current at that value, he produced an order for paying and
disbanding the soldiers. Then those poor fellows, and such as had
maintained them, were forced to take their pay in those light pieces of
eight, at six shillings. But his lordship soon after himself found the
inconvenience of that proclamation; for people began to pay their
duties, and their ship money in coin of that high estimate, which was
like to cut short both his lordship's perquisites; and so he was forced
to make use of the same prerogative, to reduce the money again to its
former standard.

Sec. 122. In less than a year the Lord Colepepper returned to England,
leaving Sir Henry Chicheley deputy governor.

The country being then settled again, made too much tobacco, or too much
trash tobacco, for the market; and the merchants would hardly allow the
planter any thing for it.

This occasioned much uneasiness again, and the people, from former
experience, despairing of succeeding in any agreement with the
neighboring governments, resolved a total destruction of the tobacco in
that country, especially of the sweet scented; because that was planted
no where else. In pursuance of which design, they contrived that all the
plants should be destroyed, while they were yet in the beds, and after
it was too late to sow more.

Accordingly the ringleaders in this project began with their own first,
and then went to cut up the plants of such of their neighbors as were
not willing to do it themselves. However, they had not resolution enough
to go through with their work.

This was adjudged sedition and felony. Several people were committed
upon it, and some condemned to be hanged. And afterwards the assembly
passed a law to make such proceedings felony for the future, (whatever
it was before,) provided the company kept together after warning by a
justice.

Sec. 123. After this accident of plant cutting, the Lord Colepepper
returned, and held his second assembly, in which he contrived to gain
another great advantage over the country. His lordship, in his first
voyage thither, perceiving how easily he could twist and manage the
people, conceived new hopes of retrieving the propriety of the Northern
Neck, as being so small a part of the colony. He conceived that while
the remainder escaped free, which was far the greater part, they would
not engage in the interest of the lesser number; especially considering
the discouragements they had met with before, in their for