their counsel and assent, be it by way of gift for reward, or service, or otherwise whatsoever.

That no man to whom there hath been any grant passed of any freehold, shall alienate the same without the assent and license of the said Council, first had and obtained.

That in case any law be to be enacted, or repealed, money to be levied, or forces raised for public defence, the summons thereof to the several bailiwicks, or counties, is to be issued out in my name, but with the consent of the said Council; by virtue whereof, power is to be given to the freeholders of the said counties respectively, to elect and choose two of the most worthy within the said county as deputies for the whole, to join with the Council for performance of the service for which they were called to that assembly, all appeals made for any wrong or injustice committed by any the several officers of any the standing courts. of justice, or authority of any other person or persons.

For the better ease of the inhabitants of the several bailiwicks or counties, there is assigned one lieutenant, and eight justices, to administer justice for maintenance of the public peace, according to the laws provided; these officers and justices to be chosen and allowed of by myself, or any lieutenant in my absence, with the assent of the said Council, belonging unto me.

As for the constables of the hundreds, constables of the parishes, with the several tithing-men of every parish, to be chosen by the lieutenant and justices of the several counties, to whom such oaths are to be administered, as by the Council, and myself or Lieutenant, shall be thought fit.

That every hundred shall have two head constables assigned them, and every parish one constable and four tithingmen, who shall give account to the constable of the parish of the demeanor of the householders within his tithing, and of their several families. The constable of the parish shall render the same account, fairly written, to the constables of the hundred, or some of them, who shall present the same to the lieutenant and justices at their next sitting, or before if cause require, and if it be matter within the power of the lieutenant and justices to determine of, then to proceed therein according to their said authority; otherwise to commend it to myself or my Lieutenant and Council.

These few particulars I have thought fit to commend (as

briefly as I can) unto all whom it may please to take notice thereof, heartily desiring they will not be sparing modestly to censure what they conceive proper to be amended, in that I chose rather to serve such whose 'wisdom, moderation and judgments exceed my own, than passionately or willingly to persist in my private fancy, or to be aggrieved at or envy their better judgments.

CHAPTER V.

My Answer to some Objections.

BUT hearing that it is objected by many, if there be such hopes of honor, profit and content in those parts, how comes it to pass that yourself have not tasted thereof in all this time, having employed so many of your own servants, as by this discourse it seems you have done, and yet nothing returned. As this objection is just, so I hope a reasonable answer will satisfy any reasonable man; whom I desire in the first place to consider, that I began when there was no hopes for the present but of loss, in that I was yet to find a place, and being found, itself was in a manner dreadful to the beholders, for it seemed but as a desert wilderness, replete only with a kind of savage people and overgrown trees. So as I found it no mean matter to procure any to go thither, much less to reside there; and those I sent knew not how to subsist, but on the provisions I furnished them withal.

Secondly, I dealt not as merchants or tradesmen are wont, seeking only to make mine own profit, my ends being to make perfect the thorough discovery of the country, (wherein I waded so far with the help of those that joined with me) as I opened the way for others to make their gain, which hath been the means to encourage their followers to prosecute it to their advantage. Lastly, I desire all that have estates here in England to remember, if they never come near their people to take accounts of their endeavors, what they gain by those courses.

Besides, when there is no settled government or ordinary course of justice, which way is left to punish offenders or misspenders of their masters' goods? Do not servants, nay

sons, the like in these parts; and are there not many that misspend the estates their fathers left them? Yet I have not sped so ill (I thank my God for it), but I have a house and home there, and some necessary means of profit by my saw-mills and corn-mills, 'besides some annual receipts sufficient to lay a foundation for greater matters, now the government is established.

Let not therefore my evil fortunes or hindrances be a discouragement to any, seeing there are so many precedents of the happy success of those that are their own stewards, and disposers of their own affairs in those parts; nay, such as I have sent over at my own charge at first, are now able to live and maintain themselves with plenty and reputation. So, as to doubt of well doing for that another hath not prospered, or to be abused by those he trusted, is to despair without a cause, and to lose himself without trial. Thus much I presume will clear the objection made by my example, and give comfort and courage to the industrious to follow the precedents of those more able to act their own parts. than I have been, for causes spoken of.

CHAPTER VI.

The Benefits that Foreign Nations have made by Plantation.

Now I will only remember some of the benefits that may arise by Plantations; and will begin with those princes, our neighbors, who have laid the way before us. But to speak of all the goods that may ensue, Plantations is a subject too large for my intention at this time, who do strive for brevity. By some of those plantations made by our neighbors, we see what greatness it hath brought them to, that have undertaken the same, as namely, the King of Spain and Portugal, the one settling himself in the parts of America called the West Indies; the other situate in Brazil, the southern part of the same continent, and that part peopled in the infancy of that plantation, as well with base and banished persons, as other noble and generous spirits; yet the success thereof hath answered their expectation. Besides, we have seen what great riches were drawn by the Portugals, by means of their several plantations in the East Indies, out of those

vast and mighty princes' territories, that filled the whole world with spices and other aromatic drugs, and excellent rare curiosities, not vulgarly known to foreign and former ages in these northerly parts of the world.

Those rarities and rich commodities invited some of our nation to dive into farther search how we might partake thereof, without the favor of foreign princes; and having, after the way was once opened by private adventurers, and some relish had of the profits that might arise by those employments, the adventurers, merchants, and others, noble spirits, combined together to make it a more public business, worthy the honor of this nation and reputation of the undertakers, who having amassed a stock of many hundred thousand, entered so far into it, that the trade so began and continues to this present day, though not agreeable to the common hopes conceived thereof. But had the ground been laid as was advised, it had grown to a far greater certainty than now it is like to have.

But the Hollanders, better experienced in martial affairs, were taught to know there is a difference between having gotten a trade and keeping it; that there is no safety in depending upon the will of another, when it is possible to secure themselves of what they had in possession. This made them fortify where they found it convenient, and so to settle the form of their government and course of trade upon such a foundation as should promise continual growth without diminution upon change of humor of those they traded with, if left to their merciless discretion.

That by the same course they are like in short time to oust our nation of that little trade left us, who I could wish would yet in season seek how to settle a better foundation in such other places as (if I be not deceived) it is possible they may, thereby not only make good their present profits, but advance it to a far greater, and make their attempts more honorable and more safe than now they are.

But seeing I am not able to persuade men of better judgment how to manage their practical affairs, it shall content me to set out my opinion of the excellent use that may be made of those Plantations we have now on foot, especially that of New-England.

CHAPTER VII.

As for those in the islands of the Virginians, it is apparent they may be made of excellent use, if handled as they ought to be, both for the present and future, whereof I will speak no more, because so well known already. That of Virginia might very well brag of itself, if the planters did but endeavor to settle some plantations further up into the main, and to travail in raising such commodities as that clime will afford for trade and commerce with their neighbors and such of our own nation as want what they have. For if I be not deceived, that clime will afford both wines of several natures, flax, hemp, pitch and tar, if not sugars and cottons; for it cannot but be as proper for any of those commodities as any other country lying in the same clime. But these particulars depend upon the wisdom of the governors and industry of the inhabitants, to whom I commend the farther consideration and execution thereof as time and opportunity will give leave, not doubting but if they follow the sun's setting, they will meet with better things than are yet spoken of, if they be sought for.

As for that of New-England, where I am chiefly interested, by reason of the time and means I have spent in the prosecution of that business, it is easy to be observed (partly by what I have said) what commodities may be raised out of those climes, and how miraculously it hath succeeded; and we may justly conclude it hath been brought to what it is by the special grace of God alone, the more to make illustration by the manifestation of his powerful operation in effecting for us what we could not expect from his divine goodness.

At our first discovery of those coasts, we found it very populous, the inhabitants stout and warlike, the country plentiful in grain and other fruits and roots, besides deer of all sorts and other animals for food, with plenty of fish and fowl for their sustentation; so that they could not say (according to the manner of their living) they wanted any thing nature did require.

As for their civil government, that part of the country we first seated in seemed to be monarchical, by the name and title of a Bashaba. His extent was large, and had under him