land, than to joyn with such an indigent and
sottish people as were reported to be in Virginia.

Yet was not Virginia all this while without divers honest
and vertuous inhabitants, who, observing the general neglect
and licensiousnesses there, caused Assemblies to be call'd
and laws to be made tending to the glory of God, the severe
suppression of vices, and the compelling them not to neglect
(upon strickt punishments) planting and tending such
quantities of corn, as would not onely serve themselves,
their cattle and hogs plentifully, but to be enabled to
supply New-England (then in want) with such proportions, as
were extream reliefs to them in their necessities.

From this industry of theirs and great plenty of corn, (the
main staffe of life), proceeded that great plenty of cattle
and hogs, (now innumerable) and out of which not only
New-England hath been stocked and relieved, but all others
parts of the Indies inhabited by Englishmen.

The inhabitants now finding the benefit of their industries,
began to look with delight on their increasing stocks; (as
nothing more pleasurable than profit), to take pride in
their plentifully furnished tables, to grow not onely civil,
but great observers of the Sabbath, to stand upon their
reputations, and to be ashamed of that notorious manner of
life they had formerly lived and wallowed in....

Then began the Gospel to flourish, civil, honourable, and
men of great estates flocked in; famous buildings went
forward, orchards innumerable were planted and preserved;
tradesmen set on work and encouraged, staple commodities, as
silk, flax, pot-ashes, etc., of which I shall speak further
hereafter, attempted on, and with good success brought to
perfection; so that this country which had a mean beginning,
many back friends, two ruinous and bloody massacres, hath by
God's grace out-grown all, and is become a place of pleasure
and plenty.

It may possibly be worthwhile to compare the life of Virginia during
its first two generations with the far west of the United States from
the gold-rush days of 1849 to the end of the nineteenth century. There
again, as in the Virginia of 1607, bona fide settlers of moral ideals
and stability of life prevailed in the long run and developed
self-governing states which maintained the moral