pioneers of the old south-第23章

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but　while　he　was　gone　Virginia　had　endured　in　his　stead　Sir　Edmund　Andros。
That　had　been　swapping　the　witch　for　the　devil。　Virginia　in　1698　seems　to
have　welcomed　the　returning　Nicholson。

Jamestown　had　been　hastily　rebuilt；　after　Bacon's　burning；　and　then　by
accident　burned　again。　The　word　malaria　was　not　in　use；　but　all　knew　that
there　had　always　been　sickness　on　that　low　spit　running　out　from　the
marshes。　The　place　might　well　seem　haunted；　so　many　had　suffered　there　and
died　there。　Poetical　imagination　might　have　evoked　a　piece　of　sad
pageantrystarving　times；　massacres；　quarrels；　executions；　cruel　and
unusual　punishments；　gliding　Indians。　A　practical　question；　however；　faced
the　inhabitants；　and　all　were　willing　to　make　elsewhere　a　new　capital　city。

Seven　miles　back　from　the　James；　about　halfway　over　to　the　blue　York；　stood
that　cluster　of　houses　called　Middle　Plantation；　where　Bacon's　men　had
taken　his　Oath。　There　was　planned　and　builded　Williamsburg；　which　was　to　be
for　nearly　a　hundred　years　the　capital　of　Virginia。　It　was　named　for　King
William；　and　there　was　in　the　minds　of　some　loyal　colonists　the　notion；
eventually　abandoned；　of　running　the　streets　in　the　lines　of　a　huge　W　and
M。　The　long　main　street　was　called　Duke　of　Gloucester　Street；　for　the
short…lived　son　of　that　Anne　who　was　soon　to　become　Queen。　At　one　end　of
this　thoroughfare　stood　a　fair　brick　capitol。　At　the　other　end　nearly　a
mile　away　rose　the　brick　William　and　Mary　College。　Its　story　is　worth　the
telling。

The　formal　acquisition　of　knowledge　had　long　been　a　problem　in　Virginia。
Adult　colonists　came　with　their　education；　much　or　little；　gained　already
in　the　mother　country。　In　most　cases；　doubtless；　it　was　little；　but　in　many
cases　it　was　much。　Books　were　brought　in　with　other　household　furnishing。
When　there　began　to　be　native…born　Virginians；　these　children　received　from
parents　and　kindred　some　manner　of　training。　Ministers　were　supposed　to
catechise　and　teach。　Well…to…do　and　educated　parents　brought　over　tutors。
Promising　sons　were　sent　to　England　to　school　and　university。　But　the　lack
of　means　to　knowledge　for　the　mass　of　the　colony　began　to　be　painfully
apparent。

In　the　time　of　Charles　the　First　one　Benjamin　Symms　had　left　his　means　for
the　founding　of　a　free　school　in　Elizabeth　County；　and　his　action　had　been
solemnly　approved　by　the　Assembly。　By　degrees　there　appeared　other　similar
free　schools；　though　they　were　never　many　nor　adequate。　But　the　first
Assembly　after　the　Restoration　had　made　provision　for　a　college。　Land　was
to　have　been　purchased　and　the　building　completed　as　speedily　as　might　be。
The　intent　had　been　good；　but　nothing　more　had　been　done。

There　was　in　Virginia；　sent　as　Commissioner　of　the　Established　Church；　a
Scotch　ecclesiastic；　Dr。　James　Blair。　In　virtue　of　his　office　he　had　a　seat
in；　the　Council；　and　his　integrity　and　force　soon　made　him　a　leader　in　the
colony。　A　college　in　Virginia　became　Blair's　dream。　He　was　supported　by
Virginia　planters　with　sons　to　educatedaughters'　education　being　purely　a
domestic　affair。　Before　long　Blair　had　raised　in　promised　subscriptions
what　was　for　the　time　a　large　sum。　With　this　for　a　nucleus　he　sailed　to
England　and　there　collected　more。　Tillotson；　Archbishop　of　Canterbury；　and
Stillingfleet；　Bishop　of　Worcester；　helped　him　much。　The　King　and　Queen
inclined　a　favorable　ear；　and；　though　he　met　with　opposition　in　certain
quarters；　Blair　at　last　obtained　his　charter。　There　was　to　be　built　in
Virginia　and　to　be　sustained　by　taxation　a　great　school；　〃a　seminary　of
ministers　of　the　gospel　where　youths　may　be　piously　educated　in　good
letters　and　manners；　a　certain　place　of　universal　study；　or　perpetual
college　of　divinity；　philosophy；　languages　and　other　good　arts　and
sciences。〃　Blair　sailed　back　to　Virginia　with　the　charter　of　the　college；
some　money；　a　plan　for　the　main　building　drawn　by　Christopher　Wren；　and　for
himself　the　office　of　President。

The　Assembly；　for　the　benefit　of　the　college；　taxed　raw　and　tanned　hides；
dressed　buckskin；　skins　of　doe　and　elk；　muskrat　and　raccoon。　The
construction　of　the　new　seat　of　learning　was　begun　at　Williamsburg。　When　it
was　completed　and　opened　to　students；　it　was　named　William　and　Mary。　Its
name　and　record　shine　fair　in　old　Virginia。　Colonial　worthies　in　goodly
number　were　educated　at　William　and　Mary；　as　were　later　revolutionary
soldiers　and　statesmen；　and　men　of　name　and　fame　in　the　United　States。
Three　American　PresidentsJefferson；　Monroe；　and　Tylerwere　trained
there；　as　well　as　Marshall；　the　Chief　Justice；　four　signers　of　the
Declaration　of　Independence；　and　many　another　man　of　mark。

The　seventeenth　century　is　about　to　pass。　France　and　England　are　at　war。
The　colonial　air　vibrates　with　the　struggle。　There　is　to　be　a　brief　lull
after　1697；　but　the　conflict　will　soon　be　resumed。　The　more　northerly
colonies；　the　nearer　to　New　France；　feel　the　stronger　pulsation；　but
Virginia；　too；　is　shaken。　England　and　France　alike　play　for　the　support　of
the　red　man。　All　the　western　side　of　America　lies　open　to　incursion　from
that　pressed…back　Indian　sea　of　unknown　extent　and　volume。　Up　and　down；　the
people；　who　have　had　no　part　in　making　that　European　war；　are　sensitive　to
the　menace　of　its　dangers。　In　Virginia　they　build　blockhouses　and　they　keep
rangers　on　guard　far　up　the　great　rivers。

All　the　world　is　changing；　and　the　changes　are　fraught　with　significance
for　America。　Feudalism　has　passed；　scholasticism　has　gone；　politics；
commerce；　philosophy；　religion；　science；　invention；　music；　art；　and
literature　are　rapidly　altering。　In　England　William　and　Mary　pass　away。
Queen　Anne　begins　her　reign　of　twelve　years。　Then；　in　1714；　enters　the
House　of　Hanover　with　George　the　First。　It　is　the　day　of　Newton　and　Locke
and　Berkeley；　of　Hume；　of　Swift；　Addison；　Steele；　Pope；　Prior；　and　Defoe。
The　great　romantic　sixteenth　century；　Elizabeth's　spacious　time；　is　gone。
The　deep　and　narrow；　the　intense；　religious；　individualistic　seventeenth
century　is　gone。　The　eighteenth　century；　immediate　parent　of　the
nineteenth；　grandparent　of　the　twentieth；　occupies　the　stage。

In　the　year　1704；　just　over　a　decade　since　Dr。　Blair　had　obtained　the
charter　for　his　College；　the　erratic　and　able　Governor　of　Virginia；　Francis
Nicholson；　was　recalled。　For　all　that　he　was　a　wild　talker；　he　had　on　the
whole　done　well　for　Virginia。　He　was；　as　far　as　is　known；　the　first　person
actually　to　propose　a　federation　or　union　of　all　those　English…speaking
political　divisions；　royal　provinces；　dominions；　palatinates；　or　what　not；
that　had　been　hewed　away　from　the　vast　original　Virginia。　He　did　what　he
could　to　forward　the　movement　for　education　and　the　fortunes　of　the　William
and　Mary　College。　But　he　is　quoted　as　having　en　one　occasion　informed　the
body　of　the　people　that　〃the　gentlemen　imposed　upon　them。〃　Again；　he　is
said　to　have　remarked　of　the　servant　population　that　they　had　all　been
kidnapped　and　had　a　lawful　action　against　their　masters。　〃Sir；〃　he　stated
to　President　Blair；　who　would　have　given　him　advice　from　the　Bishop　of
London；　〃Sir；　I　know　how　to　govern　Virginia　and　Maryland　better　than　all
the　bishops。　in　England！　If　I　had　not　hampered　them　in　Maryland　and　kept
them　under；　I　should　never　have　been　able　to　govern　them！〃　To　which　Blair
had　to　say；　〃Sir；　if　I　know　anything　of　Virginia；　they　are　a　good…natured；
tractable　people　as　any　in　the　world；　and　you　may　do　anything　with　them　by
way　of　civility；　but　you　will　never　be　able　to　manage　them　in　that　way　you
speak　of；　by　hampering　and　keeping　them　under！〃*

*　William　and　Mary　College　Quarterly；　vol。　I；　p。　66。


About　this　time　arrived　Claude　de　Richebourg　with　a　number　of　Huguenots　who
settled　above　the　Falls。　First　and　last；　Virginia　received　many　of　this
good　French　strain。　The　Old　Dominion　had　now　a　population　of　over　eighty
thousand　personswhites；　Indians　in　no　great　number；　and　negroes。　The　red
men　are　mere　scattered　dwellers　in　the　land　east　of　the　mountains。　There
are　Indian　villages；　but　they　are　far　apart。　Save　upon　the　frontier　fringe；
the　Indian　attacks　no　more。　But　the　African　is　here　to　stay。

〃The　Negroes　live　in　small　Cottages　called　Quarters　。　。　。　under　the
direction　of　an　Overseer　or　Bailiff；　who　takes　care　that　they　tend　such
Land　as　the　Owner　allots　and　orders；　upon　which　they　raise　Hogs　and　Cattle
and　plant　Indian　Corn；　and　Tobacco　for　the　Use　of　their　Master　。。。。　The
Negroes　are　very　numerous；　Dome　Gentlemen　having　Hundreds　of　them　of　all
Sorts；　to　whom　they　bring　great　Profitt；　for　the　Sake　of　which　they　are
obliged　to　keep　them　well；　and　not　over…work；　starve　or　famish　them；
besides　other　Inducements　to　favour　them；　which　is　done　in　a　great　Degree；
to　such　especially　that　are　laborious；　careful　and　honest；　tho'　indeed　some
Masters；　careless　of　their　own　Interest　or　deputation；　are　too　cruel　and
negligent。　The　Negroes　are　not　only　encreased　by　fresh　supplies　from　Africa
and　the　West　India　Islands；　but　also　are　very　prolific　among　themselves；
and　they　that　are　born　here　talk　good　English　and　affect　our　Language；
Habits　and　Customs　。　。　。　。　Their　work　or　Chimerical　hard　Slavery）　is　not
very　laborious；　their　greatest　Hardship　consisting　in　that　they　and　their
Posterity　are　not　at　their　own　Liberty　or　Disposal；　but　are　the　Property　of
their　Owners；　and　when　they　are　free　they　know　not　how　to　provide　so　well
for　themselves　generally；　neither　did　they　live　so　plentifully　nor　（many　of
them）　so　easily　in　their　own　Country　where　they　are　made　Slaves　to　one
another；　or　taken　Captive　by　their　Ennemies。〃*

*　It　is　an　English　clergyman；　the　Reverend　Hugh　Jones；　who　is　writing　（〃The
Present　State　of　Virginia〃）　in　the　year　1724。　He　writes　and　never　sees
that；　though　every　amelioration　be　true；　yet　there　is　here　old　Inequity。


The　white　Virginians　lived　both　after　the　fashion　of　England　and　after
fashions　made　by　their　New　World　environment。　They　are　said　to　have　been　in
general　a　handsome　folk；　tall；　well…formed；　and　with　a　ready　and　courteous
manner。　They　were　great　lovers　of　riding；　and　of　all　country　life；　and　few
folk　in　the　world　might　overpass　them　in　hospitality。　They　were　genial；
they　liked　a　good　laugh；　and　they　danced　to　good　music。　They　had　by　nature
an　excellent　understanding。　Yet；　thinks　at　least　the　Reverend　Hugh　Jones；
they　〃are　generally　diverted　by　Business　or　Inclination　from　profound
Study；　and　prying　into　the　Depth　of　Things　。　。　。　。They　are　more　inclinable
to　read　Men　by　Business　and　Conversation；　than　to　dive　into　Books　。　。　。
they　are　apt　to　learn；　yet　they　are　fond　of　and　will　follow　their　own　Ways；
Humours　and　Notions；　being　not　easily　brought　to　new　Projects　and　Schemes。〃

It　was　as　Governor　of　these　people　that；　in　succession　to　Nicholson；　Edward
Nott　came　to　Virginia；　the　deputy　of　my　Lord　Orkney。　Nott　died　soon
afterward；　and　in　1710　Orkney　sent　to　Virginia　in　his　stead　Alexander
Spotswood。　This　man　stands　in　Virginia　history　a　manly；　honorable；　popular
figure。　Of　Scotch　parentage；　born　in　Morocco；　soldier　under　Marlborough；
wounded　at　Blenheim；　he　was　yet　in　his　thirties　when　he　sailed　across　the
Atlantic　to　the　river　James。　Virginia　liked　him；　and　he　liked　Virginia。　A