Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/121

No. 33] the Assembly, and Courts of Judicature, to be remov'd from James; Town, where there were good Accommodations for People, to Middle Plantation, where there were none. There he flatter'd himself with the fond Imagination, of being the Founder of a new City. He mark'd out the Streets in many Places, so as that they might represent the Figure of a W, in Memory of his late Majesty King William, after whose Name the Town was call'd Williamsburgh. There he procur'd a stately Fabrick to be erected, which he placed opposite to the College, and graced it with the magnificent Name of the Capitol. §. 147. In the 2d Year of this Gentleman's Government; there happen'd an Adventure very fortunate for him, which gave him much credit ; and that was the taking of a Pyrate within the Capes of that Country. . ..

§. 148. This. Governor likewise gain'd some Reputation by another Instance of his Management, whereby he let the World know, the violent Passion he had to publish his own Fame.

To get Honour in New -York, he had zealously recommended to the Court of England, the necessity that Virginia shou'd contribute a certain Quota of Men, or else a Sum of Money, towards the building, and maintaining a Fort at New -York. The Reason he gave for this, was, because New - York was their Barrier, and as such it was but Justice, they shou'd help to defend it. This was by Order of his late Majesty King William proposed to the Assembly : But upon the most solid Reasons, they humbly remonstrated, ''That neither the Forts then in being, nor any other that might be built in the Province of New- York, cou'd in the least avail to the Defence and Security of Virginia ; for that either the French, or the Northern Indians might invade that Colony, and not come within an hundred Miles of any such Fort. . . . ''

§. 149. Neither was he contented to spread abroad this Untruth there ; but he also foisted it into a Memorial of Col. Quarry's to the Council of Trade. . . . Certainly his Excellency, and Col. Quarry, by whose joint Wisdom and Sincerity this Memorial was composed, must believe that the Council of Trade have very imperfect Intelligence, how Matters pass in that Part of the World, or else they would not presume to impose such a Banter upon them.

But this is nothing, if compar'd to some other Passages of that unjust Representation, wherein they took upon them to describe the People of Virginia, to be both numerous and rich, of Republican Notions and Principles, such as ought to be corrected, and lowered in time ; and that