the complete writings-3-第45章

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dered　that　every　meal　of　fish　or　flesh　should　excuse　the　allowance　of　porridge。　　Mr。　Wingfield　goes　on　to　say：　〃Nor　was　the　common　store　of　oyle；　vinegar；　sack；　and　aquavite　all　spent；　saving　two　gallons　of　each：　the　sack　reserved　for　the　Communion　table；　the　rest　for　such　extremities　as　might　fall　upon　us；　which　the　President　had　only　made　known　to　Captain　Gosnold；　of　which　course　he　liked　well。　　The　vessels　wear；　therefore；　boonged　upp。　　When　Mr。　Gosnold　was　dead；　the　President　did　acquaint　the　rest　of　the　Council　with　the　said　remnant；　but；　Lord；　how　they　then　longed　for　to　supp　up　that　little　remnant：　for　they　had　now　emptied　all　their　own　bottles；　and　all　other　that　they　could　smell　out。〃

Shortly　after　this　the　Council　again　importuned　the　President　for　some　better　allowance　for　themselves　and　for　the　sick。　　He　protested　his　impartiality；　showed　them　that　if　the　portions　were　distributed　according　to　their　request　the　colony　would　soon　starve；　he　still　offered　to　deliver　what　they　pleased　on　their　warrants；　but　would　not　himself　take　the　responsibility　of　distributing　all　the　stores；　and　when　he　divined　the　reason　of　their　impatience　he　besought　them　to　bestow　the　presidency　among　themselves；　and　he　would　be　content　to　obey　as　a　private。　　Meantime　the　Indians　were　bringing　in　supplies　of　corn　and　meat；　the　men　were　so　improved　in　health　that　thirty　were　able　to　work；　and　provision　for　three　weeks'　bread　was　laid　up。

Nevertheless；　says　Mr。　Wingfield；　the　Council　had　fully　plotted　to　depose　him。　　Of　the　original　seven　there　remained；　besides　Mr。　Wingfield；　only　three　in　the　Council。　　Newport　was　in　England；　Gosnold　was　dead；　and　Kendall　deposed。　　Mr。　Wingfield　charged　that　the　threeRatcliffe；　Smith；　and　Martinforsook　the　instructions　of　his　Majesty；　and　set　up　a　Triumvirate。　　At　any　rate；　Wingfield　was　forcibly　deposed　from　the　Council　on　the　10th　of　September。　　If　the　object　had　been　merely　to　depose　him；　there　was　an　easier　way；　for　Wingfield　was　ready　to　resign。　　But　it　appears；　by　subsequent　proceedings；　that　they　wished　to　fasten　upon　him　the　charge　of　embezzlement；　the　responsibility　of　the　sufferings　of　the　colony；　and　to　mulct　him　in　fines。　　He　was　arrested；　and　confined　on　the　pinnace。　Mr。　Ratcliffe　was　made　President。

On　the　11th　of　September　Mr。　Wingfield　was　brought　before　the　Council　sitting　as　a　court；　and　heard　the　charges　against　him。　　They　were；　as　Mr。　Wingfield　says；　mostly　frivolous　trifles。　　According　to　his　report　they　were　these：

First；　Mister　President　＇Radcliffe＇　said　that　I　had　denied　him　a　penny　whitle；　a　chicken；　a　spoonful　of　beer；　and　served　him　with　foul　corn；　and　with　that　pulled　some　grain　out　of　a　bag；　showing　it　to　the　company。

Then　starts　up　Mr。　Smith　and　said　that　I　had　told　him　plainly　how　he　lied；　and　that　I　said；　though　we　were　equal　here；　yet　if　we　were　in　England；　he　＇I＇　would　think　scorn　his　man　should　be　my　companion。

Mr。　Martin　followed　with：　〃　He　reported　that　I　do　slack　the　service　in　the　colony；　and　do　nothing　but　tend　my　pot；　spit；　and　oven；　but　he　hath　starved　my　son；　and　denied　him　a　spoonful　of　beer。　　I　have　friends　in　England　shall　be　revenged　on　him；　if　ever　he　come　in　London。〃

Voluminous　charges　were　read　against　Mr。　Wingfield　by　Mr。　Archer；　who　had　been　made　by　the　Council；　Recorder　of　Virginia；　the　author；　according　to　Wingfield；　of　three　several　mutinies；　as　〃always　hatching　of　some　mutiny　in　my　time。〃

Mr。　Percy　sent　him　word　in　his　prison　that　witnesses　were　hired　to　testify　against　him　by　bribes　of　cakes　and　by　threats。　　If　Mr。　Percy；　who　was　a　volunteer　in　this　expedition；　and　a　man　of　high　character；　did　send　this　information；　it　shows　that　he　sympathized　with　him；　and　this　is　an　important　piece　of　testimony　to　his　good　character。

Wingfield　saw　no　way　of　escape　from　the　malice　of　his　accusers；　whose　purpose　he　suspected　was　to　fine　him　fivefold　for　all　the　supplies　whose　disposition　he　could　not　account　for　in　writing：　but　he　was　finally　allowed　to　appeal　to　the　King　for　mercy；　and　recommitted　to　the　pinnace。　　In　regard　to　the　charge　of　embezzlement；　Mr。　Wingfield　admitted　that　it　was　impossible　to　render　a　full　account：　he　had　no　bill　of　items　from　the　Cape　Merchant　when　he　received　the　stores；　he　had　used　the　stores　for　trade　and　gifts　with　the　Indians；　Captain　Newport　had　done　the　same　in　his　expedition；　without　giving　any　memorandum。　　Yet　he　averred　that　he　never　expended　the　value　of　these　penny　whittles　＇small　pocket…knives＇　to　his　private　use。

There　was　a　mutinous　and　riotous　spirit　on　shore；　and　the　Council　professed　to　think　Wingfield's　life　was　in　danger。　　He　says：　〃In　all　these　disorders　was　Mr。　Archer　a　ringleader。〃　　Meantime　the　Indians　continued　to　bring　in　supplies；　and　the　Council　traded　up　and　down　the　river　for　corn；　and　for　this　energy　Mr。　Wingfield　gives　credit　to　〃Mr。　Smith　especially；〃　〃　which　relieved　the　colony　well。〃　　To　the　report　that　was　brought　him　that　he　was　charged　with　starving　the　colony；　he　replies　with　some　natural　heat　and　a　little　show　of　petulance；　that　may　be　taken　as　an　evidence　of　weakness；　as　well　as　of　sincerity；　and　exhibiting　the　undignified　nature　of　all　this　squabbling：

〃I　did　alwaises　give　every　man　his　allowance　faithfully；　both　of　corne；　oyle；　aquivite；　etc。；　as　was　by　the　counsell　proportioned：　neyther　was　it　bettered　after　my　tyme；　untill；　towards　th'　end　of　March；　a　bisket　was　allowed　to　every　working　man　for　his　breakfast；　by　means　of　the　provision　brought　us　by　Captn。　Newport：　as　will　appeare　hereafter。　　It　is　further　said；　I　did　much　banquit　and　ryot。　　I　never　had　but　one　squirrel　roasted；　whereof　I　gave　part　to　Mr。　Ratcliffe　then　sick：　yet　was　that　squirrel　given　me。　　I　did　never　heate　a　flesh　pott　but　when　the　comon　pott　was　so　used　likewise。　　Yet　how　often　Mr。　President's　and　the　Counsellors'　spitts　have　night　and　daye　bene　endaungered　to　break　their　backes…so；　laden　with　swanns；　geese；　ducks；　etc。！　how　many　times　their　flesh　potts　have　swelled；　many　hungrie　eies　did　behold；　to　their　great　longing：　and　what　great　theeves　and　theeving　thear　hath　been　in　the　comon　stoare　since　my　tyme；　I　doubt　not　but　is　already　made　knowne　to　his　Majesty's　Councell　for　Virginia。〃

Poor　Wingfield　was　not　left　at　ease　in　his　confinement。　　On　the　17th　he　was　brought　ashore　to　answer　the　charge　of　Jehu　＇John？＇　Robinson　that　he　had　with　Robinson　and　others　intended　to　run　away　with　the　pinnace　to　Newfoundland；　and　the　charge　by　Mr。　Smith　that　he　had　accused　Smith　of　intending　mutiny。　　To　the　first　accuser　the　jury　awarded　one　hundred　pounds；　and　to　the　other　two　hundred　pounds　damages；　for　slander。　　〃Seeing　their　law　so　speedy　and　cheap；〃　Mr。　Wingfield　thought　he　would　try　to　recover　a　copper　kettle　he　had　lent　Mr。　Crofts；　worth　half　its　weight　in　gold。　　But　Crofts　swore　that　Wingfield　had　given　it　to　him；　and　he　lost　his　kettle：　〃I　told　Mr。　President　I　had　not　known　the　like　law；　and　prayed　they　would　be　more　sparing　of　law　till　we　had　more　witt　or　wealthe。〃　　Another　day　they　obtained　from　Wingfield　the　key　to　his　coffers；　and　took　all　his　accounts；　note…books；　and　〃owne　proper　goods；〃　which　he　could　never　recover。　Thus　was　I　made　good　prize　on　all　sides。〃

During　one　of　Smith's　absences　on　the　river　President　Ratcliffe　did　beat　James　Read；　the　blacksmith。　　Wingfield　says　the　Council　were　continually　beating　the　men　for　their　own　pleasure。　　Read　struck　back。

For　this　he　was　condemned　to　be　hanged；　but　〃before　he　turned　of　the　lather；〃　he　desired　to　speak　privately　with　the　President；　and　thereupon　accused　Mr。　Kendallwho　had　been　released　from　the　pinnace　when　Wingfield　was　sent　aboardof　mutiny。　　Read　escaped。　　Kendall　was　convicted　of　mutiny　and　shot　to　death。　　In　arrest　of　judgment　he　objected　that　the　President　had　no　authority　to　pronounce　judgment　because　his　name　was　Sicklemore　and　not　Ratcliffe。　　This　was　true；　and　Mr。　Martin　pronounced　the　sentence。　　In　his　〃True　Relation；〃　Smith　agrees　with　this　statement　of　the　death　of　Kendall；　and　says　that　he　was　tried　by　a　jury。　　It　illustrates　the　general　looseness　of　the　〃General　Historie；〃　written　and　compiled　many　years　afterwards；　that　this　transaction　there　appears　as　follows：　〃Wingfield　and　Kendall　being　in　disgrace；　seeing　all　things　at　rand