He  had  taken  great  interest  in  colonial  schemes,
and  was  one  of  the  Carolina  proprietors.  In
their  scheme  he  had  been  a  great  helper.  His
eldest  sister,  Mary,  had  married  Ferdinando
Gorges,  grandson  of  Sir  Ferdinando  (which  see),
who  was  Governor  of  Maine,  and  in  1659  pub-
lished America  Painted  from  Life.  Archdale  had
been  in  Maine  as  Gorges's  agent  in  1664,  was  in
North  Carolina  in  1686,  and  was  commissioner
for  Gorges  in  Maine  in  1687-88.     Ou  his  arrival


AKCTIC  DISCOVEEY


57


AECTIC  DISCOVERY


in  Sonth  Carolina  as  governor,  in  1694,  Arclidale
formed  a  conimission  of  sensible  and  moderate
men,  to  whom  he  said,  at  their  first  meeting,  "I
believe  I  may  appeal  to  year  serious  and  ration-
al observations  whether  I  have  not  already  so  al-
layed yonr  heats  as  that  thedistingnishing  titles
thereof  are  so  much  withered  away ;  and  I  hope
this  meeting  with  you  will  wholly  extinguish
them,  so  that  a  solid  settlement  of  this  hope-
ful colony  may  ensue ;  and  by  so  doing,  your
posterity  will  bless  God  for  so  happy  a  conjunc-
tion." He  told  them  why  he  bad  been  sent,  and
said,  "  And  now  yon  have  heard  of  the  proprie-
tors' intentions  of  sending  me  hither,  I  doubt
not  but  the  proprietors'  intentions  of  choosing
you  were  much  of  the  same  nature;  I  advise
you,  therefore,  to  proceed  soberly  and  mildly  in
this  weighty  coiiceni ;  and  I  question  not  bat
we  shall  answer  you  in  all  things  that  are  rea-
sonable and  honorable  for  us  to  do.  And  now,
friends,  I  have  given  you  the  reason  of  my  com-
ing, I  shall  give  you  the  reasons  of  my  calling
you  so  soon,  which  was  the  consideration  of
my  own  mortality  [he  was  then  nearly  seventy
years  of  age],  and  that  such  a  considerable  trust
might  not  expire  useless  to  yon ;  and  I  hope  the
God  of  peace  will  prosper  yonr  counsels  here-
in." Archdale  was  one  of  the  proprietors  of
North  Carolina,  and,  arriving  there  in  the  sum-
mer of  1695,  had  a  very  successful  though  brief
administration.  Elected  to  Pailianieut  iu  1698,
he  would  only  affirm,  instead  of  taking  the  re-
quired oath,  and  was  not  allowed  to  take  his
seat  in  consequence.
