In October of that year Andros went to Hartford, to seize^
the Connecticut charter, but it was not surrendered. While




THE TYRANNY OF ANDROS 299

Sir Edmund was bandying threats with stout Robert Treat,
the queller of Indians and now governor of Con- The chai-
necticut, in the course of their evening conference October
the candles were suddenly blown out, and when 3i) 1687
after some scraping of tinder they were lighted again the
document was nowhere to be found, for Captain Joseph
Wadsworth had carried it away and hidden it in the hollow
trunk of a mighty oak tree.^ Nevertheless for the moment
the colony was obliged to submit to the tyrant. Next
day the secretary, John Allyn, wrote "Finis" on the colonial
records and shut up the book. Within another twelve-
month New York and New Jersey were added to the vice-
royalty of Andres ; so that all the northern colonies from

the forests of Maine to the
Delaware river were thus
brought under the arbitrary
rule of one man, who was
responsible to no one but
the king for whatever he might take it into his head to do.
The vexatious character of the new government was most
strongly felt at Boston, where Andros had his headquarters.
Measures were at once taken for the erection of an Episco-
pal church, and meantime the royal order was that „.
