my mind reverted to that bright sum-golden-hearted asters, in the humble mer morning when the little bare-footed home of the widow, Henry Chester and Irish girl so boldly defended her faith; Nora O'Hanlon stood before the altar and many times when my weary heart and pledged each other those willing could find no sweet haven of rest, have vows of love and faith to last through I thought truth surely must be the life, and in their hearts they added befoundation of a religion which rears her yond death. children in such faith and knowledge."

And now in the perfect enjoyment of home pleasures, Henry Chester often wonders how he ever doubted the power of a Christian woman to brighten life, smooth its cares and render its attain ment of future bliss more certain.

THE COLONIZATION OF MARYLAND.

BY ANTHONY D'AVALON.

The enterprising settlers of Virginia its dissolution in 1624, by a decree in under the guidance of the celebrated King's Bench, its vast possessions reCaptain John Smith, were the first to verted to the Crown, and were subseascend the waters of Chesapeake Bay, quently apportioned into new grants explore the Potomac and Susquehannah and provinces. Among those who were rivers and penetrate into the interior of benefited by this new apportionment of the country subsequently called Mary- the colonial land was the founder of land. The banks on either side of the Maryland, Sir George Calvert, who had broad rivers through which Smith and been previously interested in the fortunes his associates passed were covered with of the Virginia Company. Born in noble forests and luxuriant vegetation; Yorkshire and educated at Oxford, he while the natives, who, at first surprised had traveled extensively through Europe, and alarmed, attempted to oppose their and upon his return home, with a mind progress, were overawed by a rapid dis- enlarged by foreign travel, had received charge of fire-arms, and, regarding the an office at Court under the patronage whites as superior beings, danced before of Sir Robert Cecil, one of the principal them on the adjacent slopes and pro- Secretaries of State, and in 1617 was pitiated them by offerings of furs, fruits knighted by the King and appointed and venison. Returning to James- Clerk to the Privy Council. Two years town, the vivid description which the later he was named Secretary of State, travelers gave of the beauty of the and filled the office with such honor to scenery, of the wealth of the soil and of himself and satisfaction to his monarch the value and quantity of the furs shown that the latter gave him in 1620 a pension by the Indians, excited the cupidity of of a thousand pounds a year. Afterthe Virginia Company, and in 1609 it ward he held a seat in the House of obtained with its second charter an ex- Commons, first as the representative of tension of territory two hundred miles Yorkshire and again of the University north of Old Point Comfort. But upon of Oxford, and distinguished himself by VOL IV.-13.

eloquently and zealously maintaining out ships to defend the people of Avalon the rights and interests of the King, who from the hostile incursions of the French, rewarded his staunch loyalty by appoint- who held the territory lying opposite ing him a member of the Royal Commis- upon the adjacent continent. Various sion to whom the government of Vir- circumstances contributed to prevent ginia was confided after the withdrawal the fulfillment of the wishes of Lord Balof the charter of the Virginia Company. timore. The soil was more rocky and Amid the blandishments of Court, less fertile, and the climate more unCalvert retained an unblemished repu- favorable than had been represented; tation for integrity and honor, and was the colonial grant did not seem entirely rather a disinterested, able and indus- in accord with the declarations of Parliatrious statesman and faithful councillor ment in regard to the freedom of the than a wily and adulatory courtier. When fisheries, and the danger of attacks by in 1624 he became a convert to Catho- the French was incessant. There was licity, he conscientiously determined to no good reason why they should remain continue no longer Secretary of State, at the plantation of Avalon and subdue the instrument in a measure of persecu- the rugged and sterile nature of the tion against his co-religionists, and in country and wage perpetual war with a consequence resigned, saying to the foreign enemy, while other colonists. King "that he was now become a Roman were in the more distant region of VirCatholic, so that he must be wanting to ginia reaping abundant fruit from a wil his trust or violate his conscience in dis- ling soil, amid beautiful scenes and charging his office." King James did under a genial climate. As Catholics, not permit his faithful adviser to retire however, they could not expect aid nor from his service, but made him Privy- land from the Virginians, who expressly Councillor for life and subsequently Lord excluded them as such from dwelling in Baltimore of Baltimore, a small town on the colony. Lord Baltimore set sail for the coast of Ireland, near the city of Virginia; but being proffered the oatlis Cork, which was plundered and de- of allegiance and supremacy, which, as stroyed in 1660 by a roving band of then framed, were obnoxious to Roman Algerines and is now in ruins. The Catholics, he suggested a modification of spirit of intolerance which then pervaded their phraseology, to which he would in the breasts of his fellow-countrymen and all sincerity loyally subscribe. His offer the persecuting laws of the English was spurned by the bigoted authorities, statute-book caused Lord Baltimore to and he sailed away up the Bay of Chesdesire and encourage the emigration of apeake and visited the country lying Catholics to the New World, where they along its shores. The natural beauty would be free from the insults and op- of the scenes he visited, the fruitfulness probrium to which they were subject in of the soil, the salubrity of the climate, England. He organized a settlement in the grandeur of the forests and the mag Newfoundland under the title of Avalon, nificence of the bays and rivers that inand was extremely careful in the selec- dented the shores and traversed the tion of respectable, industrious and re- country in all directions charmed the ligious emigrants, and aimed to make mind of Lord Baltimore, and he immehis little colony a model one in all re-diately resolved to locate his colony in spects. To this end he did not hesitate this favored land. He returned to Eng to use his private purse freely, and fitted land and applied to Charles I., who

meanwhile had ascended the English was distinctly stipulated for in the throne, for a grant of the territory. Maryland charter, and while the auThis he readily obtained; for though thority of the Lord Proprietary was devotedly attached to a despised and very great he had no power of himself persecuted religion, Calvert had, by his over the lives, freeholds or estates of the moderation, integrity and distinguished emigrants. The colonists were forever services, procured the friendship and exempt from the payment of taxes to esteem of both King and courtiers. It the Crown, and the King reserved to may be presumed that Henrietta Maria, himself no superintendence of any kind. the Catholic Queen, exercised consider- over the infant colony. The Lords Proable influence in procuring the royal prietary were invested with the advowpatent from Charles I., and historians son of churches and the power of creatsay that in gratitude to her Calvert subsequently called the country which he obtained Maryland.

It is not too much to infer that such a devout Catholic as Lord Baltimore also intended, by adopting that title, to honor the Virgin Mother and to put the settlement under her protection.

ing a sort of feudal aristocracy on the system of subinfeudation. But the most distinguishing feature of the new charter was its provision for the preservation of civil and religious liberty. Calvert, though a devout Catholic, did not make any exclusive provision for the benefit of his own religion, but left every man

his conscience. The persecutions of Catholics abroad did not make him sectarian or bigoted in Maryland; but while founding the colony as a place of refuge for Catholics, he invited men of all religions to partake of its toils and benefits.

"Calvert deserved to be ranked," says. Bancroft, "among the most wise and

Charles I. was by no means reluctant to worship according to the dictates of to place Maryland under the care of a staunch loyalist like Calvert, when he knew that the French, Dutch and Swedes were each preparing to settle upon its virgin soil. The right of England to its possession, which they had called into dispute, would be vindicated by actual colonization and by force of arms if necessary. The charter granted to Lord benevolent law-givers of all ages. He Baltimore was a most remarkable document, and clearly the most unmistakeable acknowledgment of popular rights that ever emanated from kingly authority. It bears the evident impress of Calvert's noble mind and liberal feelings. After granting a territory much larger than that of the present State to Lord Baltimore and his heirs and assigns, to be holden by the tenure of fealty only and the payment of two Indian arrows yearly and one-fifth of all the gold and silver ore that might be found, the government was conceded to the Lord Proprietary and to the colonists themselves. Representative government, which found no place in any of the other colonies,

was the first in the history of the Chris-
tian world to seek for religious security
and peace by the practice of justice and
not by the exercise of power; to plan
the establishment of popular institutions
with the enjoyment of liberty of con-
science; to advance the career of civili-
zation by recognizing the rightful equal-
ity of all Christian sects.
The asylum
of the Papists was the spot where, in a
remote corner of the world, on the banks
of rivers which, as yet, had hardly been
explored, the mild forbearance of a pro-
prietary adopted religious freedom as
the basis of a State."

Lord Baltimore died before his charter was officially confirmed and published;

but, as a distinguished reviewer justly and endure every hardship, in order to observes, leaving a name more spotless enjoy the peaceful exercise of their reand a character more lofty than any of ligion. The freshening breeze that sprung the distinguished persons who were con- up, as the shores of England disappeared nected with the discovery and early set- below the horizon, recalled them from tlement of America, Columbus and the their sorrow, and they passed their time peerless Isabella alone excepted. His in admiring the thousand beauties of son, Cecil Calvert, who inherited his the ocean, and conversing upon the mild disposition and liberal views, suc- strange scenes to which they were apceeded to his titles and estates, and car- proaching. When but a short way out, rying out the intentions of his father in the fear of Turkish cruisers caused the regard to the colony, established it suc- vessels to lay to, until the "Dragon," a cessfully and left it as a patrimony to heavily-built merchantman, bound for Anseveral generations of his descendants. gola, joined company and proceeded with Having fitted out two vessels and col-them. A violent storm that shortly arose lected a body of emigrants, consisting of and threatened to ingulf the frail vessels two hundred respectable gentlemen, most of the expedition, caused the utmost of whom were Catholics, Cecil placed gloom to settle down upon the voyagers, the expedition in charge of his brother, and the sorrow of the company on board Leonard Calvert, and remained behind the "Ark" was still further increased by in England to attend there still longer beholding the "Dove" apparently sinkto the interests of the colony. On St. ing beneath the waves, under a furious Cecilia's-day, November 22, 1633, after burst of wind and rain. Their own situthe pious pilgrims had "placed their ation became gradually worse. The ships under the protection of God and "Ark," which was considered a staunch implored the intercession of the Blessed vessel, was beaten about for several days Virgin, of St. Ignatius and all the guard- before the fury of the tempest, after unian angels of Maryland" for success in shipping her rudders. The lightnings the enterprise, the "Ark" and the played incessantly around the doomed "Dove" set sail with a favoring breeze vessel, and a sudden stroke split the mainfrom Cowes in the Isle of Wight. sail from top to bottom; the waters As the adventurous emigrants embark- surged threateningly around her sides, ed upon the deep, and perceived the white and the passengers devoutly prayed for cliffs of England receding from view their succor, and received the holy sacrament stout hearts failed them, and their eyes at the hands of a Jesuit priest on board. were suffused with tears. They had torn At length the storm abated, the waters themselves away from home, country and subsided, and the "Ark" made her way to friends, and were about to cast their for- the Canary Islands, and thence to the tunes in a strange land among hostile Barbadoes, where she was inhospitably savages. England was as dear to them received. The missing pinnace, the as to her other children, but alas! their "Dove," which had been preserved amid mother, in a moment of delirium, denied the storms, joined company with the her offspring, and covered them with "Ark" at the Antilles, and the joy of all maledictions. Theirs was a sad exile the emigrants at meeting each other indeed; but they looked for peace and religious liberty in a far distant region, and were willing to suffer every pang

again was unbounded. They sailed to gether from the Barbadoes, on the 24th of January, passed Santa Lucia, and ar

peacefully, and purchase from the Indians for a trifling sum and a few trinkets, the soil upon which they settled.

Heron Islands, where they built a strong fort for their present protection. On the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin, March 25, 1634, they took solemn possession of Maryland, and offered up the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the first time within its borders. A procession was then formed, led by Leonard Calvert, the secretary, and some

rived at Matalina the next day. On the following day they reached Montserrat, inhabited by Irish Catholics, who had been driven from the Virginia Colony. Maryland, unlike the other colonies, After leaving St. Christopher's, where was founded peacefully, and with the apthey were most kindly received by both probation of its original possessors. The French and English settlers, they reached Indians were not ruthlessly shot down Point Comfort, in Virginia, on the 24th by Calvert's followers, as they were in of February, having been three months Virginia and New England, but on the crossing the Atlantic. Although the contrary, their rights, lives and liberties Virginians had sent a commission to were scrupulously respected. The pilEngland to remonstrate against the grims landed at St. Clement's, one of the granting of the Maryland charter, they received the new-comers in obedience to the express orders of King Charles, with all courtesy and humanity. After spending eight or nine days there, the vessels again weighed anchor, and Calvert as cended the Potomac in the pinnace, and, landing on an island, planted a cross, and elaimed the country for Christ and England. The emigrants, who were other officers, bearing upon their shoulwearied by their long and arduous voyage, hailed the sight of their new country with acclamations of joy. They beheld a magnificent bay, which might bear the commerce of an empire, a noble river stretching inland from their view amid scenes of extraordinary beauty, forests mighty in extent and gorgeous in vegetation, a soil rich and fertile, and a climate sweet and balmy, even in the month of March. But their joy soon gave place to apprehension of conflict with the natives of the country, for the savages speedily appeared upon the shore filled with wonder, but prepared with arms in their hands to oppose the landing of the pilgrims. At night, alarm fires Under the auspices of religion, libwere kindled on the neighboring hills erty and charity, Maryland was peaceto assemble the tribes, while messengers fully founded, and the blessings of Heav passed to and fro, carrying the strange en which the pious pilgrims besought, tidings "that canoes as big as an island, did indeed descend plenteously upon had brought as many men as there were them. trees in the forest." Notwithstanding these demonstrations of hostility, the colonists were subsequently able to land

ders a huge cross, which they proceeded to plant on an eminence of the island, and, devoutly reciting before it the "Litany of the Holy Cross," prayed the blessing of Heaven for the success of their enterprise. "In every other colony along the Atlantic," says McSherry, an historian of Maryland, "men, who had perhaps fled from persecution, reared up a persecuting altar, or an exclusive franchise: around the rough-hewn cross on the island of St. Clement gathered the Catholic and the Protestant, hand in hand, friends and brothers, equal in civil rights, and secure alike in the free and full enjoyment of either creed.”

In their intercourse with the Indians they were, as I have already remarked, extremely and rigidly just; but they