system of oppression. The negotiations were long, and display evidence
of signal diplomatic ability, together with elevated and patriotic views
of colonial rights and constitutional freedom. After many evasions and
much delay, the mission eventually proved fruitless.[276:B] Application
was also made to Secretary Coventry to secure the place of governor to
Sir William Berkley for life.

FOOTNOTES:

[275:A] Hening, ii. 519.

[275:B] Ibid., ii. 315.

[276:A] Account of Bacon's Rebellion in Va. Gazette, 1766.

[276:B] Hening, ii. 518, 531.

CHAPTER XXXII.

1675.

The Reverend Morgan Godwyn's Letter describing Condition of
the Church in Virginia.

THE Bishop of Winchester, during the whole negotiation, lent his
assistance to the agents; he also brought to their notice a libel which
had been published against all the Anglo-American plantations,
especially Virginia. It was written by the Rev. Morgan Godwyn, who had
served some time in Virginia; and he had given a copy of it to each of
the bishops. The agents make mention of him as "the fellow," and "the
inconsiderable wretch." They sent a copy of it to Virginia, thinking it
necessary that a reply should be prepared, and addressed to the Bishop
of Winchester and the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is probable that this
pamphlet is no longer extant; but the character of its contents may be
inferred from a letter addressed by the author to Sir William Berkley,
and appended to a pamphlet published by him in 1680, entitled the
"Negro's and Indian's Advocate." Indeed this letter may have been itself
the libellous pamphlet circulated in England in 1674, and referred to by
the Virginia agents. In this letter Godwyn gives the following account
of the state of religion, as it was in that province some time before
the late rebellion, _i.e._ Bacon's, which occurred in 1676. Godwyn
acknowledges that Berkley had, "as a tender father, nourished and
preserved Virginia in her infancy and nonage. But as our blessed Lord,"
he reminds him, "once said to the young man in the gospel, 'Yet lackest
thou one thing;' so," he adds, "may we, and I fear too truly, say of
Virginia, that there is one thing, the propagation and establishing of
religion in her, wanting." And this he essays to prove in various ways:
saying that "the ministers are most miserably handled by their plebeian
juntos, the vestries, to whom the hiring (that is the usual word there)
and admission of minis