pences; also privileges for Cities, Charters, for Corporations, Universities, Free-schooles, and Glebe-land, putting all those in practice before there were either people, students, or schollers to build or use them, or provision and victuall to feed them were then there and to amend this, most of the Tradesmen in London that would adventure but twelue pounds ten shillings, had the furnishing the Company of all such things as belonged to his trade, such jugling there was betwixt them, and such intruding Committies their associats, that all the trash they could get in London was sent us to Virginia, they being well payed for that was good. Much they blamed us for not converting the Salvages, when those they sent us were little better, if not worse, nor did they all convert any of those we sent them to England for that purpose. So doating of Mines of gold, and the South Sea, that all the world could not have devised better courses to bring us to ruine than they did themselves, with many more such like strange conceits; by this you may avoid the like inconveniences, and take heed by those examples, you have not too many irons in the fire at once, neither such change of Governours, nor such a multitude of Officers, neither more Masters, Gentlemen, Gentlewomen, and children, than you have men to worke, which idle charge you will find very troublesome, and the effects dangerous, and one hundred good labourers better than a thousand such Gallants as were sent me, that could doe nothing but complaine, curse, and despaire, when they saw our miseries, and all things so cleane contrary to the report in England, yet must I provide as well for them as for my selfe.

This the Mariners and Saylers did ever all they could to conceale, who had alwayes both good fare, and good pay for the most part, and part out of our owne purses, never caring how long they stayed upon their voyage, daily feasting before our faces, when wee lived upon a little corne and water, and not halfe enough of that, the most of which we had from amongst the Salvages. Now although there be Deere in the woods, Fish in the rivers, and Fowles in abundance in their seasons; yet the

woods are so wide, the rivers so broad, and the beasts so wild, and wee so unskilfull to catch them, wee little troubled them nor they us for all this our letters that still signified unto them the plaine truth, would not be beleeved, because they required such things as was most necessary: but their opinion was otherwayes, for they desired but to packe over so many as they could, saying necessity would make them get victuals for themselves, as for good labourers they were more usefull here in England: but they found it otherwayes; the charge was all one to send a workman as a roarer, whose clamors to appease, we had much adoe to get fish and corne to maintaine them from one supply till another came with more loyterers without victuals still to make us worse and worse, for the most of them would rather starve than worke; yet had it not beene for some few that were Gentlemen, both by birth, industry, and discretion, we could not possibly have subsisted.

Many did urge I might have forced them to it, having authority that extended so farre as death: but I say, having neither meat, drinke, lodging, pay, nor hope of any thing, or preferment; and seeing the Merchants onely did what they listed with all they wrought for, I know not what punishment could be greater than that they indured; which miseries caused us alwaies to be in factions, the most part striving by any meanes to abandon the Country, and I with my party to prevent them and cause them stay. But indeed the cause of our factions was bred here in England, and grew to that maturity among themselves that spoyled all, as all the Kingdome and other nations can too well testifie: Yet in the yeare 1622. there were about seven or eight thousand English, as hath beene said, so well trained, secure, and well furnished, as they reported and conceited. These simple Salvages their bosome friends, I so much oppressed, had laid their plot how to cut all their throats in a morning, and upon the 22d. of March, so innocently attempted it, they slew three hundred forty seven, set their houses on fire, slew their cattell, and brought them to that distraction and confusion within lesse than a yeare,

there were not many more than two thousand remaining: the which losse to repaire the company did what they could, till they had consumed all their stocke as is said; then they broke, not making any account, nor giving satisfaction to the Lords, Planters, Adventurers, nor any, whose noble intents had referred the managing of this intricate business to a few that lost not by it; so that his Majesty recalled their Commission, and by more just cause then they perswaded King Iames to call in ours, which were the first beginners without our knowledge or consent, disposing of us and all our indevours at their pleasures.

Notwithstanding since they have beene left in a manner, as it were, to themselves, they have increased their numbers to foure or five thousand, and neere as many cattell, with plenty of Goats, abundance of Swine, Poultry and Corne, that as they report, they have sufficient and to spare, to entertaine three or foure hundred people, which is much better than to have many people more than provision. Now having glutted the world with their too much over-abounding Tabacco: Reason, or necessity, or both, will cause them, I hope, learne in time better to fortifie themselves, and make better use of the trials of their grosse commodities that I have propounded, and at the first sent over: and were it not a lamentable dishonour so goodly a Countrey after so much cost, losse, and trouble, should now in this estate not bee regarded and supplied.

GREEN SPRING.

The country above Jamestown bordering on the James and Chickahomony rivers, was originally called Paspahe; and was inhabited by a small tribe of Indians called Paspahes. The indignity offered to their Chief by Captain Smith was but a prelude to the writ of ejectment which soon followed. Five miles from

Jamestown, and two miles north of James river, a location was made in the territory of the degraded king, and near to a spring noted for its uncommonly cold water, and for the freshness of the verdure about it, (whence the name,) a site was selected, and a mansion erected for the accommodation of the representative of the British King. This was built of bricks made near the spot, and contained, (as we learn from an old inventory,) six rooms, as many closets, a spacious hall, and two passages, with garret rooms; and here Sir William Berkeley, the royal Governor, who came over in 1641, was to reside.

A mansion, however, in those days, as in these, was held good for nothing without a mistress to preside in it; and Sir William who had brought no lady over with him, on looking about for one, was captivated by a young widow of the neighboring county of Warwick, a certain "dame Frances Stevens," who at his earnest suit consented to exchange her mourning weeds for a "wedding garment," and the agreeable title of "Lady Berkeley;" and so the establishment was completed.

Here, then, we may presume, the gentle knight, with his lady fair, would show his courtesy and hospitality, and entertain the gentlemen Burgesses, and others, in the fashionable style of the day. And here too, of course, they would both naturally welcome the ladies from Jamestown and the neighborhood; and if we had been living at the time we might, no doubt, have seen a little party of them, now and then, sitting in the hall, or rambling about under the trees, and gathering flowers along the walks.

But Sir William, after a residence of thirty-two years in the colony, returned home to England, and died there, leaving all his estate in Virginia to his widow, who continued to reside in the mansion at Green Spring. And Green Spring was still a pleasant place; but the lords of the forest yet hovered about the premises, and looked occasionally as if they would like to have their old land back again. Lady Berkeley had no children to protect her, and keep her company; her situation was both peri

lous and uncomfortable; and her late husband's secretary, Philip Ludwell, a widower, with two daughters, and a son, was a near neighbor; there was soon found to be a mutual attraction between them; and Mr. Ludwell very gladly exchanged his solitary residence at Rich-Neck for a more agreeable one at Green Spring, where he now appeared as the husband of "Frances Lady Berkeley," who though she gave him her hand and heart and her whole estate, on the marriage, still retained her old name of Lady Frances Berkeley," only adding an alias of " Ludwell" to it; and so kept her title all her days.

R. R.

CAPT. BYRD'S LETTERS.*

Capt. William Byrd, the writer of these Letters, so.ne of which we are about to lay before our readers, and the father of the more celebrated Col. William Byrd, of Westover, was born in London in the year 1653, or thereabouts, and came over to our colony, as we suppose, some time about the year 1674, where he seems to have commenced doing business as a merchant, and perhaps planter also, at or near the Falls of James River, somewhere about the ruins of an old fort, called Fort Charles, and on the very ground which is now the site of our city of Richmond. Thus, we read in Hening, that the Grand Assembly having declared war against the Indians, in 1675-6, enacted that "fifty-five men out of James City County" should "be garrisoned neare the ffalls of James River, at Capt. Byrd's, or at one ffort or place of defence over against him at Newlett's, (or Howlett's,) " of which ffort Lieut. Coll. Edward Ramsay be Captaine or chiefe commander." (Hen. Stat. at Large: vol. 2nd, p. 328.) And subsequently we read in the same work, in another Act of Assembly, passed in April 1679, in the 31st year of Charles II: that, "forasmuch as Capt. William Bird, of Henrico county, hath made offer

* The Private Letter Book of Capt. Wm. Byrd, containing a series of Letters from January 7th, 1683, to August 3rd, 1691, in his own hand writing in the Library of the Virginia Historical Society.