[243:A] Robertson's Hist. of America, iv. 230; Beverley's Hist. of Va., B. i. 55; Chalmers' Annals, 124; Burk's Hist. of Va., ii. 120; Grahame's Colonial Hist. of U. S., i. 89; Hawks' Prot. Episcopal Church in Va., 63. See, also, Hening's Statutes at Large of Va., i. 126. Hening first corrected these errors. [244:A] Southern Lit. Messenger for January, 1845. [244:B] Hening, ii. 9, in note. [245:A] Hening, i. 532. [245:B] Hening, i. 535. [247:A] Pepys' Diary, i. 110. Pepys was pronounced _Peeps_. [248:A] Chalmers' Revolt of Amer. Colonies, 99. CHAPTER XXVII. 1661-1663. Settlements of Virginia--The Church--Laws for establishment of Towns--Intelligence received of Restoration--Assembly sends Address to the King--Demonstrations of Loyalty--Berkley visits England--Morrison elected by the Council in his stead-- Assembly's tone altered--Act for ducking "Brabbling Women"-- Power of Taxation vested in Governor and Council for three years--Miscellaneous Affairs--Act relating to Indians--Persons trespassing on the Indians, punished--Sir William Berkley returns from England--Instructions relative to the Church-- Acts against Schismatics and Separatists--Berkley superintends establishment of a Colony on Albemarle Sound. THE settlements of Virginia now included the territory lying between the Potomac and the Chowan, and embraced, besides, the isolated Accomac. There were fifty parishes. The plantations lay dispersed along the banks of rivers and creeks, those on the James stretching westward, above a hundred miles into the interior. Each parish extended many miles in length along the river-side, but in breadth ran back only a mile. This was the average breadth of the plantations, their length varying from half a mile to three miles or more. The fifty parishes comprehending an area supposed to be equal to one-half of England, it was inevitable that many of the inhabitants lived very remote from the parish church. Many parishes, indeed, were as yet destitute of churches and glebes; and not more than ten parishes were supplied with ministers. Hammond[249:A] says: "They then began to provide, and send home for gospel ministers, and largely contributed for their maintenance; but Virginia savoring not handsomely in England, very few of good conversation would adventure thither, (as thinking it a place wherein surely the fear of God was not,) yet many came, such as wore black coats, and could babble in a pulpit, roar in a tavern, exact from their parishioners, and rather by their dissoluteness destroy than feed their flocks." Hammond's statements are not to be unreservedly received. Where there were ministers, worship was usually held once on Sunday; but the remote parishioners seldom attended. The planters, either from indifference or from the want of means, were remiss in the building of churches and the maintenance of ministers. Through the licentious lives of many of them,