■WILLIAM THE THIRD.

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durst not show themselves in the Thames found a readymarket for their ill-gotten spices and stuffs at New York.Even the Puritans of New England, who in sanctimoniousausterity surpassed even their brethren of Scotland, wereaccused of conniving at the wickedness which enabledthem to enjoy abundantly and cheaply the produce of In-dian looms and Chinese tea plantations.

In 1695 Richard Coote, Earl of Bellamont, an Irishpeer who sate in the English House of Commons, was ap-pointed Governor of New York and Massachusets. Hewas a man of eminently fair character, upright, cou-rageous and independent. Though a decided Whig, hehad distinguished himself by bringing before the Parlia-ment at Westminster some tyrannical acts done by Whigsat Dublin, and particularly the execution, if it is notrather to be called the murder, of Gafney. Before Bella-mont sailed for America, William spoke strongly to himabout the freebooting which was the disgrace of the colo-nies. “Isend you, my Lord, to New York,” he said,“because an honest and intrepid man is wanted to putthese abuses down, and because I believe you to be such aman.” Bellamont exerted himself to justify the highopinion which the King had formed of him. It was soonknown at New York that the Governor who had just arrivedfrom England was bent on the suppression of piracy; andsome colonists in whom he placed great confidence sug-gested to him what they may perhaps have thought thebest mode of attaining that object. There was then in the