BEfore I enter into the consideration of the advantages this Kingdom of England has by the Plantation in Virginia, I think it necessary to make a short description of the Scituation of it, as to the Climate; and then tell what natural helps it has to make it a glorious and flourishing Country: And when this Discourse shall produce a concession of the natural advantages it has above all other His Majesties Plantations, I shall lay down the Causes, both intrinsick and accidental, why it has not in all this supposed long tract of time produced those rich and staple Commodities, which I shall in this Discourse affirm it is capable of.

And, First, for the Climate. It lyeth within the Degrees of 37. and 42. (Mariland included) which by all is confess'd to be a scituation capable of the diversities of all Northern and Southern commodities, some Drugs and Spices excepted, which Florida, on whose borders we are newly seated, may also probably produce.

Into the Bay of Virginia, formerly called Chesapeack Bay, runs six eminent Rivers, none twenty miles distant from ano­ther; three of which exceed the Thames, both in extent and [Page 2] progression of the Tides; these cause and continue the ad­mir'd fertility of the Countrey, and by their greatness and contiguity temper those heats, which the dryer places of Africa are subject to, in the same degrees of latitude.

Up these Rivers Ships of three hundred tuns fail near two hundred miles, and anchor in the fresh waters; and by this means are not troubled with those Worms which endamage ships, both in the Western Islands of America, and in the Mediterraneansea. And to avoid a larger discourse of it, I will here note it, that our ships once past the Lands end, are in no danger of Pirats, Rocks or Lee-shores, till they come to their Port, and fewer ships miscarry going to Virginia, then to any Port at that distance in the world.

Now for those things which are naturally in it, they are these, Iron, Lead, Pitch, Tar, Masts, Timber for Ships of the greatest magnitude, and Wood for Pot-ashes.

Those other Commodities, which are produced by indu­stry, are Flax, Hemp, Silk, Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rice, Cot­ton, all sorts of Pulse and Fruits, the last of which in that per­fection, that if the taste were the onely judge, we would not think they were of the same species with those from which they are derived to us from England. The vicious ruinous plant of Tobacco I would not name, but that it brings more money to the Crown, then all the Islands in America be­sides.

Now this is ascertained and confessed, that such staple commodities, as Iron, Silk, Flax, Hemp, and Pot-ashes, may be easily raised in Virginia, an high imputation will lye upon us, why we have not all this time endeavoured to evidence the truth and certainty of it, to our own and the publick ad­vantage.

To this I will answer, that the long time of seating of Virgi­nia is a general and popular error: For though the first ships arrived in Virginia in 1606. yet by reason of many almost insuparable difficulties, the increase of the number of Plan­ters was hardly perceptible: For, first, that, as all unclear'd Plantations, was unwholsom; then all they eat came from England, and provided for those they never saw nor cared for, [Page 3] was not likely to be very good. Then the Indians quickly grew jealous of them, and forced them to fight for every foot of ground they held, and in the year 1622. in one night mur­dered all but four or five hundred. So that from that time we must begin the account of the Plantation: nor is this all, for many years after this, the danger and scarcity of the Inha­bitants was so famed thorough England, that none but such as were forced could be induced to plant or defend the place; and of those that came, there was not one woman to thirty men, and populus virorum is of no long duration any where. But since the year 1630. the place began to be of more plen­ty and security, for the Indians, though not subdued, were terrified to a suspension of arms, the Planters then first began to fence their grounds and plant Corn; the few Cattel they had, increased to such numbers, that thay were able to help their neighbour Plantations. And now I believe, that there is no Plantation of the English would more abound in Cattel, Hogs, and all sorts of Fruit, than Virginia, if they had but a mean price to quicken their industry, and make their provi­dence vigilant.

An other great imputation lyes on the Countrey, that none but those of the meanest quality and corruptest lives go thither. This to our Maligners we would easily grant, if they would consent to the omen of it; for was not Rome thus begun and composed? and the greatest honour that was given to Romulus and his City was this, that his severity and disci­pline in his time, made them formidable to their neighbours, and his posterity masters of the world. But this is not all truth, for men of as good Families as any Subjects in England have resided there, as the Percys, the Barkleys, the Wests, the Gages, the Throgmortons, Wyats, Degges, Chickeleys, Molds­worths, Morrisons, Kemps, and hundred others, which I for­hear to name, lest I should misherald them in the Catalogue. But grant it were thus, is this any imputation to the place, that those that come from hence with those ungoverned man­ners and affections, change them there for sober and thrifty passions and desires, which is evident in most that are there; and those that will either experimentally or morally weigh [Page 4] the nature and conditions of men, shall find, that naturally this change will follow the alteration of our conditions: For who experimentally in England are more prodigal and riotous then the younger brothers of it, who have least Fond to maintain and continue either of them? who lesse careful of their Estates then those, whose early negligence hath enga­ged them to the Usurer? and the natural reason is evident, for it is hope and a proposed end that quickens our industry, and bridles our intemperance; but when Cui bono shall be objected, wretchlesnesse and a desire of present pleasures will invade us: But this is not so in our Plantations; for we find there that if we will be provident and industrious for a year or two, we may provide for our Posterity for many Ages; the manifest knowledge of this makes men industrious and vigilant with us, who here having no Vineyards to dresse, stood idle in the Market-place till the eleventh hour.

But we will confesse, that there is with us a great scarcity of good men; that is, of able Workmen, at whose doors ought this defect to lie? not at ours, who would procure them could they be perswaded at high prices; but indeed our li­berty to do good onely to our selves, is the main obstacle of our progress to staple commodities in our Plantations, for onely such servants as have been brought up to no Art or Trade, hunger and fear of prisons bring to us, which we must entertain or have none: And I think th [...]t Lawyer had reason, who being chid by the Judge for often bringing scandalous causes before him; told him, they were the best he could get to be brought to him.

Had the Dutch Virginia, they would make it the Fortresse, Mart and Magazin of all the West Indies, for (as I at first in­timated) the Rivers will securely harbour twenty thousand Ships at once; the Country produceth all things necessary for those Ships and the men that sayle in them, nothing want­ing for the supplies of war or peace, but it was ever our mi­sery not to take our aims the distance of an Age.

But half that time to the making us, and enriching this Kingdom by our labours, will not be required; for I can with assurance affirme, that if we have from hence resolute [Page 5] instructions and indulgent encouragements, within seven years we shall not need the Northerne nor Southerne East Countries, to supply us with Silk, Flax, Hemp, Pitch, Tar, Iron, Masts, Timber, and Pot-ashes; for all of these, but Iron, we want only skilful men to teach us to produce them the cheapest and readiest way; but the making of Iron will re­quire abler purses then we are yet masters of.

Yet in another Paragraph I shall propose that, which if granted to us, will enable us of our selves to accomplish this and other great concernments.

It must be confessed, that Barbadoes sends a better commo­dity into England, then Virginia yet does; but withall it must be acknowledged, that one Ship from Virginia brings more Money to the Crown, then five Ships of the same burthen do from the Barbadoes. But had we ability or skill to set for­ward those staple commodities I mentioned, of Silk, Flax, Hemp, Pitch, Pot-ashes, and Iron, a few yeares would make us able to send more Ships laden with these, then now the Bar­badoes do with Sugar.

Amongst many other weighty Reasons, why Virginia has not all this while made any progression into staple Commo­dities, this is the chief. That our Governours by reason of the corruption of those times they lived in, laid the Foundation of our wealth and industry on the vices of men; for about the time of our first seating of the Country, did this vicious ha­bit of taking Tobacco possesse the English Nation, and from them has diffused it self into most parts of the World; this I say being brought to us from Spain at great prices, made our Governour suppose great wealth might be raised to particu­lars by this universal vice, and indeed for many yeares they were not deceived, till that increasing in numbers, and many other Plantations following the same design, at last brought it as now it is to that lownesse of price, that the Customes doubles the first purchase; that is, the Merchant buyes it for one penny the pound, and we pay two pence for the Custom of that which they are not pleased to take from us.

This was the first and fundamental hinderance that made the Planters neglect all other accessions to wealth and hap­piness, [Page 6] and fix their hopes only on this vicious weed of To­bacco, which at length has brought them to that extremity, that they can neither handsomely subsist with it, nor with­out it.

Another hinderance has been, that there was never yet any publick incouragement to assist the Planters in those more chargeable undertakings, as Iron-Mines and Shipping.

Another impediment, and an important one too has been the dis-membring of the Colonie, by giving away and erect­ing divers Principalities out of it, as Maryland to my Lord Arundell, and part of Florida to my Lord of Arundell, these Grants will in the next Age be found more disadvantagious to the Crown then is perceptible in this; and therefore I shall not touch it (uncommanded) as to the politick part of it, but as to the Oeconomick. I shall affirme that we can ne­ver make any Lawes for the erecting Staple Commodities, and setting a stop to our unlimitted planting of Tobacco, whilst these Governments are distinct and independent, for on ftequent tryals when we begin to make provisions for these, our people fly to Maryland, and by this means heighten our publick charges, and weaken our defences against our perpetual enemies the Indians. Nor is this all, forby reason of these interposing Grants, we have suffered the Dutch to enrich themselves on our discoveries, who have in our pre­cincts setled a Trade of Beaver with the Indians, amounting to two hundred thousand skins a year, and supply our ene­mies with Ammunition and Guns in greater proportion then we have them our selves, but God be thanked as yet, they, their Towns and Trade are in the Kings power, when ever he shall command them either to quit their Usurpations, or to acknowledge their Subjection to him in those parts.

Another great impediment has been, the confining the Planters to Trade only with the English, this no good Sub­ject or Englishman will oppose, if it be found either bene­ficial to the Crown or our Mother-Nation; but if it shall appear that neither of these are advantaged by it, then we cannot but resent, that forty thousand people should be impoverish'd to enrich little more then forty Merchants, who [Page 7] being the only buyers of our Tobacco, give us what they please for it, and after it is here, sell it how they please; and indeed have forty thousand servants in us at cheaper rates, then any other men have slaves, for they find them Meat, Drink and Clothes, we furnish our selves and their Sea-men with Meat and Drink, and all our sweat and labour, as they order us, will hardly procure us course clothes to keep us from the extremities of heat and cold: yet if these pressures of us did advance the Customs, or benefit the Nation, we should not repine; but that it does the contrary to both, I shall easily e­vidence when commanded.

Another hinderance has been, the want of a publick Stock to enable us to procure able men for the finding all sorts of Mines, making Iron of those Mines that are found, Ship-Carpenters, men skilful in Hemp, Flax and Silk, for the last of which no Country in the world is more naturally provi­ded then Virginia is; and as by the feet we guesse at the pro­portions of men, so we can experimentally say, that within seaven years, if we are assisted and commanded, we shall bring in yearly as much Silk into England, as now costs the Nation two hundred thousand pounds sterling at least. Flax, Hemp and Pitch would alwayes be according to the num­bers and possibility of the labours of the Planters.

On the whole matter, let it be considered, whether or no the English Plantations are not proportioned in a short time to supply us withall those Commodities, which now we have at great charge and hazard from Turky, Persia, Germany, Po­land, and Russia: the Wines, Oyles, and Fruites of France and Spain, our distance will ever hinder us from introducing at the same rates we have it now from them.

It has, as I intimated, been highly imputed to us by divers wise men, who onely contemplate the natural richnesse of our Soyle, and by that weigh and measure our faults and neg­lects, that we have not imployed our cares and industry, in producing more staple commodities then hitherto we have attempted. This none can more severely resent then the poor Planter himself in frequent consultations has done, who by many tryals have found their case to be like those Architects, [Page 8] who can design excellent Buildings, but have not skill to square their Timber, or lay their Bricks, and for want of mo­ney to procure men for these labours, their models remaine onely in their imaginations or papers: This is our case, who without a publick assistance can neither survive our poverty, nor the remedys of it, without an universal present pressure, as to the Inhabitants of the Colony; for men of manufacture will not be procured, but on great wages, to leave their Coun­trey, and hazard (as they style it) their lives: this the poor Planter cannot do, whose sweat and labours amount to no more, then to clothe and provide for the ordinary necessities of his indigent Family.

To remedy this, and to procuré us able men to set us in a way of staple commodities, at my departure from Virginia I was desired by the Assembly to make this Proposal to His Sacred Majesty and his Council, to adde one penny more to the Customs of our Tobacco, and give it to the Countrey; which, if granted, will pay all the publick charges of the Countrey, furnish us with Magazines to resist the Indians, build Mills for Iron and Planks, procure us on good Salaries able men for Silk, Cordage, Mines and Flax; and all this will be done at the expence onely of an indulgent Grant: for who payes this but the poor Planter, whose Tobacco must sell for lesse, the more is imposed on it? But a nearer way to a publick unquarrelled contribution they cannot find, having this Axiom firmly fixt in them, That never any Community of people had good done to them, but against their wills.

In order to this we shall here declare what we have been necessitated to do these last two years, when war and other emergencies had involved the Plantation into debts inextri­cable in an ordinary leavy; which was to lay a Tax of two shillings the Hogshead on every one exported. This though the Merchant made us pay, yet we found it an easier and rea­dier way to defray the publick charges: this (if the proposi­tions of the Customs be not granted) we desire His Majesties Council will advance to three or four shillings the Hogshead, which will pay all publick Officers, and enable us to begin the making Iron, and other necessary works, for the enriching our native Kingdom and our selves.

[Page 9] And another Proposal they desired me to make, which is this, That such Ships as were built in the Countrey, might carry their goods to what Port they pleased. This they hoped would be easily granted, because by this means the excellency of their Timber and Masts (of both which there is now a visible scarcity in England) would be known, and when known the Timber of England might be spared for many years, and Ships of the greatest magnitude built there cheaper then possibly they can be in England; but if the first be granted, we shall leave this to the wisdom, exigence and care of those His Majesty imployes in those affairs.

To conclude and animate the care, providence and indul­gence the Nation ought to have of forreign Plantations, let these few considerations be duly poised.

First, it is not yet forty years when there was not one Eng­lishman in any Plantation of America, save onely four or five hundred left in 1622. after the Massacre in Virginia; and now there is in the West Indies at least three hundred thousand Eng­lish, and of English extraction.

Secondly, if we examine the Customs, we shall find the fourth part of them arise from the Plantations in America. This is a wealth our fathers never knew, and in humane pro­bability will increase on us every year.

Thirdly, those commodities we were wont to purchase at great rates and hazards, we now purchase at half the usual prices. Nor is this all, but we buy them with our own Ma­nufactures, which here at home imploy thousands of poor people.

Fourthly, when in the past Ages to disburden the King­dom of indigent younger Brothers, whom the peculiar policy of this Nation condemned to poverty or War, we were forced to undertake the assistance of Rebels, which God of late has revenged on our own bowels; now there can be no necessity of that sin or misery, for a small summe of money will enable a younger Brother to erect a flourishing Family in a new World; and adde more Strength, Wealth, and Honour, to his Native Country, then thousands did before, that dyed for­gotten and unrewarded in an unjust War.

[Page 10] I should now have ended, but that I think it is expected from me, who have lived twenty years in America, that I should declare the power, interest, and wealth we have by our Plan­tations in the West Indies.

To do this, I shall first propose to the consideration of the Reader, the few yeares we have had any footing in America, the eldest Plantation, Virginia excepted, not exceeding forty years, and yet so many difficulties happily overcome. Our numbers there are now at least two hundred thousand En­glish, and if (as in humane probability they will) our numbers double but every twenty yeares, in one Age more how great will our power, strength, and reputation be in this new We­stern World?

Secondly, let it be considered what summes of Money was in the last Age exhausted from us for Sugar, Cotten, Drugges, Dyings, and Tobacco, and how easily now we sup­ply our selves with these, and also bring home enough to bal­lance many other forraign necessities.

Thirdly, let us contemplate the respect we have from most of the Princes and States of Europe, by our power and strength in America; the Dutch I know would not willingly quit their interest in the Indies for ten Millions of Money; yet all they have there is in the Kings power, when any just occasion shall provoke his displeasure.

The French, it is true, have not many considerable places there: But yet the Indies, as they term it, are of so Friand agust, that they would not willingly quit their holds in it, nor their pretentions to it.

But the Spaniards, whose interest is greatest, is most jealous of our power there, and we most formidable to him by it.

I will not presume to Counsel, but to give a Memorial I will; that if now we vigorously and prudently manage our late acquired possessions in the Heart and Navel of His Do­minions, he will with great caution and respect exasperate our King and Nation: And when our power is increased and setled, then evidently to one of these two conditions we shall bring him; either to admit of a Trade with us, or have his Bullion come home in our Ships which of these [Page 11] will be most advantagious I cannot readily tell; but both, or either will be of high concernment to His Majesty and people.

To do this with most ease and lesse charge, I think the best expedient is to encourage and admonish the lesser Islands (all but the Barbadoes) to remove thither, as they are, they are neither of any mutual strength to themselves, nor con­tribute any honour or emolument to the Nation, but when once they are incorporated into one body, how secure will they be amongst themselves, how terrible to their opposers? and in case a good temprement does produce a peace, how little will the charge be of assuring it to be lasting; for the more men, the lesse need of Souldiers, and by consequence the diffus'd charge of keeping them lesse burthensome then when it is devolved on a few persons. To conclude, the King of Spains wealth is greater in the Indies, then the King of England; but our Kings subjects swords are more sharper then the Spaniards, which we had lately evidenced, but that God would not suffer the worst of men, Cromwell, to glory in the bravest of atchivements.

To make a Parallel betwixt Virginia and our other Island Plantations in America, we will take the Mistresse of them all, Barbadoes, for the other Islands, if now they were to be seated, would not be suffered uselesly to exhaust so many men out of our Nation as now they do; who being thinly planted and defencelesse, are exposed not only to the designs, but as I may truly speak it to the divertisement of their Ene­mies, who only passing by have taken the best of them with­out losing two dayes of their intended Voyage; this Saint Christophers and the Tartugos have experimented, and their weak resistance have made the Spaniard have false apprehen­sions of our Courages and Conduct: These then I will not particularly mention, but the Paragon shall be betwixt Vir­ginia and the Barbadoes, which does produce all those Com­modities in perfection, which the other Islands do but at­tempt to do this, I will impartially mention their indu­strious vertues and our negligent defects; and first, I will say that the bringing of Sugar and Cotton to be a Commo­dity [Page 12] of English growth, was a work worthy of a publick mark of Honour and Reward; for by it the Nation saves yearly a Million of pounds sterling. Cottens, Indicos, and Ginger were likewise noble undertakings; and to admirati­on perfected, and God forbid, that emulation should make us forbear to speak or lessen the designs and industry of the first promoters of these noble Commodities. But we shall say, that it is pity those men had not a larger field to exercise their vertues in, for like flowers they were quickly at their full growth and perfection, and a Nil ultra is fixt on them. But that our desires to honour them may not tacitly fix an accusation on us, I must here say, they had the happinesse to have no Enemy to encounter, whose swords were continual­ly in our bowels or apprehensions; that they lay more in the way of Merchants and men of War, by whom they got per­sons skilled in the Engines that made Sugar; that their se­curity from Enemies made Merchants, and other rich men, willingly venture their Estates thither, and therefore the comparison being as I suppose to be made between the pla­ces, and not the happy Conjuncture of the men that possesse them, I shall boldly and truly affirm, that there can be no comparison between the places relative to the future advan­tage of our Nation: For though Virginia yet only produceth Tobacco, as to the main of her Traffick, yet it has produced Silk, Flax, Hemp, Iron, Rice, Pitch, Tar, which are Com­modities more lasting and necessary then Sugar or Indico can be: and as our Numbers increase, so will our Wealth, when our industry and assistance shall equal theirs, which is clean contrary with them, who are already forced to expend one fifth part of their Merchandise to provide Victuals for them­selves and Servants. But the best resolution of this, will be, that being both of one Nation, we blesse God that has made us so instrumental to the Wealth and Glory of it.