8, divided
into 101 shares or adventures, the subscriptions of individuals varying
from L100 to L3000.[80] This project, however, seems to have merged into
the East India Company, at the close of the next year 1600, as already
mentioned.
[Footnote 80: Id. III. - From the peculiar amount of this capital sum,
the subscriptions were most probably in marks, of 13s 4d. each. - E.]
On the 30th September, 1600, a draft of the patent, already said to have
been subsequently sealed on the last day of that year, was read before
the seventeen committees, such being then the denomination of what are
now called directors; and being approved of, was ordered to be
submitted to the consideration of the Queen and Privy Council. "In this
early stage of the business, the lord-treasurer applied to the Court of
Committees or Directors, recommending Sir Edward Mitchelburne to be
employed in the voyage; and thus, before the Society of Adventurers had
been constituted an East India Company, that influence had its
commencement, which will be found, in the sequel, to have been equally
adverse to the prosperity of their trade and to the probity of the
directors."[81] Yet, though still petitioners for their charter, the
directors had the firmness to resist this influence, and resolved Not
to employ any gentleman in any place of charge, requesting to be
permitted to sort their business with men of their own quality, lest
the suspicion of employing gentlemen might drive a great number of the
adventurers to withdraw their contributions.[82]
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