The governour, lieutenant governour, and secretary were after appointed by royal authority.

The subject of this memoir was an assistant to all the governours of the old colony, except Carver, who early fell a victim to the distressing calamities, which afflicted the adventurers on their first arrival at Plymouth. For thirty six years, without interruption, he was elected to this office and, for the twenty last years of his life, from 1666 till the liberties of the people were infringed through the folly of James the second, he was the senior assistant.

From tradition, as well as from the annexed elegy occasioned by his death, this aged and venerable puritan was distinguished by his holy life and conversation. He was a meek, humble, sincere, pious, and faithful follower of the blessed Reedemer, and his end was peace and triumph. The object, which, in his youthful days, he anxiously sought, was fully attained. He came to the howling wilds of America to enjoy the sweets of religion pure and undefiled. Like the saints of old, he was willing to endure hardships with the people of God, while he might be instrumental in extending the kingdom of Immanuel and looking to a better and an eternal state of existence for the rewards of grace. Here he was unmolested in the exercise of the rights of conscience and in the worship of the Most High. In addition to his spiritual blessings, he was crowned with that competence, which is vital to content; with an uncommon length of days; and with a

goodly number of children, all of whom delighted in the ordinances of God and finally left that good mame, in the world, which is better, than precious ointment.

The following lines, with which this article is closed, are supposed to have been written by the rev. John Cotton of Plymouth, and are respectful to the memory of one of the pious and worthy fathers of New England. They have been, several times, given to the publick from the press, and are more valuable on account of the rich sentiments they contain, than the style, in which they are composed.

ELEGY

on the death of the honourable John Alden, for many years, a magistrate of the Old Plymouth Colony, who died, on the 12 of September, 1687, probably, in his 90 year.

"The staff of bread, and water eke the stay,
From sinning Judah God will take away;
The prudent counsellor, the honourable,
Whom grace and holiness makes delectable,
The judge, the prophet, and the ancient saint ;
The deaths of such cause sorrowful complaint.
The earth and its inhabitants do fall,
The aged saint bears up its pillars all.
The hoary head in way of righteousness
A crown of glory is. Who can express
'Th' abundant blessings by disciples old!
In every deed they're more than can be told.
The guise 'tis of a wanton generation

To wish the aged soon might quit their station.
Though truth it be, the Lord our God does frown,
When aged saints by death do tumble down.
What though there be not such activity,
Yet in their prayers there's such fervency
As doth great mercy for a place obtain,
And gracious presence of the Lord maintain.
Though nature's strength in old age doth decay,
Yet the inward man renew'd his day by day.
The very presence of a saint in years,
Who lifts his soul to God with pray'rs and tears,
Is a rich blessing unto any place,

Who have that merey to behold his face.

When sin is ripe and calls for desolation

God will call home old saints from such a nation.
Let sinners then of th' aged weary be.

God give me grace to mourn most heartily
For death of this dear servant of the Lord,
Whose life God did to us so long afford.
God lent his life to greatest length of days;
In which he liv'd to his Redeemer's praise.
In youthful time he made Moses his choice,
His soul obeying great Jehovah's voice,
Freely forsook the world for sake of God,
In his house with his saints to have abode.
He followed God into this wilderness;
Thereby to all the world he did profess,
Afliction with his saints a better part
And more delightful to his holy heart,
Than sinful pleasures, lasting but a season.
Thus said his faith, so saith not carnal reason.

He came one of the first into this land,
And here was kept by God's most gracious hand
Years sixty-seven, which time he did behold
To poor New-England mercies manifold.
All God's great works to this his Israel
From first implanting that to them befell;
Of them he made a serious observation,
And could of them present a large narration.
His walk was holy, humble, and sincere,
His heart was filled with Jehovah's fear,
He honour'd God with much integrity,
God therefore did him truly magnify,
"The hearts of saints entirely did him love,
His uprightness so highly did approve,
That whilst to choose, they had their liberty
Within the limits of this Colony,

Their civil leaders, him they ever chose.

His faithfulness made hearts with him to close.
With all the governours he did assist;
His name recorded is within the list
Of Plymouth's pillars to his dying day.
His name is precious to eternal ay.
He set his love on God and knew his name,
God therefore gives him everlasting fame.
So good and heav'nly was his conversation,
God gave long life, and show'd him his salvation.
His work now finished upon this earth;
Seeing the death of what he saw the birth,
His gracious Lord from heaven calls him home,
And saith, my servant, now to heaven come;
Thou hast done good, been faithful unto me,

Now shalt thou li in bliss eternally.
On dying bed his ails were very great,
Yet verily his heart on God was set.
He bare his griefs with faith and patience,
And did maintain his lively confidence ;
Saying to some, the work, which God begun,
He would preserve to its perfection.
His mouth was full of blessings till his death
To ministers and christians all; his breath
Was very sweet by many a precious word
He utter'd from the spirit of his Lord.
He liv'd in Christ, in Jesus now he sleeps;
And his blest soul the Lord in safety keeps.
JOHN ALDEN. Anagram, END AL ON HI.

• Death puts an end to all this world enjoys,
And frees the saint from all, that here annoys.
This blessed saint hath seen an end of all
Worldly perfections. Now his Lord doth call
Him to ascend from earth to heaven high,
Where he is blest to all eternity.
Who walk with God as he, shall so be blest,
And evermore in Christ his arms shall rest.

Lord, spare thy remnant, do not us forsake,
From us do not thy Holy Spirit take.
Thy cause, thy int'rest in this land still own
The gracious presence ay let be our crown.

J. C."

DUXBOROUGH, MASS.

621. In memory of captain SAMUEL AL