sanguine hopes of success subsided. Mutual distrust accompanied this universal despondency. All began to wish for an accommodation; and, after a short negociation, with Sir William Berkeley, lieutenant general Ingram, and major general Walklate, they laid down their arms, and submitted to his government, on obtaining a promise of general pardon; but were obliged to submit to the incapacity of ever bearing any office in the colony.

Skir

Thus terminated an insurrection, which, in the annals of Virginia, is distinguished by the name of Bacon's rebellion. During seven months, this daring leader was master of the colony, while the royal governor, shut up in a remote corner of it, was able to make only a feeble resistance. mishes took place, in which several on both sides were killed and wounded. The cattle of the country was destroyed; and during the insurrection, there was an almost total neglect of husbandry; so that the people had the dreadful prospect of famine. What were the real motives that prompted Bacon to take arms, and to what length he intended to carry his plans of reform, it is not easy to discover. It is probable, that his conduct, like that of other adventurers in faction, would have been regulated, chiefly by events; and accordingly as these proved favourable or adverse, his views and requisitions would have been extended or circumscribed.

Sir William Berkeley, as soon as he was reinstated in his office, called together the representatives of the people, that, by their advice and authority, public tranquillity and order might be perfectly established. Though this assembly met a few weeks after the death of Bacon, while the memory of reciprocal injuries was still recent, and when the passions excited by such a fierce contest had but little time to subside, its proceedings were conducted with a moderation, seldom exercised by the successful party in a civil war. No man suffered capitally. A small number were subjected to fines: others were declared incapable of holding any office of trust: and, with these exceptions, the promise of general indemnity was confirmed by law. Soon after these events, Berkeley

went to England, and died there. Lord Culpepper was appointed his successor.

About the year 1679, governor Culpepper arrived, with certain bills drawn up by the ministry in England, to be passed into laws, by the assembly of Virginia. His lordship had instructions to pass an act of pardon, for all who had been in the late rebellion; but it was suspended on the condition, that the assembly should first pass into laws, the bills which he had brought from their common superiors in England. On their refusal, he had commissioners ready to try and hang them as rebels; and a regiment of soldiers on the spot, to support him in these faithless proceedings. One of these bills was for raising a public revenue for the support of government. This made the duties perpetual, and to be at the sole direction of the king. When the governor had effected the passage of this into a law, he obtained for himself, out of the proceeds, an annual salary of 2000l. which was double the salary of his predecessors. He also obtained 160l. annually, for house rent. Besides, he demanded from every vessel, under one hundred tons, twenty shillings; and thirty shillings for all above that burden, to be paid to him, as a perquisite, by the captain of the vessel, for every voyage, at port clearing. He also oppressed the people by causing them to receive light coin in payment, at the same rate with that which was full weight. This necessity he imposed and continued for his own emolument. These were the returns Virginia received, for its extraordinary loyalty to the restored king. The colony groaned under similar oppressive measures, which were continued in the reign of his brother and successor, James the second. The spirit of government was the same, and equally arbitrary on both sides of the Atlantic, in the interval between the restoration in 1660 and the revolution in 1688. In this period, besides these systematic oppressions, there is scarcely any memorable occurrence in the history of Virginia.

The people of this loyal colony, with a constitution, which, in form, resembled that of England, enjoyed hardly any

portion of the liberty, which that system of policy is framed to secure. They were deprived even of the last consolation of the oppressed, the power of complaining, by a law which, under severe penalties, prohibited them from speaking disrespectfully of the governor, or defaming either by words or writing the administration of the colony. The laws, restraining their commerce, were felt as an intolerable grievance, and nourished in secret a spirit of discontent, which, from the necessity of concealing it, acquired a greater degree of acrimony. Notwithstanding these unfavourable circumstances, the colony continued to increase. The use of tobacco was now become general in Europe. In the use of this nauseous weed, civilized men went beyond savages. The latter used it only in smoking; but the former, in addition, chewed it, and took it in snuff. In consequence of its general use, though it had fallen in price, the demand was so great, that, by giving constant employment to the industry of the planters, it diffused wealth among them.

From the English revolution, in 1688, to the American revolution, in 1776, the government of Virginia was conducted on revolutionary principles; and, generally, for the benefit of the people. The colony was too far north, to be involved in the disputes with the Spaniards, about boundary, which affected the more southern colonies; and too far south, to be claimed by the French, as an appendage to Canada; or to have a distressing participation in the several wars between France and England; which, from 1690 to 1748, disturbed the peace of the most northern colonies. From 1754 to 1758, when the French schemes for uniting Canada and Louisiana were urged, the frontiers of Virginia were involved in serious distresses, from the incursions of French and Indian parties, detached from Fort Duquesne, on the Ohio: but, with this exception, Virginia enjoyed a steady series of prosperity, for the last eighty-five years of her colonial existence. In this period, her strength and resources increased to so great an extent, as enabled her successfully

to resist Great Britain attacking her rights. Her inhabitants were then computed to be 496,278.*

NEW ENGLAND, PLYMOUTH, AND MASSACHUSETTS.

Thirteen years elapsed, after James Town began to be built, before any permanent establishment was effected in the northern or second colony. Various attempts for that purpose had failed; nor was the arduous business accomplished, till it was undertaken by men who were influenced by higher motives than the extension of agriculture or commerce. These men had been called Puritans in England, from their earnest desires of further reformation in the established church; and particularly for their aversion to certain popish habits and ceremonies, which they deemed sinful, from their having been abused to idolatry. Such was the intolerance of the times, and so violent the zeal for uniformity, that popular preachers of this sect, though men of learning and piety, were suspended, deprived, imprisoned, and ruined, for not using garments or ceremonics which their adversaries acknowledged to be indifferent. Puritanism, nevertheless, gained ground. On experiment, it was found, that no attempts are more fruitless than those which are made with the view of bringing men to think alike, on the subject of religion. The leaders, both of church and state, were too little acquainted

This number of the inhabitants of Virginia, in 1775, is taken from the journals of congress. It is conjectural, and not founded on actual enumeration. When congress first emitted bills of credit, they fixed the quota, to be redeemed by each colony, in proportion to its supposed number of inhabitants. The number assigned to each state, at that time, is the number referred to in this work. It appears to have been near the truth. In 1790, an actual enumeration was taken. The number of inhabitants, in Virginia, was then found to be 747,600. Of these intermediate fifteen years, eight were years of war. The conjectural enumeration of 1775 was three millions, in the whole twelve confederated colonies. The actual enumeration of the same, with the addition of Georgia, Kentucky, and the South-West Territory, in 1790, was 3,870,326. The latter, in some measure, confirms the former, when proper allowance is made for the destruction caused in the interval, by the revolu tionary war.

with the genuine principles of policy and Christianity, to apply the proper remedy for preserving peace among discording sects. Instead of granting a general liberty of conscience, compulsory methods were adopted for enforcing uniformity. An act was passed for punishing all who refused to come to church, or were present at any conventicle or meeting. The punishment was imprisonment, till the convicted agreed to conform, and made a declaration of his conformity. If that were not done in three months, he was to quit the realm, and go into perpetual banishment. In case he did not depart within the time limited, or returned afterwards without a license, he was to suffer death. Such is the renitency of the human mind, to all impositions on conscience, that the more the Puritans were oppressed, the more were they attached to their distinguishing opinions, and the more did their sect prevail. Several of them suffered death, in preference to purchasing an exemption from legal penalties, by doing what in their opinion was wrong. It was afterwards resolved to send others, who had equally persevered in their non-conformity, into banishment. Many chose to avoid these evils, by voluntarily exiling themselves from their native country.

A congregation of these Puritans, under the pastoral care of Mr. John Robinson, resolved to elude their persecutors, by removing to Holland. They continued there ten years; and, by hard labour, earned a living. Though they were much esteemed, and kindly received by the Hollanders, they were induced to think of a second removal. They had an ardent desire of propagating religion in foreign lands, and of separating themselves from all the existing establishments in Europe; that they might have an opportunity of handing down, to future ages, the model of a pure church, free from the admixture of human additions. America, the colonizing of which then excited a considerable share of public attention, presented a proper theatre for this purpose. After serious and repeated addresses to Heaven for direction, they resolved to cross the Atlantic. An application, on their behalf, was made to their native sovereign, king James, for full liberty