_DRAMATIC HOURS IN COLONIAL HISTORY_ TheLanding of the Pilgrims BY HENRY FISK CARLTON _Edited by_ CLAIRE T. ZYVE, Ph. D. Fox Meadow School, Scarsdale, New York BUREAU OF PUBLICATIONS TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY NEW YORK CITY _HOW TO BE A GOOD RADIO ACTOR_ The play in this book has actually been produced on the radio. Possibly you have listened to this one when you tuned in at home. Thepersons whose voices you heard as you listened, looked just as theydid when they left their homes to go to the studio, although they weretaking the parts of men and women who lived long ago and who worecostumes very different from the ones we wear today. The persons whose voices you heard stood close together around themicrophone, each one reading from a copy of the play in his hand. Since they could not be seen, they did not act parts as in otherplays, but tried to make their voices show how they felt. When you give these plays you will not need costumes and you will notneed scenery, although you can easily arrange a broadcasting studio ifyou wish. You will not need to memorize your parts; in fact, it willnot be like a real radio broadcast if you do so, and, furthermore, youwill not want to, since you will each have a copy of the book in yourhands. All you will need to do is to remember that you are taking thepart of a radio actor, that you are to read your speeches verydistinctly, and that by your voice you will make your audienceunderstand how you feel. In this way you will have the fun of livingthrough some of the great moments of history. _HOW TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS IN THE PLAY_ There are some directions in this play which may be new to you, butthese are necessary, for you are now in a radio broadcasting studio, talking in front of a microphone. The word [_in_] means that thecharacter is standing close to the microphone, while [_off_] indicatesthat he is farther away, so that his voice sounds faint. When thedirections [_off_, _coming in_] are given, the person speaking is awayfrom the microphone at first but gradually comes closer. The words[_mob_] or [_crowd noise_] you will understand mean the sound of manypeople talking in the distance. Both the English and the dialect used help make the characters live, so the speeches have been written in the way in which these men andwomen would talk. This means that sometimes the character may use whatseems to you unusual English. The punctuation helps, too, to make thespeeches sound like real conversation; for example, you will find thata dash is often used to show that a character is talking veryexcitedly. The Landing of the Pilgrims _CAST_ PASTOR ROBINSONELDER CARVERWILHELM KIEFTVOICETHOMAS WESTONCAPTAIN JONESPETER BROWNMOB ANNOUNCER It was in the month of December in 1620 that the Pilgrim Fatherslanded on Plymouth Rock and proceeded to establish the first permanentwhite settlement in New England. But the Pilgrims had not set out forAmerica to establish their new home in New England--far from it--theyhad a charter permitting their settlement in the northern portion ofthe Virginia plantation, and it was toward Virginia that the littleband of passengers aboard the Mayflower thought they were heading. Thestory of how they happened to come to the stern and rockbound coast ofNew England and of how they happened to stay there and carve out ofthe wilderness a great commonwealth is told here. Let us begin our story in Leyden, Holland, where for some eleven yearsthe Pilgrims have lived in exile from England, driven out because oftheir religious faith. It is early in the year 1620, and JohnRobinson, who is the pastor and leader of the Pilgrims, is talking toJohn Carver, who is one of the elders of the church. ROBINSON No word yet from Elder Brewster? CARVER Nay, not a word. I fear me that he and Master Cushman have found itimpossible to raise such a large sum of money. ROBINSON If we delay much longer King James may repent himself of hisgenerosity in allowing us to settle in Virginia. CARVER I begin to fear that we are doomed to spend the rest of our days inHolland. ROBINSON Nay, nay, do not lose heart. Jehovah will find a way for his children. Remember, the Children of Israel wandered for forty years in thewilderness before they found rest in the Promised Land. CARVER I'll not lose faith, Pastor Robinson. I know a way will be found forus. [_knock_] ROBINSON Will you see who's at the door? CARVER Of course, Pastor. [_sound of opening door_] Good day to you, sir. KIEFT Does Master John Robinson dwell here? CARVER Aye. Will you enter? KIEFT Thank you. CARVER Pastor Robinson, this gentleman would speak with you. ROBINSON Good morrow to you, sir. KIEFT Are you Pastor Robinson, then? ROBINSON I am. And to what do I owe the honor of this visit, Master--ah--? KIEFT My name is Kieft, Wilhelm Kieft, at your service. ROBINSON I am honored, Master Kieft. Allow me to present Master Carver. [_theygreet each other_] KIEFT And now to the business that brought me here--it is rumored aboutLeyden that you and your company are about to leave Leyden. Is thattrue? ROBINSON There is, as yet, nothing certain, Master Kieft. KIEFT But you are planning an emigration to the New World, are you not? ROBINSON It has been talked of, certainly, but thus far we have not found themeans. KIEFT Well, Master Robinson, perhaps I can find them for you. ROBINSON Indeed! CARVER Tell us, Master Kieft! KIEFT I am a member of the Dutch West India Company, which possesses a largetract of land in the New World. ROBINSON Indeed, I did not know that. KIEFT Ah, yes, through the discovery of a countryman of yours, Henry Hudson, who sailed under our flag, we own the country from the Great SouthRiver to the Great North River, where, I am told, the climate ishealthful and pleasant, and the land rich and bountiful. CARVER And what do you propose to us? KIEFT My company is prepared to furnish you land upon which to found acolony, and capital to carry you and your people there and support youuntil you have made yourselves self-supporting. ROBINSON And for this you would expect of us--what? KIEFT Some small share of your profits. CARVER Yes, and what else? KIEFT Nothing, except that you should live under the Dutch flag and make ourclaim to the land secure. CARVER Your offer is generous, Master Kieft. ROBINSON And you make no other conditions than those you mention? KIEFT None, I assure you. ROBINSON Can you offer them in writing so that our people may consider them? KIEFT Indeed, yes, if you are interested, my company will make you a writtenoffer within a fortnight. ROBINSON We are interested, Master Kieft, very much so. KIEFT Good. You shall receive our conditions as soon as I can arrange it. Good day! ROBINSON Good day, sir, and thank you. CARVER Jehovah has heard our prayer. The way is open. Mayhap-- ROBINSON Is it not a generous offer? CARVER Generous? Aye, but still-- ROBINSON Well? CARVER I like it not. ROBINSON Indeed, and why not? CARVER Why should the Dutch West India Company make us such a generous offer? ROBINSON Why indeed, but that we may establish for them a colony in the NewWorld? CARVER Aye, a colony that will give them a stronger hold upon disputed land. ROBINSON Do you think the land is disputed? CARVER I know but little of the New World. I know not even where the GreatNorth River or the Great South River may be, but only this I know:King James and his Virginia Company would take it much amiss, thathaving a patent to lands in Virginia, we turned to the Dutch andsettled under their flag. ROBINSON And what has King James ever done for us but persecute us, drive usfrom our homes, and make of us pilgrims upon the face of the earth? CARVER Aye, but I am an Englishman. I had looked with joy upon our emigrationto America, because I had hoped we could once again live under Britishrule. ROBINSON Many of our company have felt the same; but if we cannot go exceptunder the Dutch flag, still we must go. CARVER Aye. ROBINSON The hand of Jehovah leads us; we must follow. ANNOUNCER So the offer of the Dutch West India Company was received and in duecourse of time the provisions were put into writing. The Pilgrimcompany discussed the offer from every angle. All of them would havepreferred to settle under the British flag, if it could have beenarranged, but because more than six months had passed and they had notfound anyone who could finance them, they felt that the Dutch offershould be accepted. Therefore, near the end of February, 1620, Pastor Robinson and ElderCarver meet with Wilhelm Kieft to settle finally the matter of theemigration. Let us listen as they talk together. KIEFT Two ships and one thousand pounds, which you can repay in ten years. ROBINSON And all your company demands is a monopoly in the fur trade? KIEFT That is all. Otherwise you shall do what pleases you; but all of thefur must belong to the Dutch West India Company. ROBINSON That seems just. What think you, Elder Carver? CARVER Who shall govern us, Master Kieft? KIEFT You shall say that yourself. Who governs you now? ROBINSON We have no governor except the Elders of the Church. KIEFT It shall be the same in the New World. CARVER Do the terms satisfy you, Pastor Robinson? ROBINSON Indeed, I am more than satisfied. KIEFT Then shall we sign the articles? [_rattle of paper_] ROBINSON I can think of nothing more we should consider, can you, Elder? CARVER Nothing. KIEFT Then, if you have a quill, we can sign now. [_knock_] ROBINSON Your pardon, someone knocks. CARVER [_going_] I'll see who it is. ROBINSON Thank you, Elder. Ah, here is the quill. Now, where is the inkhorn?Ah, yes, here. KIEFT Sign here. [_rattle of paper_] ROBINSON Let us wait for Elder Carver. CARVER [_off_] Oh, Pastor Robinson? ROBINSON Yes? CARVER Your pardon, sir, will you come here at once? ROBINSON What is it? CARVER [_off_] Thomas Weston of London desires to see you. KIEFT Can we not finish our business first? ROBINSON Tell him to come in and sit down while we get this business finished. CARVER [_off_] Will you come in, Master Weston? WESTON [_coming in_] Thank you. Have I the honor of addressing Master Robinson? ROBINSON I'm Robinson. WESTON I'm Thomas Weston, and I have come on behalf of a company of Londonmerchants-- KIEFT [_sharply_] Master Robinson, your pardon, but may we not finish this business inhand? ROBINSON Certainly! Elder Carver, Master Kieft is waiting for us to sign theArticles of Emigration. WESTON Your pardon, Master Robinson, did you say "Articles of Emigration"? ROBINSON Why, yes. WESTON I have an offer to make you for the emigration of your company. CARVER What? ROBINSON Indeed! KIEFT I must insist, sir-- ROBINSON One moment, Master Kieft. KIEFT Are you going to sign or not? ROBINSON Master Kieft, this may cause us to change our plans; we must consider. What is your offer, Master Weston? WESTON A company of seven London merchants has agreed to furnish ships andcapital to carry you and your people to America. KIEFT You have already agreed with me-- ROBINSON We have signed nothing yet. Where, Master Weston, does your companypropose that we settle? WESTON In northern Virginia--between the Great South River and the GreatNorth River. KIEFT That, sir, is the land of the Dutch West India Company. WESTON Your pardon, but King James has decreed-- KIEFT [_getting angrier_] I care not what your sovereign may have decreed--he has no claim tothat land. My company discovered and explored it! WESTON Has your company established any plantations there? KIEFT That makes no difference. WESTON Until you have established plantations, you cannot claim it. KIEFT I do not wish to argue with you, sir. I am here to close this businesswith you, Master Robinson. I am waiting-- ROBINSON We must have time to consider-- KIEFT I had your word. CARVER Master Kieft, the situation has changed. We are Englishmen, and if wecan emigrate under our own flag, you cannot blame us for preferring itto another. KIEFT You have tricked us--you are not treating me fairly! ROBINSON Now, sir-- KIEFT [_louder_] And I warn you if you go to our land under the British flag, you shallregret it, sir, you shall regret it. Good day! [_sound of doorslamming_] ANNOUNCER Thus the Pilgrims incurred the enmity of the Dutch West India Company, and though the terms of the London merchants were not so generous asthose offered by the Dutch company, the Pilgrims accepted them and setabout making their preparations for the great adventure. They secured for their voyage two ships, the _Speedwell_ and the_Mayflower_. Our next scene is early in July of 1620. The _Mayflower_ has beenengaged for the voyage, and is lying at anchor in the Thames River offLondon, where it is undergoing some repairs preparatory to taking oncargo, which is to come to the New World. Aboard the ship is only themaster, Captain Jones, when he is disturbed by-- KIEFT [_off_] Ahoy, the _Mayflower_! JONES Ahoy! Who's hailing the _Mayflower_? KIEFT Here--alongside! May I come aboard? JONES What do you want? KIEFT I want to talk to the master of the ship. JONES I'm master. What do you want? KIEFT May I come aboard? JONES Come aboard. The ladder's over the side. KIEFT All right, I'm coming. [_lower_] Keep the boat alongside! VOICE Aye, aye, sir! KIEFT [_low_] Stay here till I'm ready to leave! VOICE Aye, aye, sir! JONES Here you are--right up here, sir. Give me your hand! Ah, there youare, sir! KIEFT [_in_] Thank you, sir. Are you the master of the ship? JONES I am, sir. KIEFT I understand you are engaged for the voyage. JONES That we are, sir, to America. KIEFT Aye, yes--by a company of London merchants. JONES And what's that to you, sir, begging your pardon? KIEFT No matter, I know well enough you are. And now, sir, I want to know ifyou'd like to put yourself in the way of earning a hundred pounds? JONES A hundred! Law, sir, and who wouldn't? KIEFT Exactly! I hoped I'd find you a man of sense. JONES What do you want me to do? KIEFT You are sailing for northern Virginia, are you not? JONES That's the orders. KIEFT Where do you expect to make land? JONES I was looking to make it in the mouth of the Great North River. KIEFT Hm--you know, I suppose, that the Dutch West India Company claims allthe land bordering on the Great North River. JONES [_laughing_] Why, sir, everybody claims it. That's no matter. King James hasproclaimed that all the land that has been settled belongs to themthat has settled it; the rest is anybody's. When the company I'mtaking gets their plantation settled, the Dutch can't claim the landany longer. KIEFT Perhaps not, but your company is not going to land on Dutch territory. JONES Eh? KIEFT You are going to lose your bearings-- JONES Me--a sailor--lose my bearings? KIEFT Certainly--for one hundred pounds. JONES Well-- KIEFT And you will make land far to the north of the Great North River. JONES I'll have to see the color of the money. KIEFT Is it a bargain? JONES Have you got the money with you? KIEFT I have, and on your promise, I'll pay it. JONES All right. I'll see that the company is landed where you wish. KIEFT Good! ANNOUNCER And so Captain Jones of the _Mayflower_ was bribed by Dutch gold toplay false with the band of Pilgrims. You know the story of the longand difficult job the Pilgrims had in getting fairly started on theirvoyage. The _Speedwell_ sprang a leak, and they had to put back toPlymouth harbor where the ship was repaired. They made a second start, and again the _Speedwell_ became unseaworthy and the captain refusedto go on, so a second time the little flotilla put back to Plymouth. This time, since the season was far advanced and the Pilgrims fearedthat winter would be upon them before they could get established intheir new home, the _Speedwell_ was left behind, and on September 16, 1620, the _Mayflower_ left alone for the New World. Halfway across theocean the ship was beset by a long series of storms, so severe that ittook more than two months for the ship to make the trip across theAtlantic. At last, on the morning of November 20, 1620, the ship'scompany were awakened by the electric cry of-- VOICE Land--ho! Land--land--ho! JONES [_calling_] Where away? VOICE Two points off the starboard bow! MOB [_voices swelling up_] Land! Land! Is it really land? Captain, Captain! Have we really madeland? Land? [_etc. _] JONES Aye, we've made land! Helmsman, bring the ship to bear on land, deadahead! VOICE Aye, aye, sir, land dead ahead. CARVER [_coming up_] Ah, Captain Jones, at last! JONES Aye, at last--land ahead! CARVER Praise Jehovah! ALL Praise Jehovah! Amen! [_etc. _] CARVER Captain, tell us, is this Virginia that lies before us? JONES I know not; I've not yet taken our bearings. CARVER Do you not know where we are? JONES How should I? We've been tossed about in storms for a month, with nosun for days on end. CARVER There is sun this morning. Can you not take your bearings now? JONES The mate is figuring our position even now. CARVER Good! VOICE Captain Jones? JONES Aye, mate, have you the position? VOICE I made it, sir, about seventy west by forty-two north. CARVER Forty-two north--but, Captain, we are bound for forty north--we're outof our course. JONES What do you expect--with the storms we've had? CARVER Put your ship about--make for the south--this is not Virginia! JONES We'll land here. CARVER We have no right to land here. Our charter grants us land in Virginia, not here! JONES I can't help that. The ship is in bad shape--I won't risk sailing herany farther without repairs. CARVER Very well, you may stop here for repairs, but we must go on as soon asthey are made. JONES It will take some time. CARVER My people will help you. We must speed the work. JONES Of course, I'll speed it all I can, but a man can't do any more thanhe can do. CARVER Well, get to it at once--this very day! We must get away from herewithin a fortnight or winter will be upon us. JONES Aye, so it will--and the winters in this country are bad. CARVER Then we must start south without delay. JONES Look you, Master Carver-- CARVER Well, Captain? JONES Belikes 'twill be a month or more before I can make the _Mayflower_seaworthy-- CARVER A month? Surely you can do better than that? JONES Perhaps not so well--why don't you land here? CARVER Here? JONES Aye. 'Tis a goodly country--full as rich as Virginia. CARVER Nay, nay, 'tis not to be thought on. We have a patent to lands inVirginia--a charter to establish and rule a plantation there; buthere--why, the land is not ours-- JONES It is if you take it--it belongs to no one else. CARVER But our Council would have no rights under the King--nay, nay. We goon to Virginia--as soon as you have made your repairs. JONES So be it, Master Carver. ANNOUNCER So the _Mayflower_ brought up to anchor just inside Cape Cod, near thepresent village of Provincetown. The voyage had been long and arduous. There had been much sickness aboard, and Captain Jones knew that mostof the passengers longed to set foot on solid ground and begin thetask of building their homes. So he determined to create furtherdissatisfaction among them. For our next scene we are going into Captain Jones's cabin just as oneof the five men of the company, Peter Brown, has come into the cabinon the captain's invitation. JONES Sit you down, Master Brown, and find what comfort you can in my poorquarters. PETER Poor! If this cabin is poor, Captain, what do ye call what us folkshas to put up with, all crowded into the common cabin like sheep erworse? JONES Aye, 'tis too bad the cabin is not a better place for your goodlycompany. PETER Aye, well, we'll soon be out of it. JONES I fear me, not so soon. PETER Indeed, why? JONES The ship must be repaired before we can go on. PETER How long will that take ye? JONES Mayhap two months or more, I know not. PETER Two months? Two months more in the cabin of this ship and half of ourcompany will be dead. JONES Aye, belikes they will--and winter will be upon us hard and heavy. Thewinters in this country are worse than any you have ever seen inEngland or Holland. PETER Indeed! JONES The snow lies so deep it would cover a man's head--the land is blottedout, and even the sea freezes-- PETER Then how could we get ashore? JONES I know not. PETER And once ashore, how could we find a fair place to build our homes? JONES 'Tis not for me to say. PETER Why can't we land right here, Captain? JONES Because your Elder, Master Carver, says fix the ship and go on. PETER If Elder Carver says that, then there be naught that we kin do. JONES You'd stay packed in the ship's cabin, facing sickness and death, rather than rise up like men and tell the Elder what you will and whatyou won't do, eh? PETER Elder Carver and the twelve masters have the voice; we have naught todo but to obey. JONES Can it be that forty English freemen can't vote down twelve masters? PETER Under our charter the freemen have no voice. JONES Under the charter, eh? PETER Aye, so there's naught to do but what the masters say. JONES Have you never heard of mutiny? PETER Mutiny? Nay, we be lawful men, bound together in the love of Jehovah;we'll not mutiny! We must abide by our charter. JONES The charter, aye. PETER So there's naught to do-- JONES Hold--have you thought on this--the charter binds you under the King'sgrant in Virginia Plantation-- PETER Aye. JONES And you are not in Virginia-- PETER Nay, not yet. JONES So you are not bound by the Virginia charter in these waters. PETER Forsooth, Captain, I'd not thought on that. JONES You have here all the rights of free-born Englishmen. And if you riselike men and demand that your Elders hearken to your voice, who shallgainsay you? PETER Aye--who--who, indeed? If we vote to land here, 'tis not mutiny. JONES Nay, 'tis but your right, if you want to land here. PETER We do--we do! Not a man in the company but would stay here if he hadhis way. JONES Then have your way--like Englishmen! Go to your cabin. Talk to the menof your company, tell them what I have told you. PETER Aye, Captain, I will! At once. [_going_] JONES Good! [_sound of door closing_] [_to himself_] Well, Elder Carver, weshall see whose voice is stronger--yours, or the voice of fortyEnglish freemen! ANNOUNCER Thus Captain Jones planted in the mind of one of the freemen of thePilgrim company an idea which he was sure would bear fruit before manyhours. He watched the company as first one man and then another fellin with Peter Brown. He felt the temper of the company changing, buthe still did not feel that mutiny was likely against the strongreligious authority of the Elders. And so to bring the matter to ahead, he asked Carver to come to his cabin. As the door closes, thecaptain begins-- JONES I fear me, Master Carver, we are in a bad way. CARVER Indeed--why? JONES The carpenter has gone over the ship timber by timber-- CARVER Well? JONES It is a long, hard job we have before us. CARVER Oh, too bad, too bad! How long? JONES What with finding the proper timbers ashore, and hewing them to fitour needs, I fear it may well be two months or more before we canleave these waters. CARVER Surely you can make what repairs are necessary in less time--you neednot rebuild the ship. JONES Nay--but the ship is sprung at every seam; 'tis nothing but goodfortune that has kept it afloat so long. CARVER The seams sprung? JONES Aye--all of them. CARVER Then our stores are in danger of being ruined. JONES Aye, they are even now in such danger they should be unshipped. CARVER Then we must do it--set your crew to the work at once. JONES The crew has more than it can do to repair the ship and make it readyto sail on to Virginia, since you insist on going on. CARVER Then I'll set our company to work on the stores--we must not let thembe ruined. JONES Nay, or you'll all face starvation, for you can count on nothing fromthe land at this late date. CARVER I'll gather the company together at once and set them to work! JONES Aye, do, Master Carver. CARVER We must unship the stores; [_going_] we'll begin at once. [_sound ofdoor opening_] JONES [_to himself_] Mayhap your company will have something to say to that, Master Carver. ANNOUNCER So Carver gathered together his company in the common cabin, andstanding before the stern-faced, storm-weary gathering, the Elderspoke: CARVER Men of the Pilgrim company, as no doubt you are all well aware by now, the land we made this morning with such joy and thanksgiving in ourhearts is not the land of the Virginia Plantation. ALL Aye, we know as much! So we have heard. [_etc. _] CARVER But our ship is sore distressed from the buffeting of the storms, andCaptain Jones must needs make repairs before we can sail on to ourdestination. [_protests and grumblings_] I would it were not so, for I know how weary you find yourselves afterthe many days upon the sea. But there's naught else to do. PETER [_calling_] Why can't we land here? [_mob assents_] CARVER Nay, nay, it cannot be. This is not Virginia; we have no patent tothese lands. We must sail on. The captain and his crew will make theirrepairs as soon as they can, but our stores in the hold are all ofthem in danger of spoiling--so we must needs unship them ourselvesuntil such time as we may sail away from here. So let every manprepare himself for work. PETER Master Carver--we are not able to work. [_mob assents_] CARVER I know, but-- PETER And more--'tis not our wish to stay aboard this ship longer--[_mobassents_] CARVER But we can do naught else-- PETER Aye, we kin land here, and find a goodly place to build our homes andprepare against the winter that will be down upon us long before wekin get to Virginia. [_mob agrees heartily_] CARVER Men--men--quiet--hark to me! We've no right under our charter tosettle here! PETER Then tear up the charter. [_mob agrees_] CARVER Tear up the charter? Have no government? Nay, we can't do that! PETER We be freemen, Master Carver; we have a right to a voice in what we'lldo, and what we won't do--and we all want to land here, don't we, men?[_all agree_] CARVER But if we make our home here, we are outside the King's rule. PETER We'll rule ourselves--we be free-born Englishmen! [_all agree_] CARVER Mayhap--if that is your wish-- ALL It is! Aye, aye! [_etc. _] CARVER It may be for the best interest of the company and for the glory ofJehovah. I consent to your wishes. [_cheers_] But it behooves us toenter into a compact, one with the other--that no man may say, once wehave landed in New England, that we have no law and cannot punish thedisobedient. PETER May it please ye, sir, we be more than willing for the masters towrite a compact that all can sign to be governed like any free-bornEnglishmen by the will o' the majority--[_all agree_] CARVER So be it--let the masters of the company join me in my cabin, and weshall make a compact joining all the company of freemen into a bodypolitic. [_cheers_] ANNOUNCER And so in the cabin of the _Mayflower_ the masters of the company, twelve in number, met in the first American legislative assembly anddrew up one of the most famous documents in American history--theMayflower Compact--which organized the first self-governing communityin the New World.