Bacon's Rebellion

welthey, with the meaness of there estates, when the came
fi rst in to the Country; and questions by what just ways, or
meanes, they have obtained the same; and whether they have
not bin the spunges that have suck’d up and devoured the
common tresurye? Questions what Arts, Ciences, Schooles
of learning or Ma[n]ufacteres hath bin promoted by any now
in Authorety? Justifyes his averssion (in generall) against
the Indians; Upbrades the Governour for manetaineing there
quarill (though never so unjust) against the Christians rites
and intress; His refuseing to admit an English man’s oath
against an Indian, when that an [In]dians word shall be a
sufficient proofe against an [En]glish Man: Saith som thing
against the Governour [con]cerning the Beaver trade, as not
in his power to de. . . . . . off, as being a Monopley appertaine-
ing to the Cro[wn]: Questions whether the Traders at the heads
of the. . . . . . s do not buy and sell the blood of there deare
Brther. . . . . . untrey men: Araignes one Coll: Coles¹ ascer-
tion [for sayi]ng that the English are bound to protect the
Ind[ians]. . . . . . or to the haserd of there blood; and so con-
clu[des with a]n appeale to King and Parliament, where he
[has no doubt] but that his and the Peoples cause will be
im[partially h]eard.

      [After this manner] the Game beginns, in which (though
never so. . . . . . the one side must be, undoutedly, losers.
This. . . . . . nce of Bacons was but the Præludum (or rath
. . . . . . e) to the following Chapter; without which the. . . . . . t
(in peoples mindes) be subject to rong interpre. . . . . . other
ways look’d upon to be, at best, but Hetro. . . . . . he inditers
good meaneing.

     . . . . .. his next worke was to invite all that had [any
regar]d to themselves, or love to there Countrey, the. . . . . .
Children, or any other relations; to give [him a meeting] in
his Quarters, at a day named, then and the[re to consu]lt how
to put the countrey in to som degree of safety, and to indevoure
for to stop those imminent dangers, now thretning the destruc-
tion of the wholl Collony, through the bloody proseedings of
the Indians; and (as he said) by Sir William B. doteing and

     ¹ For Colonel William Cole, see p. 23, note 1. The text here is an abstract
of Bacon’s manifesto, issued from Middle Plantation. See Virginia Magazine
of History, 55-63.