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volved upon a Captain Piercy, a man of worth; but whose feeble health unfitted him for those arduous duties, the factious state of the colony required. The vices of the planters provoked hostilities with the Indians, and free from the restraints of government, they became a prey to licentiousness and the fury of the savages, who hunted them upon every side, destroyed their settlements, stole their tools, carried off their stock, and reduced them to the utmost distress of famine, pestilence, and the sword. Ins this state of wretchedness, they fed on acorns, herbs, and berries, as well as the flesh of horses, and (if the historians: of the first respectability can be credited) the dead bodies, of their own companions.

Such was the deplorable state of the colony, when Admiral Sommers arrived with one hundred and fifty people from Bermuda. This recruit of men arrived without a supply of provisions, and the forlorn state of the colony not only forbade them to attempt to stay, but opened the way for them to abandon their dwellings, embark on board their ships, and sail for England. Near the mouth of the bay, Lord Delaware met them with his fleet and supplies from England, and by his influence persuaded them to return, and resume their dwellings, and submit to his government, 1610.

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Lord Delaware, like President Smith, entered upon the duties of his government, with firmness and energy. He restored public worship, appointed all the necessary officers, established a due degree of subordination, and thus gave tone to his government, and industry, harmony, and plenty, to this ruined colony. The contrast here exhibited to the life, between faction, discord, idleness, dissipa tion, corruption, and their inseparable companion, distress and concord, industry, virtue, and enjoyment, is too striking to need any comment. The example here is not par VOL. II.

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ticular; it is universal; and in similar cases, and under similar circumstances, will ever prove the same.

Who that surveys with attention the remarkable coinci'dence of events, in the dispensations of divine providence, in scourging this colony for their wanton abuse of all those blessings which they enjoyed, at the departure of President Smith, and yet preserving them from utterly falling a prey to the distresses of famine and pestilence, as well as the fury of the savages; preserved their houses from the flames in their absence; and sent them a deliverer in Lord Delaware, who should restore them to their former prosperity, does not see the hand of God particularly displayed for the preservation of Virginia

Lord Delaware brought out one whole year's provisions, and the next year they were supplied by the London Company, with about six hundred people, two hundred cattle, two hundred hogs, as well as a great variety of necessary utensils for labour, to carry forward the improvements of the colony.

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The government of Lord Delaware, may be fairly said to commence the history of Virginia. In 1611, Lord Delaware returned to England, by reason of ill health, and the government devolved upon Sir Thomas Dale, who began the settlement of Henrico, (which he called after Prince Henry,) and in 1612, eighty settlers arrived at Jamestown. Avarice was the moving principle that operated in settling the Colony of Virginia. The London Company had expended large sums of money, to promote the settlement of a colony for the advantages of trade; but their expectations had hitherto been disappointed, which had occasioned the supplies to fall so much short of the necessities of the colony. The avarice of the adventurers had led most of them out into this wilderness, under the illusion of golden dreams, where they expected to riot in ease and wealth, free from the restraints of law, and the fatigues of labour :

hence their idleness, dissipation, and corruption, as well as their factions, brought on them poverty and ruin. These licentious habits required a severe and rigid military government; this, added to their habits, was a check to their industry and enterprise, and kept the colony down for many years.

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In 1613, God in his providence opened upon the colony, an event as striking and as interesting, as well as useful to the colony, as the salvation of Captain Smith by Pocahontas. A Mr. Rolf, (who became secretary to the colony,) became attached to the young Pocahontas; obtained her affection; offered her his hand; and with the consent of her father, and Sir Thomas Dale, they were united in the bands of wedlock, April, 1614. Mr. Rolf, like a true and affectionate husband, sought to improve the mind of the young princess, both in useful knowledge and religion; and by the assistance of their clergyman, the Rev. Mr. Whitaker, she soon acquired the English language; embraced the christian religion, and was baptised by the name of Rebekah.

In 1616, Mr. Rolf, with his wife, visited England, where she was introduced to her majesty, and treated with great respect and attention at court, and amongst people of distinction in London. The Lady Rebekah died on her visit at London, and left one son, who was handsomely educated, and when he grew into life, came out to Virginia, where he lived in affluence and respectability, and dred much lamented.

Some of the most respectable families in Virginia sprang from Mr. Thomas Rolf, the son of the Indian princess, Pocahontas, and the deliverer of Capt. Smith. This alliancesecured to the colony, the friendship of the sachem Powhatan, and through him, a general peace and tranquillity with the Indians; excepting such instances of individual collisions, as often took place between those lazy idle plant

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ers, who had rather rob and plunder the Indians, than work or starve; these quarrels were frequent; but they did not provoke war, because Powhatan, by his friendly influence, restrained the resentments of the Indians, and kept the peace.

About this time, Gov. Smith in the character of an adventurer, again visited the shores of America, and drew charts of the coast of North Virginia, to which he gave the name of New-England. Sir Thomas Dale was now called to attend to his own affairs in England, and in April 1616, he left the colony under the administration of Mr. George Yeardley.

When Gov. Yeardley came to the chair, he found the colony in a rising state; their affairs under the wise and judicious administration of Gov. Yale, had begun to flourish and become prosperous; indolence and licentiousness had been suppressed; and industry, morals, and order had begun to prevail. The administration of Gov. Yeardley continued but one year, when he was superseded by a Mr. Argall, through the instrumentality of his friends in the London Company; and in May 1617, he arrived in Virginia, and entered upon the administration of the colony. Armed with the powers of lieutenant-governor and high admiral of those seas; he entered upon his administration as a despot; fully bent on gratifying his power and avarice, at the expense of every thing that was for the peace and interest of the colony, or the happiness and prosperity of the people. Such was the tyranny and rapacity of this man, that under an administration of two years, he subverted all the improvements that had been made by a Delaware, a Gates, and a Dale; and threw the colony back to the times of Gov. Smith, notwithstanding the efforts that had been made by the London Company, during

period of nine or twelve years. A period in which they had expended more than eighty thousand pound sterling,

and from the number of sixteen hundred and seventy souls, which had been carried into the colony, more than twelve hundred had been lost by sickness, savage barbarities, or an oppressive and rapacious government.

In the midst of this distress, the colony awaited with anxious impatience the arrival of Lord Delaware, (who they learnt had embarked from England, once more, to bless the colony, with his presence and government ;) but again, their hopes were blasted; his lordship reached the mouth of Delaware Bay, where he died, 1618; and thus gave name to a bay, that has ever continued. This loss was severely felt by the colony, and although considered at the time as irreparable, yet God had not forsaken this people; a new change in the London Company, removed Sir Thomas Smith from the chair, and raised up Sir Edwin Sandys, as his successor. This change in the company, removed Governor Argall, and raised Sir George Yeardley to the government of the colony; and in May 1619, he arrived in Virginia, and resumed the government. That gloom which had overspread the colony was at once dispelled; hope beamed in every countenance, and joy swelled in every breast; they no longer groaned under the eruel oppression of an avaricious despot; but felt themselves free, and once more restored to the liberties of freeborn Englishmen. This freedom and these liberties, were guaranteed to them, by a charter from the London Company, which confirmed the possession of all their estates, both real and personal, free from all those despotic services, with which they had been held, and thus laid the truc foundation of liberty, industry, and enterprise in Virginia.

The complaints that had reached the London Company against governor Argall, had not only opened the eyes of the company to the true situation, and interest of the colony, but had drawn from them an order to Governor Yeardley, to arrest the ex-governor, and try him in the

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