pioneers of the old south-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


number；　of　men　under　conviction　for　various　crimes。　This　practice
continued；　or　at　intervals　was　resumed；　for　years；　but　its　consequences
were　not　so　dire；　perhaps；　as　we　might　imagine。　The　penal　laws　were
execrably　brutal；　and　in　the　drag…net　of　the　law　might　be　found　many　merely
unfortunate；　many　perhaps　finer　than　the　law。

Virginia　thus　was　founded　and　established。　An　English　people　moved　through
her　forests；　crossed　in　boats　her　shining　waters；　trod　the　lanes　of　hamlets
builded　of　wood　but　after　English　fashions。　Climate；　surrounding　nature；
differed　from　old　England；　and　these　and　circumstance　would　work　for
variation。　But　the　stock　was　Middlesex；　Surrey；　Devon；　and　all　the　other
shires　of　England。　Scotchmen　came　also；　Welshmen；　and；　perhaps　as　early　as
this；　a　few　Irish。　And　there　were　De　La　Warr's　handful　of　Poles　and
Germans；　and　several　French　vinedressers。

Political　and　economic　life　was　taking　form。　That　huge；　luxurious；
thick…leafed；　yellow…flowered　crop；　alike　comforting　and　extravagant；　that
tobacco　that　was　in　much　to　mould　manners　and　customs　and　ways　of　looking
at　things；　was　beginning　to　grow　abundantly。　In　1620；　forty　thousand　pounds
of　tobacco　went　from　Virginia　to　England；　two　years　later　went　sixty
thousand　pounds。　The　best　sold　at　two　shillings　the　pound；　the　inferior　for
eighteen　pence。　The　Virginians　dropped　all　thought　of　sassafras　and
clapboard。　Tobacco　only　had　any　flavor　of　Golconda。

At　this　time　the　rich　soil；　composed　of　layer　on　layer　of　the　decay　of
forests　that　had　lived　from　old　time；　was　incredibly　fertile。　As　fast　as
trees　could　be　felled　and　dragged　away；　in　went　the　tobacco。　Fields　must
have　laborers；　nor　did　these　need　to　be　especially　intelligent。　Bring　in
indentured　men　to　work。　Presently　dream　that　ships；　English　as　well　as
Dutch；　might　oftener　load　in　Africa　and　sell　in　Virginia；　to　furnish　the
dark　fields　with　dark　workers！　In　Dale's　time　had　begun　the　making　over　of
land　in　fee　simple；　in　Yeardley's　time　every　〃ancient〃　colonistthat　is
every　man　who　had　come　to　Virginia　before　1616was　given　a　goodly　number
of　acres　subject　to　a　quit…rent。　Men　of　means　and　influence　obtained　great
holdings；　ownership；　rental；　sale；　and　purchase　of　the　land　began　in
Virginia　much　as　in　older　times　it　had　begun　in　England。　Only　here；　in
America；　where　it　seemed　that　the　land　could　never　be　exhausted；　individual
holdings　were　often　of　great　acreage。　Thus　arose　the　Virginia　Planter。

In　Yeardley's　time　John　Berkeley　established　at　Falling　Creek　the　first
iron　works　ever　set　up　in　English…America。　There　were　by　this　time　in
Virginia；　glass　works；　a　windmill；　iron　works。　To　till　the　soil　remained
the　chief　industry；　but　the　tobacco　culture　grew　until　it　overshadowed　the
maize　and　wheat；　the　pease　and　beans。　There　were　cattle　and　swine；　not　a
few　horses；　poultry；　pigeons；　and　peacocks。

In　1621　Yeardley；　desiring　to　be　relieved；　was　succeeded　by　Sir　Francis
Wyatt。　In　October　the　new　Governor　came　from　England　in　the　George；　and
with　him　a　goodly　company。　Among　others　is　found　George　Sandys；　brother　of
Sir　Edwyn。　This　gentleman　and　scholar；　beneath　Virginia　skies　and　with
Virginia　trees　and　blossoms　about　him；　translated　the　〃Metamorphoses〃　of
Ovid　and　the　First　Book　of　the　〃Aeneid〃；　both　of　which　were　published　in
London　in　1626。　He　stands　as　the　first　purely　literary　man　of　the　English
New　World。　But　vigorous　enough　literature；　though　the　writers　thereof
regarded　it　as　information　only；　had；　from　the　first　years；　emanated　from
Virginia。　Smith's　〃True　Relation〃；　George　Percy's　〃Discourse〃；　Strachey's
〃True　Repertory　of　the　Wracke　and　Redemption　of　Sir　Thomas　Gates〃；　and
his　〃Historie　of　Travaile　into　Virginia　Brittannia〃；　Hamor's　〃True
Discourse〃；　Whitaker's　〃Good　News〃other　letters　and　reportshad　already
flowered；　all　with　something　of　the　strength　and　fragrance　of　Elizabethan
and　early　Jacobean　work。

For　some　years　there　had　seemed　peace　with　the　Indians。　Doubtless　members
of　the　one　race　may　have　marauded；　and　members　of　the　other　showed
themselves　highhanded；　impatient；　and　unjust；　but　the　majority　on　each　side
appeared　to　have　settled　into　a　kind　of　amity。　Indians　came　singly　or　in
parties　from　their　villages　to　the　white　men's　settlements；　where　they
traded　corn　and　venison　and　what　not　for　the　magic　things　the　white　man
owned。　A　number　had　obtained　the　white　man's　firearms；　unwisely　sold　or
given。　The　red　seemed　reconciled　to　the　white's　presence　in　the　land；　the
Indian　village　and　the　Indian　tribal　economy　rested　beside　the　English
settlement；　church；　and　laws。　Doubtless　a　fragment　of　the　population　of
England　and　a　fragment　of　the　English　in　Virginia　saw　in　a　pearly　dream　the
red　man　baptized；　clothed；　become　Christian　and　English。　At　the　least；　it
seemed　that　friendliness　and　peace　might　continue。

In　the　spring　of　1622　a　concerted　Indian　attack　and　massacre　fell　like　a
bolt　from　the　blue。　Up　and　down　the　James　and　upon　the　Chesapeake；
everywhere　on　the　same　day；　Indians；　bursting　from　the　dark　forest　that　was
so　close　behind　every　cluster　of　log　houses；　attacked　the　colonists。　Three
hundred　and　fortyseven　English　men；　women；　and　children　were　slain。　But
Jamestown　and　the　plantations　in　its　neighborhood　were　warned　in　time。　The
English　rallied；　gathered　force；　turned　upon　and　beat　back　to　the　forest
the　Indian；　who　was　now　and　for　a　long　time　to　come　their　open　foe。

There　followed　upon　this　horror　not　a　day　or　a　month　but　years　of　organized
retaliation　and　systematic　harrying。　In　the　end　the　great　majority　of　the
Indians　either　fell　or　were　pushed　back　toward　the　upper　Pamunkey；　the
Rappahannock；　the　Potomac；　and　westward　upon　the　great　shelf　or　terrace　of
the　earth　that　climbed　to　the　fabled　mountains。　And　with　this　westward　move
there　passed　away　that　old　vision　of　wholesale　Christianizing。



CHAPTER　VIII。　ROYAL　GOVERNMENT

In　November；　1620；　there　sailed　into　a　quiet　harbor　on　the　coast　of　what　is
now　Massachusetts　a　ship　named　the　Mayflower；　having　on　board　one　hundred
and　two　English　Non…conformists；　men　and　women　and　with　them　a　few
children。　These　latest　colonists　held　a　patent　from　the　Virginia　Company
and　have　left　in　writing　a　statement　of　their　object：　〃We　。　。　。　having
undertaken；　for　the　glory　of　God　and　advancement　of　the　Christian　faith；
and　honor　of　our　King　and　Country；　a　voyage　to　plant　the　first　colony　in
the　northern　parts　of　Virginia〃。　The　mental　reservation　is；　of　course；
〃where　perchance　we　may　serve　God　as　we　will！〃　In　England　there　obtained　in
some　quarters　a　suspicion　that　〃they　meant　to　make　a　free；　popular　State
there。〃　FreePopular…Public　Good！　These　are　words　that　began；　in　the
second　quarter　of　the　seventeenth　century；　to　shine　and　ring。　King　and
people　had　reached　the　verge　of　a　great　struggle。　The　Virginia　Company　was
divided；　as　were　other　groups；　into　factions。　The　court　party　and　the
country　party　found　themselves　distinctly　opposed。　The　great；　crowded
meetings　of　the　Company　Sessions　rang　with　their　divisions　upon　policies
small　and　large。　Words　and　phrases；　comprehensive；　sonorous；　heavy　with　the
future；　rose　and　rolled　beneath　the　roof　of　their　great　hall。　There　were
heard　amid　warm　discussion：　Kingdom　and
ColonySpainNetherlandsFranceChurch　and　StatePapists　and
SchismaticsDuties；　Tithes；　Excise　Petitions　of
GrievancesRepresentationRight　of　Assembly。　Several　years　earlier　the
King　had　cried；　〃Choose　the　Devil；　but　not　Sir　Edwyn　Sandys！〃　Now　he
declared　the　Company　〃just　a　seminary　to　a　seditious　parliament！〃　All
London　resounded　with　the　clash　of　parties　and　opinions。*　〃Last　week　the
Earl　of　Warwick　and　the　Lord　Cavendish　fell　so　foul　at　a　Virginia　。　。　。
court　that　the　lie　passed　and　repassed　。　。　。　。　The　factions　。　。　。　are　grown
so　violent　that　Guelfs　and　Ghibellines　were　not　more　animated　one　against
another！〃

*　In　his　work　on　〃Joint…stock　Companion〃；　vol。II；　pp。　266　ff。；　W。
R。　Scott　traces　the　history　of　these　acute　dissensions　in　the
Virginia　Company　and　draws　conclusions　distinctly　unfavorable　to
the　management　of　Sandys　and　his　party。Editor。


Believing　that　the　Company's　sessions　foreshadowed　a　〃seditious
parliament；〃　James　Stuart　set　himself　with　obstinacy　and　some　cunning　to
the　Company's　undoing。　The　court　party　gave　the　King　aid；　and　circumstances
favored　the　attempt。　Captain　Nathaniel　Butler；　who　had　once　been　Governor
of；　the　Somers　Islands　and　had　now　returned　to　England　by　way　of　Virginia；
published　in　London　〃The　Unmasked　Face　of　Our　Colony　in　Virginia〃；
containing　a　savage　attack　upon　every　item　of　Virginian　administration。

The　King's　Privy　Council　summoned　the　Company；　or　rather　the　〃country〃
party；　to　answer　these　and　other　allegations。　Southampton；　Sandys；　and
Ferrar　answered　with　strength　and　cogency。　But　the　tide　was　running　against
them。　James　appointed　commissioners　to　search　out　what　was　wrong　with
Virginia。　Certain　men　were　shipped　to　Virginia　to　get　evidence　there；　as
well　as　support　from　the　Virginia　Assembly。　In　this　attempt　they　signally
failed。　Then　to　England　came　a　Virginia　member　of　the　Virginia　Council；
with　long　letters　to　King　and　Privy　Council：　the　Sandys…Southampton
administration　had　done　more　than　well　for　Virginia。　The　letters　were
letters　of　appeal。　The　colony　hoped　that　〃the　Governors　sent　over　might
not　have　absolute　authority；　but　might　be　restrained　to　the　consent　of　the
Council　。　。　。　。　But　above　all　they　made　it　their　most　humble　request　that
they　might　still　retain　the　liberty　of　their　General　Assemblies；　than　which
nothing　could　more　conduce　to　the　publick　Satisfaction　and　publick　Liberty。〃

In　London　another　paper；　drawn　by　Cavendish；　was　given　to　King　and　Privy
Council。　It　answered　many　accusations；　and　among　others　the　statement　that
〃the　Government　of　the　companies　as　it　then　stood　was　democratical　and
tumultuous；　and　ought　therefore　to　be　altered；　and　reduced　into　the　Hands
of　a　few。〃　It　is　of　interest　to　hear　these　men　speak；　in　the　year　1623；　in
an　England　that　was　close　to　absolute　monarchy；　to　a　King　who　with　all；　his
house　stood　out　for　personal　rule。　〃However；　they　owned　that；　according　to
his　Majesty's　Institution；　their　Government　had　some　Show　of　a　democratical
Form；　which　was　nevertheless；　in　that　Case；　the　most　just　and　profitable；
and　most　conducive　to　the　Ends　and　Effects　aimed　at　thereby　。　。　。　。　Lastly；
they　observed　that　the　opposite　Faction　cried　out　loudly　against　Democracy；
and　yet　called　for　Oligarchy；　which　would；　as　they　conceived；　make　the
Government　neither　of　better　Form；　nor　more　monarchical。〃

But　the　dissolution　of　the　Virginia　Company　was　at　hand。　In　October；　1623；
the　Privy　Council　stated　that　the　King　had　〃taken　into　his　princely
Consideration　the　distressed　State　of　the　Colony　of　Virginia；　occasioned；
as　it　seemed；　by　the　Ill　Government　of　the　Company。〃　The　remedy　for　the
ill…management　lay　in　the　reduction　of　the　Government　into　fewer　hands。　His
Majesty　had　resolved　therefore　upon　the　withdrawal　of　the　Company's　charter
and　the　substitution；　〃with　due　regard　for　continuing　and　preserving　the
Interest　of　all　Adventurers　and　private　persons　whatsoever；〃　of　a　new　order
of　things。　The　new　order　proved；　on　examination；