Of that enterprise one of their brethren in England wrote in the time of their severest distress, with prophetic foresight, “Let it not be grievous to you that you have been instruments to break the ice for others; the honor shall be yours to the world’s end.”  From this time forward the American coast south of the Bay of Fundy was settled mainly by English emigrants, and in the course of a little more than a century (1620-1733), the total number of colonies had reached thirteen.  Thus the nation of Great Britain was beginning to expand into that greater Britain which it had discovered and planted beyond the sea.

Meanwhile a new power had arisen in England.  It was mightier even than that of kings, because greater for both good and evil.  Its influence grew up very gradually.  It was part of the fruit of Caxton’s work undertaken nearly two centuries earlier (S306).  This power appeared in the spring of 1622, under the name of the Weekly News,—­the first regular newspaper.

423.  The Colonization of Ireland (1611).

While the colonization of America was going on, King James was himself planning a very different kind of colony in the northeast of Ireland.  The greater part of the province of Ulster, which had been the scene of the rebellion under Elizabeth (S402), had been seized by the Crown.  The King now granted these lands to settlers from Scotland and England.  The city of London founded a colony which they called Londonderry, and by this means Protestantism was firmly and finally established in the north of the island.

424.  The “Addled Parliament”; the New Stand taken by the House of Commons (1610-1614).

The House of Commons at this period began to slowly recover the power it had lost under the Tudors (S350).  James suffered from a chronic lack of money.  He was obliged to apply to Parliament to supply his wants (1614), but that body was determined to grant nothing without reforms.  It laid down the principle, to which it firmly adhered, that the King should not have the nation’s coin unless he would promise to right the nation’s wrongs.

After several weeks of angry discussion the King dissolved what was nicknamed the “Addled Parliament,” because its enemies accused it of having accomplished nothing.  In reality it had accomplished much for though it had not passed a single bill, it had shown by its determined attitude the growing stregnth of the people.  For the next seven years James ruled without summoning a Parliament.  In order to obtain means to support his army in Ireland, the King created a new title of rank, that of baronet,[1] which he granted to any one who would pay liberally for it.  As a last resort to get funds he compelled all persons having an income of forty[2] pounds or more a year, derived from landed property, to accept knighthood (thus incurring feudal obligations and payments [S150]) or purchase exemption by a heavy fine.