and which would continue their working so as to insure modifications of
it. Winthrop notes it for a special Providence that his wife discovered
a loathsome spider in the children's porridge before they had partaken
of it. His religious philosophy stopped there. He did not put to himself
the sort of questions which open in a train to our minds from any one
observed fact, else he would have found himself asking after the special
Providence which allowed the spider to fall into the porridge. His
friend and successor in high-magistracy in New England, Governor John
Endecott, wrote him a letter years afterward which is so characteristic
of the faith of both of them that we will make free use of it. The
letter is dated Salem, July 28th, 1640, and probably refers to the
disaster by which the ship Mary Rose "was blown in pieces with her own
powder, being 21 barrels," in Charlestown harbor, the day preceding.[A]

"DEAREST SIR,--Hearing of ye remarkable stroake of Gods
hand uppon ye shippe & shippes companie of Bristoll, as also of
some Atheisticall passages & hellish profanations of ye Sabbaths
& deridings of ye people & wayes of God, I thought good to desire
a word or two of you of ye trueth of what you have heard. Such an
extraordinary judgement would be searched into, what Gods meaninge
is in it, both in respect of those whom it concernes more
especiallie in England, as also in regard of ourselves. God will
be honred in all dealings. We have heard of severall ungodlie
carriadges in that ship, as, first, in their way overbound they
wld. constantlie jeere at ye holy brethren of New England, & some
of ye marineer's would in a scoffe ask when they should come to
ye holie Land? 2. After they lay in the harbor Mr. Norice sent to
ye shippe one of our brethren uppon busines, & hee heard them
say, This is one of ye holie brethren, mockinglie &
disdainefullie. 3. That when some have been with them aboard to