第 14 节
作者:疯狂热线      更新:2021-12-07 09:33      字数:9322
  small and large。 Words and phrases; comprehensive; sonorous; heavy with the
  future; rose and rolled beneath the roof of their great hall。 There were
  heard amid warm discussion: Kingdom and
  ColonySpainNetherlandsFranceChurch and StatePapists and
  SchismaticsDuties; Tithes; Excise Petitions of
  GrievancesRepresentationRight of Assembly。 Several years earlier the
  King had cried; 〃Choose the Devil; but not Sir Edwyn Sandys!〃 Now he
  declared the Company 〃just a seminary to a seditious parliament!〃 All
  London resounded with the clash of parties and opinions。* 〃Last week the
  Earl of Warwick and the Lord Cavendish fell so foul at a Virginia 。 。 。
  court that the lie passed and repassed 。 。 。 。 The factions 。 。 。 are grown
  so violent that Guelfs and Ghibellines were not more animated one against
  another!〃
  * In his work on 〃Joint…stock Companion〃; vol。II; pp。 266 ff。; W。
  R。 Scott traces the history of these acute dissensions in the
  Virginia Company and draws conclusions distinctly unfavorable to
  the management of Sandys and his party。Editor。
  Believing that the Company's sessions foreshadowed a 〃seditious
  parliament;〃 James Stuart set himself with obstinacy and some cunning to
  the Company's undoing。 The court party gave the King aid; and circumstances
  favored the attempt。 Captain Nathaniel Butler; who had once been Governor
  of; the Somers Islands and had now returned to England by way of Virginia;
  published in London 〃The Unmasked Face of Our Colony in Virginia〃;
  containing a savage attack upon every item of Virginian administration。
  The King's Privy Council summoned the Company; or rather the 〃country〃
  party; to answer these and other allegations。 Southampton; Sandys; and
  Ferrar answered with strength and cogency。 But the tide was running against
  them。 James appointed commissioners to search out what was wrong with
  Virginia。 Certain men were shipped to Virginia to get evidence there; as
  well as support from the Virginia Assembly。 In this attempt they signally
  failed。 Then to England came a Virginia member of the Virginia Council;
  with long letters to King and Privy Council: the Sandys…Southampton
  administration had done more than well for Virginia。 The letters were
  letters of appeal。 The colony hoped that 〃the Governors sent over might
  not have absolute authority; but might be restrained to the consent of the
  Council 。 。 。 。 But above all they made it their most humble request that
  they might still retain the liberty of their General Assemblies; than which
  nothing could more conduce to the publick Satisfaction and publick Liberty。〃
  In London another paper; drawn by Cavendish; was given to King and Privy
  Council。 It answered many accusations; and among others the statement that
  〃the Government of the companies as it then stood was democratical and
  tumultuous; and ought therefore to be altered; and reduced into the Hands
  of a few。〃 It is of interest to hear these men speak; in the year 1623; in
  an England that was close to absolute monarchy; to a King who with all; his
  house stood out for personal rule。 〃However; they owned that; according to
  his Majesty's Institution; their Government had some Show of a democratical
  Form; which was nevertheless; in that Case; the most just and profitable;
  and most conducive to the Ends and Effects aimed at thereby 。 。 。 。 Lastly;
  they observed that the opposite Faction cried out loudly against Democracy;
  and yet called for Oligarchy; which would; as they conceived; make the
  Government neither of better Form; nor more monarchical。〃
  But the dissolution of the Virginia Company was at hand。 In October; 1623;
  the Privy Council stated that the King had 〃taken into his princely
  Consideration the distressed State of the Colony of Virginia; occasioned;
  as it seemed; by the Ill Government of the Company。〃 The remedy for the
  ill…management lay in the reduction of the Government into fewer hands。 His
  Majesty had resolved therefore upon the withdrawal of the Company's charter
  and the substitution; 〃with due regard for continuing and preserving the
  Interest of all Adventurers and private persons whatsoever;〃 of a new order
  of things。 The new order proved; on examination; to be the old order of
  rule by the Crown。 Would the Company surrender the old charter and accept a
  new one so modeled?
  The Company; through the country party; strove to gain time。 They met with
  a succession of arbitrary measures and were finally forced to a decision。
  They would not surrender their charter。 Then a writ of quo warranto was
  issued; trial before the King's Bench followed; and judgment was rendered
  against the Company in the spring term of 1624。 Thus with clangor fell the
  famous Virginia Company。
  That was one year。 The March of the next year James Stuart; King of
  England; died。 That young Henry who was Prince of Wales when the Susan
  Constant; the Goodspeed; and the Discovery sailed past a cape and named it
  for him Cape Henry; also had died。 His younger brother Charles; for whom
  was named that other and opposite cape; now ascended the throne as King
  Charles the First of England。
  In Virginia no more General Assemblies are held for four years。 King
  Charles embarks upon 〃personal rule。〃 Sir Francis Wyatt; a good Governor;
  is retained by commission and a Council is appointed by the King。 No longer
  are affairs to be conducted after a fashion 〃democratical and tumultuous。〃
  Orders are transmitted from England; the Governor; assisted by the Council;
  will take into cognizance purely local needs; and when he sees some
  occasion he will issue a proclamation。
  Wyatt; recalled finally to England; George Yeardley again; who died in a
  year's time; Francis West; that brother of Lord De La Warr and an ancient
  planter…these in quick succession sit in the Governor's chair。 Following
  them John Pott; doctor of medicine; has his short term。 Then the King sends
  out Sir John Harvey; avaricious and arbitrary; 〃so haughty and furious to
  the Council and the best gentlemen of the country;〃 says Beverley; 〃that
  his tyranny grew at last insupportable。〃
  The Company previously; and now the King; had urged upon the Virginians a
  diversified industry and agriculture。 But Englishmen in Virginia had the
  familiar emigrant idea of making their fortunes。 They had left England;
  they had taken their lives in their hands; they had suffered fevers; Indian
  attacks; homesickness; deprivation。 They had come to Virginia to get rich。
  Now clapboards and sassafras; pitch; tar; and pine trees for masts; were
  making no fortune for Virginia shippers。 How could they; these few folk far
  off in America; compete in products of the forest with northern Europe? As
  to mines of gold and silver; that first rich vision had proved a
  disheartening mirage。 〃They have great hopes that the mountains are very
  rich; from the discovery of a silver mine made nineteen years ago; at a
  place about four days' journey from the falls of James river; but they have
  not the means of transporting the ore。〃 So; dissatisfied with some means of
  livelihood and disappointed in others; the Virginians turned to tobacco。
  Every year each planter grew more tobacco; every year more ships were
  laden。 In 1628 more than five hundred thousand pounds were sent to England;
  for to England it must go; and not elsewhere。 There it must struggle with
  the best Spanish; for a long time valued above the best Virginian。 Finally;
  however; James and after him Charles; agreed to exclude the Spanish。
  Virginia and the Somers Islands alone might import tobacco into England。
  But offsetting this; customs went up ruinously; a great lump sum must go
  annually to the King; the leaf must enter only at the port of London; so
  forth and so on。 Finally Charles put forth his proposal to monopolize the
  industry; giving Virginia tobacco the English market but limiting its
  production to the amount which the Government could sell advantageously。
  Such a policy required cooperation from the colonists。 The King therefore
  ordered the Governor to grant a Virginia Assembly; which in turn should
  dutifully enter into partnership with himupon his terms。 So the Virginia
  Assembly thus came back into history。 It made a 〃Humble Answere〃 in which;
  for all its humility; the King's proposal was declined。 The idea of the
  royal monopoly faded out; and Virginia continued on its own way。
  The General Assembly; having once met; seems of its own motion to have
  continued meeting。 The next year we find it in session at Jamestown; and
  resolving 〃that we should go three severall marches upon the Indians; at
  three severall times of the yeare;〃 and also 〃that there be an especiall
  care taken by all commanders and others that the people doe repaire to
  their churches on the Saboth day; and to see that the penalty of one pound
  of tobacco for every time of absence; and 50 pounds for every month's
  absence 。 。 。 be levyed; and the delinquents to pay the same。〃 About this
  time we read: 〃Dr。 John Pott; late Governor; indicted; arraigned; and found
  guilty of stealing cattle; 13 jurors; 3 whereof councellors。 This day
  wholly spent in pleading; next day; in unnecessary disputation。〃
  These were moving times in the little colony whose population may by now
  have been five