CHAP. IX. Hampshire should be represented. But, in spite of the opinions of Sawyer and Finch, his attorney and solicitor 1685. 9 Septem. general, James expressly directed "that no mention of an Assembly be made in the Commission." This, however, was only following out the order of the late king in November, 1684. Joseph Dudley, for whose loyalty Dongan 27 Septem. vouched, was accordingly appointed president, and seven8 October. teen others counselors, of that part of New England ingland reg- cluding Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and the New En ulated. Narragansett Country, or the King's Province, to govern the same until the "chief Governor" should arrive. As his special reward, Randolph had his previous appointment 21 Septem. by Charles confirmed by James's commission to be "Secretary and sole Register" of this territory. Moreover, as the Duke of York's personal interest in the revenues of the post-office was now vested in his crown, Lord Treasurer 19 Novem. Rochester appointed Randolph, whose attention had been deputy awakened by Dongan's movement, to be deputy postmaster in North of New England - apparently the first instance of the kind in American colonial annals.* Randolph postmaster America. Septem. the English tions. While thus arranging a temporary government in New negroes in England, James took care to announce in his Privy CounPlanta- cil his resolution "that the negroes in the Plantations should all be baptized; exceedingly declaiming against that impiety of their masters prohibiting it, out of a mistaken opinion that they would be, ipso facto, free." This determination of the king was afterward practically enforced in the Instructions to his colonial governors. It appears to have been suggested by the second article of the famous "Code Noir," which Louis had just published at Versailles, and which required all slaves in the French colonies to be baptized and taught in the Catholic religion.† The King of France now took a step which moved both *Col. Doc., iii., 350, 364, 365, 579; Chalmers, i., 417, 418, 419, 463; R. I. Rec., iii., 178, 195, 196, 200; Mass. H. S. Coll., v., 244; xxvii., 148, 149, 161, 162; Hutch. Mass., i., 341; Coll., 543, 557, 559, 560; Belknap, i., 185, 186; Douglas, i., 413; Palfrey, iii., 395, 482-485; Force's Tracts, iv., No. 8, p. 13, 14; ante, 419. Evelyn, ii., 245; Anderson's Col. Ch., ii., 303; Long's Hist. of Jamaica, iii., Appendix; Oldmixon, ii., 130; Burk, ii., 129, 130; Martin's Louis XIV., i., 489, 490; Hurd's Law of Freedom and Bondage, i., 165, 185, 186, 210, 281; Col. Doc., iii., 374, 547. In Valentine's Manual for 1861, 640-664, are numerous instances of the marriages of negroes with negresses by the Dutch ministers in New York, from 1642 to 1683; and several children of such marriages appear to have been baptized: Val. Man., 1863, 738-834. In 1667, Virginia enacted that baptism did not free slaves from bondage: Hening, ii., 260; Hurd, i., 232; An. derson's Col. Church, ii., 344. Europe and America. His grandfather, Henry the Fourth, CHAP. IX. had made an edict at Nantes in 1598, which granted to 1685. Protestants full liberty of conscience, and many privileges they had not before enjoyed in the French kingdom. This edict had been respected by Louis the Thirteenth, by Richelieu, and by Mazarin. But, after the death of Colbert, and the secret marriage of Louis the Fourteenth with Frances de Maintenon, a great change happened. Roman ideas took the place of Protestant ideas. Huguenots, protected by Henry, were persecuted by Louis, who sent his dragoons to convert them to the Romish doctrine. At last the king 17 October. revoked his predecessor's Edict of Nantes. The conse-vokes the quences of this act were immediate and immense. Brutal Nantes persecutions drove more than two hundred thousand of her million and a half of Protestants out of France. The refugees sought new homes in England, Holland, Prussia, and America, where they introduced unknown French arts and industry. Scorning thraldom, genius renounced allegiance; and Schomberg, Basnage, Rapin, with a host of others, under freer skies, gave their talents and their gallantry to help the retributive humiliation of the vainglorious persecutor of their faith.* Louis re Edict of cessful in En William Penn had meanwhile been employed in helping Penn suchimself at Whitehall. Penn was an uncommonly adroit with James and selfish Englishman. He knew where, when, and how gland. to touch his sovereign's weaknesses. And he had the luck to touch James, to his own great gain. Yet, in his controversy with Lord Baltimore about the undefined boundaries of Maryland, William Penn had on his side the advantage of historical truth. When the case was brought to the king for decision, the rival claimants were politically equal. One was a Romanist, the other a Quaker. So James took up the question. As Duke of York he had, since 1669, denied Baltimore's claim to the Delaware territory; and in 1682 he had conveyed it to Penn. After patient hearings, the Plantation Committee reported that Lord 8 Novem. Baltimore's patent granted "only land uncultivated and inhabited by Savages;" whereas the territory in dispute had * Anderson on Commerce, ii., 568-571; Lavallée, iii., 257-263, 316; Martin's Louis XIV., i., 534-558; ii., 30-56; Anderson's Col. Ch., ii., 329-331; Wodrow, iv., 349-351; Burnet, i., 655; Macaulay, ii., 13-17; iii., 124; Evelyn, ii., 253, 254; Arnold, i., 496, 497; Palfrey, iii., 453; N. Y. Col. Doc., iii., 399, 426, 450, 650; ix., 309, 312, 425, 509, 540, 549. 1685. CHAP. IX. been inhabited and planted by Christians before his grant. Delaware, therefore, did not form a part of Maryland. But, to end differences, the committee recommended that the land between the Chesapeake and the Delaware should be divided into two equal parts, of which the half nearest the Delaware should belong to the king (or to Penn), and that nearest the Chesapeake remain to Lord Baltimore. 13 Novem. This report was approved by James in council, who orderabout the ed the division to be made accordingly. This decision esterritory. tablished the original title of the Dutch as they maintain Decision Delaware ed it in 1659; while it denied the rightfulness of the Duke of York's patent for New Netherland in 1664, and “invalidated the reasonings upon which England had always contended for American sovereignty."* Perhaps the most important result of Penn's visit to England was the introduction of the art of printing into the middle colonies of British America. Up to this time the only printing-press in the English-American Plantations had been the one in Massachusetts, which had always been under Puritan censorship. A new act of Parliament had 2 July. just revived the censorship of the English press, which had sorship re- expired in 1679. Freedom of printing was not one of England. the ideas of that age. But the necessity of the printer's Press cen vived in art was every where felt. That necessity had moved the council of Pennsylvania, when, in July, 1684, they "left to the Governor's discretion to have the laws and charter printed at London." So the proprietor, while there, engaged “a friend,” William Bradford, to set up a printingpress in Philadelphia. Bradford was then twenty-two years old, born in Leicestershire, and said to have gone, as a stripling, to Pennsylvania with Penn in 1682. He was now married to a daughter of Andrew Sowle, a distinguished Quaker printer, of Grace Church Street, in London, to whom he had been an apprentice. George Fox 6 August. therefore wrote to several eminent Quakers in America, that "a sober young man, whose name is William Brad * Col. Doc., ii., 88-100; iii., 186, 339, 340, 342-347, 362, 363; Chalm., i., 371, 650, 651, 663; Hazard's Reg. Penn., ii., 202, 203, 225; Proud, i., 290–295; ii., 208-211; Grahame, i., 327, 328, 521; Bancroft, ii., 308, 393, 394; Dixon, 222-227; Macaulay, i., 502-505, 050; ante, 150, 164, 367, 393; vol. i., 666-669. The boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland was run from Delaware westward, between 1763 and 1768, by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon, and is now popularly known as "Mason and Dixon's line:" see interesting papers on this subject in Hist, Mag., ii., 37-42; v., 199–202. print in day Philadel phia. ford, comes to Pennsylvania, to set up the trade of print- CHAP. IX. ing Friends' books." On reaching Philadelphia, Bradford 1685. quickly started his press; the first work of which seems to Bradford have been an Almanac for the year 1686, compiled by begins to Samuel Atkyns. This almost unique curiosity at this day was sharply censured by the critics of Pennsylvania. It stated, as a chronological fact, that at a certain day in 1682 was "The beginning of government here by the Lord Penn." These words provoked much Quaker wrath; and the temporary subordinate of the absent proprietor-without whose active friendship many probably would never 1686. have seen Philadelphia-ordered Atkyns "to blot out the 9 Jan'y. words Lord Penn" from his Almanac, and charged Bradford "not to print any thing but what shall have license from the council.' granted Hempstead Meanwhile an order of the New York Council in March, 1684, requiring the several towns in the province to renew their patents, had caused much anxiety. Dongan had a double motive to enforce it; for the king's revenue from the new quit-rents would be increased, and he would himself gain a harvest of fees. The towns did not delay when they saw they must act. Hempstead and Flushing made Dongan large grants of land to the governor, and obtained advan- and by tageous patents. Flatbush also got a new charter. After and Flusha long negotiation about boundaries, Newtown likewise ing. procured Attorney General Graham's approbation to a patent, which the council resolved should be the model after 20 Febr'y. which all those for other townships should be drawn. ents for Accordingly Brooklyn, and all the other towns on Long Island, with the exception of Huntington, in the course of May to this year obtained new patents from the governor. This result, however, was not gained without opposition. Easthampton was especially stubborn; and Mulford and others riotously protested against any interference with their old 6 October. patents. James, the minister of the town, preached a stir- 17 October. ring sermon against those who acted under the governor's order. The offenders were summoned to New York, 19 Novem. where Attorney General Graham filed informations against ton. * Penn. Col. Rec., i., 74, 82, 117, 165; Historical Mag., iv., 52; vii., 70, 71; viii., 274–276; Thomas's Hist. Print., ii., 7, 8, 91; Dixon, 208; Penn. H. S. Mem., i., 104, 105; Wallace's Address, 1863, 20-27; Statute 1 James II., cap. 17; Macaulay, i., 243, 579, 580; Lingard, xiii., 165, note; ante, 89, 145, 338. New pat towns. December. Easthamp CHAP. IX. them. They came accordingly, and humbly asked pardon for what they had done, which was granted; and, in the end, Easthampton was glad to take out "a more full and liberal" patent from Dongan.* 1686. 9 Decem. The Corporation of New York had for some time desired a new charter from the king, confirming their old privileges, and granting to them all the vacant land in and about the city. As Bayard, its mayor, was one of the council, and Graham, its recorder, attorney general of the province, a draft of the desired patent was quickly submit24 April. ted to the municipal authorities, who agreed to give Dongan three hundred pounds, and Secretary Spragg twentyfour pounds, as their official fees. The engrossed charter, having been read and allowed in council, was accordingly 27 April. signed by the governor, who caused it to be sealed with the ter for the old provincial seal which the Duke of York had sent out to city of New Lovelace in 1669, and which was yet the only one that New char May. Rensse laerwyck patent. 20 July. Release of the Van Rensselaers. could be used. The instrument itself is too familiar to need a particular description here.† Soon after signing the metropolitan charter, the governor went up to "settle his Majesty's business" at Albany, the inhabitants of which were anxious to be incorporated. Dongan had granted a patent for Rensselaerwyck on the 4th of November, 1685, to its Dutch proprietors, for which they paid him two hundred pounds. But after their patent was sealed it was found inconvenient, because it included Albany, which, being the second town in the government, should not "be in the hands of any particular men." Through the influence of Graham, Palmer, and Van Cortlandt, the Van Rensselaers now released "their pretence to the town, and sixteen miles into the country for Commons to the King."+ The governor accordingly executed a charter agreed upon between himself and the magistrates at Albany, for * Council Min., v., 63, 148, 161, 183, 188; Col. MSS., xxxi., 121; xxxii., 26; xxxiii., 66– 80, 99; Doc. Hist., iii., 213-218; Wood, 41, 103, 104; Hedges' Address, 20, SS-95; Thompson, i., 315, 336, 414, 468; ii., 14–17, 82, 105, 185, 193, 223; Riker's Newtown, 106–113; Stiles's Brooklyn, i., 200-202; Hoffman, i., 95; Patents, vol. v.; Col. Doc., iii., 333, 401, 412. † Col. Doc., iii., 360, 361, 365, 412, 425, 427, 495; iv., 812; v., 369; Council Min., v., 155; Min. of N. Y. Common Council, i., 272, 299, 300; Val. Man., 1844, 318; 1858, 13-24; Dunlap, ii., App. cxxxiv.; Hist. Mag., vi., 375; Doc. Hist., iv., 1*; Patents, v., 381–406; Hoffman's Treatise, i., 20; ante, 158, note, 409, 427. + Patents, v., 228-235; Munsell's Annals, iv., 145; Barnard's Sketch, 130–135; Doc. Hist., iii., 552; Col. Doc., ii., 558; iii., 224, 225, 269, 270, 351, 401, 410, 411, 455, 495; ante, vol. i., 535; ii., 258, 287. |