第 15 节
作者:疯狂热线      更新:2021-12-07 09:33      字数:9322
  These were moving times in the little colony whose population may by now
  have been five thousand。 Harvey; the Governor; was rapacious; the King at
  home; autocratic。 Meanwhile; signs of change and of unrest were not wanting
  in Europe。 England was hastening toward revolution; in Germany the Thirty
  Years' War was in mid…career; France and Italy were racked by strife; over
  the world the peoples groaned under the strain of oppression。 In science;
  too; there was promise of revolution。 Harveynot that Governor Harvey of
  Virginia; but a greater in England was writing upon the circulation of the
  blood。 Galileo brooded over ideas of the movement of the earth; Kepler;
  over celestial harmonies and solar rule。 Descartes was laying the
  foundation of a new philosophy。
  In the meantime; far across the Atlantic; bands of Virginians went out
  against the Indianswho might; or might not; God knows! have put in a
  claim to be considered among the oppressed peoples。 In Virginia the fat;
  black; tobacco…fields; steaming under a sun like the sun of Spain; called
  for and got more labor and still more labor。 Every little sailing ship
  brought white workmencalled servantsconsigned; indentured; apprenticed
  to many…acred planters。 These; in return for their passage money; must
  serve Laban for a term of years; but then would receive Rachel; or at least
  Leah; in the shape of freedom and a small holding and provision with which
  to begin again their individual life。 If they were ambitious and energetic
  they might presently be able; in turn; to import labor for their own acres。
  As yet; in Virginia; there were few African slavesnot more perhaps than a
  couple of hundred。 But whenever ships brought them they were readily
  purchased。
  In Virginia; as everywhere in time of change; there arose anomalies。 Side
  by side persisted' a romantic devotion to the King and a determination to
  have popular assemblies; a great sense of the rights of the white
  individual together with African slavery; a practical; easy…going; debonair
  naturalism side by side with an Established Church penalizing alike Papist;
  Puritan; and atheist。 Even so early as this; the social tone was set that
  was to hold for many and many a year。 The suave climate was somehow to
  foster alike a sense of caste and good neighborliness…class distinctions
  and republican ideas。
  The 〃towns〃 were of the fewest and rudestlittle more than small palisaded
  hamlets; built of frame or log; poised near the water of the river James。
  The genius of the land…was for the plantation rather than the town。 The
  fair and large brick or frame planter's house of a later time had not yet
  risen; but the system was well inaugurated that set a main or 〃big〃 house
  upon some fair site; with cabins clustered near it; and all surrounded;
  save on the river front; with far…flung acres; some planted with grain and
  the rest with tobacco。 Up and down the river these estates were strung
  together by the rudest roads; mere tracks through field and wood。 The cart
  was as yet the sole wheeled vehicle。 But the Virginia plantera horseman
  in Englandbrought over horses; bred horses; and early placed horsemanship
  in the catalogue of the necessary colonial virtues。 At this point; however;
  in a land of great and lesser rivers; with a network of creeks; the boat
  provided the chief means of communication。 Behind all; enveloping all;
  still spread the illimitable forest; the haunt of Indians and innumerable
  game。
  Virginians were already preparing for an expansion to the north。 There was
  a man in Virginia named William Claiborne。 This individualable;
  determined; self…reliant; energetichad come in as a young man; with the
  title of surveyorgeneral for the Company; in the ship that brought Sir
  Francis Wyatt; just before the massacre of 1622。 He had prospered and was
  now Secretary of the Province。 He held lands; and was endowed with a bold;
  adventurous temper and a genius for business。 In a few years he had
  established widespread trading relations with the Indians。 He and the men
  whom he employed penetrated to the upper shores of Chesapeake; into the
  forest bordering Potomac and Susquehanna: Knives and hatchets; beads;
  trinkets; and colored cloth were changed for rich furs and various articles
  that the Indians could furnish。 The skins thus gathered Claiborne shipped
  to London merchants; and was like to grow wealthy from what his trading
  brought。
  Looking upon the future and contemplating barter on a princely scale; he
  set to work and obtained exhaustive licenses from the immediate Virginian
  authorities; and at last from the King himself。 Under these grants;
  Claiborne began to provide settlements for his numerous traders。 Far up the
  Chesapeake; a hundred miles or so from Point Comfort; he found an island
  that he liked; and named it Kent Island。 Here for his men he built cabins
  with gardens around them; a mill and a church。 He was far from the river
  James and the mass of his fellows; but he esteemed himself to be in
  Virginia and upon his own land。 What came of Claiborne's enterprise the
  sequel has to show。
  CHAPTER IX。 MARYLAND
  There now enters upon the scene in Virginia a man of middle age; not
  without experience in planting colonies; by name George Calvert; first Lord
  Baltimore。 Of Flemish ancestry; born in Yorkshire; scholar at Oxford;
  traveler; clerk of the Privy Council; a Secretary of State under James;
  member of the House of Commons; member of the Virginia Company; he knew
  many of the ramifications of life。 A man of worth and weight; he was placed
  by temperament and education upon the side of the court party and the Crown
  in the growing contest over rights。 About the year 1625; under what
  influence is not known; he had openly professed the Roman Catholic
  faithand that took courage in the seventeenth century; in England!
  Some years before; Calvert had obtained from the Crown a grant of a part of
  Newfoundland; had named it Avalon; and had built great hopes upon its
  settlement。 But the northern winter had worked against him。 He knew; for he
  had resided there himself with his family in that harsh clime。 〃From the
  middle of October to the middle of May there is a sad fare of winter on all
  this land。〃 He is writing to King Charles; and he goes on to say 〃I have
  had strong temptations to leave all proceedings in plantations 。 。 。but my
  inclination carrying me naturally to these kind of works 。。 。 I am
  determined to commit this place to fishermen that are able to encounter
  storms and hard weather; and to remove myself with some forty persons to
  your Majesty's dominion of Virginia where; if your Majesty will please to
  grant me a precinct of land。 。 。 I shall endeavour to the utmost of my
  power; to deserve it。〃
  With his immediate following he thereupon does sail far southward。 In
  October; 1629; he comes in between the capes; past Point Comfort and so up
  to Jamestownto the embarrassment of that capital; as will soon be evident。
  Here in Church of England Virginia was a 〃popish recusant!〃 Here was an old
  〃court party〃 man; one of James's commissioners; a person of rank and
  prestige; known; for all his recusancy; to be in favor with the present
  King。 Here was the Proprietary of Avalon; guessed to be dissatisfied with
  his chilly holding; on the scent perhaps of balmier; easier things!
  The Assembly was in session when Lord Baltimore came to Jamestown。 All
  arrivers in Virginia must take the oath of supremacy。 The Assembly proposed
  this to the visitor who; as Roman Catholic; could not take it; and said as
  much; but offered his own declaration of friendliness to the powers that
  were。 This was declined。 Debate followed; ending with a request from the
  Assembly that the visitor depart from Virginia。 Some harshness of speech
  ensued; but hospitality and the amenities fairly saved the situation。 One
  Thomas Tindall was pilloried for 〃giving my lord Baltimore the lie and
  threatening to knock him down。〃 Baltimore thereupon set sail; but not;
  perhaps; until he had gained that knowledge of conditions which he desired。
  In England he found the King willing to make him a large grant; with no
  less powers than had clothed him in Avalon。 Territory should be taken from
  the old Virginia; it must be of unsettled landIndians of course not
  counting。 Baltimore first thought of the stretch south of the river James
  between Virginia and Spanish Floridaa fair land of woods and streams; of
  good harbors; and summer weather。 But suddenly William Claiborne was found
  to be in London; sent there by the Virginians; with representations in his
  pocket。 Virginia was already settled and had the intention herself of
  expanding to the south。
  Baltimore; the King; and the Privy Council weighed the matter。 Westward;
  the blue mountains closed the prospect。 Was the South Sea just beyond their
  sunset slopes; or was it much farther away; over unknown lands; than the
  first adventurers had guessed? Either way; too rugged hardship marked the
  west! East rolled the ocean。 North; then? It were well to step in before
  those Hollanders about the mouth of the Hudson should cast nets to the
  south。 Baltimore accordingly asked for a grant north of the Potomac。
  He received a huge territory; stretching