OLD VIRGINIA AND HER NEIGHBOURS

By John Fiske

VOLUME I (of II)



CONTENTS

VOLUME I.

CHAPTER I.

THE SEA KINGS.

  PAGE
Tercentenary of the Discovery of America, 1792 1
The Abbé Raynal and his book 2
Was the Discovery of America a blessing or a curse to
mankind? 3
The Abbé Genty's opinion 4
A cheering item of therapeutics 4
Spanish methods of colonization contrasted with English 5
Spanish conquerors value America for its supply of precious
metals 6
Aim of Columbus was to acquire the means for driving the
Turks from Europe 7
But Spain used American treasure not so much against Turks
as against Protestants 8
Vast quantities of treasure taken from America by Spain 9
Nations are made wealthy not by inflation but by production 9
Deepest significance of the discovery of America; it opened
up a fresh soil in which to plant the strongest type of
European civilization 10
America first excited interest in England as the storehouse
of Spanish treasure 11
After the Cabot voyages England paid little attention to
America 12
Save for an occasional visit to the Newfoundland fisheries 13
Earliest English reference to America 13
Founding of the Muscovy Company 14
Richard Eden and his books 15
John Hawkins and the African slave trade 15, 16
Hawkins visits the French colony in Florida 17
Facts which seem to show that thirst is the mother of invention 18
Massacre of Huguenots in Florida; escape of the painter Le
Moyne 18
Hawkins goes on another voyage and takes with him young
Francis Drake 19
The affair of San Juan de Ulua and the journey of David
Ingram 20
Growing hostility to Spain in England 21
Size and strength of Elizabeth's England 21, 22
How the sea became England's field of war 22
Loose ideas of international law 23
Some bold advice to Queen Elizabeth 23
The sea kings were not buccaneers 24
Why Drake carried the war into the Pacific Ocean 25
How Drake stood upon a peak in Darien 26
Glorious voyage of the Golden Hind 26, 27
Drake is knighted by the Queen 27
The Golden Hind's cabin is made a banquet-room 28
Voyage of the half-brothers, Gilbert and Raleigh 28
Gilbert is shipwrecked, and his patent is granted to Raleigh 29
Raleigh's plan for founding a Protestant state in America
may have been suggested to him by Coligny 30
Elizabeth promises self-government to colonists in America 31
Amidas and Barlow visit Pamlico Sound 31
An Ollendorfian conversation between white men and red men 32
The Queen's suggestion that the new country be called in
honour of herself Virginia 32
Raleigh is knighted, and sends a second expedition under
Ralph Lane 32
Who concludes that Chesapeake Bay would be better than
Pamlico Sound 33
Lane and his party on the brink of starvation are rescued by
Sir Francis Drake 33
Thomas Cavendish follows Drake's example and circumnavigates
the earth 34
How Drake singed the beard of Philip II. 34
Raleigh sends another party under John White 35
The accident which turned White from Chesapeake Bay to
Roanoke Island 35
Defeat of the Invincible Armada 36, 37
The deathblow at Cadiz 38
The mystery about White's colony 38, 39
Significance of the defeat of the Armada 39, 40

CHAPTER II

A DISCOURSE OF WESTERN PLANTING

Some peculiarities of sixteenth century maps 41
How Richard Hakluyt's career was determined 42
Strange adventures of a manuscript 43
Hakluyt's reasons for wishing to see English colonies planted
in America 44
English trade with the Netherlands 45
Hakluyt thinks that America will presently afford as good a
market as the Netherlands 46
Notion that England was getting to be over-peopled 46
The change from tillage to pasturage 46, 47
What Sir Thomas More thought about it 47
Growth of pauperism during the Tudor period 48
Development of English commercial and naval marine 49
Opposition to Hakluyt's schemes 49
The Queen's penuriousness 50
Beginnings of joint-stock companies 51
Raleigh's difficulties 52, 53
Christopher Newport captures the great Spanish carrack 53
Raleigh visits Guiana and explores the Orinoco River 54
Ambrosial nights at the Mermaid Tavern 54
Accession of James I 55
Henry, Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare's friend, sends
Bartholomew Gosnold on an expedition 55
Gosnold reaches Buzzard's Bay in what he calls North Virginia,
and is followed by Martin Pring and George
Weymouth 55, 56
Performance of "Eastward Ho," a comedy by Chapman and
Marston 56
Extracts from this comedy 57-59
Report of the Spanish ambassador Zuñiga to Philip III 59
First charter to the Virginia Company, 1606 60
"Supposed Sea of Verrazano" covering the larger part of the
area now known as the United States 61
Northern and southern limits of Virginia 62
The twin joint-stock companies and the three zones 62, 63
The three zones in American history 63
The kind of government designed for the two colonies 64
Some of the persons chiefly interested in the first colony
known as the London Company 65-67
Some of the persons chiefly interested in the second colony
known as the Plymouth Company 67, 68
Some other eminent persons who were interested in western
planting 68-70
Expedition of the Plymouth Company and disastrous failure
of the Popham Colony 70, 71
The London Company gets its expedition ready a little
before Christmas and supplies it with a list of instructions 71, 72
Where to choose a site for a town 72
Precautions against a surprise by the Spaniards 73
Colonists must try to find the Pacific Ocean 73
And must not offend the natives or put much trust in them 74
The death and sickness of white men must be concealed from
the Indians 75
It will be well to beware of woodland coverts, avoid malaria,
and guard against desertion 75
The town should be carefully built with regular streets 75, 76
Colonists must not send home any discouraging news 76
What Spain thought about all this 76, 77
Christopher Newport starts with a little fleet for Virginia 77
A poet laureate's farewell blessing 77-79

CHAPTER III

THE LAND OF THE POWHATANS

One of Newport's passengers was Captain John Smith, a
young man whose career had been full of adventure 80
Many persons have expressed doubts as to Smith's veracity,
but without good reason 81
Early life of John Smith 82
His adventures on the Mediterranean 83
And in Transylvania 84
How he slew and beheaded three Turks 85
For which Prince Sigismund granted him a coat-of-arms
which was duly entered in the Heralds' College 86
The incident was first told not by Smith but by Sigismund's
secretary Farnese 87
Smith tells us much about himself, but is not a braggart 88
How he was sold into slavery beyond the Sea of Azov and
cruelly treated 88, 89
How he slew his master and escaped through Russia and
Poland 89, 90
The smoke of controversy 90
In the course of Newport's tedious voyage Smith is accused
of plotting mutiny and kept in irons 91
Arrival of the colonists in Chesapeake Bay, May 13, 1607 92
Founding of Jamestown; Wingfield chosen president 93
Smith is set free and goes with Newport to explore the James
River 93, 94
The Powhatan tribe, confederacy, and head war-chief 94
How danger may lurk in long grass 95
Smith is acquitted of all charges and takes his seat with the
council 96
Newport sails for England, June 22, 1607 96
George Percy's account of the sufferings of the colonists from
fever and famine 97
Quarrels break out in which President Wingfield is deposed
and John Ratcliffe chosen in his place 99
Execution of a member of the council for mutiny 100
Smith goes up the Chickahominy River and is captured by
Opekankano 101
Who takes him about the country and finally brings him to
Werowocomoco, January, 1608 102
The Indians are about to kill him, but he is rescued by the
chief's daughter, Pocahontas 103
Recent attempts to discredit the story 103-108
Flimsiness of these attempts 104
George Percy's pamphlet 105
The printed text of the "True Relation" is incomplete 105, 106
Reason why the Pocahontas incident was omitted in the
"True Relation" 106, 107
There is no incongruity between the "True Relation" and
the "General History" except this omission 107
But this omission creates a gap in the "True Relation," and
the account in the "General History" is the more intrinsically
probable 108
The rescue was in strict accordance with Indian usage 109
The ensuing ceremonies indicate that the rescue was an ordinary
case of adoption 110
The Powhatan afterward proclaimed Smith a tribal chief 111
The rescue of Smith by Pocahontas was an event of real historical
importance 111
Captain Newport returns with the First Supply, Jan. 8, 1608 112
Ratcliffe is deposed and Smith chosen president 113
Arrival of the Second Supply, September, 1608 113
Queer instructions brought by Captain Newport from the
London Company 113
How Smith and Captain Newport went up to Werowocomoco,
and crowned The Powhatan 114
How the Indian girls danced at Werowocomoco 114, 115
Accuracy of Smith's descriptions 116
How Newport tried in vain to search for a salt sea behind the
Blue Ridge 116
Anas Todkill's complaint 117
Smith's map of Virginia 118

CHAPTER IV.

THE STARVING TIME.

How puns were made on Captain Newport's name 119
Great importance of the Indian alliance 120
Gentlemen as pioneers 121
All is not gold that glitters 122
Smith's attempts to make glass and soap 123
The Company is disappointed at not making more money 124
Tale-bearers and their complaints against Smith 124
Smith's "Rude Answer" to the Company 125
Says he cannot prevent quarrels 125
And the Company's instructions have not been wise 126
From infant industries too much must not be expected while
the colonists are suffering for want of food 127
And while peculation and intrigue are rife and we are in sore
need of useful workmen 128
Smith anticipates trouble from the Indians, whose character
is well described by Hakluyt 129
What Smith dreaded 130
How the red men's views of the situation were changed 131
Smith's voyage to Werowocomoco 132
His parley with The Powhatan 133
A game of bluff 134
The corn is brought 135
Suspicions of treachery 136
A wily orator 137
Pocahontas reveals the plot 138
Smith's message to The Powhatan 138, 139
How Smith visited the Pamunkey village and brought Opekankano
to terms 139, 140
How Smith appeared to the Indians in the light of a worker
of miracles 141
What our chronicler calls "a pretty accident" 141
How the first years of Old Virginia were an experiment in
communism 142
Smith declares "He that will not work shall not eat," but
the summer's work is interrupted by unbidden messmates
in the shape of rats 143
Arrival of young Samuel Argall with news from London 143, 144
Second Charter of the London Company, 1609 144
The council in London 145
The local government in Virginia is entirely changed and
Thomas, Lord Delaware, is appointed governor for life 146
A new expedition is organized for Virginia, but still with a
communistic programme 147, 148
How the good ship Sea Venture was wrecked upon the Bermudas 149
How this incident was used by Shakespeare in The Tempest 150
Gates and Somers build pinnaces and sail for Jamestown,
May, 1610 151
The Third Supply had arrived in August, 1609 151
And Smith had returned to England in October 152
Lord Delaware became alarmed and sailed for Virginia 152
Meanwhile the sufferings of the colony had been horrible 153
Of the 500 persons Gates and Somers found only 60 survivors,
and it was decided that Virginia must be abandoned 154
Dismantling of Jamestown and departure of the colony 154, 155
But the timely arrival of Lord Delaware in Hampton Roads
prevented the dire disaster 155

CHAPTER V.

BEGINNINGS OF A COMMONWEALTH.

To the first English settlers in America a supply of Indian
corn was of vital consequence, as illustrated at Jamestown
and Plymouth 156
Alliance with the Powhatan confederacy was of the first importance
to the infant colony 157
Smith was a natural leader of men 157
With much nobility of nature 158
And but for him the colony would probably have perished 159
Characteristic features of Lord Delaware's administration 160
Death of Somers and cruise of Argall in 1610 161
Kind of craftsmen desired for Virginia 162
Sir Thomas Dale comes to govern Virginia in the capacity of
High Marshal 163
A Draconian code of laws 164
Cruel punishments 165
How communism worked in practice 166
How Dale abolished communism 167
And founded the "City of Henricus" 167, 168
How Captain Argall seized Pocahontas 168
Her marriage with John Rolfe 169
How Captain Argall extinguished the Jesuit settlement at
Mount Desert and burned Port Royal 170
But left the Dutch at New Amsterdam with a warning 171
How Pocahontas, "La Belle Sauvage," visited London and
was entertained there like a princess 171, 172
Her last interview with Captain Smith 172
Her sudden death at Gravesend 173
How Tomocomo tried to take a census of the English 173
How the English in Virginia began to cultivate tobacco in
spite of King James and his Counterblast 174
Dialogue between Silenus and Kawasha 175
Effects of tobacco culture upon the young colony 176, 177
The London Company's Third Charter, 1612 177, 178
How money was raised by lotteries 178
How this new remodelling of the Company made it an important
force in politics 179
Middleton's speech in opposition to the charter 180
Richard Martin in the course of a brilliant speech forgets
himself and has to apologize 181
How factions began to be developed within the London Company 182
Sudden death of Lord Delaware 183
Quarrel between Lord Rich and Sir Thomas Smith, resulting
in the election of Sir Edwin Sandys as treasurer of the
Company 184
Sir George Yeardley is appointed governor of Virginia while
Argall is knighted 185
How Sir Edwin Sandys introduced into Virginia the first
American legislature, 1619 186
How this legislative assembly, like those afterwards constituted
in America, were formed after the type of the
old English county court 187
How negro slaves were first introduced into Virginia, 1619. 188
How cargoes of spinsters were sent out by the Company in
quest of husbands 189
The great Indian massacre of 1622 189, 190

CHAPTER VI.

A SEMINARY OF SEDITION.

Summary review of the founding of Virginia 191-194
Bitter hostility of Spain to the enterprise 194
Gondomar and the Spanish match 195
Gondomar's advice to the king 196
How Sir Walter Raleigh was kept twelve years in prison 197
But was then released and sent on an expedition to Guiana 198
The king's base treachery 199
Judicial murder of Raleigh 200
How the king attempted to interfere with the Company's
election of treasurer in 1620 201
How the king's emissaries listened to the reading of the
charter 202
Withdrawal of Sandys and election of Southampton 203
Life and character of Nicholas Ferrar 203-205
His monastic home at Little Gidding 205
How disputes rose high in the Company's quarter sessions 206, 207
How the House of Commons rebuked the king 207, 208
How Nathaniel Butler was accused of robbery and screened
himself by writing a pamphlet abusing the Company 208
Some of his charges and how they were answered by Virginia
settlers 209
As to malaria 209
As to wetting one's feet 210
As to dying under hedges 211
As to the houses and their situations 211, 212
Object of the charges 212
Virginia assembly denies the allegations 213
The Lord Treasurer demands that Ferrar shall answer the
charges 214
A cogent answer is returned 214, 215
Vain attempts to corrupt Ferrar 215, 216
How the wolf was set to investigate the dogs 216
The Virginia assembly makes "A Tragical Declaration" 217
On the attorney-general's advice a quo warranto
is served 217, 218
How the Company appealed to Parliament, and the king refused
to allow the appeal 217, 218
The attorney-general's irresistible logic 219
Lord Strafford's glee 220
How Nicholas Ferrar had the records copied 221, 222
The history of a manuscript 221, 222