length of time that must elapse before the harvest of grain, they declined to enlarge the allowance, and even ordered that every meal of fish or flesh should excuse the allowance of porridge.  Mr. Wingfield goes on to say:  “Nor was the common store of oyle, vinegar, sack, and aquavite all spent, saving two gallons of each:  the sack reserved for the Communion table, the rest for such extremities as might fall upon us, which the President had only made known to Captain Gosnold; of which course he liked well.  The vessels wear, therefore, boonged upp.  When Mr. Gosnold was dead, the President did acquaint the rest of the Council with the said remnant; but, Lord, how they then longed for to supp up that little remnant:  for they had now emptied all their own bottles, and all other that they could smell out.”

Shortly after this the Council again importuned the President for some better allowance for themselves and for the sick.  He protested his impartiality, showed them that if the portions were distributed according to their request the colony would soon starve; he still offered to deliver what they pleased on their warrants, but would not himself take the responsibility of distributing all the stores, and when he divined the reason of their impatience he besought them to bestow the presidency among themselves, and he would be content to obey as a private.  Meantime the Indians were bringing in supplies of corn and meat, the men were so improved in health that thirty were able to work, and provision for three weeks’ bread was laid up.

Nevertheless, says Mr. Wingfield, the Council had fully plotted to depose him.  Of the original seven there remained, besides Mr. Wingfield, only three in the Council.  Newport was in England, Gosnold was dead, and Kendall deposed.  Mr. Wingfield charged that the three—­Ratcliffe, Smith, and Martin—­forsook the instructions of his Majesty, and set up a Triumvirate.  At any rate, Wingfield was forcibly deposed from the Council on the 10th of September.  If the object had been merely to depose him, there was an easier way, for Wingfield was ready to resign.  But it appears, by subsequent proceedings, that they wished to fasten upon him the charge of embezzlement, the responsibility of the sufferings of the colony, and to mulct him in fines.  He was arrested, and confined on the pinnace.  Mr. Ratcliffe was made President.

On the 11th of September Mr. Wingfield was brought before the Council sitting as a court, and heard the charges against him.  They were, as Mr. Wingfield says, mostly frivolous trifles.  According to his report they were these: 

First, Mister President [Radcliffe] said that I had denied him a penny whitle, a chicken, a spoonful of beer, and served him with foul corn; and with that pulled some grain out of a bag, showing it to the company.

Then starts up Mr. Smith and said that I had told him plainly how he lied; and that I said, though we were equal here, yet if we were in England, he [I] would think scorn his man should be my companion.