OMPANY TO THE YEAR SEVENTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVEN.

Sec. 53. The country being thus taken into the king's hands, his majesty
was pleased to establish the constitution to be by a governor, council
and assembly, and to confirm the former methods and jurisdictions of the
several courts, as they had been appointed in the year 1620, and placed
the last resort in the assembly. He likewise confirmed the rules and
orders made by the first assembly for apportioning the land, and
granting patents to particular adventurers.

Sec. 54. This was a constitution according to their hearts desire, and
things seemed now to go on in a happy course for encouragement of the
colony. People flocked over thither apace; every one took up land by
patent to his liking; and, not minding anything but to be masters of
great tracts of land, they planted themselves separately on their
several plantations. Nor did they fear the Indians, but kept them at a
greater distance than formerly. And they for their part, seeing the
English so sensibly increase in number, were glad to keep their distance
and be peaceable.

This liberty of taking up land, and the ambition each man had of being
lord of a vast, though unimproved territory, together with the advantage
of the many rivers, which afford a commodious road for shipping at every
man's door, has made the country fall into such an unhappy settlement
and course of trade, that to this day they have not any one place of
cohabitation among them, that may reasonably bear the name of a town.

Sec. 55. The constitution being thus firmly established, and continuing its
course regularly for some time, people began to lay aside all fears of
any future misfortunes. Several gentlemen of condition went over with
their whole families--some for bettering their estates--others for
religion, and other reasons best known to themselves. Among those, the
noble Caecilius Calvert, Lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic, thought, for
the more quiet exercise of his religion, to retire, with his family,
into that new world. For this purpose he went to Virginia, to try how he
liked the place. But the people there looked upon him with an evil eye
on account of his religion, for which alone he sought this retreat, and
by their ill treatment discouraged him from settling in that country.

Sec. 56. Upon that provocation, his lordship resolved upon a farther
adventure. And finding land enough up the bay of Chesapeake, which was
likewise bless