VIRGINIA AND CHARLES I.
Four years had now passed away since Charles began his reign, and
during all that time he had been engaged in the domestic affairs of his
kingdom; but he now turned his attention to Virginia as a fruitful field
from which to reward his courtiers. This he did by granting them
patents for large tracts of land, regardless of location, improvements, or
anything else, and finally, in utter disregard of the protestations of the
colonists, set a limit to his recklessness by granting to Sir Robert Heath
a patent for one-half the territory of Virginia, extending from the 36°
north to Florida. But as all that part, including the present Carolinas,
was not settled until long after, and the charter finally became void because
of Heath's failure to comply with its conditions, the colonists could
not consider themselves so badly damaged after all, though the act was
an evidence of the way in which they might at any time be divested of
their rights.
