pioneers of the old south-第31章

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through　the　remainder　of　the　seventeenth　century　and　in　the　eighteenth；
struggles　with　the　Lords　Proprietaries　and　the　Governors　that　these　named；
and　behind　this　a　more　covert　struggle　with　the　Crown。　The　details
differed；　but　the　issues　Mvolved　were　much　the　same　in　North　and　South
Carolina。　The　struggle　lasted　for　the　threescore　and　odd　years　of　the
proprietary　government　and　renewed　itself　upon　occasion　after　1729　when　the
Carolinas　became　royal　colonies。　Later；　it　was　swept；　a　strong　affluent；
into　the　great　general　stream　of　colonial　revolt；　culminating　in　the
Revolution。

Into　North　Carolina；　beside　the　border　population　entering　through　Virginia
and　containing　much　of　a　backwoods　and　derelict　nature；　came　many
Huguenots；　the　best　of　folk；　and　industrious　Swiss；　and　Germans　from　the
Rhine。　Then　the　Scotch　began　to　come　in　numbers；　and　families　of　Scotch
descent　from　the　north　of　Ireland。　The　tone　of　society　consequently　changed
from　that　of　the　early　days。　The　ruffian　and　the　shiftless　sank　to　the
bottom。　There　grew　up　in　North　Carolina　a　people；　agricultural　but　without
great　plantations；　hardworking　and　freedom…loving。

South　Carolina；　on　the　other　hand；　had　great　plantations；　a　town　society；
suave　and　polished；　a　learned　clergy；　an　aristocratic　cast　to　life。　For
long；　both　North　and　South　clung　to　the　sea…line　and　to　the　lower　stretches
of　rivers　where　the　ships　could　come　in。　Only　by　degrees　did　English
colonial　life　push　back　into　the　forests　away　from　the　sea；　to　the　hills；
and　finally　across　the　mountains。



CHAPTER　XV。　ALEXANDER　SPOTSWOOD

In　the　spring　of　1689；　Virginians　flocked　to　Jamestown　to　hear　William　and
Mary　proclaimed　Lord　and　Lady　of　Virginia。　The　next　year　there　entered；　as
LieutenantGovernor；　Francis　Nicholson；　an　odd　character　in　whom　an
immediate　violence　of　temper　went　with　a　statesmanlike　conception　of　things
to　be。　Two　years　he　governed　here；　then　was　transferred　to　Maryland；　and
then　in　seven　years　came　back　to　the　James。　He　had　not　been　liked　there；
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　17