I 



UM E *KI C J. 



Chap. II. 



thincs wuh as great certainty as the ftate of humane Affair?, and the tranfient things of this Life are 

 c pabiror.n a well contin u ? d Form ofCovernment, wffere n it is made every Man's Intend to pre- 

 f«v 'he R. ghts of his Neighbor with his own , and ehofe who have the greateft Power have It hm.- 

 ed to the Service of the Countrey, the Good and Welfare whereof wh.left they preferve and pro- 

 mote they cannot mifs of their own, the Lords Proprietors hav.ng no other aim, than to be the 

 Seft Vkn in fc^unuey where every one may be happy if it be not his own fault, it being almoft 

 Is uncomtmble^nd mTch more unfafe, to be Lord over, than Companion of a m.feraolc, un- 



^J^feX^^ whoareatgreatCharge forcarmngonthis Plantation, 



have P ut the framing of a Government into the Hands of one, whofe Parts and Experience .„ Affair, 

 of^tafeare univerfally agreed on, and who is by all Men alloWd to know what isconvenient for the 

 richt ordering Men in Society, and fetling a Government upon fuch Foundations, as may be equa 

 f fe and la ing ; and to this hath a Soul large enough to wi(h well to Mankind and to defire that all 

 the People where he hath to do might be happy. My Lord Afito therefore,by the cenfent of his Bre- 

 thren, the reft of the Lords Proprietors, hathdrawnup, to their general fatisfaction, lometunda- 

 mental Confutations, which are fince, by their joynt approbatwn, confirm d to be the Model and 

 Form of Government in the Province of .Cirrf«i the main Defign and Ballance thereof (accord- 

 ing to the beft of my memory, having had I Copy thereof) in fhort is as followeth : 



Verv County is to confift of forty fquare Plots, each containing twelve tlioufand Acres. Of 



dram ■» oy -J thefe fquare Plots each of the Proprietors is to hav<h>ne, which is to be call da Stgeicrj. 



,h, t*iM. r« *^ f [hefe fquare Plots are to be divided amongft the three Noble-men of that County,* ;z. 



%Z%* a Lrtfe«4 who is to have four of them 5 and two c^c-r, who are to have each of them two 



,„:,.„ f an d ,htfe fquare Plots belonging to the Nobility, are to be call d Baronies. The other twenty 



apiece , ana t neie iqu*i r *$ .. p„n,.<fioo of ,h„ Peoole : And this Merhod s to be eb- 



The Model 

 orawn Uj> liy 



of Cattlttt*. 



four fquare Plots, ca!l'ciq<>/W, are to be the Pofleffion of the People: And this Method is to be eb- 

 ferv'dm the planting and Setting out oi the whole Countrey* fo that one Fifth o* the Land is to be 

 in the Proprietors, one Fifth in the Nobility, and three Fifths in the People, g 



2 The Sittnoriel and Baronies, thatis,the hereditary Lands belonging to the Proprietors and Nobi- 

 lhv 'are all entirely to defcend to their Heirs, with the Dignity, without power of alienation, more 

 than for three Lives, or one and twenty years, or two Thirds of their Signiories and Baronies, and the 



rt adhere wll be alfo fome Mannors in the Colonies, but none lefs than three thoufand A«res in a 

 Piece^vliicl^likethereltotthe Colony Lands, will be alienable, onely with this difference, thatic 

 cannot be pa reel I'd out, but if fold, it muft be altogether. • 



4. There i$ to be a Biennial Parliament, confiding of the eight Proprietors, the Landgraves and 

 Catiqua, and one out of every Precinc*, that is the fix neighboring Colonies for the Peoole, 

 choien by the Freeholders \ thefe are to fit and Vote altogether for the making of Laws, which (hall 

 be in fo: ce no longer than fixty years after their Enacting, the great mifchief of moft Governments, 

 bv which not onely the People are mightily entangled by multiplicity of Rules and Penalties, and 

 thereby laid open to the Malice and Dengns oftroublefom Men and cunning Projectors * but, which 

 is far worfe, the whole frame of the.Government in trad of time comes to be remov'd from its origi- 

 nal Foundation, and thereby becomes more weak and tottering. 



k. There are eight fupream Courts for the difpatch of allpubhck Affairs 5 thehrlrconliits or the 

 TMiine, who is theeldeft of the Proprietors, and hath power to call Parliaments, and difpofe ot 

 publick Offices. The other feven fupream Courts ate, 1. The chief Juftices for the determining of 

 Controverts oiMeum and 'Umm, and judging or Criminals. 2. The Chancellors, for palling of Char- 

 ten, and managing the State Matters of the Province. a.TheHigh-Conftables, for Military Affairs. 

 4. The Admirals, for Maritime Affairs. 5. The High-Ste wards, for Trade. 6.TheTreafurers,forthe 

 publick Stock 5 and 7. The Chamberlains, for Ceremonies, FalYionsJVlarriages, Burials^ c. Thefe 

 ire t:ie feven fupream Courts, to whom lies the ultimate Appeal in all Caufes belonging to them. 

 Each of thefe Courts coniifh of one Proprietor, and fix other Councilors, whereof two are cbofen 

 by the Nobility, and two by the People. All the number of thefe eight Courts joyn'd together make 

 the Grand Council, which are in the nature of a Council of State, and are entrufted with the ma- 

 nasementof Affairs of greateft concernment. There is alfo in every Countya Couit, andinevery 

 Pllcjntf another \ from the Precincf Court there lies an Appeal to the County Court, and from the 

 County Cowrt to the Proprietors Court, to which the Matter in queftion belongs, and there is the 

 lalt decifion and determination thereof, without any farther Appeal. And to keep the People from 

 the Charges and vexation of long Suits, to the enriching of Men cunning in Words, care is taken, 

 that no Caufe fiiallbe TryM more than once in anyone Court, and that profefs'd Pleaders for 

 Money (hail not be allow'd. 



Liberty of Conscience is here alfo allow'd in the greateft latitude, but yet fo, that neither Atheifts, 

 or Men of iio Religion, are permitted 5 Atheifm, Irreligion, and vicious" Lives being condemn'd, 

 as difagreeable to humane Nature, inconilftent with Government and Societies, and deftruchve to all 

 thatisufeful to, or becoming of Mankind 5 as on the other hand, rigorous Impofing of, and hot 

 Contentions about the Ceremonies and Circumftances of Religion, is an occafion of perpetual Strife, 

 Faction and Divifion, keeps Men from fedate and temperate Enquiries after Truth, eats out the great 

 Cement of humane Converfation, charity, and cannot be found in any one, who bath butmodefry 

 enough to think himfelf lefs than a rope, and lhort of Infallibility- 



There is alfo to be a Regifter of all Grants and Conveyances of Land, to prevent even the occali- 

 ons of Controversies and Law-Suits. 



There are feveral other lefs confiderable Particulars in this Government, all contriv'd andde- 

 fign'd for the good and welfare of the People^ all which are fo well put together, and in fuch equal 

 proportion ballance each other, that fome judicious Men who have feen it,fay , it is the beft and faireft 

 Frame, for the well-being of thofe who (hall live under it, of any they have feen or read of. 



w C H A "• 



