pioneers of the old south-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


south。　Baltimore　accordingly　asked　for　a　grant　north　of　the　Potomac。

He　received　a　huge　territory；　stretching　over　what　is　now　Maryland；
Delaware；　and　a　part　of　Pennsylvania。　The　Potomac；　from　source　to　mouth；
with　a　line　across　Chesapeake　and　the　Eastern　Shore　to　the　ocean　formed　his
southern　frontier；　his　northern　was　the　fortieth　parallel；　from　the　ocean
across　country　to　the　due　point　above　the　springs　of　the　Potomac。　Over　this
great　expanse　he　became　〃true　and　absolute　lord　and　proprietary；〃　holding
fealty　to　England；　but　otherwise　at　liberty　to　rule　in　his　own　domain　with
every　power　of　feudal　duke　or　prince。　The　King　had　his　allegiance；　likewise
a　fifth　part　of　gold　or　silver　found　within　his　lands。　All　persons　going　to
dwell　in　his　palatinate　were　to　have　〃rights　and　liberties　of　Englishmen。〃
But；　this　aside；　he　was　lord　paramount。　The　new　country　received　the　name
Terra　MariaeMarylandfor　Henrietta　Maria；　then　Queen　of　England。

Here　was　a　new　land　and　a　Lord　Proprietor　with　kingly　powers。　Virginians
seated　on　the　James　promptly　petitioned　King　Charles　not　to　do　them　wrong
by　so　dividing　their　portion　of　the　earth。　But　King　and　Privy　Council
answered　only　that　Virginia　and　Maryland　must　〃assist　each　other　on　all
occasions　as　becometh　fellow…subjects。〃　William　Claiborne；　indeed；　continued
with　a　determined　voice　to　cry　out　that　lands　given　to　Baltimore　were　not；
as　had　been　claimed；　unsettled；　seeing　that　he　himself　had　under　patent　a
town　on　Kent　Island　and　another　at　the　mouth　of　the　Susquehanna。

Baltimore　was　a　reflective　man；　a　dreamer　in　the　good　sense　of　the　term；
and　religiously　minded。　At　the　height　of　seeming　good　fortune　he　could　write：

〃All　things；　my　lord；　in　this　world　pass　away　。　。　。　。　They　are　but　lent　us
till　God　please　to　call　for　them　back　again；　that　we　may　not　esteem
anything　our　own；　or　set　our　hearts　upon　anything　but　Him　alone；　who　only
remains　forever。〃　Like　his　King；　Baltimore　could　carry　far　his　prerogative
and　privilege；　maintaining　the　while　not　a　few　degrees　of　inner　freedom。
Like　all　men；　here　he　was　bound；　and　here　he　was　free。

Baltimore's　desire　was　for　〃enlarging　his　Majesty's　Empire；〃　and　at　the
same　time　to　provide　in　Maryland　a　refuge　for　his　fellow　Catholics。　These
were　now　in　England　so　disabled　and　limited　that　their　status　might　fairly
be　called　that　of　a　persecuted　people。　The　mounting　Puritanism　promised　no
improvement。　The　King　himself　had　no　fierce　antagonism　to　the　old　religion；
but　it　was　beginning　to　be　seen　that　Charles　and　Charles's　realm　were　two
different　things。　A　haven　should　be　provided　before　the　storm　blackened
further。　Baltimore　thus　saw　put　into　his　hands　a　high　and　holy　opportunity；
and　made　no　doubt　that　it　was　God…given。　His　charter；　indeed；　seemed　to
contemplate　an　established　church；　for　it　gave　to　Baltimore　the　patronage
of　all　churches　and　chapels　which　were　to　be　〃consecrated　according　to　the
ecclesiastical　laws　of　our　kingdom　of　England〃；　nevertheless；　no
interpretation　of　the　charter　was　to　be　made　prejudicial　to　〃God's　holy　and
true　Christian　religion。〃　What　was　Christian　and　what　was　prejudicial　was；
fortunately　for　him；　left　undefined。　No　obstacles　were　placed　before　a
Catholic　emigration。

Baltimore　had　this　idea　and　perhaps　a　still　wider　one：　a　landMary's
landwhere　all　Christians　might　foregather；　brothers　and　sisters　in　one
home！　Religious　tolerancepractical　separation　of　Church　and　Statethat
was　a　broad　idea　for　his　age；　a　generous　idea　for　a　Roman　Catholic　of　a
time　not　so　far　removed　from　the　mediaeval。　True；　wherever　he　went　and
whatever　might　be　his　own　thought　and　feeling；　he　would　still　have　for
overlord　a　Protestant　sovereign；　and　the　words　of　his　charter　forbade　him
to　make　laws　repugnant　to　the　laws　of　England。　But　Maryland　was　distant；
and　wise　management　might　do　much。　Catholics；　Anglicans；　Puritans；
Dissidents；　and　Nonconformists　of　almost　any　physiognomy；　might　come　and　be
at　home；　unpunished　for　variations　in　belief。

Only　the　personal　friendship　of　England's　King　and　the　tact　and　suave
sagacity　of　the　Proprietary　himself　could　have　procured　the　signing　of　this
charter；　since　it　was　knownas　it　was　to　all　who　cared　to　busy　themselves
with　the　matter…that　here　was　a　Catholic　meaning　to　take　other　Catholics；
together　with　other　scarcely　less　abominable　sectaries；　out　of　the　reach　of
Recusancy　Acts　and　religious　pains　and　penalties；　to　set　them　free　in
England…in…America；　and；　raising　there　a　state　on　the　novel　basis　of　free
religion；　perhaps　to　convert　the　heathen　to　all　manner　of　rrors；　and　embark
on　mischiefs　far　too　large　for　definition。　Taking　things　as　they　were　in
the　world；　remembering　acts　of　the　Catholic　Church　in　the　not　distant　past；
the　ill…disposed　might　find　some　color　for　the　agitation　which　presently　did
arise。　Baltimore　was　known　to　be　in　correspondence　with　English　Jesuits；　and
it　soon　appeared　that　Jesuit　priests　were　to　accompany　the　first　colonists。　At
that　time　the　Society　of　Jesus　loomed　large　both　politically　and
educationally。　Many　may　have　thought　that　there　threatened　a　Rome　in　America。
But；　however　that　may　have　been；　there　was　small　chance　for　any　successful
opposition　to　the　charter；　since　Parliament　had　been　dissolved　by　the　King；
not　to　be　summoned　again　for　eleven　years。　The　Privy　Council　was　subservient；
and；　as　the　Sovereign　was　his　friend；　Baltimore　saw　the　signing　of　the　charter
assured　and　began　to　gather　together　his　first　colonists。　Then；　somewhat
suddenly；　in　April；　1632；　he　sickened；　and　died　at　the　age　of　fifty…three。

His　son；　Cecil　Calvert；　second　Lord　Baltimore；　took　up　his　father's　work。
This　young　man；　likewise　able　and　sagacious；　and　at　every　step　in　his
father's　confidence；　could　and　did　proceed　even　in　detail　according　to　what
had　been　planned。　All　his　father's　rights　had　descended　to　him；　in　Maryland
he　was　Proprietary　with　as　ample　power　as　ever　a　Count　Palatine　had
enjoyed。　He　took　up　the　advantage　and　the　burden。

The　father's　idea　had　been　to　go　with　his　colonists　to　Maryland；　and　this
it　seems　that　the　son　also　meant　to　do。　But　now；　in　London；　there　deepened
a　clamor　against　such　Catholic　enterprise。　Once　he　were　away；　lips　would　be
at　the　King's　ear。　And　with　England　so　restless；　in　a　turmoil　of　new
thought；　it　might　even　arise　that　King　and　Privy　Council　would　find　trouble
in　acting　after　their　will；　good　though　that　might　be。　The　second　Baltimore
therefore　remained　in　England　to　safeguard　his　charter　and　his　interests。

The　family　of　Baltimore　was　an　able　one。　Cecil　Calvert　had　two　brothers；
Leonard　and　George；　and　these　would　go　to　Maryland　in　his　place。　Leonard　he
made　Governor　and　Lieutenant…general；　and　appointed　him　councilor。　Ships
were　made　readythe　Ark　of　three　hundred　tons　and　the　Dove　of　fifty。　The
colonists　went　aboard　at　Gravesend；　where　these　ships　rode　at　anchor。　Of
the　company　a　great　number　were　Protestants；　willing　to　take　land；　if　their
condition　were　bettered　so；　with　Catholics。　Difficulties　of　many　kinds　kept
them　all　long　at　the　mouth　of　the　Thames；　but　at　last；　late　in　November；
1633；　the　Ark　and　the　Dove　set　sail。　Touching　at　the　Isle　of　Wight；　they
took　aboard　two　Jesuit　priests；　Father　White　and　Father　Altham；　and　a
number　of　other　colonists。　Baltimore　reported　that　the　expedition　consisted
of　〃two　of　my　brothers　with　very　near　twenty　other　gentlemen　of　very　good
fashion；　and　three　hundred　labouring　men　well　provided　in　all　things。〃

These　ships；　with　the　first　Marylanders；　went　by　the　old　West　Indies　sea
route。　We　find　them　resting　at　Barbados；　then　they　swung　to　the　north　and；
in　February；　1634；　came　to　Point　Comfort　in　Virginia。　Here　they　took
supplies；　being　treated　by　Sir　John　Harvey　（who　had　received　a　letter　from
the　King）　with　〃courtesy　and　human　ity。〃　Without　long　tarrying；　for　they
were　sick　now　for　land　of　their　own；　they　sailed　on　up　the　great　bay；　the
Chesapeake。

Soon　they　reached　the　mouth　of　the　Potomaca　river　much　greater　than　any
of　them；　save　shipmasters　and　mariners；　had　ever　seenand　into　this　turned
the　Ark　and　the　Dove。　After　a　few　leagues　of　sailing　up　the　wide'　stream；
they　came　upon　an　islet　covered　with　trees；　leafless；　for　spring　had　hardly
broken。　The　ships　dropped　anchor；　the　boats　were　lowered；　the　people　went
ashore。　Here　the　Calverts　claimed　Maryland　〃for　our　Savior　and　for　our
Sovereign　Lord　the　King　of　England；〃　and　here　they　heard　Mass。　St。
Clement's　they　called　the　island。

But　it　was　too　small　for　a　home。　The　Ark　was　left　at　anchor；　while　Leonard
Calvert　went　exploring　with　the　Dove。　Up　the　Potomac　some　distance　he　went；
but　at　the　last　he　wisely　determined　to　choose　for　their　first　town　a　site
nearer　the　sea。　The　Dove　turned　and　came　back　to　the　Ark；　and　both　sailed
on　down　the　stream　from　St。　Clement's　Isle。　Before　long　they　came　to　the
mouth　of　a　tributary　stream　flowing　in　from　the　north。　The　Dove；　going
forth　again；　entered　this　river；　which　presently　the　party　named　the　River
St。　George。　Soon　they　came　to　a　high　bank　with　trees　tinged　with　the
foliage　of　advancing　spring。　Here　upon　this　bank　the　English　found　an
Indian　village　and　a　small　Algonquin　group；　in　the　course　of　extincti