pioneers of the old south-第16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！


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；　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　ho