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13 January, 2012
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A Brief History of the Pequot War
To The American Reader
by Mason, Captain John
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Judicious Reader,
Although it be too
true indeed that the Press labours under, and the World doth too much abound
with pamphleting Papers; yet know that this Piece cannot or at least ought not
to be disaccepted by thee; For by the help of this thou mayest look backward and
interpret how God hath been working, and that very wonderfully for thy Safety
and Comfort: And it being the Lord's doing, it should be marvellous in thine
Eyes.
And when thou shalt
have viewed over this Paper, thou wilt say the Printers of this Edition have
done well to prevent the possible Imputation of Posterity; in that they have
consulted the exhibition at least to the American World,
of the remarkable Providencies of God, which thou mayest at thy leisure read,
consider and affect thy self with, in the Sequel.
History most
properly is a Declaration of Things that are done by those that were present at
the doing of them: Therefore this here presented to thee may in that respect
plead for liking and acceptance with thee: The Historiographer being one of the
principal Actors, by whom those English Engagements were under God carried on
and so successfully effected. And for a President for him in this his
Publication of his own, in Parte Rei Bellicae, he hath that great Man at arms
the first of the noble Caesars, being the Manager and Inditer of his martial
Exploits.
He has also that
necessary Ingredient in an Historian; Ut nequid falsi dicere, et nequid veri non
dicere audeat; That he will tell the Truth and will not say a jot of
Falsehood.
And Memorandum that
those divine Over-rulings, their Recollection, as they ought to be Quickeners of
us up to a Theological Reformation, and Awakeners of us from a lethargilike
Security, least the Lord should yet again make them more afflicting Thorns in
our Eyes and slashing Scourges in our Sides; so also they may well be Pledges or
Earnests to us of his future saving Mercies; and that if we by our Declensions
from him in his ways do not provoke him, he will not forsake us, but have
respect to us in our Dwellings, and lend us the desirable Providence of his
perpetual Salvation.
[N. B. This Epistle
to the American Reader appears to have been written by another Hand than Major
Mason's.]
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