A. D, 1622, 317 



five company for it ; who, by their own power and rtrength, might pro- 

 ted their filhery ; which, however, was laid open to all the inhabitants 

 of the feven provinces in the year 1643, when neither the Enghfh 

 (who were engaged in a civil war) nor the Danes, by reafon of the in- 

 creafing power of the Swedes, were able to hurt them. But upon the 

 breaking out of the fecond war with England, the Dutch could neither 

 fpare their fliips of war nor mariners to protedl the great number of 

 their Greenland ftiips ; and therefor the Hates prohibited their fubjeds 

 from filliing there at all. 



King James, who flill had the propagation of the filk worm much at 

 heart, now earneftly exhorted the Virginia company to fet about the 

 cultivation of mulberry trees for that purpofe, and alfo the planting of 

 vineyards, fending thither printed inftrudions for thofe ends. The earl 

 of Southampton alfo, as prefident of that company, requefted the go- 

 vernor and council to diftribute copies of thofe inftrudions all over the 

 colony. 



The Englifli Eaft-India company now aflifled Schah Abbas, king of 

 Perlia, to take the famous town and illand of Ormus from the Portu- 

 guefe ; for which great fervice they had half the booty, and had certain 

 immunities alfo granted to them, as particularly, to keep the caflle of Or- 

 mus, foon after broken through, and to enjoy half the cuftoms of Gom- 

 broon, to which the commerce of Ormus was removed, though till then 

 only an inconfidcrable village ; which benefits, valued at L40,ooo a- 

 year, lome fay, the company enjoyed for fifty years following, and re- 

 linquiflied upon the commencement of war between Perfia and the mo- 

 gul, for a certain allowance of L3000 yearly ; long fince probably in 

 difufe. The Portuguefe removed thereupon to Mofchat, in the Perfian 

 gulf, on tlie eaft coail; of Arabia, which they fortified and foon 

 brought to be a place of great traffic, till they were driven thence by 

 the princes of that country ; fo that Mofchat is now a decayed place. 



King James again commanded all lords fpiritual and temporal, (privy 

 councellors, and the fervants of tlie king's and prince's houieholds ex- 

 cepted) and all gentlemen who have feats in the country, forthwith to 

 leave London, and to attend their fervice in the feveral counties, to ce- 

 lebrate the approaching feaft of Chriftmas, and keep hofpitality there ; 

 which, adds this arbitrary king, is now the more needful, as this is a 

 time of fcarcity and dearth. And in a fecond proclamation he enjoins 

 them not only to remain at their feats in the Chrifi:mr.s time, but al- 

 ways, till his farther pleafure be known: alfo that widows of diftindion 

 be included in this order ; and that fach lords and gentlemen as may 

 have law bufincfs in London do leave their families in the country, [f o:- 

 dera, V. xvii, pp. 417, 428, and alfo 466.J 



The Englidi Ealt-India company had at this time pofi"eflion of none 

 of the Ipice iflands, excepting Amboyna, where they had been fettled 

 far about two years paft. It had been agreed between the two com- 



