1,133 Matching Annotations
  1. Oct 2015
    1. he would Ride away with That which he should in this Extremity find his Affections to pitch most upon, and leave the Rest unto the care of the Divine Providence

      So he'll pick his favorites to save and leave the rest in the hands of God? I thought parents didn't have favorites?!

    2. Indeed these Idolaters were like the rest of their whiter Brethren, Persecutors; and would not endure, that these poor Women should Retire to their English Prayers, if they could hinder them.

      They weren't going to let the prisoners pray if they could help it

    1. “No,” said he, “none will hurt you.” Then came one of them and gave me two spoonfuls of meal to comfort me, and another gave me half a pint of peas;

      The Natives' kindness is what is really standing out to me in these re-tellings of Mary's story

    1. I told them it was the Sabbath day, and desired them to let me rest, and told them I would do as much more tomorrow; to which they answered me they would break my face.

      They don't understand the importance of the Sabbath because they have no understanding of her religion. Of course they think its ridiculous that she requests a day off...she's their prisoner!

    2. On the Saturday they boiled an old horse’s leg which they had got, and so we drank of the broth, as soon as they thought it was ready, and when it was almost all gone, they filled it up again.

      Little resources, little options

    1. One of the Indians that came from Medfield fight, had brought some plunder, came to me, and asked me, if I would have a Bible, he had got one in his basket. I was glad of it, and asked him, whether he thought the Indians would let me read? He answered, yes.

      The amount of relative kindness that the Natives show to their captives kind of solidifies their overall humaneness to me

    2. I then remembered how careless I had been of God’s holy time; how many Sabbaths I had lost and misspent, and how evilly I had walked in God’s sight

      Yes, this is the perfect time to think about how you've misused your past Sundays. You're in captivity, Mary! Now's not the time!

    3. One of the Indians got up upon a horse, and they set me up behind him, with my poor sick babe in my lap

      I wonder why these "inhumane creatures" are going through all this trouble to keep Mary & the child alive in captivity. They probably could've sent a similar message by killing them. What is their purpose for the kidnapping?

    1. It is not my tongue, or pen, can express the sorrows of my heart, and bitterness of my spirit that I had at this departure: but God was with me in a wonderful manner,

      Hmm...she was extremely sorrowful, to the point that words can't describe it, yet she still felt God with her under such bleak conditions? That's faith.

    1. There remained nothing to me but one poor wounded babe, and it seemed at present worse than death that it was in such a pitiful condition, bespeaking compassion, and I had no refreshing for it, nor suitable things to revive it.

      Wow...to lose all that and still have the burden to care for a baby that she has no means to help. She's in tough shape.

  2. Sep 2015
    1. According to humane reafon, guided onely by the light of nature, thefe people leades the more happy and freer

      Transcendentalist smacks forehead I guess it's basically saying that living a happy life is crying shame without the features of capitalism and the gospel. The negative connotation of "savage" isn't as strong in morton's work. Maybe it carried a more "blissful" connotation.

    2. From this place for England failed mine Host in a Plimmouth ship, (that came into the Land to fish upon the Coast,) that landed him safe in England at Plimmouth : and he stayed in England until the ordinary time for shipping to set forth for these parts, and then returned

      He found a ship going to England, he got on that. Stayed in England for awhile, then sailed back to Mare-mount. No big deal.

    3. Yet, to save the effusion of so much worthy blood, as would have issued out of the veins of these nine worthies of New Canaan, if mine Host should have played upon them out at his port holes

      Morton restrains himself from firing on his captors, because (in his mind) he would do too much damage if he acted

    4. there he prepared powder, three pounds dried, for his present employment, and four good guns for him and the two affirmants left at his house. He provides bullets of several sizes, three hundred or there- Zs. ume ‘ about, to be used if the conspirators should pursue him there

      Prepares to fight his captors if they come looking for him

    5. up gets mine Hoft and got to the fecond dore that hee was to paffe, which, notwithstanding the lock, hee got open, and fliut it after him with fuch violence that it affrighted fome of the confpirators. The word, which was given with an alarme, was, he ‘s gon, he ‘s gon, what fhall wee doe, he ‘s gon !

      Morton sneaks away from his captors in the middle of the night

    6. stabbers, or Cutthroats: and this name was received by those that came thereafter for good, being then unacquainted with the signification of it, for many years following…

      the Europeans now get the reputations of being "savages"

    7. will not be troubled with fuperfluous commodities. Such things as they finde they are taught by neceffity to make ufe of, they will make choife of, and feeke to purchafe with induftry

      They live without lavish, only possessing useful objects--the things that they need to survive.

    8. are all the capital crimes that can be imagined; all other are nothing in respect; of those

      Lying and stealing are pretty bad. If you can live your life without doing those two things, you're a pretty good person in my opinion (Englishman or not).

    9. and made God so angry that he let in the sea upon them, and drowned the greater part of them

      Wow. Very graphic but also irritates me that God is depicted as causing such chaos and violence. Who established this??

    1. For such despite they cast on female wits, If what I do prove well, it won't advance-- They'll say it was stolen, or else it was by chance.

      Oh, so this prologue is basically saying "Here's my material. I'm a woman, so nobody's going to take it seriously, but I'm going to do it (in the shadow of this Greek guy) anyway."

    2. Nor perfect beauty where's a main defect: My foolish, broken, blemished Muse so sings; And this to mend, alas, no art is able, 'Cause nature made is so, irreparable.

      it sounds like she's putting down her own writing here, especially when she compares herself to Bartas. I wonder why she opens up with such insecurity right away ...

    1. That admitt this bee the true God whom we worship, and that be his word, yet why may not the Popish Religion bee the right? They have the same God, the same Christ, the same word; they only interprett it one way, wee another. This hath sometimes stuck with me, and more it would, but the vain fooleries that are in their Religion,

      Interesting that she recognizes that the Catholics' religion is essentially the same as hers, just with more "fluff"

    2. either in granting the thing I prayed for, or else in satisfying my mind without it; and I have been confident it hath been from him, because I have found my heart through his goodnes enlarged in thankfullnes to him.

      I mean, if a belief gives your mind peace, it can't be so bad

    3. If at any time you are chastened of God, take it as thankfully and Joyfully as in greatest mercyes, for if yee bee his yee shall reap the greatest benefit by it.

      If life ever gets hard, trust that God is just testing you because it will be rewarding in the end

    4. but that you may gain some spiritual Advantage by my experience. I have not studied in this you read to show my skill, but to declare the Truth — not to sett forth myself, but the Glory of God.

      She wants to leave her children with a message about faith and religion...not necessarily a personal note

    1. Thou ill-form'd offspring of my feeble brain, Who after birth did'st by my side remain, Till snatcht from thence by friends, less wise than true, Who thee abroad expos'd to public view,

      this sounds like its about idea stealing. I love how you can have a creative thought, but if you don't record it, it'll abandon you. Keep the good ones hidden from the snatchers! Good advice.

    1. The very thought of any joy arising in me, on any consideration of my own amiableness, performances, or experiences, or any goodness of heart or life, is nauseous and detestable to me.

      Impressive, but makes sense. You can't "will" yourself to be humble. It has to come from within. At this point, it's easier for him to be humble because taking joy in himself is nauseating.

    2. From about that time, I began to have a new kind of apprehensions and ideas of Christ. and the work of redemption, and the glorious way of salvation by him.

      Seeing all the same stuff he's studied his entire life in a new way.

    3. how happy I should be, if I might enjoy that God, and be rapt up to him in heaven, and be as it were swallowed up in him for ever!

      He is finally doing more than just reading the scriptures, he is realizing the personal implications of it

    1. but sundrie times before, and at severall times with all ye rest of ye forenamed in his indictmente; and this his free-confession was not only in private to ye magistrats, (though at first he strived to deney it,) but to sundrie, both ministers & others, and afterwards, upon his indictmente, to ye whole court & jury

      he just confessed to everyone didn't he?

    1. kill their katle, and lye in ambush for them as they went abroad upon their occasions; and all this they might easily doe without any or litle danger to them selves

      So being sneaky bastards is the moral way to to things?

    1. [T]hey that before had been boone companions in drinking & joyllity in ye time of their health & wellfare, begane now to deserte one another in this calamitie, saing they would not hasard ther lives for them, they should be infected by coming to help them in their cabins, and so, after they came to dye by it, would doe litle or nothing for them, but if they dyed let them dye…

      This is SO SAD. He didn't need to add this bit, but it must have been out of guilt. He could have easily said, "We ye done ye everything we could do ye, but to no avail." but he offers true sincerity here.