himself to the party favoring English influence, and was ready to sacrifice his popularity in Massachusetts by accepting the commission as president of the Council in 1685. To keep his power and to gain the support of the ruling class in England, he consistently worked to carry out the policy of the English government, and, as it seemed to the colonists, to sacrifice their best interests. To be sure, he was ambitious for Massachusetts; he wished it to be a loyal colony, ready and willing to support England on every occasion, and similar to the mother country in all ways. He wished Massachusetts to be prosperous, to stand well financially, and to be a model for the other colonies. Whenever the local prejudices of the colonists coincided with the aims of the English government, he sympathized with them and favored them; but, when they were opposed to the policy of England and to his ambition, he forgot that he was a New Englander and became a royal official looking only to the advancement of the interests of the

crown.

Dudley in many ways became an Englishman. He had made three visits to England, had lived there for over thirteen years, and was deputy-governor of the Isle of Wight nearly as long as he was governor of Massachusetts. He was admitted into English society and was popular there; he was a frequently consulted member of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and a candidate for the Royal Society; he served in Parliament and was consulted by the secretaries regarding colonial affairs. For nearly thirty-five years he was an English official of some sort, striving to enforce the ideas of the crown. Thus it is not strange that he should have lost somewhat the point of view of a colonial leader, and have identified himself with the ruling class in England.

It was part of his ambition to be regarded as an English gentleman. He sought to increase his estate and to leave a patrimony sufficient to support his family in the style which he thought due to one of his position. It has already been seen that while he was in England he feared that his estates would suffer and that he would fall into contempt and poverty; but while he was governor he so increased his fortune that he was an object of envy and suspicion to the colonists. He gave his eldest son, Paul, a legal education in England, and solicited his appointment as attorney-general, secretary of the Council, and lieutenant-governor. He saw that his children married into wealthy and influential families, thus increasing the importance of his own. To English travellers coming to Massachusetts he was always courteous and ready to put himself at their disposal, and thus passed for one of the prominent and popular men in the colony. At the close of his life this social ambition was gratified; for, when the struggles of his administration were over and their bitterness somewhat forgotten, he regained much of that popularity which must have been his in his early days.

To judge Dudley's career by the accusations of his enemies would be manifestly unfair. To judge him in the light of the twentieth century, when the colonies have become independent, would be equally unfair. As has been said, his life fell in the middle period, when dependence on England was diminishing and independence was not yet possible. From his training and his methods of thought he was a legalist, and, always taking a lawyer's point of view, could see in the action of Massachusetts only illegal and revolutionary attempts that ought to be checked. Thus he threw himself into the struggles and conflicts as an English official, and as such he should be judged. Though his character was lacking in greatness, and

his actions were often tainted by self-seeking, though his aims were those of an English official and his ideals opposed to those of his fellow-colonists, his long career proves him to have been capable as an administrator and efficient as a servant of the crown.

APPENDIX A

ROYAL COMMISSION TO JOSEPH DUDLEY, GOVERNOR OF THE PROVINCE OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY IN NEW ENGLAND,

APRIL 1, 1702

No. 3424.

PATENT ROLL

I Anne.

(No. 8.)

De concessione

Anne by the Grace of God etc., Transcript. Dudley Armigero. To our Trusty and Welbeloved Commissio Joseph Dudley Esquire Greeting. Whereas our late Royal Brother and Sister King William and Queen Mary of Blessed Memory by their charter under their Great Seale of England [7 Oct. 1691.] bearing date the seaventh day of October in the third yeare of their Reigne Have united Erected and Incorporated the Colony of the Massachusetts Bay the Colony of New Plymouth the Province of Main in New England the Territorie of Accadie or Nova Scotia and the landes lying between the said Territorie of Nova Scotia and the Province of Main aforesaid into one real Province by the name of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England and have thereby granted to Our loveing Subiects the Inhabitants of our said Province or Territory of the Massachusetts Bay in New England and their Successors That there shall be a Governor a lieutenant Governor and a Secretary of our said Province and Territory to be from time to time appointed and comissionated by us or Heires and Successors With severall Priviledges Franchises and Immunities

thereby granted to our said loveing Subiects Wee therefore Reposeing especiall Trust and confidence in your Prudence Courage and loyalty out of our especial Grace certaine Knowledge and meer mocion Have thought fitt to Constitute and appoint And by these presents Doe Constitute and appoint you the said Joseph Dudley to be our Captaine Generall and Governor in chiefe in and over our said Province of the Massachusetts Bay in New England And for your better Guidance and Directions Wee do hereby Require and Command you to doe and execute all thinges in due manner that shall belong unto the Trust Wee have reposed in you according to the several Powers and Authorities mencioned in the said Charter and in these Presents and such further Powers and Instruccions and Authorities as you shall receive or Which shall at any time hereafter be granted or appointed you under our Signe Manual and Signett or by order of Our Privy Councill in Pursuance of the said Charter and according to such reasonable laws and statutes as are now in force or Which hereafter shall be made and agreed upon in such manner and forme as by the said charter is directed And Wee do hereby give and Grant unto you full power and Authority Where you shall see Cause and shall Judge any Offender or Offenders in Capitall or Crimenall matters for any Fines or Forfeitures due unto us fitt Obiects of our Mercy to Pardon all such Offenders and to Remitt such Fines and Forfeitures Treason and Wilfull Murder only Excepted In Which Cases you shall likewise have power upon extraordinary Occasions to grant Repreives to the Offenders therein To the end and untill our pleasure shall be further Knowne And Wee Doe hereby Give and Grant unto you the said Joseph Dudley by your selfe your Captaines and Commanders by you to be authorized full