ans, and they
began to avow their aversion to the oath of allegiance imposed upon
them; for by the terms of it Lord Baltimore affected to usurp almost
royal authority, concluding his commissions and writs with "We," "us,"
and "given under our hand and greater seal of arms, in such a year of
our dominion." The Protestants of Maryland, no doubt saw, in the
political character of the Commonwealth of England, a fair prospect of
the speedy subversion of Baltimore's power; nor were they disappointed
in this hope.

In October, 1650, the Long Parliament passed an ordinance prohibiting
trade with Barbadoes, Virginia, Bermuda, and Antigua. The act recited
that these colonies were, and of right ought to be, subject to the
authority of Parliament; that divers acts of rebellion had been
committed by many persons inhabiting Virginia, whereby they have most
traitorously usurped a power of government, and set themselves in
opposition to this commonwealth. It therefore declared such persons
notorious robbers and traitors; forbade all correspondence or commerce
with them, and appointed commissioners, and dispatched Sir George
Ayscue, with a powerful fleet and army, to reduce Barbadoes, Bermuda,
and Antigua to submission.

Charles the Second having invaded England at the head of a Scottish
army, was utterly defeated and overthrown by Cromwell, at Worcester,
September the 3d, 1651. Charles himself, not long after, with difficulty
and in disguise, escaped to France. In September of the same year the
council of state, of which Bradshaw was president, issued instructions
for Captain Robert Dennis, Mr. Richard Bennet, Mr. Thomas Steg,[216:A]
and Captain William Clayborne, appointed commissioners, for the
reducement of Virginia and the inhabitants thereof, to their due
obedience to the Commonwealth of Virginia. A fleet was put under command
of Captain Dennis, and the commissioners embarked in the Guinea frigate.
They were empowered to assure pardon and indemnity to all the
inhabitants of the said plantations that shall submit unto the present
government and authority, as it is established in the Commonwealth of
England. In case they shall not submit by fair ways and means, the
commissioners were to use all acts of hostility that lay in their power
to enforce them; and if they should find the people so to stand out as
that they could by no other ways or means reduce them to their due
obedience, they, or any two or more of them, whereof Captain