pioneers of the old south-第13章

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to　be　taught　and　instructed　in　the　knowledge　of　God；　her　capableness　of
understanding；　her　aptnesse　and　willingnesse　to　recieve　anie　good
impression；　and　also　the　spiritual；　besides　her　owne　incitements　stirring
me　up　hereunto。〃　First　she　was　baptized；　receiving　the　name　Rebecca；　and
then　she　was　married　to　Rolfe　in　the　flower…decked　church　at　Jamestown。
Powhatan　was　not　there；　but　he　sent　young　chiefs；　her　brothers；　in　his
place。　Rolfe　had　lands　and　cabins　thereupon　up　the　river　near　Henricus。　He
called　this　place　Varina；　the　best　Spanish　tobacco　being　Varinas。　Here　he
and　Pocahontas　dwelled　together　〃civilly　and　lovingly。〃　When　two　years　had
passed　the　couple　went　with　their　infant　son　upon　a　visit　to　England。　There
court　and　town　and　country　flocked　to　see　the　Indian　〃princess。〃　After　a
time　she　and　Rolfe　would　go　back　to　Virginia。　But　at　Gravesend；　before
their　ship　sailed；　she　was　stricken　with　smallpox　and　died；　making　〃a
religious　and　godly　end；〃　and　there　at　Gravesend　she　is　buried。　Her　son；
Thomas　Rolfe；　who　was　brought　up　in　England；　returned　at　last　to　Virginia
and　lived　out　his　life　there　with　his　wife　and　children。　Today　no　small
host　of　Americans　have　for　ancestress　the　daughter　of　Powhatan。　In
England…in…America　the　immediate　effect　of　the　marriage　was　really　to
procure　an　Indian　peace　outlasting　Pocahontas's　brief　life。

In　Dale's　years　there　rises　above　the　English　horizon　the　cloud　of　New
France。　The　old；　disaster…haunted　Huguenot　colony　in　Florida　was　a　thing　of
the　past；　to　be　mourned　for　when　the　Spaniard　wiped　it　outfor　at　that
time　England　herself　was　not　in　America。　But　now　that　she　was　established
there；　with　some　hundreds　of　men　in　a　Virginia　that　stretched　from　Spanish
Florida　to　Nova　Scotia；　the　French　shadow　seemed　ominous。　And　just　in
this　farther　region；　amid　fir…trees　and　snow；　upon　the　desolate　Bay　of
Fundy；　the　French　for　some　years　had　been　keeping　the　breath　of　life　in　a
huddle　of　cabins　named　Port　Royal。　More　than　this；　and　later　than　the　Port
Royal　building；　FrenchmenJesuits　that！were　trying　a　settlement　on　an
island　now　called　Mount　Desert；　off　a　coast　now　named　Maine。　The　Virginia
Company…doubtless　with　some　reference　back　to　the　King　and　Privy
CouncilDe　La　Warr；　Gates；　the　deputy　governor；　and　Dale；　the　High
Marshal；　appear　to　have　been　of　one　mind　as　to　these　French　settlements。　Up
north　there　was　still　Virginiain　effect；　England！　Hands　off；　therefore；
all　European　peoples　speaking　with　an　un…English　tongue！

Now　it　happened　about　this　time　that　Captain　Samuel　Argall　received　a
commission　〃to　go　fishing；〃　and　that　he　fished　off　that　coast　that　is　now
the　coast　of　Maine；　and　brought　his　ship　to　anchor　by　Mount　Desert。　Argall；
a　swift　and　high…handed　person；　fished　on　dry　land。　He　swept　into　his　net
the　Jesuits　on　Mount　Desert；　set　half　of　them　in　an　open　boat　to　meet　with
what　ship　they　might；　and　brought　the　other　half　captive　to　Jamestown。
Later；　he　appeared　before　Port　Royal；　where　he　burned　the　cabins；　slew　the
cattle；　and　drove　into　the　forest　the　settler　Frenchmen。　But　Port　Royal　and
the　land　about　it　called　Acadia；　though　much　hurt；　survived　Argall's
fishing。*

*　Argall；　on　his　fishing　trip；　has　been　credited　with　attacking　not　only
the　French　in　Acadia　but　the　Dutch　traders　on　Manhattan。　But　there　are
grounds　for　doubt　if　he　did　the　latter。


There　was　also　on　Virginia　in　these　days　the　shadow　of　Spain。　In　1611　the
English　had　found　upon　the　beach　near　Point　Comfort　three　Spaniards　from　a
Spanish　caravel　which；　as　the　Englishmen　had　learned　with　alarm；　〃was
fitted　with　a　shallop　necessarie　and　propper　to　discover　freshetts；　rivers；
and　creekes。〃　They　took　the　three　prisoner　and　applied　for　instructions　to
Dale；　who　held　them　to　be　spies　and　clapped　them　into　prison　at　Point　Comfort。

That　Dale's　suspicions　were　correct；　is　proved　by　a　letter　which　the　King
of　Spain　wrote　in　cipher　to　the　Spanish　Ambassador　in　London　ordering　him
to　confer　with　the　King　as　to　the　liberty　of　three　prisoners　whom
Englishmen　in　Virginia　have　captured。　The　three　are　〃the　Alcayde　Don　Diego
de　Molino；　Ensign　Marco　Antonio　Perez；　and　Francisco　Lembri　an　English
pilot；　who　by　my　orders　went　to　reconnoitre　those　ports。〃　Small　wonder　that
Dale　was　apprehensive。　〃What　may　be　the　daunger　of　this　unto　us；〃　he　wrote
home；　〃who　are　here　so　few；　so　weake；　and　unfortified；　。　。　。　I　refer　me　to
your　owne　honorable　knowledg。〃

Months　pass；　and　the　English　Ambassador　to　Spain　writes　from　Madrid　that　he
〃is　not　hasty　to　advertise　anything　upon　bare　rumours；　which　hath　made　me
hitherto　forbeare　to　write　what　I　had　generally　heard　of　their　intents
against　Virginia；　but　now　I　have　been　。　。　。　advertised　that　without
question　they　will　speedily　attempt　against　our　plantation　there。　And　that
it　is　a　thing　resolved　of；　that　ye　King　of　Spain　must　run　any　hazard　with
England　rather　than　permit　ye　English　to　settle　there　。　。　。　。Whatsoever　is
attempted；　I　conceive　will　be　from　ye　Havana。〃

Rumors　fly　back　and　forth。　The　next　year　1613the　Ambassador　writes　from
Madrid：　〃They　have　latelie　had　severall　Consultations　about　our　Plantation
in　Virginia。　The　resolution　isThat　it　must　be　removed；　but　they　thinke
it　fitt　to　suspend　the　execution　of　it；　。　。　。　for　that　they　are　in　hope
that　it　will　fall　of　itselfe。〃

The　Spanish　hope　seemed；　at　this　time；　not　at　all　without　foundation。
Members　of　the　Virginia　Company　had　formed　the　Somers　Islands　Company　named
for　Somers　the　Admiraland　had　planted　a　small　colony　in　Bermuda　where
the　Sea　Adventure　had　been　wrecked。　Here　were　fair；　fertile　islands　without
Indians；　and　without　the　diseases　that　seemed　to　rise；　no　man　knew　how；
from　the　marshes　along　those　lower　reaches　of　the　great　river　James　in
Virginia。　Young　though　it　was；　the　new　plantation　〃prospereth　better　than
that　of　Virginia；　and　giveth　greater　incouragement　to　prosecute　yt。〃　In
England　there　arose；　from　some　concerned；　the　cry　to　Give　up　Virginia　that
has　proved　a　project　awry！　As　Gates　was　once　about　to　remove　thence　every
living　man；　so　truly　they　might　〃now　removed　to　these　more　hopeful
islands！〃　The　Spanish　Ambassador　is　found　writing　to　the　Spanish　King：
〃Thus　they　are　here　discouraged　。　。　。　on　account　of　the　heavy　expenses　they
have　incurred；　and　the　disappointment；　that　there　is　no　passage　from　there
to　the　South　Sea　。　。　。　nor　mines　of　gold　or　silver。〃　This；　be　it　noted；　was
before　tobacco　was　discovered　to　be　an　economic　treasure。

The　Elizabeth　from　London　reached　Virginia　in　May；　1613。　It　brought　to　the
colony　news　of　Bermuda；　and　incidentally　of　that　new　notion　brewing　in　the
mind　of　some　of　the　Company。　When　the　Elizabeth；　after　a　month　in　Virginia；
turned　homeward；　she　carried　a　vigorous　letter　from　Dale；　the　High　Marshal；
to　Sir　Thomas　Smith；　Treasurer　of　the　Company。

〃Let　me　tell　you　all　at　home　＇writes　Dale＇　this　one　thing；　and　I　pray
remember　it；　if　you　give　over　this　country　and　loose　it；　you；　with　your
wisdoms；　will　leap　such　a　gudgeon　as　our　state　hath　not　done　the　like　since
they　lost　the　Kingdom　of　France；　be　ot　gulled　with　the　clamorous　report　of
base　people；　believe　Caleb　and　Joshua；　if　the　glory　of　God　have　no　power
with　them　and　the　conversion　of　these　poor　infidels；　yet　let　the　rich
mammons'　desire　egge　them　on　to　inhabit　these　countries。　I　protest　to　you；
by　the　faith　of　an　honest　man；　the　more　I　range　the　country　the　more　I
admire　it。　I　have　seen　the　best　countries　in　Europe；　I　protest　to　you；
before　the　Living　God；　put　them　all　together；　this　country　will　be
equivalent　unto　them　if　it　be　inhabited　with　good　people。〃

If　ever　Mother　England　seriously　thought　of　moving　Virginia　into　Bermuda；
the　idea　was　now　given　over。　Spain；　suspending　the　sword　until　Virginia
〃will　fall　of　itselfe；〃　saw　that　sword　rust　away。

Five　years　in　all　Dale　ruled　Virginia。　Then；　personal　and　family　matters
calling；　he　sailed　away　home　to　England；　to　return　no　more。　Soon　his　star
〃having　shined　in　the　Westerne；　was　set　in　the　Easterne　India。　〃At　the　helm
in　Virginia　he　left　George　Yeardley；　an　honest；　able　man。　But　in　England；
what　was　known　as　the　〃court　party〃　in　the　Company　managed　to　have　chosen
instead