kinson, Phillip Howard, & Wm. Darby, appeare yo next Court, in those habilemts that they then acted in, and give a draught of such verses, or other speeches and passages, which were then acted by them; & that ye Sherr detaine Cornelius Watkinson & Philip Howard in His Custody untill they put in Security to performe this order. It is ordered yt the Sherr. arrest ye Body of William Darby, for his appearance ye next Court, to answere at his maties suit, for being actour of a play commonly called y Beare and ye Cubb.

"At a Court held in Accomack County, ye 18th of December, by his mat ties Justices of y° Peace for ye sd County, in yo Seaventeenth yeare of ye Raigne of or Sovraigne Lord Charles y Second, By y Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, & Ireland, King, Defendr of yo Faith, &c.: And in yo yeare of or Lord God 1665.

"Its ordered yt ye Sherr sumons Edward Martin to ye next Court, to show cause why hee should not pay yo charges wh accrued upon ye Information given by him against Cornelius Watkinson, Philip Howard, & William Darby.

At a Court held in Accomack County, ye 17th of January, by his maties Justices of ye Peace for ye sd County, in the Seaventeenth year of yo Reigne of or Sovraigne Lord Charles y Second, By y Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.: And in the year of o1 Lord God 1665.

"Whereas, Edward Martin was this day examined concerning his information given to Mr. Fawset, his maties Attory for Accomack County, about a play called the bare & ye Cubb, whereby severall persons were brought to Court & charges thereon arise, but the Court finding the said p'sons not guilty of fault, suspended y payment of Court charges; & forasmuch as it appeareth upon y Oath of ye said Mr. Fawsett, that upon ye sd Edward Martin's information, the Charge & trouble of that suit did accrew, It's therefore ordered that ye said Edward Martin pay all ye Charges in y° suit Els. Exon."*

* "The foregoing are true transcripts from the Records of the Court of the County of Accomack, in the State of Virginia.”—Test: J. W. Gillett, C. A. C.

CHAPTER XXIX.

1666-1675.

Plot discovered-Miscellaneous Matters-England at war with the Dutch-The Plague in London-Tobacco-Forts-Cessation of planting Tobacco for one year-Drummond's Petition rejected-Baptism of Slaves-Tributary Indians -Batt's Expedition-The Algonquin Tribes-The Powhatan ConfederacyConvicts sent to Virginia—Legislative Acts.

THE Northern colonies appear at this time to have been styled the "Dutch Plantations."* The persecution of the dissenters, the restrictions imposed upon commerce by the navigation act, the low price of tobacco, and high price of imported goods, so inflamed the discontents of the poor people as to give rise to a plot, which was well-nigh resulting in tragical effects in 1663. The conspiracy was attributed to certain Cromwellian soldiers, who had been sent out to Virginia as servants; but the real grounds and true character of it can now hardly be ascertained. The plot was discovered only the night before that appointed for its execution, (the assembly being then in session,) by one of the conspirators named Birkenhead, a servant to Mr. Smith, of Purton, in Gloucester County. Poplar Spring, near that place, was the appointed rendezvous. As soon as the information reached Sir William Berkley, who was then at his residence, Green Spring, he issued secret orders to a party of militia, to meet at Poplar Spring, and anticipate the outbreak. Only a few were taken, of whom four were hanged. Birkenhead was rewarded with his freedom and five thousand pounds of tobacco; Beverley‡ makes the reward two hundred pounds sterling. The thirteenth of September, the day fixed for the execution of the plot, was set apart by the assembly as an anniversary thanksgiving. The news of this affair being transmitted to the king, he sent orders for the building of a fort

* Hening, in 188.

† Ibid., ii. 204.

Beverley, B. i. 61.

at Jamestown; but the Virginians thinking that the danger had blown over, only erected a battery of some small pieces of

cannon.

The Indian chief of Potomac, and other northern werowances and mangais, were required to give hostages of their children and others, who were to be kindly treated and instructed in English, as far as practicable. Measures were taken to bring Indian murderers to justice, especially the hostile Doeggs. The chief of Potomac was inhibited from holding any matchacomico, or council, with any strange tribe, before the delivery of host

ages.

John Bland, a London merchant, and brother of Theodoric Bland, a leading man in Virginia, received the thanks of the assembly for goods advanced for the use of the colony. In this year, 1663, a conference was held, by royal command, at Mr. Aleston's, at Wicocomico, in Virginia, in May, by commissioners appointed by Governor Berkley, and Charles Calvert, Governor of Maryland, for the purpose of devising means of improving the staple of tobacco. The Virginia commissioners were Thomas Ludwell, secretary, Richard Lee, John Carter, Robert Smith, and Henry Corbin. The Maryland commissioners were Philip Calvert, Henry Sewall, secretary, Edward Koydes, and Henry Coursey. They recommended that in the year 1664 no tobacco should be planted after the twentieth day of June.

In 1665 further acts were passed to prevent the depredations of Indians. If a white should be murdered, the nearest Indian town was held responsible; the Indian werowances to be in future appointed by the governor; colonists to go armed to church, court, and other public meetings; Indians south of the James River, not to cross a line extending from the head of Blackwater River to the Appomattox Indian town, (probably where Petersburg now stands,) and thence across to the Mannakin town.

In the year 1665 Charles the Second, instigated by France, engaged in an unprovoked war with Holland, the object being mainly to strike a blow at the Protestant interest.* During the same year the plague raged in London, the victims for some time

* Evelyn's Diary, i. 391.

perishing at the rate of ten thousand weekly. In this fatal year Secretary Bennet, a plausible man, of good address, but mediocre capacity, was made Lord Arlington. The English monopolizing laws now reduced the condition of the planters of Virginia so low, that they proposed to discontinue the planting of tobacco for one year, so as to enhance the price of it; and an act was passed preparatory to a "stint or cessation." To render this remedy effectual, it appeared necessary to obtain the co-operation of the colonies of Maryland and North Carolina. For some years it was found impracticable to effect this object, and in the mean time, in order to prevent Virginia from receiving any supplies, save those sent from England, and also for defence against the Dutch, the king sent directions that forts should be built on the rivers, and that ships should lie under them, and that those places alone should be ports of trade. These instructions were obeyed for a year; breast-works were erected at places appointed by the assembly, and the shipping lay at them for a time; but the great fire and plague occurring in London at this juncture, rendered their supplies very uncertain, and the fear of the plague being brought over with the goods imported, prevented the people from living at those ports, and thus all were again at liberty.*

The Virginia planters supposed that by lessening the quantity of tobacco, called a "stint," they would improve the quality and enhance the price of it. The merchants, to whom the planters were indebted, were favorable to a stint; but although they would certainly be benefited by its operation, yet they were apparently not willing to abate any part of their claims against their debtors. The nett proceeds derived from the sale of the staple were barely enough to furnish the planters with clothing. As some remedy for this state of things, the legislature ordered looms and workhouses to be set in operation at the charge of each county. Bounties were again offered for encouragement of the raising of silk, and measures were adopted to foster the culture of flax and hemp.

In the year 1666, while London was desolated by fire and depopulated by the plague, war added her horrors. A government

* Beverley, B. i. 63.

imbecile and corrupt, a court frivolous and debauched, darkened the shadows of the gloomy picture. The English colonies shared in the miseries of the mother country. It is remarkable that a book published in England many years before contained a prediction that the year 1666 would be the very climax of public disaster. It was not unreasonable to conclude, that the wickedness of men had been directly avenged by a visitation of Heaven. Evelynt says: "These judgments we highly deserved for our prodigious ingratitude, burning lusts, dissolute court, profane and abominable lives."

The assembly met in September, 1664, by prorogation from the preceding September-a compendious mode of dispensing with the popular election. However, in act vi., the assembly, declaring that the principal end of their coming together was to provide for the people's safety, and to redress their grievances, ordered that in future due notice of the convening of the burgesses should be given to the people by publication in the parish churches, so that they may then make known their grievances. The act for a "cessation" passed in June, 1666, commanded that no tobacco should be planted between the 1st of February, 1667, and the 1st of February, 1668. The governor of Carolina at this time, and the first governor of that province, was William Drummond, a native of Scotland.

Similar acts were passed by Maryland and Carolina, but the latter province, owing to trouble with the Indians, not having given formal notice by the day agreed upon, Maryland availed herself of the informality to decline enforcing the cessation. Thus, as has been before mentioned, action was long delayed. Virginia, nevertheless, adhering to the scheme, again, at the session of October of the same year, confirmed her former act, and by dint of negotiation it was finally consummated.

*Pepy's Diary, ii.

† Diary, ii. 17. The commissioners appointed to treat with Maryland and Carolina on this subject were, of the council, Thomas Ludwell, Esq., secretary of Virginia, Major-General Robert Smith, and Major-General Richard Bennet; and of the burgesses, Robert Wynne, speaker, Colonel Nich. Spencer, Captain Daniel Parke, Captain Joseph Bridger, Captain Peter Jennings, and Mr. Thomas Ballard.