Among original authorities we may begin by citing John Smith’s Description of New England, 1616, and New England’s Trial, 1622, contained in Arber’s new edition of Smith’s works, London, 1884.  Bradford’s narrative of the founding of Plymouth was for a long time supposed to be lost.  Nathaniel Morton’s New England’s Memorial, published in 1669, was little more than an abridgment of it.  After two centuries Bradford’s manuscript was discovered, and an excellent edition by Mr. Charles Deane was published in the Massachusetts Historical Collections, 4th series, vol. iii., 1856.  Edward Winslow’s Journal of the Proceedings of the English Plantation settled at Plymouth, 1622, and Good News from New England, 1624, are contained, with other valuable materials, in Young’s Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers, Boston, 1844.  See also Shurtleff and Pulsifer, Records of Plymouth, 12 vols., ending with the annexation of the colony to Massachusetts in 1692; Prince’s Chronological History of New England, ed.  Drake, 1852; and in this connection Hunter’s Founders of New Plymouth, London, 1854; Steele’s Life of Brewster, Philadelphia, 1857; Goodwin’s Pilgrim Republic, Boston, 1887; Bacon’s Genesis of the New England Churches, New York, 1874; Baylies’s Historical Memoir, 1830; Thacher’s History of the Town of Plymouth, 1832.

Sir Ferdinando Gorges wrote a Briefe Narration of the Originall Undertakings of the advancement of plantations into the parts of America, especially showing the beginning, progress, and continuance of that of New England, London, 1658, contained in his grandson’s collection entitled America Painted to the Life.  Thomas Morton, of Merrymount, gave his own view of the situation in his New English Canaan, which has been edited for the Prince Society, with great learning, by C.F.  Adams.  Samuel Maverick also had his say in a valuable pamphlet entitled A Description of New England, which has only come to light since 1875 and has been edited by Mr. Deane.  Maverick is, of course, hostile to the Puritans.  See also Lechford’s Plain Dealing in New England, ed.  J.H.  Trumbull, 1867.

The earliest history of Massachusetts is by Winthrop himself, a work of priceless value.  In 1790, nearly a century and a half after the author’s death, it was published at Hartford.  The best edition is that of 1853.  In 1869 a valuable life of Winthrop was published by his descendant Robert Winthrop.  Hubbard’s History of New England (Mass.  Hist.  Coll., 2d series, vols. v., vi.) is drawn largely from Winthrop and from Nathaniel Morton.  There is much that is suggestive in William Wood’s New England’s Prospect, 1634, and Edward Johnson’s Wonder-working Providence of Zion’s Saviour in New England, 1654; the latter has been ably edited by W.F.  Poole, Andover, 1867.  The records of the Massachusetts government,