stick and breaking
it, she added: "I fear the power of England no more than a broken
straw." Looking for relief from the odious navigation act, she declared:
"Now we can build ships, and, like New England, trade to any part of the
world;" for New England evaded that act, which her people considered an
invasion of their rights, they not being represented in parliament.

Bacon also issued proclamations, commanding all men in the land, in case
of the arrival of the forces expected from England, to join his standard
and to retire into the wilderness, and resist the troops, until they
should agree to treat of an accommodation of the dispute.

There was a gentleman in Virginia, Giles Bland, only son of John Bland,
an eminent London merchant, who was personally known to the king, and
had a considerable interest at court. He was, as has been seen, also a
generous friend of Virginia. His brother, Theodorick Bland, sometime a
merchant at Luars, in Spain, came over to Virginia in 1654, where,
settling at Westover, upon James River, in Charles City County, he died,
in April, 1671, aged forty-five years, and was buried in the chancel of
the church, which he built, and gave, together with ten acres of land, a
court-house and prison for the county and parish. He lies buried in the
Westover churchyard between two of his friends, the church having long
since fallen down. He was of the king's council and speaker of the house
of burgesses, and was, in fortune and understanding, inferior to no man
of his time in the country. He married Ann, daughter of Richard Bennet,
sometime governor of the colony.[304:A] When John Bland sent out his son
Giles Bland to Virginia to take possession of the estate of his uncle
Theodorick, he got him appointed collector-general of the customs. The
governors had hitherto held this office, and it was in 1676 that a
collector of the revenue was first sent over from England under
parliamentary sanction, and it is therefore probable that the
appointment of Bland diminished the perquisites of Governor Berkley.
Giles Bland, in his capacity of collector, had a right to board any
vessel whenever he might think it proper. He was a man of talents,
education, courage, and haughty bearing, and having before quarrelled
with the governor, now sided warmly with Bacon. There happened to be
lying in York River a vessel of sixteen guns, commanded by a Captain
Laramore, and Bland went on board of her with a party of armed men,