you prepare for evill tidings of us every day.  But pray for us instantly, it may be ye Lord will be yet entreated one way or other to make for us.  I see not in reason how we shall escape even ye gasping of hunger starved persons; but God can doe much, & his will be done.  It is better for me to dye, then now for me to bear it, which I doe daly, & expect it howerly; haveing received ye sentance of death, both within me & with out me.  Poore William Ring & my selfe doe strive who shall be meate first for ye fishes; but we looke for a glorious resurrection, knowing Christ Jesus after ye flesh no more, but looking unto ye joye yt is before us, we will endure all these things and accounte them light in comparison of ye joye we hope for.  Remember me in all love to our freinds as if I named them, whose praiers I desire earnestly, & wish againe to see, but not till I can with more comforte looke them in ye face.  The Lord give us that true comforte which none can take from us.  I had a desire to make a breefe relation of our estate to some freind.  I doubte not but your wisdome will teach you seasonably to utter things as here after you shall be called to it.  That which I have writen is treue, & many things more which I have for borne.  I write it as upon my life, and last confession in England.  What is of use to be spoken of presently, you may speake of it, and what is fitt to conceile, conceall.  Pass by my weake maner, for my head is weake, and my body feeble, ye Lord make me strong in him, and keepe both you & yours. 
                              Your loving freind,
                                        Robart Cushman.

Dartmouth, Aug. 17, 1620.

                                  IX
                        the may-Flower compact

In ye name of God, Amen.  We whose names are underwriten, the loyall subjects of our dread soveraigne Lord, King James, by ye grace of God, of Great Britaine, Franc, & Ireland king, defender of ye faith, &c., haveing under taken, for ye glorie of God, and advancemente of ye Christian faith, and honour of our king & countrie, a voyage to plant ye first colonie in ye Northerne parts of Virginia, doe by these presents solemnly & mutualy in ye presence of God, and one of another, covenant & combine our selves together into a civill body politick, for our better ordering & preservation & furtherance of ye ends aforesaid:  and by vertue hearof to enacte, constitute, and frame such just & equall lawes, ordinances, actes, constitutions, & offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meete & convenient for ye generall good of ye Colonie, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience.  In witnes wherof we have here under subscribed our names at Cape-Codd ye 11. of November, in ye year of ye raigne of our soveraigne lord, King James, of England, France, & Ireland ye eighteenth, and of Scotland ye fiftie fourth.  Ano.  Dom. 1620