PRELIMINARY NOTICE. 427 in their learning, with many things of a like nature, and find it is to be of much use and benefit to them, and therefore could not but desire him to go on in that work, and have ordered £15 to be paid him to- wards his expenses for the year past." This letter was dated at Bos- ton, Sept. 18th, 1663. The recommendation was approved by the Corpo- ration, who directed a similar sum to be paid to Mr. Gookin for another year. * Unfortunately, however, the policy adopted by Gookin towards the Indians did not at all times escape the censure of the public ; for, during the troubles that arose from the aggressions of the hostile tribes, the people could with difficulty be restrained from involving in one com- mon destruction the whole race ; and, while it required the most deter- mined spirit on the part of the Superintendent to stem the torrent of popular violence, he did not fail to draw on himself undeserved odium and reproach. Gookin was eminently the friend of the Indians, and never hesitated to interpose his own safety between the infuriated white man, and the unoffending object of his vengeance. But the fol- lowing pages will tell the story with the guileless simplicity of truth, and the sober dignity of conscious rectitude. There is some satisfaction in knowing, that, during the latter part of his active career, Gookin enjoyed a full return of public favor and confi- dence. The same unshaken spirit of resistance to oppression, that had led him to protect the sons of the forest against popular injustice, again animated him when the agents of the Crown invaded the chartered rights of the Colony ; but in this contest his zealous efforts were re- warded by the smiles of general approbation. He died at Cambridge, on the 19th of March, 1687, aged seventy- five years. A handsome monument was erected to his memory in the churchyard adjacent to the University, where he lies buried. He left three sons, one of whom was Sheriff of the County of Middlesex, and the others were reputable clergymen. One of his posterity, bearing the name of Daniel Gookin, was an officer in the American army dur- ing the Revolutionary war. There are now living, in various parts of the country, numerous lineal descendants of General Gookin, of the fifth and sixth generation. Beside the present work, Gookin wrote a history of New England, which was never printed, and is now probably lost. The original manuscript, and only copy of it, is supposed to have been destroyed in the dwelling-house of his son, at Sherburne, Mass., which, with its contents, was consumed by fire. Another work, entitled " Historical
- 1 Hazard's State Papers, pp. 474 — 491.
