discharge release the pressure and repeat the process. In conclusion, the reader is invited to look at the engraving we have given of the first gun, and to compare it with the offspring of American ingenuity we have just described. age beasts and still more savage men who have opposed his course. Civilization has in its turn reacted upon fire-arms, and brought them to their present state of wonderful efficiency. In our opinion, these ends are all most simply and beautifully attained by the invention of Mr. Jennings. But of this our readers will be able to judge for themselves, by the above engravings and the directions for its use. Fill the magazine, on the top of the breech, with percussion pills or primings, and the Fire-arms are the great pioneers which tube, under the barrel, with the hollow car- have opened a way for the progress of civiliztridges containing gunpowder. Of these car-ed man, and given him victory over the savtridges the tube will hold twenty-four. Place the forefinger in the ring which forms the end of the lever, e, and the thumb on the hammer, elevating the muzzle sufficiently to let the cartridge nearest the breech slip, by its gravity, into the carrier d; swing the lever forward, and raise the hammer which moves the breech-pin back, and the carrier up, placing the cartridge level with the barrel; pull the lever back, and thus force the breech-pin forward, and shove the cartridge into the barrel, by which motion a percussion priming is taken from the magazine by means of the priming-rack c, revolving the pinion which forms the bottom of the magazine, and it also throws up the toggle a, behind the breech-pin, thus placing the piece in the condition to be discharged by a simply upward pressure of the finger in the ring. After the The heavy match-lock of three centuries ago was almost as dangerous to him who used it as to the enemy against whom it was directed. It would be almost impossible for a person to injure himself by the repeating rifle except by deliberate intention. Skilful military men advised the abandonment of the match-lock for the bow. A good marksman with the repeating rifle would kill a score of bowmen, before they could approach near enough to reach him with their arrows. The practised musketeer, in the reign of Elizabeth, could hardly fire his piece once in twenty minutes; the merest novice can fire the repeating rifle twenty times in one minute. CLOVER'S COLONIAL CHURCHES IN VIRGINIA. WRITTEN FOR THE INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY MAGAZINE. WITH ILLUSTRATIONS FROM ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY REV. LEWIS P. "Regarded as a building what is there to engage our attention! bering bill when bathed in the pure light of a summer's moon, its lowly walls and tiny towers seemed to stand only as the shell of a larger and wider monument, amidst the memorials of the dead. Look upon it when almost illegible tombs,-all that are left of a busy population long departed; -the germ, however, of a great nation, whose name is even now "a watchword to the earth." The rank grass waves above those mouldWhat is it which in this building inspires the veneration and affection itering stones-the green corn of summer rusomnande! We have mused upon it when its gray walls dully reflected tles in the breeze, which seems, in its "holthe glory of the noontide sun. We have looked upon it from a neighlow, solemn memnonian, but saintly swell," to have "swept the field of mortality for a hundred centuries," and that lone, ruined, vine-crested tower, stands, the only memorial of the house, and the Temple of God. Gone are the altars where knelt the adventurer and the exile-high-born chivalry and manly beauty-gentle blood and noble pedigree,-and where rose "humble voices," and beat "pure hearts," approaching the throne of the heavenly grace! Jamestown is a city of the dead, and precious is the dust of its pathless cemetery! pa and where we will, we find our affections yearn towards it; and we con- recollections associated with it."-MOLESWORTH. THE HE region of country in lower Virginia, bordering, or near the James River, from the head of tide water to the sea-board, is rich in the possession of memorials of goneby days, now turned up from the bosom of the earth, in the shape of arrow-heads, and broken war-hatchets-monuments, fragmentary monuments, of a race of forest-born mon- | archs: now appealing to the antiquary in When we turn "from the wreck of the past the mouldering records of the County Court that has perished," and stand beside those offices, and now, silently but eloquently, look- monuments which have withstood the "coring out imploringly in the ruins of churches roding tooth of time," and still stand investand tombs, which meet the eye of the travel-ed with the sacred and solemn beauty of anler, as he muses upon the faith and fortunes of generations long departed. Rapid as is the progress of steam upon those waters, which, in giving up their Indian patronymics, gave up the bold hunter and his lithe canoe to the progress of "manifest destiny," few are those who pass the venerable site of the first colony in Virginia, Jamestown, without paying a tribute of a sigh, and perchance a tear, to that solitary tower which is still standing a mute watcher amid the few tiquity, we approach in the venerating spirit of worshippers, and render our thank-offerings at their base. Such is likely to be the feeling with the pilgrim antiquary, as he stands for the first time beneath the shadows of that venerable cruciform pile, St. John's Church, Hampton, which has braved "the battle and the breeze" of nearly two centuries; and then, when he crosses its worn threshold, and treads its echoing aisles, the *De Quincey. wish must arise, involuntarily, to know something of the history of a spot so sad, so fair." With the exception of Jamestown, there is no portion of Virginia possessing as much historic interest as Hampton, and its vicinity. Hampton is the county seat of Elizabeth City County, which is one of the eight original shires in which Virginia was divided. The town is doubtless the oldest Indian settlement in Virginia, and it is a matter of historical verity that it was the first place visited by Captain John Smith after he had cast anchor in these waters. We learn from Burke, the historian, that while Smith and his company were "engaged in seeking a fit place for the first settlement, they met five of the natives, who invited them to their town, Kecoughtan, or Kichotan, where Hampton now stands. Here they were feasted with cakes made of Indian corn, and regaled with tobacco and a dance. In return, they presented the natives beads and other trinkets." We have no occasion to go specially into the history of this expedition, as it is well known to the student, that it was the result of a successful application on the part of a company, succeeding that of the ill-fated Sir Walter Raleigh, and for which a charter was obtained from James the First, in the year 1606, for the settling of Virginia. "The design," says Stith, the historian of Virginia, "included the establishment of a northern and southern colony, and among the articles, instructions, and orders," of the charter, provision was made for the due carrying out of that which is the highest end of every Christian colony, for it is expressly ordered, that "the said president, council, and ministers, should provide that the true word and service of God be preached, planted, and used, according to the rites and doctrines of the Church of England; not only in the said colonies, but also as much as might be amongst the savages bordering upon them, and that all persons should kindly treat the savages, and heathen people, in those parts, and use all proper means to draw them to the true service and knowledge of God."* This expedition left the shores of England, December 19, 1606, and, after a protracted voyage, occasioned by unpropitious winds, which kept them in sight of home for more than "six weeks," reached the capes of Virginia. The southern cape was christened "Henry," and the northern, "Charles," after the King's sons. This was on the 26th day of April, 1607. Accompanying this expedition was Rev. Robert Hunt, of the English Church, as the first chaplain of that colony, which, though few as the grains of mustard seed scattered by the morning wind, was the first planting of that tree which was destined, in coming time, to strike its roots deep down into the centre of empire, and to shelter beneath its strong branches, and wide-spread shadows, the exile and the oppressed, and * See Wilberforce's History of the American Church. to furnish home and altar for the pilgrim of civil and religious freedom. When we look around now and behold our country, "the observed of all observers,” exalting her "towering head," and "lifting her eyes," the mind instinctively turns to the colony of Jamestown; and we cannot but exclaim, in the words of the Psalmist, "Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; Thou hast cast out the heathen and planted it. Thou preparedst room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root; and it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river." But a sad memory for the days of toil, and struggle, and blood in that little colony, will remind us that this tree was not "transplanted from Paradise with all its branches in full fruitage." Neither was it "sowed in sunshine," nor was it "in vernal breezes and gentle rains that it fixed its roots, and grew and strengthened." Oh, no! oh, no! In the mournfully beautiful words of Coleridge, "With blood was it planted; it was rocked in tempests; the goat, the ass, and the stag gnawed it, the wild boar whetted its tusk upon its bark; the deep scars are still extant on its trunk, and the path of the lightning may be traced among its higher branches!" The first communion of the body and blood of our Lord was administered by the pious Hunt, May 4, 1607, the day after the debarkation of the colonists: and, "here," says the Bishop of Oxford, “on a peninsula, upon the northern shore of James River, was sown the first seed of Englishmen, who, in after years, were to grow and to multiply into the great and numerous American people." It was an offering, this first sacrament, of the "appointed sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving;" and we have an evidence of the pervading spirit of Hunt in that little band, when we remember that among their very first acts after rearing their straw-thatched houses for protection from the weather, was to erect the church of the colony. Hunt was succeeded, after his death, in 1610, by Master Bucke (the chaplain of Lord de la Ware), whose services were called forth the very day of his arrival at Jamestown. According to Purchas, "He (that is Lord Delaware) cast anchor before Jamestown, where we landed, and our much grieved Governor, first visiting the church, caused the bell to be rung; at which all such as were able to come forth of their house, repayered to church, which was neatly trimmed with the wild flowers of the country, where our minister, Master Bucke, made a zealous and sorrowful prayer, finding all things so contrary to our expectations, and full of misery and misgovernment." This state of things had been brought about by the treacherous conduct of their neighbors, the savages, domestic feuds, fluctuations in the quantity and quality of their food, bad water, "to "I, Nicholas Baker, being very sicke in body, but of perfect memory, doe make, constitute, and ordaine this my last will and testament, revoking and disclayming all other wills by me made. Imprimis, I give my soule unto God my redeemer, and my body to bee decently buried in ye new church of Kighotan. Item, I give and bequeathe unto Mr. Jeremy Taylor, minister, my cloath cloak, to bee delivered to him after my corpse carrying out of ye house." and severe climatic diseases. While "Master | the Court, requesting that Thomas Eaton be Bucke" was toiling with the little band at compelled to collect the parish lery, and make Jamestown, Whitaker (son of Master Whita- his returns. This fixes the fact, then, that ker of St. John's College, Cambridge) was in this was a parish, and that there was a church Henrico, whose deeds of love and patience in somewhere in this region in 1644, for, from his noble work we would gladly record, but the English laws respecting the clergy, the for the desire of approaching, as speedily as object of the creation of churchwardens is “ possible, the beginning and planting of the protect the edifice of the Church, to superinchurch in Elizabeth City County. The first tend the ceremonies of public worship, to legislature of Virginia was convened under promote the observance of religious duties, the administration of Governor Sir George &c., &c.* I find, in 1644, the following on Yeardley, in the year 1626; but before this record-"To paid Mr. Mallory for preaching we find, during the first administration of 2 funeral sermons, 800 pounds of tobacco." Governor Wyatt, nay, before that, during The next year I find the Rev. Mr. Justinian that of Sir Thomas Yeardley, in 1619, a start- Aylmere, who continued to officiate until the ing point for our inquiries and investigations early part of 1667. We now find, in those in regard to the Hampton Church. By refer- same records, the first mention of the church ence to the histories of the period, we find immediately under consideration, and it is as that the pay of their clergy was fixed at £200 follows, being an extract from a will, and worth of corn and tobacco. One hundred bearing date December 21, 1667: acres were marked off for glebes in every borough, for each of which the company at home provided six tenants at the public cost. They applied to the Bishop of London to find them a body of "pious, learned, and painful ministers," "a charitable work," says Wilberforce, "in which he readily engaged." Two years subsequent to this occurred the massacre at Jamestown, and two years after that, we find, amongst thirty-five provisions, From these extracts I learn these two facts, the following, for the promotion of religious knowledge and worship: That there shall that there was a new church, already built, be erected a house of worship, and there shall and that Mr. Jeremy Taylor was the minisbe a burial ground on every plantation; that ter, and the inference is a legitimate one, the colonists, under penalty, shall attend pub- taking into consideration the instructions lic worship, and that there shall be uniformi-given to Governor Berkeley, and acted upon ty in faith and worship, with the English by him, to which reference is made above, that the old church now standing in Hampton, Church-prescribing also the observance of the feasts of the Church, and a fast upon the built in the form of a cross, and of brick, a anniversary of the Jamestown massacre; not drawing of which accompanies this commuforgetting, by the way, to enjoin "respectful nication, was erected at some period about treatment, and the payment of a settled sti- 1660, or between that and 1667. That it was pend to the colonial clergy." In the instruc- not built before 1660, we have strong reasons tions given to Sir Williain Berkeley, Gover- to presume; and that it was built between nor-General of Virginia, after the return of that and 1667, we hope to show hereafter. the royal exile, Charles the Second, to the In the time intervening between the murder throne of his murdered sire,-passing over, of Charles the First and the restoration, there as we do, for the sake of brevity, much that would have been no churches built, we premight interest the reader during the closing sume, in the form of the crossperiod of the reign of James, that of Charles minions of Cromwell would not have allowthe First, and also that of the psalm-singing ed; nor for the worship and ritual of the Church of England, for the same reasons; and, moreover, the will above referred to, speaks of the church as being "ye new church of Kighotan." blood-hunter Cromwell, we find the recommendation of the duties of religion, the use of "the booke of Common Prayer, the decent repairs of Churches, and a competent provision for conforming ministers."* These suggestions, we learn, were at once acted upon by the colonial legislature, and provision was made for the building and due furniture of churches, &c., &c. This was in 1660. The oldest records in the County Court office date as far back as 1635. In 1644, I find the churchwardens presenting two females for offences, to the Court; and in 1646, I find that Nicholas Brown, and William Armistead, churchwardens, present one of their body to Burke Hist. Va this the The tower was an after thought, as we find of the writer. The following bears date 2d from the vestry-book, now in the possession day of March, 1761 : "Charles Cooper came into vestry, and agreed to do the brick work of the steeple, with good and well burnt bricks, and mortar of lime, at least fif teen bushels of lime to every thousand bricks so * Stanton's Church Dictionary. This Jeremy Taylor was very unlike his illustrious namesake, the Bishop of Down and Conner, for I find by living," whatever else he might have been when "dying." the records, that he was any thing else but a man of "holy J. Č. M. laid. The said Cooper to find all materials necessary for building the said steeple, and all expenses what kind soever at his own proper cost. The said Cooper to give bond for the performance, agreeable to a resolve of the said vestry on the 6 day of February last." And, on the 16th day of June, 1761, the record below is made in the vestry-book: 66 Agreed that the steeple as before to be built, shall be joined to the west end of the church wall, and that an half brick be added to the thickness of the foundation of the said steeple up to the water table." And, on the 14th day of July, 1762, the following record on the vestry-book will show its completion: of Kigquotan was of wood, or of brick, we cannot at this day determine. "Like the baseless fabric of a vision" it has disappear The last branch of this question, we prefer answering first. By reference to the administration of Sir Thomas Yeardley (not Sir George Yeardley), we find that, in 1621, among several other Colonial enactments, of worship, and the separation of a burial provision is made for the erection of a "house ground on every plantation." We presume, therefore, that it was about this time (1621-2) that the first church of Kigquotan was erected, and we have not forgotten the churchwardens of 1644. And now, in answer to built?-we have only to turn our footsteps to the other question-where was this church the "Pembroke Farm" (the property of John "Agreed, that Mr. William Westwood, and Mr. Jones, Esq.), about one mile from the town Charles Cooper, compute the number of bricks of Hampton, and, as we there take our stand laid in the steeple wall, and if they two disagree, among the few remaining tombs, shout "Eurethat they chuse a third person; and that this veska, Eureka!" Whether the old parish church try hath this day received the said work, so as not to affect the counting or computing the number of bricks laid in the said steeple." The occasion of building the tower is founded; but we opine it was wooden, from the in the extract following, made from the same source, and bearing date February 6, 1761: "Whereas the late Mr. Andrew Kennedy, did by his last will and testament, devise to the parish of Elizabeth City, forty pounds sterling, to purchase a bell for the church of the said parish, provided the vestry, and churchwardens of the said parish, shall undertake to build a belfry for the same in twelve months after the said Alexander Kennedy's death; and this vestry, willing to embrace the said gift, have accordingly resolved," &c. Now arises a question of some interest. The will of Nicholas Baker, made December 21, 1667, makes mention of "ye new church of Kighotan." Was there an old church of Kighotan? One older than this? We answer, yes! And now for the writer's reasons for arriving at this conclusion. From the old record of wills, deeds, &c., in the County Court office, and to which I have had access freely, through the politeness and kindness of Samuel Howard, Esq., the gentlemanly clerk of the court, I copy the following: "In the name of God, Amen. I, Robert Brough, clerke of Kigquotan, in the county of Elizabeth Citty, being sicke and weake in body, but in perfect sense and memory, praised bee God for itt, this seven and twentyeth day of Aprill, in the yeare of our Lord God 1667, for the quieting of my conscience, desire to settle that estate it has pleased God to lend mee, in manner and forme following:-And first of all, I commend my soul into the hands of ye Almighty God my Maker, and my Saviour and Redeemer Christ Jesus, being confident through his meritts and blood shedd for mee, to be an inheritor with Him, His saints and angells of everlasting life. And my body unto ye earthe from whence it came, there to receive decent burial in the old parish church of Kigquotan aforesaid," &c. "The old parish church of Kigquotan," and "ye new church of Kighotan," cannot be one and the same. We are then led to inquire, where was the old parish church of Kigquotan, and when was it probably built? fact, that the first church (and probably the second also) in Jamestown (both of which were destroyed by fire) was a wooden one; and the presumption is, the first brick church erected would be at the capital of the colony. However this may be, the burial ground at Pembroke could not have been simply a piece of ground, "bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite, for a possession of a burying place" for a family; but that it was a public cemetery, even that of the old parish church of Kigquotan, is evident from the character of the tombs which are still to be seen above the surface of the earth. That there are many covered over with the deposits of years, I have not the slightest doubt. Those tombs, we now see, give the best evidence, in their inscriptions, that those whose remains moulder beneath the moss-grown marbles, were not private individuals--not members of the family owning the estate-but men in public service, and who would not have been laid in an obscure private burial ground, when the church-yard of the new church of Kigquotan was but a mile distant from the spot. Moreover, it will be perceived by the inscriptions which we shall presently give, that one of the sleepers at Pembroke was "minister of this parish.” Now, is it probable, that the minister of the parish would have been buried there, if it had not been a church-yard, when there was the new church of Kigquotan to receive his remains, as it was fifty-two years before, to receive those of Mr. Nicholas Baker? I have no doubt that veneration for the old cemetery, the site of the first church of the parish, caused many to bury their dead there, long after the present church-yard was opened. The oldest tomb we can find in the church-yard at Hampton, and standing in the northeast angle of the Cross, is to the memory of Captain Willis Wilson, who departed this life the 19th day of November, 1701. |