"I shall yet live to see it (Virginia) an English nation," he had
said, after his own fifth failure to found a colony, and his words
had come true. But long ere his death Raleigh had ceased to have
any connection with Virginia. And perhaps there was scarce a man
among those who had made their homes there who remembered that it
was Raleigh who had prepared the way, that but for Raleigh a new
Spain and not a New England might have been planted on the American
shores.
So the death of Raleigh made no difference to the fortunes of
Virginia. But the same stupidity, that same "wonderful instinct for
the wrong side of every question" which made James kill his great
subject, also made him try to stifle the infant colony. So while
in spite of sickness and massacre the colony prospered, the company
at home was passing through strenuous times. The head or treasurer
of the company was still that Sir Edwin Sandys who had been the
chief mover in giving the colony self-government. King James, who
was full of great ideas about the divine right of kings, had never
forgiven him that. He was as eager as any of his people to build
up a colonial Empire, but he desired that it should be one which
should be dependent on himself. He had no intention of allowing
colonies to set themselves up against him.
Now the time came to elect a new treasurer, and the company being
very pleased with Sandys, decided to elect him again.
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