lously fostered against them by Randolph. The King, too, was privately negotiating for the purchase of the Province of Maine of Gorges, whofe title had been declared to be valid, for his illegitimate fon, the Duke of Monmouth; 461 but not suspecting that he had a rival, his movements towards accomplishing his defign were flow, and affairs were allowed to drag. At this juncture, John Ufher, a merchant of Boston, who was acting as the agent of Massachusetts, adroitly opened fecret negotiations with Gorges, and for twelve hundred and fifty pounds fucceeded in obtaining a transfer to himself of the latter's title to the Province of Maine, and with this title in his poffeffion immediately failed for New England. Thus was extinguished forever the title of the heirs of Sir Ferdinando Gorges to his Province of Maine. Many years afterwards, in 1691, Ferdinando Gorges made one more effort to recover poffeffion of the Province, the title to which he had fold to John Usher, as the agent for Massachusetts, bafing his claim upon the fact that the Charter of Massachusetts having been declared void, under quo warranto proceedings in England, her title to the Province was also void; but in this he was unsuccessful, and Massachusetts thereafter continued in peaceable poffeffion of the property. Ferdinando Gorges was married on May 22d, 1660, 461 James, Duke of Monmouth, was born at Rotterdam in 1649, and educated a Roman Catholic. His father bestowed many favors upon him, and appears to have been warmly interested in his welfare; but in fpite of this, he headed a rebellion against his royal parent. Failing of fuccefs, he retired into Holland, and when his uncle, James II., afcended the throne, he invaded the kingdom with a force, hoping to fecure the throne for himself. He attacked the king's forces at Sedgemoor, where he was defeated and made a prifoner. He was beheaded July 25th, 1685. 462 For an extended account of him, vide The Trelawny Papers, published by the Maine Historical Society. Portland, 1884, p. 401. 1660, at St. Bride's Church, London, to Mary Archdale, daughter of Thomas Archdale, of Chipping Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Their children were Mary, born in 1661, who died in 1689, unmarried; Ferdinando (22), born in 1665; Thomas, who died in 1665; Elizabeth, born May 8th, and was buried September 22d, 1669; Cecilia, baptized at St. Margaret's Church, June 22d, 1670, and was married. to one Moody, and Ann, baptized at the fame church, January 9th, 1671. Ferdinando Gorges died January 25th, 1718, at the age of eighty-nine years, and was fucceeded. by his fon, Ferdinando (22). 463 22. FERDINANDO GORGES married in 1705 Catherine Foyle, of Somerford, Wiltshire. Their children were Richard, born at Ashley, September 18th, 1712, and died February 15th, 1722; Ferdinand, baptized September 28th, 1712, and died in infancy. By the death of Ferdinando Gorges, the great-grandfon of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, who was buried at Afhley, February 20th, 1738, the male line of the "Father of New England Colonization" became extinct. THE LITERARY WORK OF FERDINANDO GORGES. So much has been written concerning the literary work of the grandson of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, that it is thought beft, even at the risk of being charged with performing fupererogatory work, to fully examine the Gorges Tracts, fo called, confifting of four diftinct works, usually bound together, and of which the third is the work of Edward Johnfon, which was published anonymously five years before the other three works, which are genuine works of the elder and younger Gorges. This third tract, the "Wonder Working Providence" of Johnson, has in place of its original titlepage a spurious one, bearing upon it the name of the elder Gorges; which has caused several writers to bring against the younger Gorges the grave charge of fraud. Let us carefully examine the question. The book is prefaced by a cut of a female Indian, seated, and holding a bow in the right and a portion of a human leg in the left hand, while in the background are several stakes impaling human heads, and a band of savages roasting a captive. On the obverse of this cut is the following: "AMERICA. 'Tis I, in tempting diuers, for to try By fundry meanes, t' obtaine me, caus'de them dye And, laft difcouer'd, vndifcouered am: For men, to treade my Soyle, as yet, are lame." Some copies have a fomewhat different frontispiece. In this picture a female Indian, fimilar to the one already described, is fitting under a tree and holding a bow in her left and an arrow in her right hand. At the left of her head is a parrot and scroll with the words, "Pavit qui genuit;" while in the background are cannibals; one difmembering a human body, another roasting one of its limbs, and yet another fhooting at a deer. Under this picture is the following verse, the word "AMERICA" being above the left shoulder of the female Indian : Though to my Sifters long unknowne I lay But when the gloomy fhades of Death yet bee Following the engraving in both inftances is a rubricated titlepage as follows: America Painted to the Life. The True OF The Spaniards Proceedings in the Conquefts of the INDIANS, and of their Civil Wars among themselves, from COLUMBUS his first Discovery, to these later Times. AS ALSO, OF THE ORIGINAL UNDERTAKINGS OF THE Plantations in those parts; With With a perfect Relation of our English Discoveries, fhewing their Beginning, Progrefs and Continuance, from the Year 1628 to 1658. Declaring the Forms of their Government, Policies, Religions, Maners, Cuftoms, Military Discipline, Wars with the Indians, the Commodities of their Countries, a Description of their Towns and Havens, the Increase of their Trading, with the Names of their Governors and Magiftrates. More especially, an absolute Narrative of the North parts of America, and of the Discoveries and Plantations of our English in VIRGINIA, NEW ENGLAND, and BERBADOES. Publifht by FERDINANDO GORGES, Efq.; A Work now at last exposed for the Publick good, to ftir up the Heroick and Active Spirits of these times, to benefit their Countrey, and Eternize their Names by such Honorable Attempts. For the Readers clearer underflanding of the Countrey's, they are lively defcribed in a compleat and exquisite Map. Ovid, Auri facra fames quid non. LONDON. Printed for Nath. Brook at the Angel in Cornhil. 1659. Following this is an introduction by Ferdinando, the grandfon of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, "To the Judicious Reader," of four unnumbered pages, figned "Ferdinando Gorges," and then a map of the Western Hemisphere. Hemisphere. We now |