The governor gave the command of his troops to Maj. Robert Beverly, who crossed the bay and commenced his operations against Bacon. The civil war thus commenced; severe skirmishing ensued, blood and slaughter marked the violence of the parties, and the ravages of the country, until the death of Bacon checked this mad career of party, and closed this civil war. The rebels soon dispersed; the other leaders surrendered upon condition of pardon, and peace was again restored. No other punishment was inflicted, except that of incapacity for the future to hold any office under the government, which was executed against two of the principals under Bacon. The blood spilt in this war bore no proportion to the other calamities that attended it. Jamestown was laid in ashes, the stocks of cattle were butchered for the use of the parties, or wantonly destroyed; agriculture was neglected, and at the return of peace, the country was threatened with famine. In the midst of this internal distress, the savages laid waste their frontiers, butchered the inhabitants, and gave a general check to the settlements, that continued in their effects for more than thirty years. The governor, alarmed for the safety of the colony, wrote to England for a regiment of soldiers, to be sent out to support the government against Bacon and the savages. After the return of peace, the soldiers arrived, accompanied with commissioners to enquire into the causes and punish the authors of the rebellion. The soldiers remained in the country; but Gov. Berkeley sailed soon after for England, where he soon died, and was succeeded by Gov. Culpepper.

In 1679, the new governor sailed for America, with a code of new laws from the ministry in England, for the government of the colony of Virginia. Thus armed, with the new laws in one hand and the regiment of soldiers in the other, Gov. Culpepper offered pardon to the insurgents, provided the assembly would pass the laws, or threatened

them with the sword of justice, as rebels, in case they refused; and the commissioners were present, ready to do their duty. The assembly complied, passed the laws, and thus riveted upon themselves a system of perpetual duties, at the sole direction of his majesty, for the support of government. The governor next obtained out of these duties, a salary of two thousand pounds, with an addition of sixty pounds for house rent, annually, together with a demand of twenty shillings perquisite upon every vessel of 100 tons burthen, and thirty shillings upon all vessels over 100 tons, as port clearance for every voyage. These were fixed laws; but he oppressed the people by giving currency to a light coin, at the full value, and making it a tender in payment of just debts. This oppression the people turned upon him by offering it in payment of duties, and thus drove it out of circulation, by his repealing the law.

I shall close this chapter with a brief summary of the history of Virginia, from its first discovery down to the peace of 1763, by the way of extract from Mr. Jefferson's Notes on Virginia.

Queen Elizabeth, by her letters patent, bearing date March 25, 1584, licensed Sir Walter Raleigh to search for remote heathen lands, not inhabited by christian people, and granted to him, in fee simple, all the soil within 200 leagues of the places where his people should within six years make their dwellings, or abide; reserving only to herself and her successors, their allegiance, and one fifth . part of the gold and silver ore they should obtain. Sir Walter immediately sent out two ships, which visited: Wococon Island in North-Carolina; and the next year dispatched seven, with 107 men, who settled on Roanoke Island, about 35 deg. 50 min. Here Okisko, king of the Weopomicoes, in a full council of his people, is said to have acknowledged himself the homager of the queen of

England, and after her, of Sir Walter Raleigh. A supply of fifty men was sent in 1586, and 150 in 1587. With these last Sir Walter sent a governor, appointed him twelve assistants, gave them a charter of incorporation, and instructed them to settle on Chesapeake bay. They landed however at Hatorask. In 1588, when a fleet was ready to sail with a new supply of colonists and necessaries, they were detained by the queen, to assist against the Spanish Armada. Sir Walter having now expended 40,000l. in these enterprises, obstructed occasionally by the crown, without one shilling of aid from it, was under the necessity of engaging others to advance their money. He therefore, by deed bearing date the 27th of March, 1589, by the name of Sir Walter Raleigh, chief governor of Assamcomde, (possibly Acomoc,) alias Wingadacoia, alias Virginia, granted to Thomas Smith and others, in consideration of their advancing certain sums of money, liberty of trade to his new country, free of all customs and taxes for seven years, excepting the fifth part of the gold and silver ore to be obtained; and stipulated with them and the other assistants, then in Virginia, that he would confirm the deed of incorporation which he had given in 1587, with all the prerogatives, jurisdictions, royalties and privileges, granted to him by the queen. Sir Walter at different times sent five other adventurers hither, the last of which was in ∙1602; for in 1603, he was attainted and put, into close confinement, which put an end to his cares over his infant colony. What was the fate of the colonists he before sent and seated, has never been known, whether they were murdered, or incorporated with the savages.

Some gentlemen and merchants supposing, that by the - attainder of Sir Walter Raleigh, the grant to him was forfeited, (not enquiring over carefully, whether the sentence of an English court, could effect lands not within the jurisdiction of that court,) petitioned King James I. for a new

grant of Virginia to them. He accordingly executed a grant to Sir Thomas Gates and others, bearing date 9th of March, 1607, under which, in the same year, a settlement was effected at Jamestown, and ever after maintained. Of this grant however no notice need be taken as it was superseded by letters patent of the same king, of May 23d, 1609, to the Earl of Salisbury and others, incorporating them by the name of the "Treasurer and Company of Adventurers and Planters, of the city of London, for the first colony in Virginia," granting to them and their successors, all the lands in Virginia, from Point Comfort along the sea coast to the northward 200 miles, and from the sea coast to the southward 200 miles, and all the space from this precinct on the sea coast, up into the land, west and northwest, from sea to sea, and the islands within 100 miles of it, with all the communities, jurisdictions, royalties, privileges, franchises, and pre-eminences within the same, and thereto and thereabouts, by sea and land, appertaining, in as ample a manner as had been heretofore granted to any adventurer, to be held of the king and his successors, in common soccage, yielding one fifth part of the gold and silver ore to be therein found, for all manner of services; establishing a council in England for the direction of the enterprise; the members of which were to be chosen, and displaced by the voice of the majority of the company, and adventurers; and were to have the nomination, and revocation of governors, officers, and ministers, which by them should be thought needful for the colony; the power of establishing laws, forms of government, and magistracy, obligatory, not only within the colony, but also on the seas, in going and coming to and from it; authorizing them to carry thither any persons who should consent to go, freeing them forever from all taxes, and impositions on all goods, or merchandize, on importation into the colony, or exportation out of it, except the five per cent due for cus

tom on all goods imported into the British dominions, according to the ancient trade of merchants; which five per cent only being paid, they might within thirteen months re-export the same goods into foreign parts, without any custom, tax, or other duty, to the king, or any of his officers, or deputies; with powers of waging war against those who should annoy them; giving to the inhabitants of the colony all the rights of natural subjects, as if born and abiding in England; and declaring that these letters shall be construed, in all doubtful parts, in such manner as should be most for the benefit of the grantees.

Afterwards, in 1612, by other letters patent, the king added to his former grants, all islands in any part of the ocean between the 30th and 41st degrees of N. latitude, and within three hundred leagues of any of the parts before granted to the treasurer and company, not being possessed or inhabited by any other Christian prince, or state, nor within the limits of the northern colony. In pursuance of the authorities given to the company by these charters, and more especially by that part in the charter of 1609, which authorised them to establish a form of government, they on the 24th of July, 1621, by charter under their common seal, declared there should be two supreme councils in Virginia; the one to be called the Council of State, to be placed and displaced by the treasurer, council in England, and company, from time to time, whose office was to be that of assisting and advising the governor; the other was to be called the General Assembly, to be convened by the governor once yearly, or oftener;* which was to consist of the council of state and two burgesses out of every town, hundred, or plantation, to be respectively chosen by the inhabitants. In this, all matters were to be decided by the greater part of the voices pre-1 sent; reserving to the governor a negative voice; and they were to have power to treat or consult on all emer