Argall, in April, 1619, stole away from Virginia, he left for his
deputy Captain Nathaniel Powell, who had come over with Captain Smith in
1607, and had evinced courage and discretion. He was one of the writers
from whose narratives Smith compiled his _General History_. Powell held
this office only about ten days, when Sir George Yeardley, recently
knighted, arrived as Governor-General, bringing with him new charters
for the colony. John Rolfe, who had been secretary, now lost his place,
probably owing to his connivance at Argall's malpractices, and was
succeeded by John Pory. He was educated at Cambridge, where he took the
degree of master of arts in April, 1610. It is supposed that he was a
member of the House of Commons. He was much of a traveller, and was at
Venice in 1613, at Amsterdam in 1617, and shortly after at Paris. By the
Earl of Warwick's influence he now procured the place of secretary of
the colony of Virginia, having come over in April, 1619, with Sir George
Yeardley, who appointed him one of his council.

In June Governor Yeardley summoned the first legislature that ever met
in America. It assembled at James City or Jamestown on Friday, July 30,
1619, upward of a year before the Mayflower left England with the
Pilgrims. A record of the proceedings is preserved in the London State
Paper Office, in the form of a report from the speaker, John Pory.

John Pory, secretary of the colony, was chosen speaker, and John Twine,
clerk. The Assembly sat in the choir of the church, the members of the
council sitting on either side of the Governor, and the speaker right
before him, the clerk next the speaker, and Thomas Pierse, the sergeant,
standing at the bar. Before commencing business, prayer was said by Mr.
Bucke, the minister.

Each burgess then, as called on, took the oath of supremacy. When the
name of Captain Ward was called, the speaker objected to him as having
seated himself on land without authority. Objections were also made to
the burgesses appearing to represent Captain Martin's patent, because
they were, by its terms, exempted from any obligation to obey the laws
of the colony. Complaint was made by Opochancano that corn had been
forcibly taken from some of his people in the Chesapeake by Ensign
Harrison, commanding a shallop belonging to this Captain John Martin,
"master of the Ordinance."

The speaker read the commission for establishing the council of state
and the General Assembly, and also the