Thus all things seemed to goe very comfortably and smothly on amongst them, at which they did much rejoyce; but this lasted not [119] long, for both Oldom and he grew very perverse, and shewed a spirite of great malignancie, drawing as many into faction as they could; were they never so vile or profane, they did nourish & back them in all their doings; so they would but cleave to them and speak against y^e church hear; so as ther was nothing but private meetings and whisperings amongst them; they feeding themselves & others with what they should bring to pass in England by the faction of their freinds their, which brought others as well as them selves into a fools paradise. Yet they could not cary so closly but much of both their doings & sayings were discovered, yet outwardly they still set a faire face of things.
At lenght when y^e ship was ready to goe, it was observed Liford was long in writing, & sente many letters, and could not forbear to comunicate to his intimats such things as made them laugh in their sleeves, and thought he had done ther errand sufficiently. The Gov^r and some other of his freinds knowing how things stood in England, and what hurt these things might doe, tooke a shalop and wente out with the ship a league or 2. to sea, and caled for all Lifords & Oldums letters. Mr. William Peirce being m^r. of y^e ship, (and knew well their evill dealing both in England & here,) afforded him all y^e assistance he could. He found above 20. of Lyfords letters, many of them larg, and full of slanders, & false accusations, tending not only to their prejudice, but to their ruine & utter subversion. Most of the letters they let pas, only tooke copys of them, but some of y^e most materiall they sent true copyes of them, and kept y^e originalls, least he should deney them, and that they might produce his owne hand against him. Amongst his letters they found y^e coppyes of tow letters which he sent inclosed in a leter of his to M^r. John Pemberton, a minster, and a great opposite of theirs. These 2. letters of which he tooke the coppyes were one of them write by a gentle-man in England to M^r. Brewster here, the other by M^r. Winslow to M^r. Robinson, in Holand, at his coming away, as y^e ship lay at Gravsend. They lying sealed in y^e great cabin, (whilst M^r. Winslow was bussie aboute the affairs of y^e ship,) this slye marchante taks & opens them, taks these coppys, & seals them up againe; and not only sends the coppyes of them thus to his friend and their adversarie, but adds thertoo in y^e margente many scurrilous and flouting a[=n]otations. This ship went out _towards e[=v]ing_, and _in the night_ y^e Gov^r retu[=r]ed. They were somwaht blanke at it, but after some weeks, when they heard nothing, they then were as briske as ever, thinking nothing had been knowne, but all was gone currente, and that the Gov^r went but to dispatch his owne letters. The reason why the Gov^r & rest concealed these things the longer, was to let things ripen, that they [120] might y^e better discover their intents and see who were their adherents. And y^e rather because amongst y^e rest they found a letter of one of their confederats, in w^ch was writen that M^r. Oldame & M^r. Lyford intended a reformation in church and commone wealth; and, as soone as the ship was gone, they intended to joyne togeather, and have the sacrements, &c.