adjoining to, and upon the coast of Virginia, as alfo for some other matters and articles, concerning the better government of the said company and colony, in which point our faid former letters patents do not extend so far, as time and experience hath found to be needful and convenient.

IV. We therefore, tendering the good and happy success of the said plantarion, both in regard of the general weal of human society, as in respect of the good of our own estate and kingdoms, and being willing to give furtherance to all good means, that may advance the benefit of the said company, and which may secure the safety of our loving subjects, planted in our faid colony under the favour and protection of God Almighty, and of our royal power and authority, have therefore, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, given, granted, and confirmed, and for us, our heirs and succeffors, We do, by these presents, Grant of a

further tract give, grant, and confirm, to the said treasurer and company of adventạrers and planters of the city of London for the to the said first colony in Virginia, and to their heirs and successors, for London ever, all and fingular those islands whatsoever, situate and be company. ing in any part of the ocean seas bordering upon the coast of our faid first colony in Virginia, and being within three hundred leagues of any the parts heretofore granted to the faid treasurer and company, in our faid former letters patents, as aforesaid, and being within or between the one-andfortieth and thirtieth degrees of northerly latitude, together with all and fingular foils, lands, grounds, havens, ports, rivers, waters, filhings, mines, and minerals, as well royal mines of gold and silver, aş other mines and minerals, pearls, precious stones, quarries, and all and singular other commodities, jurisdictions, royalties, privileges, franchises, and preheminences, both within the said tract of land upon the main, and also within the said island and feas adjoining, whatsoever, and thereunto or thereabouts, both by sea and land, being and fituate : and which, by our letters patents, we may, or can, grant, and in as ample manner and fort, as we, or any our noble progenitors, have heretofore granted to any person or persons, or to any company, body politic or corporate, or to any adventurer or adventurers, undertaker or undertakers, of any discoveries, plantations or traffic, of op into any foreign parts, whatsoever, and in as large and ample manner as if the same were herein particularly named, mentioned, and expressed : provided always, that the faid islands, or any, the premises herein mentioned, or by these presents intended or meant to be granted, be not actually

possessed

1

1

possessed or inhabited by any other christian prince or estate,
nor be within the bounds, limits or territories of the northern

colony, heretofore by us granted to be planted by divers of Habendum. our loving subjects, in the north parts of Virginia.' To have

and to hold, possess and enjoy, all and fingular the said islands,
in the said ocean seas so lying, and bordering upon the coast
and coasts of the territories of the said first colony in Virgi-
nia, as aforesaid ; with all and fingular the said soils, lands,
and grounds, and all and fingular other the premises, hereto-
fore by these presents granted, or mentioned to be granted, to
them, the said treasurer and company of adventurers and
planters of the city of London for the first colony in Vir-
ginia, and to their heirs, successors, and affigns,' for ever,
to the sole and proper use and behoof of them, the said trea-

furer and company, and their heirs, and successors, and af. Tenendum. signs, for ever. To be holden of us, our heirs, and succes

fors, as of our manor of East-Greenwich, in free and comReddendo. mon foccage, and not in capite. Yielding and paying there

fore to us, our heirs, and fucceffors, the fifth part of the ore
of all gold and silver, which thall be there gotten, bad, or

obtained, for all manner of services whatsoever.
Associati. V. And further, our will and pleasure is, and we do, by
ons of di- these presents, grant and confirm, for the good and welfare of
vers emi.

the said plantation, and that posterity may hereafter know, fons to the who have adventured, and not been sparing of their purses in said Lon- such a noble and generous action for the general good of don compa: their country, and at the request, and with the consent, of

the company aforesaid, that our trusty and well-beloved fub-
jects, George, Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, Henry, Ear!
of Huntingdon, Edward, Earl of Bedford, Richard, Earl
of Clanrickard, &c. who fince our said Jaft letters patents,
are become adventurers, and have joined themselves with the
former adventurers and planters of the said company and fo-
ciety, shall, from henceforth, be reputed, deemed, and ta-
ken to be, and shall be, brethren and free members of the com-
pany, and sball and may, respectively, and according to the
proportion and value of their several adventures, have, hold,
and enjoy all such interest, right, title, privileges, prehemi-
nencies, liberties, franchises, immunities, profits, and com-
modities, whatsoever, in as large, and ample, and beneficial
manner, to all intents, constructions, and purposes, as any
other adventurers, nominated and expressed in any our for-
mer letters patents, or any of them, have or may have, by
force and virtue of these presents, or any our former letters
patents whatsoever,

VI, And

nent per

ny.

of the com

VI. And we are further pleased, and we do, by these pre- Addition of sents, grant and confirm, that Philip, Earl of Montgomery, hent per William Lord Paget, Sir John Starrington, Knt. &c. fons, to the whom the said treasurer and company have, since the said last council of letters patents, nominated and set down, as worthy and dif- the faid

company. creet persons, fit to serve as counsellors, to be of our council for the faid plantation, shall be reputed, deemed, and taken, as persons of our faid council for the said first colony, in such manner and fort, to all intents and purposes, as those, who have been formerly elected and nominated, as our counsellors for that colony, and whose names have been or are inserted and expressed, in our faid former letters patents.

VII. And we do hereby ordain and grant, by these presents, Courts or that the said treasurer and company of adventurers and plan- affemblies ters aforesaid, shall and may, once every week, or oftener, at

shall their pleasure, hold and keep a court and affembly, for the be held better order and government of the said plantation, and such once every things as shall concern the same; and that any five persons of oftner

, for our council for the said first colony in Virginia, for the time transaction being, of which company the treasurer, or his deputy, to be of ordinary"

business. always one, and the number of fifteen others, at the least, of the generality of the said company, assembled together in such manner, as is and hath been heretofore used and accufa tomed, shall be said, taken, held, and reputed to be, and shall be a sufficient court of the said company, for the handling, and ordering, and dispatching of all such casual and particular occurrences, and accidental matters, of less consequence and weight, as shall, from time to time, happen, touching and concerning the said plantation.

VIII. And that nevertheless, for the handling, ordering, And for the and dispofing of matters and affairs of great weight and im- manage

ment of the portance, and such, as fhall or may, in any fort, concern the weal public and general good of the said company and planta- portant bution, as namely, the manner of government from time to time finess of the to be used, the ordering and disposing of the lands and pof- four great sessions, and the settling and establishing of a trade there, or and general such like, there shall be held and kept, every year, upon the affemblies laft Wednefday, fave one, of Hillary term, Easter, Trinity, bers of it and Michaelmas terms, for ever, one great, general, and fo- shall be lemn assembly, which four assemblies shall be stiled and called, The four great and general courts of the council and company of adventurers for Virginia; in all and every of which said great and general courts, so assembled, our will and pleasure is, and we do, for us, our heirs, and fucceffors, for ever, give and grant to the said treasurer and company, and their

N

fucceffors,

more im.

held in eve ry year.

ial

215

laws.

cribed.

fuccessors, for ever, by these presents, that they, the said tred surer and company, or the greater number of them, so aslem

bled, fhall and may have full power and authority, from time Election of to time, and at all times hereafter, to elect and chuse discreet and other persons, to be of our said council for the said first colony in officers of Virginia, and to nominate and appoint such officers, as they government shall think fit and requifite, for the government, managing,

ordering, and dispatching of the affairs of the said company :

and shall likewise have full power and authority, to ordain and Making make such laws and ordinances, for the good and welfare of

the said plantation, as to them, from time to time, shall be thought requifite and meet : so always, as the same be not contrary to the laws and statutes of this our realm of England:

and shall, in like manner, have power and authority, to exDisfranchi- pulse, disfranchise, and put out of and from their faid commembers" pany and society, for ever, all and every such person and perthat neglect fons, as having either promised, or subscribed their names, to to pay the become adventurers to the said plantation of the said first comoney they Jony in Virginia, or having been nominated for adventurers,

in these or any other our letters patents, or having been otherwise admitted and nominated to be of the said company, have nevertheless, either not put in any adventure at all, for and towards the said plantation, or else have refused and neglected, or shall refuse and neglect to bring in his or their adventure, by word or writing promised, within fix months after

the same shall be so payable and due. Directions IX. And whereas the failing and not payment of such tothecourts of justice to

monies, as have been promised in adventure for the advanceenforce the ment of the said plantation, hath been often by experience payment of found, to be dangerous and prejudicial to the same, and much the said mo- to have hindered the progress and proceeding of the faid plan

tation, and for that it seemeth unto us a thing reasonable, that
such persons, as by their hand writing have engaged them-
felves for the payment of their adventures, and afterwards
rieglecting their faith and promise, should be compelled to
make good and keep the same; therefore our will and plea-
fure is, that in any suit or suits commenced, in any
courts at Westminster, or elsewhere, by the said treasurer and
company, or otherwise, against any such persons, that our
judges for the time being, both in our court of Chancery, and
at the Common Pleas, do favour and further the said fuits,
fo far forth as law and equity will, in any wise, further

and permit. Power to

X. And we do, for us, our heirs, and successors, further give admit any and grant to the said treasurer and company, or their successors, persons,

for

nies,

of our

into the
company.

for ever, that they, the said treasurer and company, or the whetherna.
greater part of them, for the time being, so in a full and general subjects of
court assembled, as aforesaid, shall and may, from time to time, the King,
and at all times for ever hereafter, elect, chuse, and admit into or aliens,
their company and society, any person or persons, as well
strangers and aliens, born in any part beyond the seas where-
foever, being in amity with us, as our natural liege-subjects,
born in any our realms and dominions: and that aïl such per-
fons so elected, chosen, and admitted to be of the said com-
pany, as aforesaid, shall thereupon be taken, reputed, and held,
and shall be free members of the said company, and shall
have, hold, and enjoy all and fingular freedoms, liberties, fran-
chises, privileges, immunities, benefits, profits, and commodi-
ties whatsoever, to the said company in any sort belonging
or appertaining, as fully, freely, and amply, as any other adven-
turers, now being, or which hereafter at any time shall be of
the said company, hath, have, shall, may, might, or ought to
have and enjoy the same, to all intents and purposes whatsoever.

XI. And we do further, of our special grace, certain know- Power to ledge, and mere motion, for us, our heirs, and successors, give carry out and grant unto the said treasurer and company, and their subjects, or fucceflors, for ever, by these presents, that it shall be lawful Atrangers

, to and free for them and their afligns, at all and every time fettle the and times hereafter, out of any our realms and dominions tion togewhatsoever, to take, lead, carry, and transport in and into ther with the said voyage, and for and towards the said plantation of all necessary our faid first colony in Virginia, all such and so many of our their deloving subjects, or any other strangers that will become our loving subjects, and live under our allegiance, as shall wil, merchandilingly accompany them in the said voyages and plantation; For trading with shipping, armour, weapons, ordnance, munition, pow- with the der, fhot, victuals, and all manner of merchandises and wares, peoplethere,

without and all manner of cloathing, implements, furniture, beasts,

paying any cattle, horses, mares, and all other things necessary for the custom or faid plantation, and for their use and defence, and for trade duty for with the people there, and in paffing and returning to and

seven years. from, without paying or yielding any subsidy, custom, or imposition, either inward or outward, or any other duty, to us, our heirs, or successors, for the same, for the space of feven years from the date of these presents.

XII. And we do further, for us, our heirs, and succeffors, Power to give and grant to the said treasurer and company, and their fucceffors, for ever, by these presents, that the said treasurer of that company, or bis deputy, for the time being, or any deputy, or two other of the said council, for the said first colony in Vir any two of

the council, N 2

ginia,

them for

thetreasurer
of the com-

pany, or his