Pring.

the coast of Maine, sailed southward, rounded Cape Cod, and on one of the Elizabeth islands his men built a house roofed with rushes. But they fell into a dispute among themselves, and abandoned the island-if indeed they had ever proposed to remain there-and went back to England with a freight of sassafras and cedar. This voyage led to other expeditions. In 1603, Martin Pring came over to the coast of New England, entered Massachusetts Bay, and the harbor where Plymouth is situated. His two vessels remained long enough for an acquaintance to be made with the Indians, and also for gathering cargoes of sassafras, which was the object that Pring had in view. In 1605, George Weymouth was the leader in an expedition which was sent out by the Earl of Southampton and Lord Arundel. Weymouth had previously explored the coast of Labrador. He now sailed northward from Cape Cod to the mouth of the Kennebec and up that river. Weymouth's reports directed the attention of Sir Ferdinando Gorges to the advantages of the Maine coast, which so abounds in good harbors. The co-operation of Popham, the Lord Chief-Justice of England, was secured by Gorges. The result was that the harbors and rivers of that coast were more carefully examined by a vessel that Popham sent out.

Weymouth.

When the seventeenth century dawned, England had planted no permanent settlement in the New World. Spain and Portugal, which had been the pioneers in the work of discovery and conquest, had acquired extensive possessions over which they ruled. The Spanish monarchy had begun to decline in vigor, but was still strong and formidable. The time had now come when England was to succeed in laying the foundation of permanent colonies on the American continent. The circumstances were somewhat, if not altogether, propitious.

CHAPTER IV.

VIRGINIA UNTIL 1688

James I. and his Policy-Incentives to Colonization-The Virginia Company-Constitution of its Two Branches-The London Company-The Settlement of Jamestown-John Smith-The New Charter-Delaware-Dale-Argall-The Third CharterThe House of Burgesses-Growth of the Colony-Annulling of the Charter-Spanish Intrigues-Harvey-Berkeley-Under the Commonwealth-Navigation Laws-Arlington and Culpep per-Bacon's Rebellion-A Royal Province-Negro Slavery.

IN 1603, James I. succeeded to the English throne, thus uniting the crowns of England and of Scotland. The James I. and long and splendid reign of the last of the Tuhis policy. dors was followed by the ignoble rule of the Stuarts. The proud spirit of independence and selfreliance which had characterized both Elizabeth and her people gave way to a truckling policy in the dealings of the government with Spain, which was prompted by a desire to avoid war. There was nothing sinful in such a desire. Elizabeth had been driven to contend with a conspiracy against her throne and her life. The son of Mary Stuart was differently situated. He might naturally feel that he was not called upon to take up the contest which had been forced upon his predecessor in consequence of the denial of her title to the crown. James may be pardoned for indulging the hope that peace could be restored with the Catholic powers, and even with the Pope, and that a way might be found for a cessation of the conflict of the European nations, one with another.

On the Incentives to

colonization.

His fault lay in the conceit and presumption which led to his being outwitted by Spain, and still more in his consenting to the humiliation of England for advantages that were trifling in comparison with the price that was paid for them. The result of his policy was that England sunk in the estimation of foreign powers, while the lukewarm Protestantism of the king, and his contempt for popular rights, were building up within the kingdom the great Puritan party, and planting the seeds of civil war, to bear their harvest in the next reign. accession of James there were fresh incentives to colonization. All through the sixteenth century there had been a complaint in England of a redundancy of population. Such were the relations of classes and the state of industry that the peasant class had to endure much poverty and distress, and the conviction spread that some relief must be found. Crimes multiplied to a fearful extent, and were not checked by the cruel character of the penal laws. Under Elizabeth, in the protracted conflict with Spain, and in the wars in the Netherlands, there had been an outlet for surplus energy, employment for the restless and adventurous. Now, with various other sorts of idlers, there were not a few disbanded soldiers from the Low Countries; for James, in his first year, suspended hostilities with Spain, and in the year following signed a peace with that country. The day for the exploits of heroes like Drake and Raleigh was over. After the period of discovery, and of voyages prompted largely by dreams of sudden conquests and dazzling riches, the time had come for more sober and better contrived plans of emigration. Imagination was still alive, for the New World was yet to a great extent a mystery. But plentiful experiences of disaster and failure had not been wholly in vain. The proceedings of Gosnold, of Gorges, and of Popham indicated an