April 14th, 1671
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Hongyong Zhao, Cindy Chen, and Jack Hemphill
Description: On April 14, 1671, Daniel Gookin wrote a letter to the governor of Plymouth, Massachusetts, Thomas Prence. Gookin expressed outrage in his letter to Prence, over a rumor. Gookin was accused of inciting the Indians to violence. The purpose of this letter was to defend himself.
HonouRed Sir,
I understand, by a paper brought heither by Mr. Southward (beeing a coppy of some Indian testimony left upon record there), wherein I am accused for speaking words to a natick indian, tending to animate Philip and his Indians against you. Sir, I looks upon it savouring of as lifee charity as justice, to rescue, record & publishize, Indian reports, tending to the infamy of any Christian man, much more a person in public place, without any other demonstration then such figments @ falsehood as usually accompany the indians today. I chargd no person with doing this thing; neither do I desire, to know who is; the Lord forgive him or them; ^ as I do
that have been the inventors or fomenters of sure a false & reproachful scandal.
Sir, let man say to you in the words of truth & soberness, @ upon the Fidelity of a christian, and in the presence of God, before whom all things are naked & open, that such a thing never entered into my hart, more less into my lips; neither did I, to my remembrance, either see or speak with any natick indian for several months Before I heard of this report; nor ever did I speak or lisp to any indian natick, or other, the least word about the business, since I first heard of those differences between your colony @ the Indians. At the court of assistants, march sitting last, at the time when your letter came, @ the Court considered of it, my owne conscience, @ others preysent there, can witness, how forward I was to strengthen your hands in that matter; but first to try all ways of prudence to Issue your controversy: but in case the indians be not reduced to order, then to give forth our utmost assistance, as the case should require. And of this, both yourself and all others may rest assured, that this report is a divised thing; and I may say of ^ it as nehemiah, vid nehemiah 6-8 that there is no sure thing, but the authors of it have feigned it out of your owne hart, to this end I my hands might bee weakened in the work that God hath committed to me : but I trust in God, her will disappoint Sathan, & his instruments & give me courage to defy Satan & do my duty.
Sir, thus much I thought expedient to write unto you about this matter, nor I stand in need
[SECOND PAGE]
of an appology, for my innocency is to mee a Sufficient shield in that Respect; but if I should bee altogether silent, it might bee interpreted I am guilty. Sir, I trust yourself @ other magistrates will put on such christian charity as not to credit such reports but I am not unwilling this should be searched to your braine, @ See my accusers face to face & not to shun any scrutiny therein. Thus desiring to present my due respects to yourselfe, @ the rest of the magistrates, I remain.
Cambridge, the 14th of
April,1671
your assured loving friend,
Daniel Gookin.
[FRONT OF LETTER]
42- Mr Gookin to Govr
from 1668
April 14, 1671
N.a 6 illegible
Theses
For his honoured friend
Thomas Prence. Esq Govenour
of Plimouth Jurisdiction to bee presented
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