Proprietary Charles, the third Lord Baltimore, died on the twentieth 16 9 8 of February, 1714-15, leaving his title and his rights to 17 15 his son, Benedict Leonard Calvert, who had renounced The Catholicism. A few weeks after his father's death, this Restoration of fourth Lord Baltimore died leaving a son Charles, then about sixteen years old. Ben: Leo: Colvert. Autograph of Benedict Leonard Calvert The guardian of this fifth Lord Baltimore promptly recommissioned John Hart, the royal governor of the province, as the representative of the proprietor. This looked as though there had been a confirmation of the old charter and a restoration of proprietary rights. There were no more royal governors in Maryland but, in the twenty years, conditions had been radically changed. The population of the province had doubled and the sentiment of personal loyalty had died. April 5 Jamestown had been burned in 1676 and malaria made Virginia's its abandonment desirable. The new college had been New Capital built at Middle Plantation and when, in 1698, Nicholson returned to Virginia as full governor, he there laid out a town, named it in honor of the king, and made Williamsburg a colonial capital. In 1700, the first college commencement was recognized as the mark of an era in the progress of Virginia. With their families and retinues of slaves, planters came from every part of the Old Dominion, and the other colonies sent distinguished representatives to do honor to the occasion. The most important political event of Nicholson's Nicholson's second administration in Virginia was the control that Recall the assembly secured over the treasury. Through the neglect or the indifference of the royal governor, the colonial treasurer became an officer of the assembly, a gain that was to be of great importance when the purse became the deputies' great weapon. Of course, the misplay added nothing to Nicholson's standing with the home government. Then, too, his blustering ways 1705 often got him into trouble. For example, he fell passion17 I o ately in love and threatened that if Miss Burwell married anyone else, he would "cut the throats of three men: the bridegroom, the minister, and the justice who issued the license.' When he assaulted the parish minister, whom he suspected of being his rival, the council took prompt action. In 1705, he was recalled to England. In spite of inherent defects of character and training, he Laissez Faire 1707 Spotswood was one of the ablest men who took a prominent part in the political affairs of early Virginia. About this time, Queen Anne gave the titular governorship of Virginia to the earl of Orkney for forty years. His first deputy, Edward Nott, died several months after his arrival in Virginia and Robert Hunter, named by the earl as came to pass that for several years Virginia was happy in self-rule administered by the council under their president, Edmund Jennings. "Pernicious notions, fatal to the royal prerogative, were improving daily." Among the English wounded at Blenheim was Alexander Spotswood. In June, 1710, he arrived in Virginia, the ablest of her royal governors and the bearer of 1710 the privileges of the writ of habeas corpus. This great 1 7 gift heightened the enthusiasm of his reception, but he 171 5 was a royal governor, the burgesses had grown strong, and the harmony could not continue. There was danger of a French invasion from Canada at one end of the English line and of Indian troubles in Carolina at the other end. Spotswood wanted to lend a helping hand but the seat of war was remote and the burgesses pulled the purse-strings. The governor called on England for assistance and did the best he could with scanty funds. There were other disagreements, but Spotswood was An Able never weary of his labors for the general prosperity. Governor The college needed helping friends; Spotswood was such a friend. When the Tuscaroras made their sudden and fierce attack on the North Carolina settlements, Spotswood managed to hold back the tributary Indians of Virginia. Iron was first forged in 1714, and the governor was so earnest in his efforts to encourage its manufacture that Byrd of Westover called him "The Tubal Tubal Cain Cain of Virginia." Palatine Germans sent over by Queen Anne were settled on his estate on the Rapidan where a county was soon organized and named in his honor. The student of the map of Virginia still finds a reminder of their coming in the name Germanna Ford, and a great war has made Spotsylvania famous. Redivivus I 689 The Leisler CHAPTER XVII ROYAL RULE IN NEW YORK There were EAR of the French and a "No Popery" cry had Fredrych flyphin all New England. There were other Catholics in Canada, willing to invade and to hold New York for France with which England was at war. When the New York Protestants heard that a French fleet was actually on its way from Europe, they believed that between those within 1 6 8 9 and those without there was a unity of purpose. Nicholson had gone back to England and Leisler denied the authority of Philipse, Van Cortlandt, and Bayard, the only remaining members of Nicholson's council. The king did not understand and "Little Cromwell" would The "Little save the province for his majesty. At Leisler's call, Cromwell" delegates from the towns and counties met in convention on the twenty-sixth of June. They constituted themselves a committee of safety and made Leisler commander of the fort and later commander-in-chief of the province. When the letter intended for Nicholson, but addressed A Plebeian to "Our Lieutenant Governor and Commander in Chief of in Power Our Province of New York in America and in his absence to such as for the time being take care for Preserving the Peace Administring the Lawes in Our said Province," fell into Leisler's hands, he assumed the title indicated in the missive, appointed a council, and "took his seat next Sunday in the gubernatorial pew at church, to the intense disgust and chagrin of the aristocrats among the worshippers." Although Leisler had prospered in a worldly way and had married a niece of Anneke Jans, he was of humble birth and somewhat coarse. On the whole, he was one on whom "society" felt obliged to frown. Scheme If the danger from the Catholics in New York was A French imaginary, the danger from the French in Canada was very real. The French king had matured a scheme for the conquest of New York and New England. In the very week in which Leisler took command of the New York fort, Louis wrote to Frontenac concerning the June 7 disposition to be made of the inhabitants of the province that he was to conquer; there was to be little consideration for heresy or heretics. The revocation of the edict of Nantes had sent many Huguenot refugees to New York. The Iroquois-English alliance and the collapse of the scheme of the French king were fortunate for them. When Frontenac found that the royal plan had been |