Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	best_a	country_n	staple_n	42	3	16.4903	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63101	A treatise of Nevv England published in anno Dom. 1637. And now reprinted.		1645 (1645)	Wing T2092A; ESTC R220167	12,916	18

A Treatise of New ENGLAND Published in Anno Dom. 1637. And now reprinted NEw England is a Countrey in America Scituated within the Degrees of fortie and fortie nine of Northerly Latitude bordering Southwestward upon Maryland and Virginia Northward upon Nova Francia Northeastward upon Nova Scotia and Southward upon the great Ocean first called by the Spaniards Mare del Nort or the North Sea not for its height so far Northerly but in opposition of the Sea which is on the other side of that Continent called the South sea The Sea coast thereof from its Southernmost to Cape Codd bearing West southwest and East Northeast and from Cape Codd to Cape Croix being infortie five Degrees odd minuts and the utmost bounds of New-England Northward lying Southwest and Northeast This Country together with Nova Scotia was formerly called Norombega which hath bin this many yeares discovered and possessed by the English in right of the Crowne of England This Land in the Superficies the store of Wood excepted may be compared to this Kingdome As for De-la-ware Bay to Cape Codd being an indifferent low Land is like to the shires of Essex Suffolke Norfolke Cambridge Huntingdon Lincolne and from Cape Codd Eastward more hilly resembling Hampshire Dorcester Devon and Cornwall As these two parts of the Country differ in forme so they do in fertility for that to the Westward of Cape Codd exceedeth the other to the Eastward as much in rich Soile as in levell and withall hath more large Marshes upon the Sea coast now subject to the inundation of high-tides howbeit divers of them might be gained from the water if ever the Planters should undertake it with far lesse charge than to make Tillable the like quantity of wood land by reason the in-lets are but narrow and bounded with ascending grounds 2. The inner part of the Countrey consisteth most of Vpland full of Woods yet is so well furnished with fertile low Plaines and Vallies that in crossing the Woods one shall hardly misse in three or foure myles of such places whereof some are very spacious and delightfull with cleere fresh Rivers or Brooks gliding through them without Fenne or Bogge and scarse a shrub or bush to hinder a Ploughs going and commonly flanked or surrounded with woody Hills whence a man may behold as pleasant prospects building Tillage and Cartell excepted as any in all England wherein Planters may have choice enough of rich Earable land for many Generations Those Vallies and Marshes upon the Sea Coast beare Grasse of a great length and thicknes in some places so ranke that it is above an Ell in height which though it be not at the first cutting so fine as our English Grasse yet is such good Winter Fodder as that Cattell thrive well therewith and the oftner it is mowed the finer it groweth The Vpland also in most places is sufficient good land producing Grasse very thick sweet and timely especially where the Indians have cleared any quantity of ground to plant their Corne in and afterwards quitted it for new choise The soile in generall is of diverse sorts The Vallies and Marshes are for the most part a fat black Mould saving in some places a kind of a loamie Clay whereof the Planters make Brickes Tiles and earthen Vessells The Vpland is either a Gravell Sandy or somewhat stronger inclining to a Clay ground each being very beneficiall to the labours of a painfull Husbandman 3. That Country is stored with as great and good choice of all forts of timber as any one land in the knowne world there being three kinds of Oake each excelling the other for particular uses with plenty of all kindes of trees that England affords besides many other kinds of Wood very usefull for this Kingdom which it selfe yeeldeth not as Spruce Firre and Deale of extraordinary growth for Masts Yards and Plankes out of which Wood may bee extracted Pitch Tarre Rozin and Turpintine Likewise Pine trees Cedar Cipres Sassaphras with the Sumack which is very good for Dyers and Tanners out of this Sumack and Shee-Cedar issueth sweet Gums much used for perfumes All those that work in Wood do find those trees for goodnesse very answerable to their desires There be severall kinds of trees that be are fruit as Wallnut Chestnut Haselnut trees and divers sorts of Plumbe trees with infinite store of Vines that beare Grapes in great clusters and as big many of them as Musket bullets which some of the Inhabitants both English and Dutch have transplanted who are of opinion by what they have already tried that with dressing and pruning of them they will be able to make as good Wines as any part of France All the Woods over there be Chestnuts Wallnuts Haselnuts Currance Mulberries Rasberries Gooseberries Hurtleberries Hawes with many other kindes of fruit and roots which are excellent food for Hogges and causeth them to increase wonderfull in growth and profit 4. That Earth fructifieth exceedingly all kinds of English and Indian Corne and the Planters doe find by experience that it beareth as great crops and more increase than in any part of this Kingdom Yet therebe divers experienced Farmers which doe neglect our English Beanes and Pease and sow those of the Indians preferring them before the other for goodnes of tast and profit But the product of Indian Wheat which is a good food surpasseth all other graine for 100. and 50. and 200. is ordinarily the increase thereof And there be some of good credit now in this Kingdome who have affirmed that they had above 300. fold The worth of that Land is manifestly confirmed in that it is an usuall course with those Farmers upon the first cutting up of their ground to sow either Hempe or Indian Wheate to correct the rancknesse of it as being too strong for any other graine there bee also Hempe and Flax that groweth naturally somwhat shorter and slenderer then ours in England but much finer and stronger whereof the Indians make Cords and Nets which may prove in time a great staple commodity for Cordadge Canvas and other sorts of finer linnen Likewise that Country affordethh naturally diversity of medecinable Roots Herbs and Flowers some of them being very beautifull and fragrant with other kinds wholsome and good for sawce and sallads and abundance of Strawberries throughout the fields larger and as good as any Garden Strawberries in England For all kinds of Garden Roots and Herbs that are planted or sowed they prosper marvellous well and are very usefull for the Plantors Moreover the ground is so rich and the climate so seasonable that it would afford as good Woad Madder Rape and Safron as in any land where they are now growing 5. There may be had all Materials for Buildings whether Forts Castles Churches Houses or any other Structures as Free-stone Smooth stone and Marble slats for covering Lime-stone for morter and plaistering with choise Timber and all other appurtenances fit for finishing Some affirme that there be divers sorts

both parties This prosperous successe of theirs being knowne here in England perswaded in many such a good oppinion of that Country that they resolved to adventure themselves and estates into those parts in hopes of the like fortune for not long after there went over many who joyned with them and more do still so that they are now growne to a great number of Planters and of good estates But they follow the Trade of Bever with that greedinesse by reason of present profit that they do not apply themselves so much to cleare and fence grounds for tillage as other Planters whereby the Inhabitants might be maintained with the fruit of Husbandry and the brood of Cattell increased which indeed is the best and surest foundation of a setled Colonie 13. The other Plantation is that of the Masachusetts Bay who went over well provided with all necessaries intending to raise themselves new estates in that Country The better sort of them being Gentlemen of good estates and reputation here in England the rest were very industrious and painfull who brought over either competent meanes to put themselves into a thriving course or had good Occupations and Trades wherby they might live upon the accommodations of the Country And withall are now very desirous to have such a Government setled by the Kings Authority that will subject all of them to the Laws of this Land whereby the abuses of such as are refrectory may be convicted and corrected and the obedience of the rest cherished and defended This Plantation hath bin very successefull and ate already growne so numerous that they are dispersed throughout the Sea-coast of this Bay above fifty miles in compasse In severall places whereof they have built Forts of good strength with diverse Townes and villages which are able to intertain such as come over with house-room and other refreshings while they build and make Provision upon their owne lots and whereas some Scituations would not afford them arrable grounds enough neere the towns they have found out convenient places further in the Country for tillage and Meadowing where they have good Farms Their chiefe imployments hitherto have bin Husbandry trading for Beaver and fishing For their husbandry they brought that to so good a perfection that all of them who have lived there any reasonable time have sufficient to maintaine their Families out of their stocks in Corn and Cattell For their Beaver trade it hath continued very beneficiall unto them a good while after their first comming over but it soone decaied sithence there went so many Planters with trucking commodities that all of them traded promiscuously respectlesse of the manner and rates the ancient Planters used which was not to exceed a certain proportion and this corruption still gaining upon their covetousnesse have brought it now to this passe that so soon as they can discrie any Salvages comming towards their Plantations with Fur they will all flock about them one out-bidding another while there is any materiall gaine so that they can hardly get two Beavers for that commodity t●ey exchanged for ten or twelve 14. And for their fishing they made Weres in many places where the tides leave so much fish that they doe not only serve all the Plantations therewith throughout the Yeare but are forced and that for a good purpose to carry the overplus to fatten their Land with lest those great Shoales should break or choake up the VVeres But the wealth that the Planters might get by setting up the trade of fishing did they effectually go in hand therewith may bee conceived by comparing that Coast with other fishing places for it is well knowne that it equalizeth Groin-land for VVhales and Grampasses The Irish and North Sea for Herring and salt fish The Baltick sea for Sturgion and Muller And withall doth exce●l New-found-land fishing for Poore-John in that the fish is larger and the season sooner by above two moneths whereby they may bee at their Markets in their Ilands Italy Spaine or France before he others have their Fish a shipboard in New-found-land and will sell their fish at a greater price Furthermore they have in divers respects the advantage of our New-found-land Fishermen who are at a great charge in buying of salt spending of time and Victualls before they arrive at their fishing place by reason they are at hand and may in a short time fit themselves with all provision for that work But those Planters excepting some particular men who built a few shipps for that purpose have bin hitherto hindred by their Land imployments neither will there bee much good done before they make a generall stocke and incorporate themselves into one body which being wisely managed may in a few years raise them to great estats and make them masters of such a Navall power as will be able to doe the King service and defend their own Country 15. What I have hitherto written of New England is upon the matter generall now I purpose to write somwhat in particular concerning a part of the Country which lieth between Delaware Bay and Cape Codd that is more than halfe the land in extent though not in Degrees by reason it beareth more Westerly then the other and that hath not bin formerly mentioned by any mans Relati●n but from Cape Codd Northeastward Captaine Smith and Mr. Woods have discoursed copiously of the severall scituations and plantations as also of the manner and profit of that Fishing whose Bookes are now extant 16. The only Planters who possessed that Western part of the Countrie excepting one small Plantation of English upon the River Conectecute are the Dutch who first came into the land about the yeare 1622. and putting into Hudsons river which they call Mauritius River spent some time with the Indians in trading for Beaver and took possession of that place in their West-India Companies name who then imployed them and afterwards returned into Holland moving their Masters with some experimentall reasons to be at the charge of transporting a Colony thither which the Company undertooke For in the yeare following they set out a ship for the same River with some 60 Planters furnished with trucking Commodities and all necessaries for a twelve-moneth who upon their first landing searched all the places neere the Sea side for a commodious Scituation at last chose Manahatas Iland for two reasons one respecting a good Harbor the other for conveniency of commerce with the Indians This Iland is ten leagues in compasse and a league and a halfe broad or thereabouts at the South part whereof they raised a strong Fort with 4. compleat Bulwarks upon which they have 20 cast Pieces mounted neere about this Fort live all the Planters that are Artifficers but their Boores disperse themselves farther Northward into the Iland where it is more fertile than about the Plantation with in 4 or 5. miles Eastward of this place is a large plaine of ten or twelve miles wide which is very fit for Farmers to