I. The Agreement of the Merchant Adventurers and Planters;

II.  The Letter of the Leyden Leaders to John Carver and Robert Cushman (at London), May 31/June 10, 1620;

III.  The Letter of Robert Cushman to John Carver (then at Southampton), Saturday, June 10/20, 1620;

IV.  The Letter of Robert Cushman to the Leyden Leaders, June 10/20, 1620;

V. The Letter of Robert Cushman to the Leyden Leaders, Sunday, June 11/21, 1620;

VI.  The Letter of Rev. John Robinson to John Carver at London, June 14/24, 1620;

VII.  The Letter of the Planters to the Merchant Adventurers from Southamp ton, August 3, 1620;

VIII.  The Letter of Robert Cushman (from Dartmouth) to Edward Southworth, Thursday, August 17,1620;

IX.  The may-Flower Compact;

X. The Nuncupative Will of Master William Mullens; and

XI.  The Letter of “One of the Chiefe of ye Companie” (The Merchant
Adventurers), dated at London, April 9, 1623—­

Many other early original documents frequently referred to in this volume are of no less interest than those here given, but most of them have either had such publication as to be more generally known or accessible, or involve space and cost disproportionate to their value in this connection.

I
the agreement of the merchant adventurers and planters

Anno:  1620, July 1.

1.  The adventurers & planters doe agree, that every person that goeth being aged 16. years & upward, be rated at 10li., and ten pounds to be accounted a single share.

2.  That he goeth in person, and furnisheth him selfe out with 10li. either in money or other provisions, be accounted as haveing 20li. in stock, and in ye devission shall receive a double share.

3.  The persons transported & ye adventurers shall continue their joynt stock & partnership togeather, ye space of 7 years, (excepte some unexpected impedimente doe cause ye whole company to agree otherwise,) during which time, all profits & benifits that are gott by trade, traffick, trucking, working, fishing, or any other means of any person or persons, remaine still in ye comone stock untill ye division.

4.  That at their coming ther, they chose out such a number of fitt persons, as may furnish their ships and boats for fishing upon ye sea; imploying the rest of their severall faculties upon ye land; as building houses, tilling, and planting ye ground, & makeing shuch comodities as shall be most usefull for ye collonie.

5.  That at ye end of ye 7 years, ye capitall & profits, viz. the houses, lands, goods and chatels, be equally devided betwixte ye adventurers, and planters; wch done, every man shall be free from other of them of any debt or detrimente concerning this adventure.

6.  Whosoever cometh to ye colonie hereafter, or putteth any into ye stock, shall at the ende of ye 7. years be alowed proportionably to ye time of his so doing.