t it was ordered by the great Men at Court,
that my Victuals should be daily brought unto me, whereas they went
always from house to house for theirs: Neither was it fitting for
me, they said, to imploy my self in such an Inferior Office as to
dress my own Meat, being a Man that the King had notice of by Name,
and very suddenly before I should be aware of it, would send for me
into the Presence, where I should be highly promoted to some Place
of Honour. In the mean time, they told me, as pretending to give me
good counsel, That it was more for my credit and repute to have my
Provisions brought unto me ready Dressed as they were before.

[He reasons with the People about his allowance.] Altho I was yet
but a Novice in the Countrey, and knew not much of the People, yet
plain reason told me, that it was not so much for my good and credit
that they pleaded, as for their own benefit. Wherefore I returned
them this answer, That if as they said I was greater in quality than
the rest, and so held in their Estimation, it would be but reason to
demand a greater allowance, whereas I desired no more than the other
English men had. And as for the toyl and trouble in dressing of it,
that would be none to me, for my Boy had nothing else to do. And then
I alledged several inconveniencies in bringing my Victuals ready
boiled; as first, that it was not dressed according to my Diet;
and many times not brought in due Season, so that I could not eat
when I was an hungry. And the last and chief reason of all was, that
I might save a little to serve my Necessity of Clothing: and rather
than want Cloths for my Back, I must pinch a little out of my Belly,
and so both go share and share like. And so at length, thanks be to
God, I obtained, tho with much ado, to get two Measures of Rice per
day for my self, and one for my Boy; also Coker-nuts, Pumpkins, Herbs,
Limes, and such like enough, besides Pepper and Salt; and sometimes
Hens, Eggs, or Flesh: Rice being the main thing they stand upon,
for other things they refuse not to give what they have.

[He builds him an House.] Now having settled all Business about my
allowance, my next concern was to look after an House more convenient,
for my present one was too small to dress my Victuals in, and to
sleep in too. Thereabouts was a Garden of Coker-nut Trees, belonging
unto the King, a pleasant situation; this place I made choice of to
build me a House in. And discovering my desire to the People, the