able to do it and so it perish or if there be any principall in it that may be indangered to be lost or broken that he send two of the same for feare of falling Thirdly that if there be Parteners in the busines they so Article that the fayler to supply his part shall forfeit it to the rest Lastly whatsoever the designe be yet send over a Plough or two for this if their designe faile or untill the designe be perfected will turne to accompt and make them great gainers Secondly to the Planter First that they take the Planters leave where for the present they shall reside and doe not neglect the opportunitie of falling into the ground with the Plough so soone as the seasons come Secondly that when the Corne is in the ground then is the time to looke out for the place they shall after settle themselves upon in which they must take care not to settle on the places neere the ebbing and flowing of the salt water for they are there as here in England all aguish next that they make choice of some place neere a navigable River where they may have the conveniency of fresh Marshes Meadows and Fish and if they can where some pleasant rising Hills be but at no rate doe not strugle too farre from Neighbours for that 's disconsolate Thirdly let them build their Houses of Brick or otherwise with Timber let it be done with substantiall compleat lengths since they have Timber enough which will save halfe charges in Carpenters worke line it on the inside thick with Loame and cover it with Lime for that will make it warme in Winter make your modell or plate-forme such that when your family shall increase you may adde to your buildings without defacing or inconveniencing any roomes Fourthly examine the ground and sowe proper seed in the proper parts sowe not Wheat in the richest for that will be too rich and will not turne to accompt but in your richest sowe Rape Rice or Flax-seed and two or three crops of this will bring the ground to beare Wheat your life after In England chuse good Servants able Worke-men and give them good wages fear not the wages of every ten Servants let foure be Boyes and ever after send for good lusty Youths for they will serve eight or nine yeares whereas men will hardly be gotten to serve above four or five and taking this course the Boyes wil be Men when the Mens times expire and being trayned up in the service under good men they will prove excellent Servants Fifthly That the servants may do their work without trouble in over-seeing or without fretting or vexing their Masters patience I shall advise such a way as they may worke for themselves and their Masters together for be well assured the best of them will work more to get themselves a Shilling then to get you ten and that they may with much content and profit to themselves make their Servants shew the best of their abilities it were good to consider what or how much of any worke to be done by a Servant in a day would be satisfactory and then that being done he should have an allowance for what he should do more As for Example two stone or two stone and a half of Flax to be drest in a day is indifferent I would then give him foure pence a stone for what he should do more this will extreamly incourage the Servant and very good use may be made of it or let him have the remainder of the day to plant a little Tobacco for himselfe or for any other thing I have tried all wayes but never found the like Sixthly That for such Servants as are above the age of twenty yeares who can deserve wages in England give them wages in manner following viz. three pound the first yeare and so increase the wages twenty shilings a year to the end of their time Seventhly and for youths when they shall attain to the age of twenty one years to give wages and increasing to the end of their time in manner aforesaid Eighthly and to undertake to give the Servants 30 actes of land at the end of their time to them and their heirs for ever which land shall be given the Master by the Court for them Ninthly That they agree with Artificers for shares Tenthly that they enquire after all advantagious Commodities that are produced from the Earth and learn how to bring them to perfection Eleventhly that they enquire after all manner of slight Engines that will save hand-labour there being nothing dear in the Countrey but labour Twelfthly and for that the Masters will be at charge of transporting and cloathing them let that charge be deducted proportionably every year out of their wages Thirteenthly they must be carefull to Covenant with their Servants to forfeit for every dayes work they shall neglect double the value of their dayes labour but for neglect in harvest ten times the value Fourteenthly the difference that may arise between the Master and Servant upon their Covenants to be determined by the Superintendents Lastly They must shew their Servants Indentures to the Court and then they shall have 50 Acres of land for every servant setled upon them and their heirs for ever which fifty Acres is over and above what the Servants shall have For Servants First they to Covenant with their Masters not to plant above two hundred weight of Tobacco per annum whereas heretofore a Servant planted 1500. Secondly this will take off all mens depending on Tobacco which hath been the fatall commodity of that Countrey and Masters will find a better way to employ their Servants Thirdly that they looke their Masters Covenant to give them thirty Acres of land and pay them the wages they shall agree for in money or the Commodity of the Countrey money worth Fourthly let the Servant agree with his Master upon the sum laid our for him before his transportation that he be not abused therein when he contes into the Countrey and let the same be set down in the Indentures Fifthly this carefully observed with the rules before prescribed in this book will assure the Servant that at the end of his time he shall be in a flourishing condition never more to serve any man A single man that can but pay his passage may have ten pound a yeare for his service and be found meat and drink Lastly if any Gentlemen or others with their Families and also Artificers in any Trade Labourers or Servants shall be desirous to transport themselves for the bettering of their fortunes either to this place or any other of the English Plantations abroad let them repair to the Authour who for the love he bears his Countrey will freely advise them how to dispose of themselves for their greatest advantage which shall inable them to do much more with one hundred pounds then they could heretofore do for one hundred and fifty pound of
severall Plantations abroad to the end they might make choice of the best in which they are much troubled with the various relations both by books and men whose onely aime is to draw all men to themselves and to further that Work are liberall to abuse all other places but their own by which means men are disperst abroad in severall small numbers at great distances from each other which is very uncomfortable and disccusolate whereas if they had been all directed to any one good place they might have been in this time a great and flourishing people and finding also without disparaging of other places that this Countrey of Virginia is abundantly stored with what is by all men aimed at viz. Health and Wealth so that there wants nothing to their happinesse that go over but good Instructions which were never yet endeavoured more then to shew the place I thought that man that should kindly take the stranger by the hand and lead him to it shewing him not onely the richest Mines but also how to dig them would deserve much thanks I cannot omit by way of Caution to my deere Countrey-men to admonish them That at this time there is much strugling to draw men to new Plantations never yet seated and if they will peruse the books that have been set forth in the Infancy of the most of our English Plantations abroad they shall see with what losse and dangers they have beene setled viz. by having their ships cast away for want of knowledge of the place by want of food till supplies by strange diseases never before heard of by Divisions and Factions amongst themselves and an innumerable of other Incidents happening to them whereby the places have beene severall times deserted and again Planted before ever we could keep our footing Wherefore I shall advise all men to make use of other mens wofull experience and to dispose themselves to such places as are already Planted where all difficulties are now overcome THE TABLE SECTION I. THe Lands and Bounds in 1. Reanock page 2. 2. Virginia The temperature of the Ayre 3. Mary-land What this Countrey affords of Beasts Fowles Birds and Fish for foode and commoditie viz. 1. Beasts for foode p. 4. 2. Beasts of prey 5 3. Fowles and Birds for foode ibid. 4. Birds for delight 6 5. Birds of prey ibid. 6. Fish for foode and commoditie ibid. 7. For present use and spending ibid. What Trees Fruits Rootes and Plants are naturally found in this Countrey What English Provisions and what stores are there at this time ibid. What Commodities are here found growing from Nature 8 SECT. II. The true reason how this Countries prosperitie hath beene hindered which is tearmed the Countries Disease which hath beene viz. 1. By the Government p. 10 2. By the Commoditie that they have alwayes made their Staple 11 3. By not raysing Commodities to drive a Trade for Ships ibid. 4. By miscarriage of good designes for Staple Commodities 12 5. By the Indians ibid. 6. By malitious slanders 13 7. By the unfitnesse of the people transported 14 SECT. III. How the Countrey may be recovered viz 1. By an equall Government and that Government proposed p. 18 2. By raysing Commodities for the constant imployment of Shipping which hath made New-England and Barbado's flourish and will quickly doe this there being much more advantage in the place 30 3. By fixing upon Corne Rice Rape-seed and Flax and all the rest of the rich Commodities examined how and when to be falne upon but for the present layd by with the reasons 33 SECT. IV. A Scale whereby after the proportion of 60. li. stock all men may know how to lay out their money for advantage viz. 1. How they shall lay it out in England p. 35 2. How they shall dispose of themselves when they come over into the Countrey 36 3. What how much ground they shal plough and sowe and with what 38 4. What their first years Crop may produce in the Countrey 40 5. If they will send it for England what it shall produce there and how to insure it 42 6. What they may be worth the third yeare ibid. A great incouragement to people of all degrees 43 SECT. V. How Passengers may bee best transported for Health and Charge viz. 1. By the old way with the convenience and inconvenience p. 46 2. How to goe in the old way and yet save a third part of the Charge 48 3. A Victualling proposed for the Planter in his Voyage thither 49 4. To goe by New-England Ships 50 5. The best and the neerest way to goe by the New-found-land Ships in March April or May where you may goe at halfe the old Charges ibid. When the Gentlemen are over in the Countrey how they shall dispose of themselves till they be setled 51 A great Incouragement both for Masters and Servants Shewing How Masters shall imploy their Servants to their best profit without their oversight or trouble 53 How Servants shall worke for their Masters and themselves without hard labour 54 SECT. VI How to reclaime the Indians viz. 1. Wherein is first considered Love p. 54 2. Force 55 It being not to be done either of these two wayes 3. A third way is proposed ibid. SECT. VII An Advice to the Adventurer pag. 60 An Advice to the Planter ibid. An Advice to Servants 62 The Authors offer to all men by which they 'l finde he 's unbyast and in this Worke hath no private ends He freely offereth to all that shall be desirous to be further satisfied concerning any particular mentioned in this Booke or shall meet with any Objections to any thing therein propounded to repaire to the Author who will cleare all Doubts and shew them the best and newest Draught or Plot of the Countrey Reade this first the VVorke next BEfore you cast your eye upon the Worke it self look stedfastly upon the Author and as thou likest him give him credit whilst he tells thee that he was never in this Place himself he writes of with such considence and therefore before he began he had many strugling thoughts within him perswading and disswading But when he considered it is no new thing out of collections to make up the Historie of a Kingdom And that the Work is not so much to set out the Country it having been already done by many experienced men as to take off that Odium that malitious tongues have thrown upon it By discovering the true grounds and reason why the prosperitie thereof hath beene so long obstructed and to apply a perfect cure to it As also having Warrant that the Places are what he sets them forth from the discoveries of M. Heriot M. Laine and Captaine Smith Printed neere forty yeares since and divers severall Bookes lately Printed and also having discoursed severally and at severall times with Captaine Mathewes Captaine Peirce Captaine Willoughby Captaine Clabourne and divers others the principall men of that Country here in England
about nine yeares since and his own father living there above twelve years besides Captaine Andrewes Captaine Douglas Captaine Pryn Captaine Russell and divers other Captaines and Masters of Ships that have constantly used that Trade and lastly 20 yeares experience of his own bought with 5000. li. he hopes all cause of doubt will be layd aside SECTION I. THere having beene already so many Bookes publisht of Gods blessings upon these Places both for Health and Riches I shall not need to trouble the Reader therewith the rather for that the principall end of this Worke is Man-Midwife like to preserve the Mother already in Travell and bring the Child lively into the World advising how to cherish it in the growth untill it have strength to provide it selfe wherefore I shall but give a short touch of them And first Of the Lands and Bounds THe Continent is upon the East bounded with the North and East Sea garnished with many delicate Islands of severall Magnitudes and to the West it hath no bounds untill you come to the West and South Sea which is many miles over on the South side is many thousand miles of Land on the North is Land to New-England and many thousand miles further the distance betweene Mary-land and New-England is not above 200 miles by Land and in this distance there are many English planted insomuch that there are Posts which go by Land betweene Virginia and New-England The Country is full of Hills and Dales and fine Prospects and towards the Sea in Virginia very levell yet not without pleasant ascendings and descendings but not of height to be called Hills the body of the Country from the River is generally woody but not like ours in England for they are so cleare from Under-woods that one may be seen above a mile and a half in the Wood and the Trees stands at that distance that you may drive Carts or Coaches between the thickest of them being clear from boughs a great height yet in the Summer they agree that the Sun shall injure none that puts himself under their protection whilst he refresheth himself with Strawberries Grapes of a most delicious taste which grow there in abundance There be many fair Navigable Rivers Rivelets and Springs imbrodered with fresh Marshes and Medows very delightfull to the prospect sending forth exceeding sweet and pleasant savours that perfume the Ayre from the Sasafras Strawberrie naturall Flowers all which well considered this place may well deserve the name of the New-Paradice Whosoever desires to see the Draught of this Country may looke into Smiths Travells or into Mercators Atlas and there he shall see the whole Continent The soyle is a rich black Mould for two foot deep and under it a Loame of which they make a fine Brick and with it plaister their Houses within cover it over with Lime made of Oyster-shells which is much harder and more durable then our Lime in England made of Chaulke and of which there is plenty the out-side of their Houses they commonly cover with Board or case them with Brick The next in consideration is the temperature of the Ayre TO speak first of the most Southerly Climat viz. from the degree of 34 to 36 the Aire is extream pleasant wholsome as it was found by M. Ralph Laine M. Heriot and others who with their Company sat down upon the Island of Roanock which is a little to the Southward of that place in Virginia where now the English are planted in the year 1585 and continued there one year the Winter is very little but 't is to be observed that as you passe from one degree to th' other Northerly the Winter growes stronger and longer this place is but now upon Planting In that part of Virginia where now the English inhabite which is under the degree of 37 and part of 38 the Ayre is pleasant and wholsome especially to those that are seated above the flowing of the Salt water But for such as are set downe within the flowing of the Salt water it is much like in health as here in England upon the Salt Marshes which are subject to Agues and Fevers the Winter is not much above six weekes which begins in December and ends about the first of February Mary-land is also very pleasant and wholsome and is further Northerly viz. part of 38 and 39 and therefore more cold the Winter longer then in Virginia but nothing like our Winter in England whence it is that some men in the Months of June July and August finding their constitution of body not so well agreeing with heat retyre themselves in those Months to Mary-land which is but twelve houres passage by Boat from Virginia and there enjoy perfect health although sick when they left Virginia What is in this place found of Beasts Fowles Birds Fish Trees Fruits both for Food and Commoditie Beasts for Food Elkes bigger then Oxen excellent good meat and the Hide good to make Buffe Deere in abundance excellent Venizon and the Skinnes good Cloathing Racoones very good meat Hares Coneys very good meat Beaver excellent meat and the Furre Rich. Squirrells two sorts good meat Beasts of Prey yet some of their Skinnes are valuable Lyons Beares Leopards But these and the Elkes are but seldome seene neere our English Plantation their range being up in the Mountaines Foxes Wild Cats Otters Warme Furres Martens Minkes Rich Furres Wolves but very few Poulcats Weasells Musk-Rats so called for that their Codds are stronger sented then Musk-Codds from East India and never to be worne out There are other sorts of Beasts but their names are not knowne to the English Fowles and Birds for Food Turkeys wild innumerable weighing above 50. livre. weight Heath Cocks Pigeons Partridges Black Birds Thrushes Dottrells Cranes Hernes Swans Geese Brants Ducks Widgeons Oxeyes Abundance and exellent meat Birds for delight some for singing others for sight A Bird that sings after any Birds noat Nightingales that sing sweetly Red Birds Blew Birds Birds of Prey Eagles Hawkes of six severall sorts Owles There is many more that have no English names The next is Fish First of those that are both Foode and may be made a very good Commoditie there being in their seasons infinite plentie Drummes Codd Herrings Sturgion Salmon Fish for present spending and these are Base Sheepshead Conger Eeles Trouts Mullets Playce Soales Mackerell Brett Shadd Perch Lampreyes Lobsters Shell Fish Shrimpes Crey-fish Crabbs Oysters Cockles Muskles All these Fish for delicacie farre exceed the Fish in colder Climates There are divers other Fish excellent good for foode but for that they are strange to us I omit them And that you may not want Bread to all this good Cheare there is plentie of Indian Wheat Beanes and Pease Trees above twentie kindes many no English names Two sorts of Okes Ashes Walnut two sorts Elmes Cedar Cipres Mulberry trees Chesnut trees Plumme trees Puchamine trees Laurell Cherries Crahes Vines Sasafras Fruits Grapes Plummes Strawberries
Raspices Maracokes Puchamines Muskmelons Pumpions Apples Peares Quinces Apricocks Peaches c. There is all sorts of English Fruit trees insomuch that out of one Orchard hath beene made in one yeare fiftie Butts of Perry and out of another thirtie Butts of Cyder For Roots there is Potatoes Parsnips Onyons Sparragras Carrots Turneps Hartichokes all sorts of Herbes for Physick or Pot all which grow without any such trouble as is taken for them in England and for delicacie farre exceeding the best Gardens here in England For English Provisions There is above thirtie thousand Head of Cattell and an infinite number of Hogges in such plentie that you may buy Beese and Porke under sixteene pence a Stone Wheat and Barley is very cheape most of them brew their owne Beere and have divers publique Brew-houses that brew excellent Beere and Ale Goats flesh and Mutton but not yet so plentifull by reason they have not beene suffered to encrease till of late yeares There is all sorts of tame English Fowle There is above two hundred Horses and Mares and above seventie Asses these came thither but of late yeares Naturall Commodities of the Countrey are 1. Silke grasse Of which I have seene here in England drest exceeding strong and pure fine like Silke which without question would make strong Stuffes A piece of Grogram was made of this Silk-grasse and presented to Queene Elizabeth Silke In Roanock they found Silk-wormes bigger then Walnuts and were informed by the Indians that higher in the Countrey there were abundance and bigger Flax and Hempe Which differs something from ours in the Leafe and Stalke but thought to be every way as good Allum Nitrum Alumem plumeum Are all to be had from a mightie Veine of Earth that runnes all alongst the Sea Coast on the Southermost part of Virginia Wapock Of the same value with Terra Sigelata Pitch Tarre Rosin Turpentine many Drugs Wine from three sorts of Grapes Oyle from Walnuts and excellent sweet Oyle from three sorts of Berries about the bignesse of Acrons divers sorts of Firre Sivet Cats up Roanock River where is Pearle also to be had Iron Copper Tynne Lead divers kinds of sweet Gummes severall sorts of Dyes Woad and Sugar Canes in Roanock To which you may adde they being now there and which yeelds wonderfull increase English Corne of all sorts Rice Flax and Hempe Pot-ashes Rape-seed and to say no more you shall not finde the Earth ungratefull for any thing you trust her with And to encourage Gentlemen that are desirous of winning honour by making Discoveries of such places as may bring the greatest Wealth and Riches to their owne Countries in which they shall not onely very much enrich themselves but eternize their Names let them peruse M. Henry Briggs that famous Mathematician his Booke printed about 28 yeares since wherein he makes it plaine that a Trade from Virginia may be easily driven into the South and West Sea lying on the backside of Virginia not farre distant from thence and so consequently to the East Indies and this by Rivers that have their Rise in the same place with the great Rivers of Virginia but as the Virginia Rivers empty themselves into the East or North Sea so the other Rivers empty themselves into the West or South Sea In the degrees of 34 and 35 they receive three Harvests in five Moneths of the Indian Corn from the self-same ground viz. they sowe in Aprill and reape in June sowe in June and reape in July sowe in July and reape in August Virginia yeelds two Harvests in one yeare viz. they reape their Wheat in July and then sowe Barley and reape in October Their increase is generall from 8 quarters to 12 quarters of an Acre Their Indian Corne yields them above 250 quarters for one English fruits that have been transported bear wonderfully and twice as fair as in England and in deliciousnesse farre exceeding what they were before their Apricocks and Peaches grow all on standing Trees and not against Walls Let this suffice for the Countrey SECT. II. I Am in the next place in order to the Cure first to discover the Disease of this Country and how contracted of which The Government is the greatest of all for no wise man will either transport himselfe or send his estate to such a place where is no setled Government and wholsome Lawes to preserve mens lives and estates and to maintaine honest commerce The Government is by Governour Councell and Assembly The Governour is commonly a Stranger sent from England and is to last but three yeares in which time he must not be blamed if he doe his owne Worke Amongst other things he can call Trustees and Debtors to be of the Councell which puts the Adventurer to a stand And this well considered hath gone a great way in the Disease For by it Justice is stifled and the Adventurer must never hope for Justice since the Debtor is by the Governours favour made both Judge and Party by which meanes 't is cleare the greater the Aduenture the surer lost for the Trustee shall be the sooner a Councellor In these things I speake experimentally of such as were before but doe not charge the present Governours for by their care the Plantation is in some reasonable condition of recovery Next by the People The Assembly in manner as it hath beene chosen hath been mischievous for they have not beene elected for their honesties and abilities but by their great Port although maintained with an Adventurers purse and such was the Assembly when most of them being bound to pay Mony-Debts made an Act of Assembly that they should pay their Debts in Tobacco at 12. d. per li. when it was sold at the same time in the Countrey for one penny The Laws were bad and worse administred by which meanes industrie was discouraged and strifes countenanced The Councells time that should be better spent for the encouraging of others taken up in hearing but not determining unnecessary strifes Next the Disease growes by the Commoditie they have and doe make their Staple which First from the very infancy of the Plantation they have made Tobacco their Staple which hath been sent for England in such quantities as many yeares there hath beene some hundred thousand pounds weight not worth the fraught and custome and by this means many a poore Planter hath been destroyed Secondly Tobacco being once in the ground is never out of hand till in the Hogs-head and which is the misery of it the Moneths of June July and August being the very height of the Summer the poore Servant goes daily through the rowes of Tobacco stooping to worme it and being over-heated he is struck with a Calenture or Feaver and so perisheth This hath been the losse of divers men Thirdly the Tobacco is ripe but once in the year and Ships goe for Virginia at that time when they may have the Tobacco for their home-ward fraught there being nothing else to lade
which benefit the Planter shall also have the Advantage and Servants shall be upon sure termes knowing their work and their conditions and they shall see plainly that in a little time they shall by Gods blessing become men of good estates he will also advise how they may transport themselves with the best safety in these times from any danger of being taken And if any Gentlemen that shall not go themselves but are desirous to adventure he will direct them how they may best dispose thereof for their advantage and that in eighteen Moneths they shall be reimbursed their principally money and after shall constantly receive much above fifty pound for every hundred pound they adventured at first and owners of Ships shall have good imployment for their Ships not letting them lie rotting by the Walls as 〈◊〉 now and heretofore they have done The Authour is sensible that these offers are something large yet let no man doubt of the truth thereof the being inabled thereto by his deare bought experience and all men may be satisfied that it hath been rarely found that any one particular good work hath been faln upon but some one man hath originally been the Authour or the originall motion hath proceeded from one mans breast Those rich Mines of the West Indies were first offered by one man to Henry the seventh but he not having faith enough to believe or not willing to venture a little money to be satisfied of the truth refused it and after it was offered by the same man to the then King of Spain who hearkened to him and all the world knowes that from this one mans motion the Kings of Spain have within this 150 yeares received from thence many thousand millions of pounds besides it hath extreamly inriched the Gentlemen and Merchants of that Kingdom Many of the like examples might be shewed but they are so generally known to all men that I le say no more onely that there was some time spent after the King of Spain had set footing in the West Indies before he could come by travell to the Mynes and these places the English have inhabited much more time then the King of Spains Subjects had done in the West Indies before they discovered that Countries wealth But God that is the Authour of all good things hath not in all this time beene pleased to let any man looke further then Tobacco and no man can say but that he is now pleased freely to offer his blessings bestowed upon these Countries in the riches thereof to us since all this time there was never any man that had the heart to labour for the Generall good in this nature before Reader I cannot let thee goe till I have againe put thee in mind of my Epistle to thee in which I discovered the great Obstructor of this Countries prosperitie who I know being now againe alarm'd will fiercely send his Spirits abroad with lyes and calumnies to abate the peoples courage since his Kingdom will be so much indangered by the through planting of this place with Christians and I am confident he shall no longer prevaile for my Spirit would not let me rest till I had by this bid defiance to him and all his subtill practises Therefore be not led by any false reports for thou shalt find me ready with all freenesse to give thee full satisfaction in the truths that any way concernes this Place or is conteined in this Book and this I freely offer to men of all conditions whether Masters or Servants You have my name in the Title Page and you shall be directed to my Chamber in the Middle-Temple either by M. Collinson an Iron-monger in Cornehill M. Pollington a Haberdasher in Lumbard-Street or M. Beadle Stationer in Pleet-Street next to the Middle-Temple Gate or the Shops under the said Gate My time would not permit such care of the Presse in Correcting as was fitting but since it is right in the matter I shall desire the Reader to excuse the Printers slips in the manner Pag. 7. joyne Plants with Roots and then read for Roots and Plants Pag. 40. the Summe of 72 l. next under 12 l. and 60 l. is onely the totall of the Fraught and not the value of a particular as by the placing you may suppose it FINIS The Countries Disease This prevents strife about elections a This election being simple gives way that if there be one man in all the Councell although the youngest in degree fitter then the rest he may as soon arive at the Government as any of his Seniors by which 't is possible that this Common wealth may be Governed by the wisest and justest men in the Country which cannot be when two stand in competition for it then the one must have it and this will draw every man to be ambitious to studie the good of the Countrey b This is a tie upon the Governour to walk equally and justly before the people c By this the Governour if just able and good may continue his life in the Government By this 't is possible that the ablest and honestest of the people shall alwayes be in Authority for this is the first step to the Government The people will be carefull to chuse good and able men since those they chuse shall immediately exercise a power over them This will encourage men to be just and deserving By this means the people shall have an Accompt of the Governours and Councels carriage for the generall good By this a good understanding will be had between the Governour and the people and nothing in probabilitie may be presumed shall be moved whereby the Common-wealth shall be in danger This provides there may be a good Councel of the wisest honestest of the people and by it a confusion of Councell and Councellours is avoided These 12 are next in degree for Councellors and in the Interim serve for excellent uses as you shall see hereafter By this course there can be no surprisalls in making Lawes but all Lawes will be truly understood weyed before confirmed By this the people have a tie upon the Governour and Councel and yet they be not indangered by the people but upon just cleare grounds By this they are Servants immediatly to the Common-wealth and not so easily drawne to serve ends It Lawes established may upon some fond conceit of a self-wise man be struck at the Lawes will be alwayes tottering but if there be any Law inconvenient let it be shewed to the Governour and Councell who should best understand the Lawes and they being made sensible of it let them move it This may be either by himself or with the Councell as shall be thought fit Out of these 12 shall be alwayes chosen men to represent the Adventurers in examining the Trustees accompts By this the Trustees shall not prevail with the Governour to get his friends nominated to take the accompts By this the danger of laying continuall burthens upon the people is taken away This prevents the Governour for making a Councell of his favourits which if admitted might be destruction For if 60. livre. aforesaid shall produce above 170 l. per annum 200 li. which is the Estate I here value may produce much more then 300 l. per annum and the Master live plentifully Adventurer is in the sense of the book him that sends to plant The Government wil preserve this estate with the increase Examine how many Gentlemen have run themselves in debt beyonde their estates to supply them in the Warres Examine those that lay under the power of both Armies And if you will look int◠the books Printed by the Virginia Company in 1621 or 1622 you shall find that of 900 men transported in one Fleet in the time aforesaid here died but one Chusing of ground Building of Houses What seed to sowe upon what ground Carrying of Servants Servants reward