A tiny flower on a vast ocean

In order to tell the second part of this story, I am obliged to take on the persona of a later settler (I couldn't very easily hide among the original voyagers, and I really didn't enjoy the prospect of spending months on the ocean in a tiny, cramped, overcrowded and dangerously fragile little wooden ship. I can only admire the courage of those who did.
I have taken the trouble to seek out Bridget Jones once more and ask how she fared since last we met.

Charter seal of the Virginia Company of London

By 1619 seafarers returning home were bringing news of the speculative companies being formed to exploit the New World, and once more the assembly "sought God earnestly, on their knees, and in their hearts" as Bridget puts it. While material gains might be possible, more importantly they might be able to find, once and for all time, a place on the Earth where they would be "free from powers and principalities, trying to interfere" with their worship. The decision was taken to send Deacon John Carver and Robert Cushman as representatives to negotiate with the Virginia Company in London. So with much prayer, the men were sent out equipped with written articles of belief composed by the assembly as proof of their orthodoxy and loyalty to the English crown.
The two representatives returned to Leiden where the assembly rejoiced to hear the news that anyone willing to work for the Virginia Company's settlement in Jamestown would be granted a portion of land, or alternatively those who wished to be their own masters, or were willing to sponsor another immigrant would also receive a smaller portion of land. They also received assurance from the King that they would be free to worship God in their own manner and planning for the voyage began in earnest.
The assembly used their shared funds to purchase a small ship, the Speedwell, that had originally been built as a fighting ship to oppose the Spanish Armada, but later refitted as a cargo ship. Having trekked across country once more, carrying with them such belongings as they value most, they boarded the Speedwell at Delfshaven, a suburb of Delft, to sail for Southampton where they would rendezvous with Mayflower which would be carrying secular settlers hired by the Virginia Company.

The departure, on August 5th, 1620, went as planned but before the ships were out of sight of land, the Speedwell was forced to turn back, taking on water.
"My dear husband, John, led the assembly in earnest prayer, that our Lord would save us, just as he did when Peter's boat was in jeopardy on Galilee".
With repairs made, Speedwell put to sea once more, but again began to take on water.

Bridget chuckles at the memory; "The 'sorry old bucket' as the sailors called the ship returned to Plymouth where it was sold - may God be merciful to the fool who bought her! and those of our company whose hearts remained stout, and their faith strong, joined us aboard Mayflower for the voyage to the New World."

For the next three months the assembly endured the cold, damp and constant danger of the voyage spending much of their wakeful time in prayer. The ship was damaged during the voyage, but God be thanked, the ship's carpenter, Mathew Stevens was skilled in carpentry and repaired the damage within a couple of days. In course of the voyage, we welcomed into our number Master Peregrine White, son of William and Susanna, and blessed God for Susanna's safe delivery, and also Master Oceanus Hopkins, son of Stephen and Elizabeth.

As great as was the rejoicing when Mayflower first sighted land, there was some question concerning where the ship was harbored, and when it was confirmed that it was indeed northward of the lands that had been granted to us by the Virginia Company, lands that had not been claimed by any sovereign power, the elders of the assembly called for a meeting to determine how best to proceed.

As Bridget herself expressed the common sentiment, "there is no place in all creation safer than that to which God hath appointed us."

"Having sought the guidance of God individually, the men of the company as were moved to do so drafted and signed their names to a contract setting out the foundations of such a government as we believed right and proper in the sight of God and obedience to King James."

As much as I love to listen to Bridget's recollections of the first days of the colony, I seize the opportunity to ask her what she brought with her from Leiden.

It seems that of all her possessions, those she values most are a bible, a heavy volume bound in black leather, and well-thumbed. And almost as dear, a book of psalms "Both in prose and in metre", printed in Amsterdam just eight years before her voyage to the new world. The psalms, though much newer than the bible, also show much use and I am delighted when Bridget sings for me her favourite, psalm 100.

The music is notated in a way which will change fairly little over the next four to five hundred years; the symbol "C" with a line through it will continue in use, although its meaning will change. And the "b" symbol, indicating the key signature of F major will become standardized on the middle line of the five-line treble staff. The shapes of breve (whole note) and semi-breve (half-note) will be rounded and their stems moved to the side. And eventually, a stylised "G" will be added to show the position of that note, rather than the symbol which will eventually become the "C" clef.

X:10 % number
T:Psalm 100 % title
C:Anon. % composer
O:Ainsworth Psalter (1612) % origin.
M:3/2 % meter
L:1/2 % length of shortest note
Q:240 % tempo
K:F % key
V:1 % voice 1
F2 E D C F G A3 A G F B A G2 F2 G A G F D E F2 c2 A F G B A2 G2 F4 |]
w:1.Showt~to Je-ho-vah, al the earth.~2.Serv ye~Je-ho-vah with glad-ness: be-fore him come with sing-ing merth. 3.Know that Je-ho-vah He God is.
W:
W:Its he that made us, and not wee
W:his folk, and sheep of his feeding.
W:4.O with confession enter yee
W:his gates, his courtyards with praising:
W:confess to him, bless ye his name.
W:5.Because Jehovah he good is:
W:his mercy ever is the same:
W:and his faith, unto al ages.

To all my readers, may you have a happy Thanksgiving, 2007. And may the love of God be ever near you.

To convert the code above to sheet music, or listen to the tunes, copy the code for a single song, then paste it here and [submit].