pioneers of the old south-第12章

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Interest　of　all　Adventurers　and　private　persons　whatsoever；〃　of　a　new　order
of　things。　The　new　order　proved；　on　examination；　to　be　the　old　order　of
rule　by　the　Crown。　Would　the　Company　surrender　the　old　charter　and　accept　a
new　one　so　modeled？

The　Company；　through　the　country　party；　strove　to　gain　time。　They　met　with
a　succession　of　arbitrary　measures　and　were　finally　forced　to　a　decision。
They　would　not　surrender　their　charter。　Then　a　writ　of　quo　warranto　was
issued；　trial　before　the　King's　Bench　followed；　and　judgment　was　rendered
against　the　Company　in　the　spring　term　of　1624。　Thus　with　clangor　fell　the
famous　Virginia　Company。

That　was　one　year。　The　March　of　the　next　year　James　Stuart；　King　of
England；　died。　That　young　Henry　who　was　Prince　of　Wales　when　the　Susan
Constant；　the　Goodspeed；　and　the　Discovery　sailed　past　a　cape　and　named　it
for　him　Cape　Henry；　also　had　died。　His　younger　brother　Charles；　for　whom
was　named　that　other　and　opposite　cape；　now　ascended　the　throne　as　King
Charles　the　First　of　England。

In　Virginia　no　more　General　Assemblies　are　held　for　four　years。　King
Charles　embarks　upon　〃personal　rule。〃　Sir　Francis　Wyatt；　a　good　Governor；
is　retained　by　commission　and　a　Council　is　appointed　by　the　King。　No　longer
are　affairs　to　be　conducted　after　a　fashion　〃democratical　and　tumultuous。〃
Orders　are　transmitted　from　England；　the　Governor；　assisted　by　the　Council；
will　take　into　cognizance　purely　local　needs；　and　when　he　sees　some
occasion　he　will　issue　a　proclamation。

Wyatt；　recalled　finally　to　England；　George　Yeardley　again；　who　died　in　a
year's　time；　Francis　West；　that　brother　of　Lord　De　La　Warr　and　an　ancient
planter…these　in　quick　succession　sit　in　the　Governor's　chair。　Following
them　John　Pott；　doctor　of　medicine；　has　his　short　term。　Then　the　King　sends
out　Sir　John　Harvey；　avaricious　and　arbitrary；　〃so　haughty　and　furious　to
the　Council　and　the　best　gentlemen　of　the　country；〃　says　Beverley；　〃that
his　tyranny　grew　at　last　insupportable。〃

The　Company　previously；　and　now　the　King；　had　urged　upon　the　Virginians　a
diversified　industry　and　agriculture。　But　Englishmen　in　Virginia　had　the
familiar　emigrant　idea　of　making　their　fortunes。　They　had　left　England；
they　had　taken　their　lives　in　their　hands；　they　had　suffered　fevers；　Indian
attacks；　homesickness；　deprivation。　They　had　come　to　Virginia　to　get　rich。
Now　clapboards　and　sassafras；　pitch；　tar；　and　pine　trees　for　masts；　were
making　no　fortune　for　Virginia　shippers。　How　could　they；　these　few　folk　far
off　in　America；　compete　in　products　of　the　forest　with　northern　Europe？　As
to　mines　of　gold　and　silver；　that　first　rich　vision　had　proved　a
disheartening　mirage。　〃They　have　great　hopes　that　the　mountains　are　very
rich；　from　the　discovery　of　a　silver　mine　made　nineteen　years　ago；　at　a
place　about　four　days'　journey　from　the　falls　of　James　river；　but　they　have
not　the　means　of　transporting　the　ore。〃　So；　dissatisfied　with　some　means　of
livelihood　and　disappointed　in　others；　the　Virginians　turned　to　tobacco。

Every　year　each　planter　grew　more　tobacco；　every　year　more　ships　were
laden。　In　1628　more　than　five　hundred　thousand　pounds　were　sent　to　England；
for　to　England　it　must　go；　and　not　elsewhere。　There　it　must　struggle　with
the　best　Spanish；　for　a　long　time　valued　above　the　best　Virginian。　Finally；
however；　James　and　after　him　Charles；　agreed　to　exclude　the　Spanish。
Virginia　and　the　Somers　Islands　alone　might　import　tobacco　into　England。
But　offsetting　this；　customs　went　up　ruinously；　a　great　lump　sum　must　go
annually　to　the　King；　the　leaf　must　enter　only　at　the　port　of　London；　so
forth　and　so　on。　Finally　Charles　put　forth　his　proposal　to　monopolize　the
industry；　giving　Virginia　tobacco　the　English　market　but　limiting　its
production　to　the　amount　which　the　Government　could　sell　advantageously。
Such　a　policy　required　cooperation　from　the　colonists。　The　King　therefore
ordered　the　Governor　to　grant　a　Virginia　Assembly；　which　in　turn　should
dutifully　enter　into　partnership　with　himupon　his　terms。　So　the　Virginia
Assembly　thus　came　back　into　history。　It　made　a　〃Humble　Answere〃　in　which；
for　all　its　humility；　the　King's　proposal　was　declined。　The　idea　of　the
royal　monopoly　faded　out；　and　Virginia　continued　on　its　own　way。

The　General　Assembly；　having　once　met；　seems　of　its　own　motion　to　have
continued　meeting。　The　next　year　we　find　it　in　session　at　Jamestown；　and
resolving　〃that　we　should　go　three　severall　marches　upon　the　Indians；　at
three　severall　times　of　the　yeare；〃　and　also　〃that　there　be　an　especiall
care　taken　by　all　commanders　and　others　that　the　people　doe　repaire　to
their　churches　on　the　Saboth　day；　and　to　see　that　the　penalty　of　one　pound
of　tobacco　for　every　time　of　absence；　and　50　pounds　for　every　month's
absence　。　。　。　be　levyed；　and　the　delinquents　to　pay　the　same。〃　About　this
time　we　read：　〃Dr。　John　Pott；　late　Governor；　indicted；　arraigned；　and　found
guilty　of　stealing　cattle；　13　jurors；　3　whereof　councellors。　This　day
wholly　spent　in　pleading；　next　day；　in　unnecessary　disputation。〃

These　were　moving　times　in　the　little　colony　whose　population　may　by　now
have　been　five　thousand。　Harvey；　the　Governor；　was　rapacious；　the　King　at
home；　autocratic。　Meanwhile；　signs　of　change　and　of　unrest　were　not　wanting
in　Europe。　England　was　hastening　toward　revolution；　in　Germany　the　Thirty
Years'　War　was　in　mid…career；　France　and　Italy　were　racked　by　strife；　over
the　world　the　peoples　groaned　under　the　strain　of　oppression。　In　science；
too；　there　was　promise　of　revolution。　Harveynot　that　Governor　Harvey　of
Virginia；　but　a　greater　in　England　was　writing　upon　the　circulation　of　the
blood。　Galileo　brooded　over　ideas　of　the　movement　of　the　earth；　Kepler；
over　celestial　harmonies　and　solar　rule。　Descartes　was　laying　the
foundation　of　a　new　philosophy。

In　the　meantime；　far　across　the　Atlantic；　bands　of　Virginians　went　out
against　the　Indianswho　might；　or　might　not；　God　knows！　have　put　in　a
claim　to　be　considered　among　the　oppressed　peoples。　In　Virginia　the　fat；
black；　tobacco…fields；　steaming　under　a　sun　like　the　sun　of　Spain；　called
for　and　got　more　labor　and　still　more　labor。　Every　little　sailing　ship
brought　white　workmencalled　servantsconsigned；　indentured；　apprenticed
to　many…acred　planters。　These；　in　return　for　their　passage　money；　must
serve　Laban　for　a　term　of　years；　but　then　would　receive　Rachel；　or　at　least
Leah；　in　the　shape　of　freedom　and　a　small　holding　and　provision　with　which
to　begin　again　their　individual　life。　If　they　were　ambitious　and　energetic
they　might　presently　be　able；　in　turn；　to　import　labor　for　their　own　acres。
As　yet；　in　Virginia；　there　were　few　African　slavesnot　more　perhaps　than　a
couple　of　hundred。　But　whenever　ships　brought　them　they　were　readily
purchased。

In　Virginia；　as　everywhere　in　time　of　change；　there　arose　anomalies。　Side
by　side　persisted'　a　romantic　devotion　to　the　King　and　a　determination　to
have　popular　assemblies；　a　great　sense　of　the　rights　of　the　white
individual　together　with　African　slavery；　a　practical；　easy…going；　debonair
naturalism　side　by　side　with　an　Established　Church　penalizing　alike　Papist；
Puritan；　and　atheist。　Even　so　early　as　this；　the　social　tone　was　set　that
was　to　hold　for　many　and　many　a　year。　The　suave　climate　was　somehow　to
foster　alike　a　sense　of　caste　and　good　neighborliness…class　distinctions
and　republican　ideas。

The　〃towns〃　were　of　the　fewest　and　rudestlittle　more　than　small　palisaded
hamlets；　built　of　frame　or　log；　poised　near　the　water　of　the　river　James。
The　genius　of　the　land…was　for　the　plantation　rather　than　the　town。　The
fair　and　large　brick　or　frame　planter's　house　of　a　later　time　had　not　yet
risen；　but　the　system　was　well　inaugurated　that　set　a　main　or　〃big〃　house
upon　some　fair　site；　with　cabins　clustered　near　it；　and　all　surrounded；
save　on　the　river　front；　with　far…flung　acres；　some　planted　with　grain　and
the　rest　with　tobacco。　Up　and　down　the　river　these　estates　were　strung
together　by　the　rudest　roads；　mere　tracks　through　field　and　wood。　The　cart
was　as　yet　the　sole　wheeled　vehicle。　But　the　Virginia　plantera　horseman
in　Englandbrought　over　horses；　bred　horses；　and　early　placed　horsemanship
in　the　catalogue　of　the　necessary　colonial　virtues。　At　this　point；　however；
in　a　land　of　great　and　lesser　rivers；　with　a　network　of　creeks；　the　boat
provided　the　chief　means　of　communication。　Behind　all；　enveloping　all；
still　spread　the　illimitable　forest；　the　haunt　of　Indians　and　innumerable
game。

Virginians　were　already　preparing　for　an　expansion　to　the　north。　There　was
a　man　in　Virginia　named　William　Claiborne。　This　individualable；
determined；　self…reliant；　energetichad　come　in　as　a　young　man；　with　the
title　of　surveyorgeneral　for　the　Company；　in　the　ship　that　brought　Sir
Francis　Wyatt；　just　before　the　massacre　of　1622。　He　had　prospered　and　was
now　Secretary　of　the　Province。　He　held　lands；　and　was　endowed　with　a　bold；
adventurous　temper　and　a　genius　for　business。　In　a　few　years　he　had
established　widespread　trading　relations　with　the　Indians。　He　and　the　men
whom　he　employed　penetrated　to　the　upper　shores　of　Chesapeake；　into　the
forest　bordering　Potomac　and　Susquehanna：　Knives　and　hatchets；　beads；
trinkets；　and　colored　cloth　were　changed　for　rich　furs　and　various　articles
that　the　Indians　could　furnish。　The　skins　thus　gathered　Claiborne　shipped
to　London　merchants；　and　was　like　to　grow　wealthy　from　what　his　trading
brought。

Looking　upon　the　future　and　contemplating　barter　on　a　princely　scale；　he
set　to　work　and　obtained　exhaustive　licenses　from　the　immediate　Virginian
authorities；　and　at　last　from　the　King　himself。　Under　these　grants；
Claiborne　began　to　provide　settlements　for　his　numerous　traders。　Far　up　the
Chesapeake；　a　hundred　miles　or　so　from　Point　Comfort；　he　found　an　island
that　he　liked；　and　named　it　Kent　Island。　Here　for　his　men　he　built　cabins
with　gardens　around　them；　a　mill　and　a　church。　He　was　far　from　the　river
James　and　the　mass　of　his　fellows；　but　he　esteemed　himself　to　be　in
Virginia　and　upon　his　own　land。　What　came　of　Claiborne's　enterprise　the
sequel　has　to　show。



CHAPTER　IX。　MARYLAND

There　now　enters　upon　the　scene　in　Virginia　a　man　of　middle　age；　not
without　experience　in　planting　colonies；　by　name　George　Calvert；　first　Lord
Baltimore。　Of　Flemish　ancestry；　born　in　Yorkshire；　scholar　at　Oxford；
traveler；　clerk　of　the　Privy　Council；　a　Secretary　of　State　under　James；
member　of　the　House　of　Commons；　member　of　the　Virginia　Company；　he　knew
many　of　the　ramifications　of　life。　A　man　of　worth　and　weight；　he　was　placed
by　temperament　and　education　upon　the　side　of　the　court　party　and　the　Crown
in　the　growing　contest　over　rights。　About　the　year　1625；　under　what
influence　is　not　known；　he　had　openly　professed　the　Roman　Catholic
faithand　that　took　courage　in　the　seventeenth　century；　in　England！

Some　years　before；　Calvert　had　obtained　from　the　Crown　a　grant　of　a　part　of
Newfoundland；　had　named　it　Avalon；　and　had　built　great　hopes　upon　its
settlement。　But　the　northern　winter　had　worked　against　him。　He　knew；　for　he
had　resided　there　himself　with　his　family　in　that　harsh　clime。　〃From　the
middle　of　October　to　the　middle　of　May　there　is