mately brought nothing but ruin and disaster to the Jesuits themselves, and the cause they represented.

A thorough-going ultramontane in spirit, yet carefully hiding his priestly status so that for a time it does not even seem to have been suspected by the colonists, without tact or judgment, lacking both the wisdom of the serpent and the harmlessness of the dove, but ever the power behind the throne, Father Copley entered upon a policy of violence where gentleness and sweet persuasiveness would have wrought untold wonders. He was the worst enemy to his own order that Maryland saw in the early years of the Barons of Baltimore. him the old fable of the relative power of the northern blast and the genial influence of the southern sun might have taught an invaluable lesson. But that lesson he never learned. And so he went on his way, trusting to the arm of strength, and sledge-hammer blows to accomplish results for the souls of men. But it was then as ever :"Not by might, nor by strength, but by My spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts."

To

It was chiefly due, no doubt, to Copley's efforts that the few Roman Catholics who were on board the Ark and the Dove had accompanied the expe

dition. It is evident that when Lord Baltimore advertised for emigrants the Jesuit Society considered that it had in his new plantation a favorable opportunity of extending its influence in America under the English flag. Maryland, to be sure, did offer them opportunities in this direction denied them elsewhere. New England was forbidden territory to them; so was Virginia. But the Lord Proprietary of Maryland was a Roman Catholic, and with him, or rather with his relatives, they had great influence. What might not, then, his appeal for emigrants augur for them and for their Church? Why should they not accept the Lord Baltimore's terms and furnish him with just the settlers his province needed? The terms were good.1 Two hundred acres for every man sent out went to the successful agent. The society became one of Lord Baltimore's recruiting agencies; its

17

17 McSherry, P. 42. "The first Conditions were issued in 1633. For every five persons between the ages of fifteen and sixty, two thousand acres of land, at a rent of four hundred pounds of wheat-for less than five persons, at the rate of one hundred acres for each man, one hundred for his wife and each servant, and fifty acres for each child under sixteen, at a rent of ten pounds of wheat for every fifty acres. In 1635, for every man brought in, a grant was made for one thousand acres, at a rent of twenty shillings. Grants of one, two, and three thousand acres were erected into manors, with the right, to their owners, of holding Courts Leet and Courts Baron."

executive officer for this purpose being this same Thomas Copley, whose first venture as an emigration agent resulted in the sending to Maryland of not less than twenty-eight persons. But "doth

Job serve God for naught?" Father Copley subsequently presented on behalf of the Jesuit Society a claim against Lord Baltimore for six thousand acres of Maryland land. Successful, however, as it was, this process of acquiring land was too slow for Copley's energetic soul. He himself, with nineteen more emigrants under his charge, for whom he was looking for four thousand more acres of land, soon afterwards went to the new colony, where he inaugurated so specious a scheme of securing land from the Indians, that had it eventually succeeded, Baltimore would soon have had no land to call his own in all the Province of Maryland. But even Copley was not a match for Lord Baltimore.

CHAPTER XII.

"WHILE THE GOVERNMENT IS CATHO

LIQUE." 1

1637.

Sure 'tis an orthodox opinion

That grace is founded in dominion.

-BUTLER, "Hudibras."

With Mr. Copley's advent in 1637 the relations existing between the Anglicans and their Roman Catholic brethren were at once changed. Copley was of an energetic nature and matters were not moving fast enough. Putting ships in charge of angels, naming places after dead men, was all very well in its way, but it did not gain converts. The times demanded a more active and practical propaganda. Consequently, a new era of work had to be inaugurated. Aggressive work must be undertaken; the enemy's country invaded; sea and land

1 See Md. His. Soc., No. 28, Calvert Papers No. 1, Page 166. It is curious how jealously the Roman Catholics in common usage appropriate this title 'Catholic', because in their own official documents they style their Church "the Roman Catholic" or "Holy Roman Church." Lord Baltimore did not hesitate to speak of it as Romish, (See Maryland Archives, Council I, P. 1676,)

compassed to make a proselyte. Too long had the sword remained in the scabbard, and the standard of the Church been kept out of sight. Immediately the lot of the unshepherded flock became far from enviable.

To be sure, Mr. Copley was not the superior of the Jesuit order in Maryland. With his matrimonial record against him, that was out of the question. He was just one of those strong, masterful men who, without official position, simply by force of character wield a wide influence, and who have been known at times to rule even the holders of sceptres. Therefore it was that, following upon his arrival the policy of the Roman Catholics suddenly became one of aggression. And for this the time was opportune. Kent Island was shortly afterwards subdued by order of Lord Baltimore, and its Protestant settlement broken up. Among the sufferers was Gertrude James, widow of the English Rector of Kent Island, who had recently died while on a visit to England in company with Clayborne.2 Mrs. James still lived on the island, and although justly entitled to some special consideration on account of her husband's position and work, her cattle and all she had were sold away from her3 2 Allen, Md. Toleration, P. 29.

3 Ibid, P. 30.