his government, and at
perfect peace with the Indians, set all hands industriously to work in
making country improvements. He passed a new act for encouragement of
Jamestown, whereby several houses were built therein, at the charge of
several counties. However, the main ingredient for the advancement of
towns was still wanting, namely, the confinement of all shipping and
trade to them only, by defect of which all the other expedients availed
nothing, for most of the buildings were soon converted into houses of
entertainment.

Sec. 79. Anno 1663, divers sectaries in religion beginning to spread
themselves there, great restraints were laid upon them, under severe
penalties, to prevent their increase.

This made many of them fly to other colonies, and prevented abundance of
others from going over to seat themselves among them. And as the former
ill treatment of my Lord Baltimore kept many people away, and drove
others to Maryland, so the present severities towards the nonconformists
kept off many more, who went to the neighboring colonies.

Sec. 80. The rigorous circumscription of their trade, the persecutions of
the sectaries, and the little demand of tobacco, had like to have had
very fatal consequences. For, the poor people becoming thereby very
uneasy, their murmurings were watched and fed by several mutinous and
rebellious Oliverian soldiers that were sent thither as servants. These,
depending upon the discontented people of all sorts, formed a villainous
plot to destroy their masters, and afterwards to set up for themselves.

This plot was brought so near to perfection, that it was the very night
before the designed execution ere it was discovered; and then it came
out by the relenting of one of their accomplices, whose name was
Birkenhead. This man was servant to Mr. Smith of Purton, in Gloucester
county, near which place, viz. at Poplar Spring, the miscreants were to
meet the night following, and put in execution their horrid conspiracy.

Sec. 81. Upon this discovery by Birkenhead, notice was immediately sent to
the governor at Green Spring. And the method he took to prevent it was
by private orders, that some of the militia should meet before the time
at the place where the conspirators were to rendezvous, and seize them
as they came singly up to it. Which orders being happily executed, their
devilish plot was defeated. However, there were but a few taken; because
several of them making their escape, turned ba