x Preface.

In conformity with our plan, we have sifted and assorted this mass as
far as possible. The legislation of the Upper House has appeared in
the volumes already published: the records of the Provincial Court will
come up for publication later. In the present volume we give the
Council business proper, that is, the record of executive and administrative
action in the Province, from 1636 to i66f. The earliest entry in our
records bears date August 8, 1636, and occurs in a volume beginning in
1639; this would indicate that there was at least one book earlier than
any in our possession. A gap will be found from Jan. 1644/5 to Jan.
1646/7, due to the loss or destruction of the records during Ingle's raid.
We have done something towards filling this gap by inserting here
copies of proceedings in Parliament and before the Privy Council
touching Ingle and his doings; but fuller particulars will be found in the
records of the Provincial Court.

We have prefixed to the volume a copy of the Charter, taken from
the Patent Rolls in the Public Record Office, London, and have added
in the notes a careful collation with the texi published by Bacon. The
differences, though numerous, are unimportant, Bacon's being usually
the better Latinity. The reading " imminutione " is decidedly better
than Bacon's " immutatione."

We have also added a number of valuable documents, procured
(through the kindness of H. Noel Sainsbury, Esq.) from the Public
Record Office, London, the Archives of the House of Lords, and the
British Museum, touching various points in the history of the Province,
and explaining or complementing the domestic record. Among these
are the documents (pp. 15-44) relating to the settlement of Maryland
and the first difficulties with Virginia.

It may seem that there is a discrepancy between the running title
pp. 201-308, and that which follows; but this is explained by the
circumstances. In July, 1654, Governor Stone, who had previously
acknowledged and proclaimed the Protectorate, and declared the Province
to be held under it, was compelled to lay down his power and submit to
the Parliamentary Commissioners, which he did under protest, and until
he should receive orders from England. In January following, Cromwell
ordered the Commissioners " to forbear disturbing the Lord Baltimore
or his officers or people in Maryland, and to permit all things to remain
as they were before any disturbance or alteration made by you, or by
any other upon pretence of authority from you." About the same time
the Proprietary sent word to Stone to resume his authority, which he
did, and held it until he was defeated and made prisoner at Providence,
March 25, 1655. It is therefore correct to consider that Stone was
governor to this time, though his authority was in abeyance during the
latter part of 1654. On the other hand, the Commissioners, from their
point of view, were justified in dating their rule from July 22, 1654.
Both these facts had to be recognized.

As in the previous volumes, the Editor has to express his acknowledg-
ments of the constant and unwearying assistance of Mr. J. W. M. Lee,
throughout the whole work.