awaited them, for on October 19 we find an order was issued by Lord Coke, British Secretary of State, to Admiral Pennington to have the Ark, Richard Lowe, master, and the pinnace called the Dove, of fifty tons, commanded by Captain Wintour, turned back from their course as the company on board had not taken the oath of allegiance to the King.

Consequently the little vessels were returned to Gravesend and Edward Watkins, the "London Searcher," he is called, administered the following oath to all on board:

"I do truly and sincerely acknowledge, profess, testify and declare in my conscience before God and the world that our sovereign lord, King Charles, is lawful and rightful King of this realm and of all other of His Majesty's dominions and countrie, and that the Pope, neither of himself nor by any authority by the church or See of Rome, or by any other means with any other, hath any power or authority to depose the King or to dispose of any of His Majesty's kingdoms or dominions, or to authorize any foreign prince to invade or annoy him or his countries, or to discharge any of his subjects of their allegiance and obedience to His Majesty, or to give license or leave to any of them to bear arms, raise tumults or to offer any violence, or hurt to His Majesty's royal person, state or government, or to any of his Majesty's subjects within His Majesty's domains.

And I do swear from my heart that, notwithstanding any declaration or sentence of excommunication or deprivation made or granted by the Pope or his successors, or by any authority derived, or pretended to be derived

from him or his See, against the said King, his heir or successors, or any absolution of the said subjects from their obedience, I will bear faith and true allegiance to His Majesty, his heirs and successors, and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever, which shall be made against his or their persons, their crown and dignity, by reason or color of any such sentence or declaration or otherwise, and will do my best to disclose and make known unto His Majesty, his heirs and successors all treasons or traitorous conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them.

And I do further swear that I do from my heart abhor, detest and abjure as impious and heretical this damnable doctrine and position that princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their subjects or any other whatsoever.

And I do believe, and in conscience am resolved that neither Pope nor any person whatsoever hath power to absolve me of this oath, or any part thereof, which I acknowledge by good and full authority to be lawfully ministered unto me, and do renounce all pardons and dispensations to the contrary. And all these things I do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to these express words by me spoke, and according to the plain common sense and understanding of the same words, without any equivocation or mental evasion or secret reservation whatsoever. And I do make this recognition and acknowledgement heartily, willingly and truly upon the true faith of a Christian. So help me God."

Father White and others who forsook the ship upon its detention, boarded her at the Isle of Wight, thus perhaps saving their consciences by eluding the "Searcher." After a months delay they sailed from Cowes, Isle of Wight November 22, 1633.

The names of those who came to Maryland with the Calverts in 1633 have not been preserved as a whole. Even the number which actually came is uncertain, for while Lord Baltimore, in a letter written to the Earl of Stafford after his vessels had finally started, says: "There were near 320," the "London Searcher," in his report to the King's privy council, gives the number of persons on board as "about 128."