THE SPEECH of the Honourable SR. William BERKELEY governor and Capt: general of Virginea, to the Burgesses in the Grand Assembly at James town on the 17. of March 1650/1.  
TOGETHER WITH A DECLARATION Of the whole Country, occasioned upon the sight of a printed paper from England, entitled An Act. &c.  
HAGH, Printed By Samuel Broun English bookseller. 1651.   

The speech of the Honourable SR. WILLIAM BERKELEY Gouvernour and Capt: general of Virginea, to the Burgesses in the Grand Assembly at James town on the 17. of March 1650/1.  
Together with a Declaration of the whole Country, occasioned upon the sight of a printed paper from England, entitled An Act. &c.  
GEntlemen you perceive by the DECLARATION that the men of Westminster have set out, which I believe you have all seen, how they mean to deal with you hereafter, who in the ●●me of their wooing and courting you propound such hard Conditions to be performed on your parts, & on their own ●othing but a benign acceptance of your duties to them. ●ndeed methinks they might have proposed something to ●s which might have strengthened us to bear those heavy ●haines they are making ready for us, though it were but an assurance that we shall eat the bread for which our own Oxen plow, and with our own sweat we reap; but this assurance (it seems) were a franchise beyond the Condition they have resolved on the Question we ought to be in: For the reason why they talk so Magisterially to us is this, we are forsooth their worship's slaves, bought with their money and by consequence ought not to buy, or sell but with those they shall Authorize with a few trifles to Coszen us of all for which we toil and labour. If the whole Current of their reasoning were not as ridiculous, as their actions have been tyrannical and bloody; we might wonder with what brows they could sustain such impertinent assertions: For if you look into it, the strength of their argument runs only thus: we have laid violent hands on your landlord, possessed his Manner house where you used to pay your rents, therefore now tender your respects to the same house you once reverenced: I call my Conscience to witness, I lie not, I cannot in all their Declaration perceive a stronger argument for what they would impose on us, than this which I have now told you: They talk indeed of money laid out on this Country in its infancy: I will not say how little, nor how Centuply repaid, but will only ask, was it theirs? They who in the beginning of this war were so poor, & indigent, that the wealth and rapines of three kingdoms & their Churches too, cannot yet make rich, but are fain to seek out new Territories and impositions to sustain their Luxury amongst themselves. Surely Gentlemen we are more slaves by nature, than their power can make us if we suffer ourselves to be shaken with these paper bullets, & those on my life are the heaviest they either can or will send us. 'Tis true with us they have long threatened the Barbados, yet not a ship goes thither but to beg trade, nor will they do to us, if we dare Honourably resist their Imperious Ordinance. Assuredly Gentlemen you have heard under what heavy burdens, the afflicted English Nation now groans, and calls to heaven for relief: how new and formerly unheard of impositions make the wives pray for barrenness and their husband's deafness to exclude the cries of their succourless, starving children: And I am confident you do believe, none would long endure this slavery, if the sword at their throats Did not compel them to Languish under the misery they hourly suffer. Look on their sufferings with the Eyes of understanding, and that will prevent all your tears but those of Compassion. Consider with what prisons and Axes they have paid those that have served them to the hazard of their souls: Consider yourselves how happy your are and have been, how the Gates of wealth and Honour are shut on no man, and that there is not here an Arbitrary hand that dares to touch the substance of either poor or rich: But that which I would have you chiefly to consider with thankfulness is: That God hath separated you from the guilt of the crying blood of our Pious sovereign of ever blessed memory: But mistake not Gentlemen part of it will yet stain your garments if you willingly submit to those murderer's hands that shed it: I tremble to think how the oaths they will impose will make those guilty of ●t, that have long abhorred the traitorousness of the act: But I confess having had so frequent testimonies of your truths and courages, I cannot have a reasonable suspicion of any cowardly falling of from the former resolutions, and have only mentioned this last, as a part of my duty and care of you, not of my real doubts and fears: or if with untried men we were to argue on this subject, what is it can be hoped for in a change, which we have not already? Is it liberty? The sun looks not on a people more free than we are from all oppression. Is it wealth? Hundreds of examples show us that Industry & Thrift in a short time may bring us to as high a degree of it, as the Country and out Conditions are yet capable of: Is it securety to enjoy this wealth when gotten? With out blushing I will speak it, I am confident there lives not that person can accuse me of attempting the least act against any man's property? Is it peace? The Indians God be blessed round about us are subdued; we can only fear the Londoners, who would fain bring us to the same poverty, wherein the Dutch found and releived us; would take away the liberty of our consciences, and tongues, and our right of giving and selling our goods to whom we please. But Gentlemen by the Grace of God we will not so tamely part with our KING, and all these blessings we enjoy under him; and if they oppose us, do but follow me, I will either lead you to victory, or lose a life which I cannot more gloriously sacrifice they for my loyalty, and your security.  
Vera Copia John Corker Cler: Dom: Commons.   

This speech being ended the pretended Act of Parliament was publicly read in the Assembly where upon (at the motion of the house of Commons to the governor and council) this following vindication was unanimously agreed on.  
WE The governor council and Burgesses of Virginea, have seen a printed paper bearing date at London the 3. of Octob. 1651. wherein (with other Plantations of America) we are prohibited trade and Commerce with all but such as the present power shall allow of: We likewise see ourselves branded in it with the ignominious names of rebels and Traitors, which we so much abhor, that we would detest ourselves if we thought they were deservedly imposed on us: And shall take leave to think we are unworthily slandered, till stronger proofs than we yet find, are brought against us to convince our judgements and Consciences that we are guilty of those Horrid Crimes. Therefore though we profess that our judgements and industry, have been long solely and necessarily employed in providing against the necessities of our poor families, and by Consequence should not presume that any Act or Transaction of yours could be worthy the public view: Yet since the plainest vindication of innocency is accepted, we shall intimate the reasons of ours, imploring charitable and abler ●udgments to perfect what we shall hint to them in our answers, to the Aspersions we find Authorised against us.  
And First whereas they say, That the Plantations in America were seated at the Cost and established by the Authority of some in England, and therefore ought to be governed by the laws of England. We conceive we may safely confess all this, and yet not run the Hazard of any misprision of guilt, nay we think, this only testimony of theirs were sufficient to clear us from the Aspersions of rebels, and Traitors, if we had no other marks of innocency left us: For we say, we were some of us sent, others permitted to come hither by the gracious favour of our Pious KINGS, sworn to govern, and be governed (as far as possible the place was Capable of) by the laws of England; which laws we have inviolably and sacredly kept as far as our abilities to execute and our capacities to judge would permit us, and with reason; for these laws only in such times of tumults storms, and tempests, can humanly prevent our ruins: These laws often enjoined us the oaths of allegiance and Supremacy, and they tell us, that no power on earth can absolve or manumit us from our obedience to ou● PRINCE, and his lawful Successors: These laws tell us that when we have done all we can to avoid it, we may resist violence with force, and in a lawful defence of ourselves, destroy any that shall endeavour to take away our lives or substance: These laws we profess are our guides and do believe we deserve punishment and infamy if we willingly, or wilfully deviate from them.  
Secondly suppose we were such slaves by nature as to be awed with the iron rods held over us, in what hand soever found; would not then themselves think we deserved the worst usage could be inflicted on us. For what assurance could we give of our new Loyalty, after having so childishly, and impiously, relinquished our old allegiance? Could we reasonably repine to pay with our own swea● and blood, those Garrisons which must be kept among as, to fix such volatile obedience as ours would appear to be? For as the Question is stated to us, we ought to yield to whosoever possess themselves of Westminste● Hall: Where we experimentally have found, the heads of divers factions and pretensions, have presided and excluded one the other; and we have no Oraculous assurance, but it may be so again; therefore in a Condition so dubious and uncertain, as ours would be (wherein no less than our souls are concerned) we desire them to permit us simple men to take leave to follow the perspicuous and plain paths of God and our laws, & that they would be pleased to remember that good charitable axiom in them, That none should be condemned till they here first Heard.  
Thirdly we are told of Great sums of money laid out ●n this Country: For all we have received we are most thankful: But surelyit will be no evidence of ingratitude ●o say to whom we owe most, & this must needs be acknowledged to our KINGS, who gave liberally themselves and permitted Lotteries to be erected for us: We confess private adventurers added much, and might have enjoyed the fruit of it, 
* In the year 1622 when there were but 300 persons lest alive by that Massacre.  If the first blow to the Colony, had not taken from them all hopes or desires of prosecuting that, which they so earnestly begun; But certainly what ever their liberality was, we should have avoided it more than our Rattle snakes, of it had inevitably made slaves, ourselves, our wives, children, and Posterity. Since the Massacre only private merchants have adventured hither for private gains, and we confess have supplied us with that, which we could not well have wanted, but this we suppose would be no convincing argument to France, Spain, or the Low Countries, for their subjection to England because these several places have been thus furnished by her. If then we owe any thing it is to our King's liberality, care, and protection, and w● beseech you give us leave to pay our acknowledgement t● them.  
Fourthly we are told of usurping a Government to our selve● We wish we could transmit our records to the view of ou● accusers; By them it would appear how little we deserv● this imputation. For since the beginning of the Colony w● have never innovated nor altered any thing in the main ●● the Government: But in case we had done it, what mor● likely Patrons could we choose, to protect us then those who accuse us? Grant we had banished, confined, imprisoned condemned, and excecuted those that refuse to obey the laws confirmed by many consummated free Parliaments would not those pardon and absolve us who have done the same to others that have refused to obey their edicts, when they in their consciences believe they ought not to acknowledge to be a Parliament? Yet the truth is, we have don● none of these things, no man here ever suffered in his perso● or estate: Concerning the differences in England, our lawe● keep them in better awe then to dare to speak against the Protector of them: 'Tis true indeed, 
* Factious Clergy men.  Two, chose rather to leave the Country then to take the oaths of allegiance and Supremacy, and we acknowledge that we gladly parted with them.  
Having answered these accusations, we appeal even to their own judgements that produced them whether we deserve those hateful names of rebels and Traitors: Bu● we believe they will still use them to us and others because those Lucky bugbears of rebels, and Malignants, have frighted divers to the desertion of honest causes: Yet being ●as we suppose in their own consciences) free from these ●nputed crimes, (though very short sighted in such subtle matters) we think we can easily find out the cause of this ●●cluding us the society of Nations, which bring us necessa●●es for what our Country produces: And that is the Ava●●ce of a few interrested persons, who endeavour to rob us ●f all we sweat and labour for: Therefore on the whole ●atter we Conclude: We are resolved to Continue our ●●legeance to our most gracious KING, yet as long as his ●●atious favour permits us, we will peaceably (as for●erly) trade with the Londoners, and all other Nations in ●nity with our sovereign: Protect all foreign Mer●●ants with our utmost force from injury in the rivers: ●●ve Letters of reprisal to any injured with in our Capes: ●lwaies pray for the happy restauration of our KING, and pentance in them, who to the hazard of their souls have ●●osed him.  
This is unammously consented to by the governor, council and Burgesses Teste Ro: Huberd Cl: Cons: Johan Corker Cl: Dom: Com: