "His first attempt at a settlement was at Seekonk, where he procured land from Osamaqui, the chief sachem of Pokanoket, and began to build. But a private letter from Governor Winthrop brought him information that this place was within the jurisdiction of Plymouth colony, and advised him to remove to the neighbourhood of Narragansett Bay. His friends, Miantonomoh and Canonicus, assured him that he should not want land for a settlement in that vicinity. With this assurance, he, with five other persons, went over Seekonk river to seek a place for that purpose. Descending the stream, as they drew near the little cove, north of Took wotten, now called India Point, they were saluted by the natives with the friendly term, "What cheer?" Passing down to the mouth of the river, and round Fox Point, they proceeded a little way up the river, on the other side, to a place called by the Indians Mooshausick, where they landed. and were hospitably received. Not far from the landing Roger Williams afterwards built his house. Here he, with his companions, began a plantation, which, in acknowledgment "of God's merciful providence to him in his distress," he called PROVIDENCE. In 1638 a deed of Canonicus and Miantonomoh confirmed his possession of the land. The exile, persecuted for his testimony to the freedom of conscience, had become the founder of a

state.'"

The second extract describes the memorable emigra. tion of the Reverend Mr. Hooker and his company, and founding of Connecticut.

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