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P. R. O.
Colonial
Papers.
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number of Counsellors and a confused Popularity, as being a
nurse of Parlamentary spirits and obnoxious to monarchial
Government. Hereupon an order was made the 8th October
1623 at the Counsell table, whereby the Company were moved
to give their assents for surrendring their Pattent and altering
their forme of Government, and a new one was proposed
wherein the right and interests of all men should be preserved,
which order the Company not submitting unto, a quo warranto
was directed for the calling in of their Pattent and an advant-
age being taken upon their mispleading, the Pattent was
condemned in Trinity Terme following, but for manie years
after noe Judgement entered and to this time not vacated upon
the Record in the office of the Rolls, whereby some that
sought the overthrow of the Lord Baltimore's Pattent for
Maryland in the beginning of the Parlament in Anno 1640
tooke out the Virginia Pattent againe under the broad seale of
England, Therefore thought by primee Lawyers now to be
unquestionably in force, and that of Maryland inconsistant
and void.
Thus in breife was the late Company disolved and a Co-
mission given to divers Lords and others for present direction
and ordering the affaires of Virginia And that they should advise
touching a better forme of Government for advansing and estab-
lishing the Colony, Then issued also several Proclamations and
severall orders of the Counsell Table, with great asshurances
under the broad seale and Privy seale, That all men with the
Adventurers and Planters should be asshured that theire rights
and interests should be conserved and enlarged onely alteration
made in point of Government, But both that Comission and
the renewing of the Company's charter expired, and all those
proceedings were delayed by reason of the death of kinge
James, which then suddenly ensued, The Principall Scope of
that Comission, was that they should found a better forme of
Government for the Plantation's advancement. And therein
was especially promised the conservation of every man's right.
Intentions worthy the wisdome of soe great a Prince. But
nothing was done by those Comissioners touchinge either of
those ends, nor by those whose prosecution these things
happined who haveing attained theire Private ends of spleene
and profit, upon the changes and revolutions of enshuing times,
deserted the interest of the Colony, and left her weltring in
her bloud unsupplied with ammunition and armes in the heat
of a difficult warr with the Indians, the burthen and charge
whereof, was onely undergon by the remayning Planters, who
thus forsaken by her former friends were constrained both to
fight and worke for their lives, & subsistance, and thereby
preserved the Colony from desertion, and at last restored her
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