o justice, where sat,
monthly, the magistrates of the county, possessed of an unlimited
jurisdiction in all cases cognizable in law or chancery, not touching
life or murder, and having the care of orphans' persons and estates; the
jail, wherein prisoners committed for any felony were confined, until
they could be brought before the general court, which had the sole
criminal jurisdiction in the colony; the tavern, a long, low wooden
building, generally thronged with loafers and gossips, and reeking with
the fumes of tobacco smoke, apple-brandy and rye-whiskey; and, finally,
the store, which shared, with the tavern, the patronage of the loafers,
and which could be easily recognized by the roughly painted board sign,
containing a catalogue of the goods within, arranged in alphabetical
order, without reference to any other classification. Thus the
substantial farmer, in search of a pound of _candy_ for his little white
headed barbarians, whom he had left at play, must needs pass his finger
over "cards, chains, calico, cowhides, and candy;" or, if he had come to
"town" to purchase a bushel of meal for family use, his eye was greeted
with the list of M's, containing meal, mustard, mousetraps, and
molasses.

It was to the little court house town of the county of Accomac, that Sir
William Berkeley had retired after the burning of Jamestown; and here he
remained, since the suppression of the rebellion, like a cruel old
spider, in the centre of his web, awaiting, with grim satisfaction, the
capture of such of the unwary fugitives as might fall into his power.

"Well, gentlemen, the court martial is set," said Sir William Berkeley,
as he gazed upon the gloomy faces of the military men around him, in the
old court house of Accomac. In that little assembly, might be seen the
tall and manly form of Colonel Philip Ludwell, who had been honoured, by
the especial confidence of Berkeley, as he was, afterwards, by the
constant and tender love of the widowed Lady Frances. There, too, was
the stern, hard countenance of Major Robert Beverley, whose unbending
loyalty had shut his eyes to true merit in an opponent. The names of the
remaining members of the court, have, unfortunately, not found a place
in the history of the rebellion. Alfred Bernard, on whom the governor
had showered, with a lavish hand, the favours which it was in his power
to bestow, had been promoted to the office of Major, in the room of
Thomas Hansford, outlawed, and was,