e turned our Peace to warre, this tender Virgin would still not
spare to dare to visit us, and by her our jarres have been oft appeased,
and our wants still supplyed; were it the policie of her father thus to
imploy her, or the ordinance of God thus to make her his instrument, or
her extraordinarie affection to our Nation, I know not: but of this I am
sure: when her father with the utmost of his policie and power, sought
to surprize mee, having but eighteene with mee, the dark night could not
affright her from comming through the irksome woods, and with watered
eies gave me intilligence, with her best advice to escape his furie:
which had hee known hee had surely slaine her. Jamestowne with her wild
traine she as freely frequented, as her father's habitation: and during
the time of two or three yeares, she next under God, was still the
instrument to preserve this Colonie from death, famine and utter
confusion, which if in those times had once beene dissolved, Virginia
might have laine as it was at our first arrivall to this day. Since
then, this buisinesse having been turned and varied by many accidents
from that I left it at: it is most certaine, after a long and
troublesome warre after my departure, betwixt her father and our
Colonie, all which time shee was not heard of, about two yeeres longer,
the Colonie by that meanes was releived, peace concluded, and at last
rejecting her barbarous condition, was maried to an English Gentleman,
with whom at this present she is in England; the first Christian ever of
that Nation, the first Virginian ever spake English, or had a childe
in mariage by an Englishman, a matter surely, if my meaning bee truly
considered and well understood, worthy a Princes understanding.
"Thus most gracious Lady, I have related to your Majestic, what at your
best leasure our approved Histories will account you at large, and done
in the time of your Majesties life, and however this might bee presented
you from a more worthy pen, it cannot from a more honest heart, as yet
I never begged anything of the State, or any, and it is my want of
abilitie and her exceeding desert, your birth, meanes, and authoritie,
her birth, vertue, want and simplicitie, doth make mee thus bold, humbly
to beseech your Majestic: to take this knowledge of her though it be
from one so unworthy to be the reporter, as myselfe, her husband's
estate not being able to make her fit to attend your Majestic: the most
and least I can doe
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