OR, The Lord Baltamore's printed CASE, un cased and answered. Shewing, the illegality of his Patent and usurpation of Royal Jurisdiction and Dominion there. With, The Injustice and Tyranny practised in the Government, against the Laws and Liberties of the English Nation, and the just Right and Interest of the Adventurers and Planters. Also, A short RELATION of the Pa- in their Plantations, were by a far lesser number rest taken Prisoners. To which is added, A brief Account of the Commissioners proceedings in the reducing of Maryland, with the Grounds and Reason thereof; the Commission and Instructions by which they acted; the Report of the Committee of the Navy, concerning that Province; and some other Papers and Passages relating thereunto: together with the Copy of a Writing under the Lord Baltamore's Hand and Seal, 1644. discovering his Practices, with the King at Oxford against the Parliament, concerning the Londoners and others trading in Virginia. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord, I will set him in safety, from him that puffeth at him. Psal. 12. 5. London, printed and are to be sold at the Crown in Popes-head-Ally, and in Westminster Hall. 1655. The Lord Ballamores printed Case, uncased, and answered. I N the yeer 1607. divers preceding discoveries having confirmed an Opinion, That the Country of Virginia was fit for Plantation; It pleased God to affect the mindes of very many worthily disposed Noblemen, Gentlemen, and others to conceive it as a matter of great Religion and Honour, to undertake the work of perfecting a Christian Plantation in those parts. Whereupon King James was pleased to become the first Founder of this noble work, and by his Letters Patents from time to time renewed and enlarged, granted all ample Priviledges and Immunities, both to those that managed in England, and those that went to inhabit there: which gave so great an encouragement, that fifty Earls and Barons, three hundred and fifty Knights, and six hundred Gentlemen, and Merchants of primest rank became incorporated, and were originally named in the Letters Patents by the name of the Company of Virginia, being a greater union of Nobles and Commons, then ever concurred to such an undertaking. But nevertheless, partly by the natural difficulties incident to all new Plantations; but chiefly, through the unnatural and faulty impediments arising by the cross agitations of two powerful factions in the Company, the work went heavily on for the first twelve yeers, appearing desperate in the several ill successes thereof. And though afterward somewhat advanced and prosperous, yet in the yeer 1621. by the fatal blow of a Massacre, it was almost shattered to pieces, and brought to a very low and calamitous condition; which occasion the contrary faction presently took hold of, insomuch that they exceedingly slighted the action, and cared not to cast aspersions |