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spare time and money for that. Accordingly in March 1589 he sold all his rights in the Virginia plantation to a company. At the same time he showed his interest in the colony by a gift of 100l. to be spent in the conversion of the natives. The new company was slow in sending out relief, and nothing was done till late in that year. White then sailed with three ships. This fleet repeated the same folly which had undone the last expedition, and went plundering among the Spanish islands. At last, after much delay, White reached Virginia. The settlers had left the spot where White had placed them, and as had been agreed, they had cut upon a tree the name of the place, Croatan, whither they had gone. There some traces of their goods were seen, but they themselves could not be found anywhere. Though Raleigh had no longer any share in the settlement, he did not cease to take an interest in it, and sent out at least two more expeditions, one as late as 1602, in the bare hope of recovering the colonists, or at least of getting some tidings of them. A vague rumour was afterwards heard that some of them had been taken prisoners by the Indians and kept as slaves, but nothing certain was ever known of them from the day that White left America in 1588.

14. Prospects of English Colonization. Thus, by the end of the sixteenth century, Spain had on each coast of America a territory more than six thousand miles long, with large and beautiful cities, and yielding in gold and silver alone more than 60,000/ a year, while England had not so much as a single fishing-village. Yet the last fifty years had done much towards training Englishmen for the task of colonization. They had learnt familiarity with the sea and with distant lands, and they had discovered that the Spaniards were not, as they had once seemed, invincible. The men who had conquered the Armada, and had even plundered Spanish ships and towns on the American coast, felt that they could sur

mount difficulties which had not baffled Cortez and Pizarro. Englishmen in the sixteenth century did not establish a single lasting settlement in America, but they did much toward showing how America might be explored and colonized by the next generation.

CHAPTER III.

VIRGINIA.

Need for colonization in England (1)—the Virginia company (2) -the first colony (3)-change in the company (4)-Dale as governor (5)-state of the colony (6)-Yeardley and Argalı governors (7)-the massacre (8) — dissolution of the company (9)-the colony under Charles I. (10)-the Commonwealth (11) the Restoration (12) scattered mode of life (13) Bacon's rebcion (14)—the Revolution (15).

I. Need for Colonization in England.-After the failure of White's expedition, no further attempt at settlement was made for eighteen years. Gradually however new causes arose to make colonization important. Hitherto distant settlements had been planned chiefly to enrich the mother country by mines and trade, or to molest the Spanish colonies. But now men began to see that the newly discovered lands might be valuable as a home for those who could find neither work nor means of livelihood in England. The beginning of the seventeenth century was a time when this need was specially felt. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries there had been great pestilences and famines, which had kept down the numbers of the people, and, except during special times of scarcity, there had been no lack of food. But during the sixteenth century

IIL] NEED FOR COLONIZATION IN ENGLAND. 4I

the population had increased greatly, and there was neither work nor wages enough for all. Two things especially had helped to cause this. Wool trade and sheep farming had greatly increased, and much land which was formerly tilled had been turned into pasture, and thus many labourers had been thrown out of work. Besides, the breaking up of religious houses by Henry VIII. had cut off another means whereby many were maintained. Thus the land was full of needy and idle men ready for any ill deed. In this strait men began to think of the rich and uninhabited lands beyond the sea as offering a home for those who could find none here. In one way, the prospects of colonization might seem changed for the worse. Elizabeth, who was now dead, had always looked on all distant adventures with favour, and honoured and encouraged those who undertook them. But her successor, James, was of a timid temper, and had no pleasure in such things, but rather distrusted them as likely to strengthen the free spirit of his subjects. Moreover, he was specially attached to Spain, and valued its friendship beyond that of any other country. And as the Spaniards always did their utmost to keep any other nation from settling in America, they would not fail to prejudice James against such attempts. One thing, however, helped to reconcile him to schemes for colonization. It was understood from the first that the colonies were entirely under the control of the King and Privy Council, and that Parliament had no power of interfering in their concerns. As might be expected with this difference in the temper of the sovereign, the spirit of the nation, or at least of the leading men in the nation, was somewhat changed too. There were no longer men like Frobisher, and Gilbert, and Grenville, who loved adventure for its own sake, and readily undertook long and costly voyages and risked great dangers, for distant and uncertain hopes of gain. In reality however this change

was favourable to colonization. For it was the love of adventure and the desire to achieve some brilliant success by discovering mines or unknown seas, or by piracy against the Spaniards, which caused the failure of all the early attempts. So that settlements made with soberer views, though they might not be undertaken so eagerly or promise such brilliant results, were more likely to enjoy lasting

success.

2. The Virginia Company.-In 1602 and the three following years voyages of discovery were sent out. The coast of America to the north of Chesapeake Bay was explored, and a favourable report brought back. The failures of Gilbert and Raleigh showed that a colony was too great an undertaking for a single man to carry out successfully. The northern expeditions in the previous century sent out by the Russian Company had been more prosperous Accordingly in 1606 a company was formed for the establishment of two settlements in America. The Northern colony was to be managed by gentlemen and merchants from the west of England; the Southern by Londoners. A charter was obtained from the King granting to each a tract on the coast at whatever spot it chose to settle, the Northern colony between 34 and 41 degrees of latitude, the Southern between 38 and 45. At the same time it was provided that the colonies were to be 100 miles apart. Each was to have a tract of 50 miles along the coast on each side of the settlement, and all islands within 100 miles of the coast; and no other English colony was to be founded on the mainland behind them without express permission. Each was to be governed by a President and Council of thirteen in America, while these were to be under the control of a Council in England. The members of these Councils and the two Presidents were to be appointed by the King. At the same time James drew up certain articles for the government of the colonies. All

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THE FIRST COLONY.

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criminal cases involving life and death were to be tried by a jury; smaller offences by the President. The President and Council of each colony had power to make ordinances; but these must agree with the laws of England, and were not to become law till approved of by the Sovereign or the Council at home. The Sovereign was also to issue such orders as from time to time should seem desirable. There was to be no private industry in the colony for the first five years, but the settlers were to bring all the fruit of their labour into a common store, whence food and other necessaries would be provided in return.

3. The first Colony.-On New Year's Day, 1607, the Southern colony set out. Three ships sailed with one hundred and forty-three emigrants. By an ill-judged arrangement, the list of the Council was not to be opened till they landed. The Council was then to elect a Governor. Thus during the voyage there was no one with regular and settled authority. Among the colonists was one John Smith, an English yeoman by birth, who had spent his life as a soldier of fortune. Europe in that age swarmed with adventurers, but few of them had gone through so many strange chances as this man. He had served in the Low Countries; he had been captured by Barbary pirates; he had fought against the Turks in Hungary; he was left for dead on the battle-field ; he then escaped from a Turkish prison into Russia, and at length returned to England. Such a man was likely enough to be of an unquiet temper, and before the fleet had been out six weeks he was confined on suspicion of mutiny. On the 26th of April the colonists landed in Chesapeake Bay and founded a settlement, which they called Jamestown. The Council then elected Wingfield to be President. He was a man of good birth and some military experience, but proud and self-willed, and indifferent to the friendship and esteem of those under him. Everything now went wrong. The