XI.

CHAP. ties, he said, "My memory, my utterance fails me, but I thank God my charity holds out still." Even up to the day of his death, which took place when he was eightysix years of age, he continued to teach some poor negroes and a little blind boy. To Minister Walton, who came to see him, he said, "Brother, you are welcome, but retire to your study, and pray that I may be gone." Soon after, without a fear or a pang, the spirit of this good "Apostle" passed away; his last words were "Welcome joy!"

Eliot was not alone in his labors. The young, the winning, the pious Mayhew, an accomplished scholar, 1645. thought it a privilege to toil for the souls of the poor Indians who lived upon the islands in and around Massachusetts bay. He took passage for England to excite there an interest in his mission. He was never heard of more; the ship in which he sailed went down in unknown waters. His father, although at this time seventy years of age, was moved to take his place as a teacher of the Indians. There, for twenty-two years, he labored with the happiest results, till death withdrew him from the work.

Within thirty years great changes had taken place in the colony. The people were prosperous: industry and self-denial had wrought wonders.

Says an enthusiastic chronicler of the times: "The Lord hath been pleased to turn all the wigwams, huts, and hovels the English dwelt in at their first coming, into orderly, fair, and well-built houses, well furnished, many of them, with orchards filled with goodly fruit-trees and garden flowers." The people had numerous cattle and herds of sheep and swine, and plenty of poultry; their fields produced an abundance of wheat, rye, oats, barley, and Indian corn; and they could furnish fish, lumber, and

1 Johnson's "Wonder-working Providence of Zion's Saviour in New England,"-as quoted by Hildreth.

THE GROWTH OF BOSTON.

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95

many commodities for export. "This poor wilderness hath CHAP. equalized England in food, and goes beyond it for the plenty of wine, and apples, pears, quince-tarts, instead of their former pumpkin pies." "Good white and wheaten bread is no dainty; the poorest person in the country hath a house and land of his own, and bread of his own growing-if not some cattle."

These good things were not obtained without labor. Of the thirty-two trades carried on, the most successful were those of coopers, tanners, shoemakers, and shipbuilders. "Many fair ships and lesser vessels, barques, and ketches were built." Thus the chronicler anticipates 1655. the growth of Boston, which, “of a poor country village, is become like unto a small city; its buildings beautiful and large—some fairly set out with brick, tile, stone, and slate, orderly placed, with comely streets, whose continual enlargements presageth some sumptuous city." They had their soldiers, too, and a "very gallant horse-troop,' each one of which had by him "powder, bullets, and match." Their enemies were graciously warned that these soldiers "were all experienced in the deliverances of the Lord from the mouth of the lion and the paw of the bear."

CHAP.

XII.

1620.

CHAPTER XII.

VIRGINIA AND MARYLAND.

Slavery.-Massacre by the Indians.-Lord Baltimore.-The Settlement of Maryland.-Clayborne's Rebellion.-The Colony prosperous.-Toleration.-Berkeley governor of Virginia; Trade crippled; Intolerance.-Indian War.-State of Society.-Aristocratic Assembly.-Complaints of Berkeley. War with the Susquehannahs.-Nathaniel Bacon.-Disturbances.-Obnoxious Assembly dissolved.-Evils corrected.--Bacon goes against the Indians.-Insincerity of Berkeley.-Jamestown captured and burned.-Death of Bacon.-Tyranny of Berkeley.-Aristocratic Assembly; its illiberal Acts.-Culpepper governor.-A Series of extortions.-Deplorable state of the Colony.-Difficulties in Maryland.

In August of this year slavery was introduced into the colonies. A Dutch ship entered James river, having on board twenty negroes for sale as slaves. Although the Dutch continued occasionally to bring Africans to the Virginia market, the number of slaves increased but slowly for a third of a century. The trade was discouraged, but not absolutely forbidden.

The Indians were scattered throughout the country, in little villages, along the streams and in the most fertile districts. The planters, who wanted these places for their tobacco, took possession of them. Powhatan, the friend 1618. of the English, was dead; his brother and successor, Opechancanough, though professing friendship, was their enemy his proud spirit burned within him at the wrongs of his people. Not daring to meet the English in open conflict, he planned secretly a terrible revenge; even their entire extermination. At this time the number of colo

THE MASSACRE.

97

XII.

nists was about four thousand; that of the Indians within CHAP. sixty or a hundred miles of Jamestown, about five thousand. At noon on a certain day, the Indians were to fall 1622. upon every settlement, and murder all the whites. Meanwhile, Opechancanough was warmer than ever in his professions; "sooner would the skies fall," said he, "than that my friendship for the English should cease." On the morning of the intended massacre, the Indians were in the houses and at the tables of the planters, and manifested more than their usual good will. On that morning, a converted Indian, named Chauco, brought the news of the plot to Jamestown. He had learned of it only the night before. Messengers were sent in every direction to warn the people, but it was too late to reach the distant settlements. Throughout the extent of one hundred and forty miles, the merciless savages attacked the settlers at the same moment; and on the twenty-second of March, there perished within one hour, three hundred and forty-seven persons, men, Mar. women, and children. Some of the settlements, though taken by surprise, repulsed their assailants, yet the effect was terrible. Of eighty plantations, all but eight were laid waste, and the people hastened for safety to Jamestown. Desolation reigned over the whole colony; death had entered almost every family, and now famine and sickness prevailed. Within three months the four thousand colonists were reduced to twenty-five hundred; the decrease continued, and at the end of two years not more than two thousand remained of the nine thousand who had emigrated to Virginia. Their misfortunes excited much feeling in England. Assistance was sent; the city of London did much to relieve their pressing wants, and private individuals were not backward in sending aid. Even King James's sympathies were enlisted; he had never aided the colonists, but he now gave them some old muskets. that had been thrown aside as useless.

The planters did not fear the Indians in open conflict;

XII.

CHAP. but it was necessary to guard against their secret attacks, In their turn, they formed plans to exterminate the 1622. savages, or drive them far back into the wilderness. Expeditions for this purpose were sent against them from time to time, during the space of ten years. In time industry began to revive, and signs of prosperity once more were

seen.

The London Company was now bankrupt; endless discussions arose among the numerous stockholders. They became divided into two political parties,-one favored the king's prerogative; the other, the liberty of the colonists. These questions were freely discussed at the meetings of the company, greatly to the annoyance of James. When he found it impossible to prevent the stockholders from expressing their opinions, he arbitrarily took away the charter of the company. To console the colonists, he announced that he had taken them under his own special protection. He began to frame laws for their governmentlaws no doubt in accordance with his peculiar notions of 1625. kingcraft; but his labors and life were suddenly ended.

Charles I., his son and successor, appeared to favor the colony: it conformed to the church of England, and he did not suspect its politics. More than this, he wished to ingratiate himself with the colonists, for he desired the monopoly of their tobacco trade. He even went so far as to recognize the House of Burgesses as a legislative body, and requested them to pass a law by which he alone could purchase the tobacco of the colony. The House, in a dignified and respectful manner, refused to comply with the 1629. royal request, as it would be injurious to their trade. After the death of the liberal and high-minded Yeardley, the council elected Francis West governor. Charles, piqued at this independence, as well as the refusal to grant him the monopoly, appointed Sir John Harvey. Harvey had been a member of the colonial council, where he was the willing instrument of a faction that had almost