the complete writings-3-第62部分

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　her　best　advice　to　escape　his　furie：　which　had　hee　known　hee　had　surely　slaine　her。　　Jamestowne　with　her　wild　traine　she　as　freely　frequented；　as　her　father's　habitation：　and　during　the　time　of　two　or　three　yeares；　she　next　under　God；　was　still　the　instrument　to　preserve　this　Colonie　from　death；　famine　and　utter　confusion；　which　if　in　those　times　had　once　beene　dissolved；　Virginia　might　have　laine　as　it　was　at　our　first　arrivall　to　this　day。　　Since　then；　this　buisinesse　having　been　turned　and　varied　by　many　accidents　from　that　I　left　it　at：　it　is　most　certaine；　after　a　long　and　troublesome　warre　after　my　departure；　betwixt　her　father　and　our　Colonie；　all　which　time　shee　was　not　heard　of；　about　two　yeeres　longer；　the　Colonie　by　that　meanes　was　releived；　peace　concluded；　and　at　last　rejecting　her　barbarous　condition；　was　maried　to　an　English　Gentleman；　with　whom　at　this　present　she　is　in　England；　the　first　Christian　ever　of　that　Nation；　the　first　Virginian　ever　spake　English；　or　had　a　childe　in　mariage　by　an　Englishman；　a　matter　surely；　if　my　meaning　bee　truly　considered　and　well　understood；　worthy　a　Princes　understanding。

〃Thus　most　gracious　Lady；　I　have　related　to　your　Majestic；　what　at　your　best　leasure　our　approved　Histories　will　account　you　at　large；　and　done　in　the　time　of　your　Majesties　life；　and　however　this　might　bee　presented　you　from　a　more　worthy　pen；　it　cannot　from　a　more　honest　heart；　as　yet　I　never　begged　anything　of　the　State；　or　any；　and　it　is　my　want　of　abilitie　and　her　exceeding　desert；　your　birth；　meanes；　and　authoritie；　her　birth；　vertue；　want　and　simplicitie；　doth　make　mee　thus　bold；　humbly　to　beseech　your　Majestic：　to　take　this　knowledge　of　her　though　it　be　from　one　so　unworthy　to　be　the　reporter；　as　myselfe；　her　husband's　estate　not　being　able　to　make　her　fit　to　attend　your　Majestic：　the　most　and　least　I　can　doe；　is　to　tell　you　this；　because　none　so　oft　hath　tried　it　as　myselfe：　and　the　rather　being　of　so　great　a　spirit；　however　her　station：　if　she　should　not　be　well　received；　seeing　this　Kingdome　may　rightly　have　a　Kingdome　by　her　meanes：　her　present　love　to　us　and　Christianitie；　might　turne　to　such　scorne　and　furie；　as　to　divert　all　this　good　to　the　worst　of　evill；　when　finding　so　great　a　Queene　should　doe　her　some　honour　more　than　she　can　imagine；　for　being　so　kinde　to　your　servants　and　subjects；　would　so　ravish　her　with　content；　as　endeare　her　dearest　bloud　to　effect　that；　your　Majestic　and　all　the　Kings　honest　subjects　most　earnestly　desire：　and　so　I　humbly　kisse　your　gracious　hands。〃

The　passage　in　this　letter；　〃She　hazarded　the　beating　out　of　her　owne　braines　to　save　mine；〃　is　inconsistent　with　the　preceding　portion　of　the　paragraph　which　speaks　of　〃the　exceeding　great　courtesie〃　of　Powhatan；　and　Smith　was　quite　capable　of　inserting　it　afterwards　when　he　made　up　his

〃General　Historie。〃

Smith　represents　himself　at　this　timethe　last　half　of　1616　and　the　first　three　months　of　1617as　preparing　to　attempt　a　third　voyage　to　New　England　（which　he　did　not　make）；　and　too　busy　to　do　Pocahontas　the　service　she　desired。　　She　was　staying　at　Branford；　either　from　neglect　of　the　company　or　because　the　London　smoke　disagreed　with　her；　and　there　Smith　went　to　see　her。　　His　account　of　his　intercourse　with　her；　the　only　one　we　have；　must　be　given　for　what　it　is　worth。　According　to　this　she　had　supposed　Smith　dead；　and　took　umbrage　at　his　neglect　of　her。　　He　writes：

〃After　a　modest　salutation；　without　any　word；　she　turned　about；　obscured　her　face；　as　not　seeming　well　contented；　and　in　that　humour；　her　husband　with　divers　others；　we　all　left　her　two　or　three　hours　repenting　myself　to　have　writ　she　could　speak　English。　　But　not　long　after　she　began　to　talke；　remembering　me　well　what　courtesies　she　had　done：　saying；　'You　did　promise　Powhatan　what　was　yours　should　be　his；　and　he　the　like　to　you；　you　called　him　father；　being　in　his　land　a　stranger；　and　by　the　same　reason　so　must　I　do　you：'　which　though　I　would　have　excused；　I　durst　not　allow　of　that　title；　because　she　was　a　king's　daughter。　　With　a　well　set　countenance　she　said：　'Were　you　not　afraid　to　come　into　my　father's　country　and　cause　fear　in　him　and　all　his　people　（but　me）；　and　fear　you　have　I　should　call　you　father；　I　tell　you　then　I　will；　and　you　shall　call　me　childe；　and　so　I　will　be　forever　and　ever；　your　contrieman。　　They　did　tell　me　alwaies　you　were　dead；　and　I　knew　no　other　till　I　came　to　Plymouth；　yet　Powhatan　did　command　Uttamatomakkin　to　seek　you；　and　know　the　truth；　because　your　countriemen　will　lie　much。〃'

This　savage　was　the　Tomocomo　spoken　of　above；　who　had　been　sent　by　Powhatan　to　take　a　census　of　the　people　of　England；　and　report　what　they　and　their　state　were。　　At　Plymouth　he　got　a　long　stick　and　began　to　make　notches　in　it　for　the　people　he　saw。　　But　he　was　quickly　weary　of　that　task。　　He　told　Smith　that　Powhatan　bade　him　seek　him　out；　and　get　him　to　show　him　his　God；　and　the　King；　Queen；　and　Prince；　of　whom　Smith　had　told　so　much。　　Smith　put　him　off　about　showing　his　God；　but　said　he　had　heard　that　he　had　seen　the　King。　This　the　Indian　denied；　James　probably　not　coming　up　to　his　idea　of　a　king；　till　by　circumstances　he　was　convinced　he　had　seen　him。　　Then　he　replied　very　sadly：　〃You　gave　Powhatan　a　white　dog；　which　Powhatan　fed　as　himself；　but　your　king　gave　me　nothing；　and　I　am　better　than　your　white　dog。〃

Smith　adds　that　he　took　several　courtiers　to　see　Pocahontas；　and　〃they　did　think　God　had　a　great　hand　in　her　conversion；　and　they　have　seen　many　English　ladies　worse　favoured；　proportioned；　and　behavioured；〃　and　he　heard　that　it　had　pleased　the　King　and　Queen　greatly　to　esteem　her；　as　also　Lord　and　Lady　Delaware；　and　other　persons　of　good　quality；　both　at　the　masques　and　otherwise。

Much　has　been　said　about　the　reception　of　Pocahontas　in　London；　but　the　contemporary　notices　of　her　are　scant。　　The　Indians　were　objects　of　curiosity　for　a　time　in　London；　as　odd　Americans　have　often　been　since；　and　the　rank　of　Pocahontas　procured　her　special　attention。　She　was　presented　at　court。　　She　was　entertained　by　Dr。　King；　Bishop　of　London。　　At　the　playing　of　Ben　Jonson's　〃Christmas　his　Mask〃　at　court；　January　6；　1616…17；　Pocahontas　and　Tomocomo　were　both　present；　and　Chamberlain　writes　to　Carleton：　〃The　Virginian　woman　Pocahuntas　with　her　father　counsellor　have　been　with　the　King　and　graciously　used；　and　both　she　and　her　assistant　were　pleased　at　the　Masque。　　She　is　upon　her　return　though　sore　against　her　will；　if　the　wind　would　about　to　send　her　away。〃

Mr。　Neill　says　that　〃after　the　first　weeks　of　her　residence　in　England　she　does　not　appear　to　be　spoken　of　as　the　wife　of　Rolfe　by　the　letter　writers；〃　and　the　Rev。　Peter　Fontaine　says　that　〃when　they　heard　that　Rolfe　had　married　Pocahontas；　it　was　deliberated　in　council　whether　he　had　not　committed　high　treason　by　so　doing；　that　is　marrying　an　Indian　princesse。〃

It　was　like　James　to　think　so。　　His　interest　in　the　colony　was　never　the　most　intelligent；　and　apt　to　be　in　things　trivial。　　Lord　Southampton　（Dec。　15；　1609）　writes　to　Lord　Salisbury　that　he　had　told　the　King　of　the　Virginia　squirrels　brought　into　England；　which　are　said　to　fly。　　The　King　very　earnestly　asked　if　none　were　provided　for　him；　and　said　he　was　sure　Salisbury　would　get　him　one。　　Would　not　have　troubled　him；　〃but　that　you　know　so　well　how　he　is　affected　to　these　toys。〃

There　has　been　recently　found　in　the　British　Museum　a　print　of　a　portrait　of　Pocahontas；　with　a　legend　round　it　in　Latin；　which　is　translated：　〃　Matoaka；　alias　Rebecka；　Daughter　of　Prince　Powhatan；　Emperor　of　Virginia；　converted　to　Christianity；　married　Mr。　Rolff；　died　on　shipboard　at　Gravesend　1617。　　This　is　doubtless　the　portrait　engraved　by　Simon　De　Passe　in　1616；　and　now　inserted　in　the　extant　copies　of　the　London　edition　of　the　〃General　Historie；〃　1624。　　It　is　not　probable　that　the　portrait　was　originally　published　with　the　〃General　Historie。〃　　The　portrait　inserted　in　the　edition　of　1624　has　this　inscription：

Round　the　portrait：

Matoaka　als　Rebecca　Filia　Potentiss　Princ：　Pohatani　Imp：　Virginim。〃

In　the　oval；　under　the　portrait：

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Aetatis　suae　21　A。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1616〃　Below：

〃Matoaks　als　Rebecka　daughter　to　the　mighty　Prince　Powhatan　Emprour　of　Attanoughkomouck　als　virginia　converted　and　baptized　in　the　Christian　faith；　and　wife　to　the　worth　Mr。　job　Rolff。　i：　Pass：　sculp。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Compton　Holland　excud。〃


Camden　in　his　〃History　of　Gravesend〃　says　that　everybody　paid　this　young　lady　all　imaginable　respect；　and　it　was　believed　she　would　have　sufficiently　acknowledged　those　favors；　had　she　lived　to　return　to　her　own　country；　by　bringing　the　Indians　to　a　kinder　disposition　toward　the　English；　〃　and　that　she　died；　〃giving　testimony　all　the　time　she　lay　sick；　of　her　being　a　very　good　Christian。〃

The　Lady　Rebecka；　as　she　was　called　in　London；　died　on　shipboard　at　Gravesend　after　a　brief　illness；　said　to　be　of　only　three　days；　probably　on　the　21st　of　March；　1617。　　I　have　seen　somewhere　a　statement；　which　I　cannot　confirm；　that　her　disease　was　smallpox。　St。　　George's　Church；　where　she　was　buried；　was　destroyed　by　fire　in　1727。　　The　register　of　that　church　has　this　record：


　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃1616；　May　2j　Rebecca　Wrothe　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Wyff　of　Thomas　Wroth　gent　　　　　　　　　　A　Virginia　lady　borne；　here　was　buried　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　in　ye　chaunncle。〃

Yet　there　is　no　doubt；　according　to　a　record　in　the　Calendar　of　State　Papers；　dated　〃1617　29　March；　London；〃　that　her　death　occurred　March　21；　1617。

John　Rolfe　was　made　Secretary　of　Virginia　when　Captain　Argall　became　Governor；　and　seems　to　have　been　associated　in　the　schemes　of　that　unscrupulous　person　and　to　have　forfeited　the　good　opinion　of　the　company。　　August　23；　1618；　the　company　wrote　to　Argall：　〃We　cannot　imagine　why　you　should　give　us　warning　that　Opechankano　and　the　natives　have　given　the　country　to　Mr。　Rolfe's　child；　and　that　they　reserve　it　from　all　others　till　he　comes　of　years　except　as　we　suppose　as　some　do　here　report　it　be　a　device　of　your　own；　to　some　special　purpose　for　yourself。〃　　It　appears　also　by　the　minutes　of　the　company　in　1621　that　Lady　Delaware　had　trouble　to　recover　goods　of　hers　left　in　Rolfe's　hands　in　Virginia；　and　desired　a　co