them in such calumnies, and to quit those common calamities, which (as the shadow accompanies the body) the precedent neglects touched at, if truely followed, and wrought vp∣on. What England may boast of, hauing the faire hand of husbandry to manure and dresse it, God, and Nature haue fauourably bestowed vpon this Country, and as it hath giuen vnto it, both by situation, height, and soyle, all those (past hopes) assurances which follow our well plan∣ted natiue Countrie, and others, lying vnder the same influence: if, as ours, the Countrey and soyle might be improued, and drawne forth: so hath it indowed it, as is most certaine, with ma∣ny more, which England fetcheth farre vnto her from elsewhere. For first wee haue experience, and euen our eyes witnesse (how yong so euer wee are to the Countrie) that no Countrey yeel∣deth goodlier Corne, nor more manifold increase: large Fields wee haue, as prospects of the [ 10] same, and not farre from our Pallisado. Besides, wee haue thousands of goodly Vines in eue∣ry hedge, and Boske running along the ground, which yeelde a plentifull Grape in their kinde. Let mee appeale then to knowledge, if these naturall Vines were planted, dres∣sed, and ordered by skilfull Vinearoones, whether wee might not make a perfect Grape, and fruitefull vintage in short time? And we haue made triall of our owne English seedes, kitchen 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and Rootes, and finde them to prosper as speedily as in England.
Onely let me truely acknowledge, they are not an hundre•• or two of deboist hands, dropt forth by yeare after yeare, with penury, and leisure, ill prou••ed for before they come, and worse to be gouerned when they are here, men of such distempe••••d bodies, and infected mindes, whom no examples daily before their eyes, either of goodnesse 〈◊〉〈◊〉 punishment, can deterre from their ha∣bituall [ 20] impieties, or terrifie from a shamefull death, ••hat must be the Carpenters, and worke∣men in this so glorious a building.
Then let no rumour of the pouerty of the Cou••••ry (as if in the wombe thereof there lay not those elementall seedes, which could produce 〈◊〉〈◊〉 many faire births of plenty, and increase, and better hopes, then any land vnder the heaue••, to which the Sunne is no neerer a neighbour) I say, let no imposture rumour, nor any fame of ••ome one, or a few more changeable actions, interpo∣sing by the way, or at home, waue any ••••ns faire purposes hitherward, or wrest them to a decli∣ning and falling off from the businesse
I will acknowledge, deere Lady I haue seene much propensnesse already towards the vnity, and generall endeauours: how c••••tentedly doe such as labour with vs, goe forth, when men of [ 30] ranke and quality, assist, an••••et on their labours? I haue seene it, and I protest it, I haue heard the inferiour people, with alacrity of spirit professe, that they should neuer refuse to doe their best in the pr••••tise of their sciences and knowledges, when such worthy, and No∣ble Gentlemen goe ••n and out before them, and not onely so, but as the occasion shall be offered, no ••••••e helpe them with their hand, then defend them with their Sword. And it is to be vnderstood, that such as labour, are not yet so taxed, but that easily they performe the same, and e〈…〉〈…〉 by tenne of the clocke haue done their Mornings worke: at what time, they haue the•• allowances set out ready for them, and vntill it be three of the clocke againe, they take their owne pleasure, and afterwards with the Sunne set, their dayes labour is finished. In all which courses, if the businesse be continued, I doubt nothing, with Gods fauour towards [ 40] vs, but to see it in time, a Countrie, an Hauen, and a Staple, fitted for such a trade, as shall aduance assureder increase, both to the Aduenturers, and free Burgers thereof, then any Trade in Christendome, or then that (euen in her earely dayes, when Michael Cauacco the Greeke, did first discouer it to our English Factor in Poland) which extenus it selfe now from Calpe and Abila, to the bottome of Sidon, and so wide as Alexandria, and all the Ports and Hauens North and South, through the Arches to Cio, Smyrna, Troy, the Hellespont, and vp to Pompeys Pillar, which as a Pharos, or watch Tower, stands vpon the wondrous opening into the Euxine Sea.
From the three and twentieth of May, vnto the seuenth of Iune, our Gouernour attempted, and made triall of all the wayes, that both his owne iudgement could prompe him in, and the [ 50] aduise of Captaine George Percy, and those Gentlemen whom hee found of the Counsell, when hee came in, as of others; whom hee caused to deliuer their knowledges, concerning the State and Condition of the Countrey: but after much debating, it could not appeare, how possibly they might preserue themselues (reseruing that little which wee brought from the Bermudas in our Shippes, and was vpon all occasions to stand good by vs) tenne dayes from staruing. For besides, that the Indians were of themselues poore, they were forbidden like∣wise (by their subtile King Powhatan) at all to trade with vs; and not onely so, but to indanger and assault any Boate vpon the Riuer, or stragler out of the Fort by Land, by which (not long before our arriuall) our people had a large Boate cut off, and diuers of our men kil∣led, euen within command of our Blocke-house; as likewise, they shot two of our people to [ 60] death, after we had bin foure and fiue dayes come in: and yet would they dare then to enter our Ports, and trucke with vs (as they counterfeited vnderhand) when indeede, they came but as Spies to discouer our strength, trucking with vs vpon such hard conditions, that our Gouernour might very well see their subtiltie, and therefore neither could well indure, nor