Opechancanough was a haughty, politic, and bloody Man, ever intent on the Destruction of the English, and ready to catch at every Pretence, for effecting his Purpose. He had been discovered, the Year before, tampering with a King on the Eastern Shore, to furnish him with a Poison, either real or supposed, in order to poison the English Co|lony. He had also been accused to the Governor, of a De|sign, to draw together a very great Force, under Colour of celebrating some funeral Rites to Powhatan, but really with Intent to cut off all the English. But Sir George Yeardley, by this Information, was rendered very watchful of his Mo|tions; so that he was either disappointed in his Scheme, or else, as Sir George thought, had never really formed any such Design. As to this Warrior, he was so far from be|ing in his Favour, that he had sent Word to Sir George Yeardley, some time before, that he should be content, if his Throat were cut. Yet he being a popular Man, and much lamented by the Indians, Opechancanough pretended, the bet|ter to enflame and exasperate them, to be much grieved at his Death, and was very loud, at first, in his Threats of Revenge. But the Reason and Justice of the thing being evinced, and receiving also some stern and resolute Answers from the English, he cunningly dissembled his Intent for the present, and treated a Messenger, sent to him about the Middle of March, with extreme Civility and Kindness; assuring him, that he held the Peace so firm, that the Sky should fall sooner, than it should be violated on his Part. And such was the Treachery and Dissimulation of the rest of the Indians, that, but two Days before, they kindly conducted the English through the Woods, and sent home one that lived among them, to learn their Language. Nay, on the very Morning of that fatal Day, as also the Even|ing before, they came, as at other times, unarmed into the Houses of the English, with Deer, Turkies, Fish, Fruits, and other things to sell; and in some Places, sat down to Breakfast with them. Yet so general was the Combination, and their Plot so well laid, to cut off the whole Colony, in one Day, and at the same Instant, that they had all Warn|ing, one from another, through all their Habitations, though far distant from each other, and every Party and Nation had their Stations appointed, and Parts assigned, at the Plan|tations of the English, some being directed to one Place, and some to another.THE English, on the other hand, were by this Beha|viour, as well as on other Accounts, lulled into a fatal Se|curity. They thought the Peace sure and inviolable, not so much because of their solemn Promises and Engage|ments, 0