the complete writings-3-第79章

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absolute　werowances　about　him；　and　is　likewise　more　quietly　settled　amongst　his　own。〃

It　was　at　this　advanced　age　that　he　had　the　twelve　favorite　young　wives　whom　Strachey　names。　　All　his　people　obeyed　him　with　fear　and　adoration；　presenting　anything　he　ordered　at　his　feet；　and　trembling　if　he　frowned。　　His　punishments　were　cruel；　offenders　were　beaten　to　death　before　him；　or　tied　to　trees　and　dismembered　joint　by　joint；　or　broiled　to　death　on　burning　coals。　　Strachey　wondered　how　such　a　barbarous　prince　should　put　on　such　ostentation　of　majesty；　yet　he　accounted　for　it　as　belonging　to　the　necessary　divinity　that　doth　hedge　in　a　king：　〃Such　is　（I　believe）　the　impression　of　the　divine　nature；　and　however　these　（as　other　heathens　forsaken　by　the　true　light）　have　not　that　porcion　of　the　knowing　blessed　Christian　spiritt；　yet　I　am　perswaded　there　is　an　infused　kind　of　divinities　and　extraordinary　（appointed　that　it　shall　be　so　by　the　King　of　kings）　to　such　as　are　his　ymedyate　instruments　on　earth。〃

Here　is　perhaps　as　good　a　place　as　any　to　say　a　word　or　two　about　the　appearance　and　habits　of　Powhatan's　subjects；　as　they　were　observed　by　Strachey　and　Smith。　　A　sort　of　religion　they　had；　with　priests　or　conjurors；　and　houses　set　apart　as　temples；　wherein　images　were　kept　and　conjurations　performed；　but　the　ceremonies　seem　not　worship；　but　propitiations　against　evil；　and　there　seems　to　have　been　no　conception　of　an　overruling　power　or　of　an　immortal　life。　　Smith　describes　a　ceremony　of　sacrifice　of　children　to　their　deity；　but　this　is　doubtful；　although　Parson　Whittaker；　who　calls　the　Indians　〃naked　slaves　of　the　devil；〃　also　says　they　sacrificed　sometimes　themselves　and　sometimes　their　own　children。　　An　image　of　their　god　which　he　sent　to　England　〃was　painted　upon　one　side　of　a　toadstool；　much　like　unto　a　deformed　monster。〃　　And　he　adds：　〃Their　priests；　whom　they　call　Quockosoughs；　are　no　other　but　such　as　our　English　witches　are。〃　　This　notion　I　believe　also　pertained　among　the　New　England　colonists。　　There　was　a　belief　that　the　Indian　conjurors　had　some　power　over　the　elements；　but　not　a　well…regulated　power；　and　in　time　the　Indians　came　to　a　belief　in　the　better　effect　of　the　invocations　of　the　whites。　　In　〃Winslow's　Relation；〃　quoted　by　Alexander　Young　in　his　〃　Chronicles　of　the　Pilgrim　Fathers；〃　under　date　of　July；　1623；　we　read　that　on　account　of　a　great　drought　a　fast　day　was　appointed。　　When　the　assembly　met　the　sky　was　clear。　　The　exercise　lasted　eight　or　nine　hours。　　Before　they　broke　up；　owing　to　prayers　the　weather　was　overcast。　　Next　day　began　a　long　gentle　rain。　This　the　Indians　seeing；　admired　the　goodness　of　our　God：　〃showing　the　difference　between　their　conjuration　and　our　invocation　in　the　name　of　God　for　rain；　theirs　being　mixed　with　such　storms　and　tempests；　as　sometimes；　instead　of　doing　them　good；　it　layeth　the　corn　flat　on　the　ground；　but　ours　in　so　gentle　and　seasonable　a　manner；　as　they　never　observed　the　like。〃

It　was　a　common　opinion　of　the　early　settlers　in　Virginia；　as　it　was　of　those　in　New　England；　that　the　Indians　were　born　white；　but　that　they　got　a　brown　or　tawny　color　by　the　use　of　red　ointments；　made　of　earth　and　the　juice　of　roots；　with　which　they　besmear　themselves　either　according　to　the　custom　of　the　country　or　as　a　defense　against　the　stinging　of　mosquitoes。　　The　women　are　of　the　same　hue　as　the　men；　says　Strachey；　〃howbeit；　it　is　supposed　neither　of　them　naturally　borne　so　discolored；　for　Captain　Smith　（lyving　sometymes　amongst　them）　affirmeth　how　they　are　from　the　womb　indifferent　white；　but　as　the　men；　so　doe　the　women；〃　〃dye　and　disguise　themselves　into　this　tawny　cowler；　esteeming　it　the　best　beauty　to　be　nearest　such　a　kind　of　murrey　as　a　sodden　quince　is　of；〃　as　the　Greek　women　colored　their　faces　and　the　ancient　Britain　women　dyed　themselves　with　red；　〃howbeit　＇Strachey　slyly　adds＇　he　or　she　that　hath　obtained　the　perfected　art　in　the　tempering　of　this　collour　with　any　better　kind　of　earth；　yearb　or　root　preserves　it　not　yet　so　secrett　and　precious　unto　herself　as　doe　our　great　ladyes　their　oyle　of　talchum；　or　other　painting　white　and　red；　but　they　frindly　communicate　the　secret　and　teach　it　one　another。〃

Thomas　Lechford　in　his　〃Plain　Dealing；　or　Newes　from　New　England；〃　London；　1642；　says：　〃They　are　of　complexion　swarthy　and　tawny；　their　children　are　borne　white；　but　they　bedawbe　them　with　oyle　and　colors　presently。〃

The　men　are　described　as　tall；　straight；　and　of　comely　proportions；　no　beards；　hair　black；　coarse；　and　thick；　noses　broad；　flat；　and　full　at　the　end；　with　big　lips　and　wide　mouths'；　yet　nothing　so　unsightly　as　the　Moors；　and　the　women　as　having　〃handsome　limbs；　slender　arms；　pretty　hands；　and　when　they　sing　they　have　a　pleasant　tange　in　their　voices。　　The　men　shaved　their　hair　on　the　right　side；　the　women　acting　as　barbers；　and　left　the　hair　full　length　on　the　left　side；　with　a　lock　an　ell　long。〃　　A　Puritan　divine〃New　England's　Plantation；　1630〃says　of　the　Indians　about　him；　〃their　hair　is　generally　black；　and　cut　before　like　our　gentlewomen；　and　one　lock　longer　than　the　rest；　much　like　to　our　gentlemen；　which　fashion　I　think　came　from　hence　into　England。〃

Their　love　of　ornaments　is　sufficiently　illustrated　by　an　extract　from　Strachey；　which　is　in　substance　what　Smith　writes：

〃Their　eares　they　boare　with　wyde　holes；　commonly　two　or　three；　and　in　the　same　they　doe　hang　chaines　of　stayned　pearle　braceletts；　of　white　bone　or　shreeds　of　copper；　beaten　thinne　and　bright；　and　wounde　up　hollowe；　and　with　a　grate　pride；　certaine　fowles'　legges；　eagles；　hawkes；　turkeys；　etc。；　with　beasts　clawes；　bears；　arrahacounes；　squirrells；　etc。　　The　clawes　thrust　through　they　let　hang　upon　the　cheeke　to　the　full　view；　and　some　of　their　men　there　be　who　will　weare　in　these　holes　a　small　greene　and　yellow…couloured　live　snake；　neere　half　a　yard　in　length；　which　crawling　and　lapping　himself　about　his　neck　oftentymes　familiarly；　he　suffreeth　to　kisse　his　lippes。　Others　weare　a　dead　ratt　tyed　by　the　tayle；　and　such　like　conundrums。〃

This　is　the　earliest　use　I　find　of　our　word　〃conundrum；〃　and　the　sense　it　bears　here　may　aid　in　discovering　its　origin。

Powhatan　is　a　very　large　figure　in　early　Virginia　history；　and　deserves　his　prominence。　　He　was　an　able　and　crafty　savage；　and　made　a　good　fight　against　the　encroachments　of　the　whites；　but　he　was　no　match　for　the　crafty　Smith；　nor　the　double…dealing　of　the　Christians。　There　is　something　pathetic　about　the　close　of　his　life；　his　sorrow　for　the　death　of　his　daughter　in　a　strange　land；　when　he　saw　his　territories　overrun　by　the　invaders；　from　whom　he　only　asked　peace；　and　the　poor　privilege　of　moving　further　away　from　them　into　the　wilderness　if　they　denied　him　peace。

In　the　midst　of　this　savagery　Pocahontas　blooms　like　a　sweet；　wild　rose。　　She　was；　like　the　Douglas；　〃tender　and　true。〃　　Wanting　apparently　the　cruel　nature　of　her　race　generally；　her　heroic　qualities　were　all　of　the　heart。　　No　one　of　all　the　contemporary　writers　has　anything　but　gentle　words　for　her。　　Barbarous　and　untaught　she　was　like　her　comrades；　but　of　a　gentle　nature。　　Stripped　of　all　the　fictions　which　Captain　Smith　has　woven　into　her　story；　and　all　the　romantic　suggestions　which　later　writers　have　indulged　in；　she　appears；　in　the　light　of　the　few　facts　that　industry　is　able　to　gather　concerning　her；　as　a　pleasing　and　unrestrained　Indian　girl；　probablv　not　different　from　her　savage　sisters　in　her　habits；　but　bright　and　gentle；　struck　with　admiration　at　the　appearance　of　the　white　men；　and　easily　moved　to　pity　them；　and　so　inclined　to　a　growing　and　lasting　friendship　for　them；　tractable　and　apt　to　learn　refinements；　accepting　the　new　religion　through　love　for　those　who　taught　it；　and　finally　becoming　in　her　maturity　a　well…balanced；　sensible；　dignified　Christian　woman。

According　to　the　long…accepted　story　of　Pocahontas；　she　did　something　more　than　interfere　to　save　from　barbarous　torture　and　death　a　stranger　and　a　captive；　who　had　forfeited　his　life　by　shooting　those　who　opposed　his　invasion。　　In　all　times；　among　the　most　savage　tribes　and　in　civilized　society；　women　have　been　moved　to　heavenly　pity　by　the　sight　of　a　prisoner；　and　risked　life　to　save　himthe