King Charles; but he was then so much engrossed by dissensions with his
people, that he had no leisure to punish the offender. In other times, it
might have cost Endicott his life, and Massachusetts her charter.



"I should like to know, Grandfather," said Laurence, when the story was
ended, "whether, when Endicott cut the Red Cross out of the banner, he
meant to imply that Massachusetts was independent of England?"

"A sense of the independence of his adopted country, must have been in
that bold man’s heart," answered Grandfather; "but I doubt whether he had
given the matter much consideration, except in its religious bearing.
However, it was a very remarkable affair, and a very strong expression of
Puritan character."

Grandfather proceeded to speak further of Roger Williams, and of other
persons who sat in the great chair, as will be seen in the following
chapter.




Chapter IV


"Roger Williams," said Grandfather, "did not keep possession of the chair
a great while. His opinions of civil and religious matters differed, in
many respects, from those of the rulers and clergymen of Massachusetts.
Now the wise men of those days believed, that the country could not be