Esq. (a member of the Virginia Council, a member of The Mermaid's Club, and " one of the highest wits of our age and his nation "), was- employed " as a Counsaillor to plead for some course to be held [by Parliament] for the upholding of Virginia." The Commons Journal, under May 17 and 18, 1614, contains an interesting outline of Martin's speech and the subsequent pro ceedings thereon, which is too long for inser tion here. A portion of his argument was in reply to the main objection that, " if the Virginia business was openly undertaken by the crown and Parliament, it might result in a war with Spain." It was an able and elo quent speech, but unfortunately, Martin, who was not then a member of Parliament, got himself into hot water by giving the numer ous young members a little fatherly advice. This caused a wrangle; but the Speaker, Sir Randolph Crewe (afterwards Lord Chief Justice of the King's bench), assured the friends of the Virginia business that "the remembrances of the Plantation were well accepted and looked upon with eyes of our love." Some time after, " this young House of Commons," regardless of Martin's advice, got themselves into hot water by quarreling with " the old House of Lords," and the King dissolved the Parliament (June 7) be fore it had passed a single measure — the Virginia business, or any other. It was more than six years before James I. called another Parliament. In the mean time the colony in Virginia had been " made good," had a Parliament of its own; and the Spanish government had been induced to relinquish their positive claims to America north of 340 north latitude, and, virtually, to yield to the claims of England. The founda tion for an English Protesant nation in the New World had been laid. About the first of November, 1620, James I. determined to call his third Parliament, which finally met on Jan. 30, 162 1. On Feb. 3, Lord Chancellor Bacon, replying in
Parliament to the new Speaker, Serjeant (Sir Thomas) Richardson, and referring to the reign of James I, said : "Time is the only commender and encomiastique worthy of his Majesty and his govern ment. Why time? For that in the revolution of so many years and ages as have passed over this Kingdom, notwithstanding, many noble and ex cellent effects were never produced until His Majesty's days, but have been reserved as proper and peculiar unto them . . . They be in number eight." "Thirdly, This Kingdom now first in His Majesty's times hath gotten a lot or portion in the New World, by the plantation of Virginia and the Summer Islands. And certainly it is with the kingdoms on earth as it is in the kingdom of heaven. Sometimes a grain of mustard seed proves a great tree. Who can tell t" Whatever turn subsequent events may have taken, and however we may regard the destinies which have shaped our ends since, there can be no doubt as to the unique importance of the founding, estab lishing, securing, of the first English colony in the New World. It was not merely " the planting of a nation " in a country already conceded to England, but in a country stoutly claimed by Spain on the strong grounds of prior discovery, of actual survey, and of actual prior settlement even within the Chesapeake Bay — as well as by donation from the Pope. It was not merely the planting of a colony by a private company, or by indi vidual enterprise. It was an affair between great nations, involving great national, terri torial, commercial and religious interests and questions. " James I. claimed to be Head and Protectour of the Protestant faith; as the Spaniard did of the Roman." It was not merely the founding of a colony. It was " the foundation that made one of none, resembling the creation of the world, which was de nikilo ad quid," — it
