Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1696/7-98. 81

     for inspecting and improving his Plantations in America and P. R. O.

     elsewhere, it is to the great and generall satisfaction of this Maryland, 9.

     his Majesty's Province, and of my self in particular.

       I humbly beg leave to give your Lordships a brief account

     of this his Majesty's province; before the happy Revolution.

     Whilst My Lord Baltimore resided in the Country all things

     were pretty quiet, but when his Lordship went away, he left

     the Government in the hands of the Councilh, the principal of

     which were Papists, and they had generally the places of

     profit and Trust, and the Quakers were in the Assemblyes

     and other places in the Government. As for the Church

     Governmt it was in the hands of some Jesuits and Priests: the

     chief place of their residence was within two miles of St Mary's,

     where they have a good brick Chappell, and about 5 or 6

     woodden ones in other places of the Country. Of priests, and

     Jesuits there is commonly six or seaven in the Countrey, and

     they have severall good plantations to live upon; but I sup

     pose they have allowances from England and other places, and

     from the people of their perswasion in this Countrey. The

     Quakers are also dispersed all over the Countrey, but more

     numerous, and also have more places for their worship. There

     were seldom above 3 or 4 Clergymen of the Church of England

     that resided in the Countrey, and they had no certaine main

     tenance, but only by voluntary contributions, by which way

     also the places for the publick worship of God, according to

     the Church of England, were built.

       Sabbath breaking, Cursing, swearing, and profane talking;

     some of the Men having two wives, and some of the women

     two husbands, whoring and drinking, especially the last were

     too much practiced in the Countrey, and seldom any were pun

     ished for these Sins. Few Schools, and those but very mean

     ones either for Master or House: But the Jesuits and Priests

     had some, especially one brick one at St Mary's. After my

     Lord Baltimore went for England, the Courts of Justice were

     very delatory, and the people were fined by Law, and became

     sureties for one another, as also for strangers on Navigation

     bonds, and upon severall other occasions; yet very seldom

     were the Fines collected, or the Bonds put in suit. I suppose

     the Jesuits and priests were willing to have a very loose Gov

     ernment both in Church and State, that they might bring the

     people to be Atheists, in order to make them Papists. To

     accomplish which I suppose they would not have mett with

     great opposition; by reason that the Major part of the Countrey

     was first seated but by an indifferent sort of people.

       The time betwixt my Lord Baltimore's Government, and

     the arrival of his Majesty's Governour the late Colll Copley,

     was very unsettled, and the Government very loose, but the

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