pioneers of the old south-第3节

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the　Low　Countries。　He　is　to　stay　five　years　in　Virginia；　to　serve　there　a
short　time　as　Governor；　and　then；　returning　to　England；　is　to　write　〃A
Trewe　Relacyion〃；　in　which　he　begs　to　differ　from　John　Smith's　〃Generall
Historie。〃　Finally；　he　goes　again　to　the　wars　in　the　Low　Countries；　serves
with　distinction；　and　dies；　unmarried；　at　the　age　of　fifty…two。　His
portrait　shows　a　long；　rather　melancholy　face；　set　between　a　lace　collar
and　thick；　dark　hair。

A　Queen　and　a　CardinalMary　Tudor　and　Reginald　Polehad　stood　sponsors
for　the　father　of　Edward…Maria　Wingfield。　This　man；　of　an　ancient　and
honorable　stock；　was　older　than　most　of　his　fellow　adventurers　to　Virginia。
He　had　fought　in　Ireland；　fought　in　the　Low　Countries；　had　been　a　prisoner
of　war。　Now　he　was　presently　to　become　〃the　first　president　of　the　first
council　in　the　first　English　colony　in　America。　〃And　then；　miseries
increasing　and　wretched　men　being　quick　to　impute　evil；　it　was　to　be　held
with　other　assertions　against　him　that　he　was　of　a　Catholic　family；　that　he
traveled　without　a　Bible；　and　probably　meant　to　betray　Virginia　to　the
Spaniard。　He　was　to　be　deposed　from　his　presidency；　return　to　England；
and　there　write　a　vindication。　〃I　never　turned　my　face　from　daunger；　or
hidd　my　handes　from　labour；　so　watchful　a　sentinel　stood　myself　to　myself。〃
With　John　Smith　he　had　a　bitter　quarrel。

Upon　the　Discovery　is　one　who　signed　himself　〃John　Radclyffe；　comenly
called；〃　and　who　is　named　in　the　London　Company's　list　as　〃Captain　John
Sicklemore；　alias　Ratcliffe。　〃He　will　have　a　short　and　stormy　Virginian
life；　and　in　two　years　be　done　to　death　by　Indians。　John　Smith　quarreled
with　him　also。　〃A　poor　counterfeited　Imposture！〃　said　Smith。　Gabriel　Archer
is　a　lawyer；　and　first　secretary　or　recorder　of　the　colony。　Short；　too；　is
his　life。　His　name　lives　in　Archer's　Hope　on　the　James　River　in　Virginia。
John　Smith　will　have　none　of　him！　George　Kendall's　life　is　more　nearly　spun
than　Ratcliffe's　or　Archer's。　He　will　be　shot　for　treason　and　rebellion。
Robert　Hunt　is　the　chaplain。　Besides　those　whom　the　time　dubbed
〃gentlemen；〃　there　are　upon　the　three　ships　English　sailors；　English
laborers；　six　carpenters；　two　bricklayers；　a　blacksmith；　a　tailor；　a
barber；　a　drummer；　other　craftsmen；　and　nondescripts。　Up　and　down　and　to
and　fro　they　pass　in　their　narrow　quarters；　microscopic　upon　the　bosom　of
the　ocean。

John　Smith　looms　large　among　them。　John　Smith　has　a　mantle　of　marvelous
adventure。　It　seems　that　he　began　to　make　it　when　he　was　a　boy；　and　for
many　years　worked　upon　it　steadily　until　it　was　stiff　as　cloth　of　gold　and
voluminous　as　a　puffed…out　summer　cloud。　Some　think　that　much　of　it　was
such　stuff　as　dreams　are　made　of。　Probably　some　breadths　were　the　fabric　of
vision。　Still　it　seems　certain　that　he　did　have　some　kind　of　an
extraordinary　coat　or　mantle。　The　adventures　which　he　relates　of　himself
are　those　of　a　paladin。　Born　in　1579　or　1580；　he　was　at　this　time　still　a
young　man。　But　already　he　had　fought　in　France　and　in　the　Netherlands；　and
in　Transylvania　against　the　Turks。　He　had　known　sea…fights　and　shipwrecks
and　had　journeyed；　with　adventures　galore；　in　Italy。　Before　Regal；　in
Transylvania；　he　had　challenged　three　Turks　in　succession；　unhorsed　them；
and　cut　off　their　heads；　for　which　doughty　deed　Sigismund；　a　Prince　of
Transylvania；　had　given　him　a　coat　of　arms　showing　three　Turks'　heads　in　a
shield。　Later　he　had　been　taken　in　battle　and　sold　into　slavery；　whereupon
a　Turkish　lady；　his　master's　sister；　had　looked　upon　him　with　favor。　But　at
last　he　slew　the　Turk　and　escaped；　and　after　wandering　many　days　in　misery
came　into　Russia。　〃Here；　too；　I　found；　as　I　have　always　done　when　in
misfortune；　kindly　help　from　a　woman。〃　He　wandered　on　into　Germany　and　thence
into　France　and　Spain。　Hearing　of　wars　in　Barbary；　he　crossed　from　Gibraltar。
Here　he　met　the　captain　of　a　French　man…of…war。　One　day　while　he　was　with　this
man　there　arose　a　great　storm　which　drove　the　ship　out　to　sea。　They　went
before　the　wind　to　the　Canaries；　and　there　put　themselves　to　rights　and　began
to　chase　Spanish　barks。　Presently　they　had　a　great　fight　with　two　Spanish　men…
of…war；　in　which　the　French　ship　and　Smith　came　off　victors。　Returning　to
Morocco；　Smith　bade　the　French　captain　good…bye　and　took　ship　for　England；　and
so　reached　home　in　1604。　Here　he　sought　the　company　of　like…minded　men；　and　so
came　upon　those　who　had　been　to　the　New　World〃and　all　their　talk　was　of　its
wonders。〃　So　Smith　joined　the　Virginia　undertaking；　and　so　we　find　him　headed
toward　new　adventures　in　the　western　world。

On　sailed　the　three　shipslittle　shipssailing…ships　with　a　long　way　to　go。

〃The　twelfth　day　of　February　at　night　we　saw　a　blazing　starre　and　presently
a　storme　。　。　。　。　The　three　and　twentieth　day　＇of　March＇　we　fell　with　the
Iland　of　Mattanenio　in　the　West　Indies。　The　foure　and　twentieth　day　we
anchored　at　Dominico；　within　fourteene　degrees　of　the　Line；　a　very　faire
Iland；　full　of　sweet　and　good　smells；　inhabited　by　many　Savage　Indians　。。。。
The　six　and　twentieth　day　we　had　sight　of　Marigalanta；　and　the　next　day　wee
sailed　with　a　slacke　sail　alongst　the　Ile　of　Guadalupa　。　。　。　。　We　sailed　by
many　Ilands；　as　Mounserot　and　an　Iland　called　Saint　Christopher；　both
uninhabited；　about　two　a　clocke　in　the　afternoone　wee　anchored　at　the　Ile
of　Mevis。　There　the　Captaine　landed　all　his　men　。　。　。　。　We　incamped
ourselves　on　this　Ile　six　days　。　。　。　。　The　tenth　day　＇April＇　we　set　saile
and　disimboged　out　of　the　West　Indies　and　bare　our　course　Northerly　。。。。
The　six　and　twentieth　day　of　Aprill；　about　foure　a　clocke　in　the　morning；
wee　descried　the　Land　of　Virginia。〃*

*　Percy's　〃Discourse　in　Purchas；　His　Pilgrims；　vol。　IV；　p。　1684。
Also　given　in　Brown's　〃Genesis　of　the　United　States〃；　vol。　I；　p。　152。


During　the　long　months　of　this　voyage；　cramped　in　the　three　ships；　these
men；　most　of　them　young　and　of　the　hot…blooded；　physically　adventurous
sort；　had　time　to　develop　strong　likings　and　dislikings。　The　hundred　and
twenty　split　into　opposed　camps。　The　several　groups　nursed　all　manner　of
jealousies。　Accusations　flew　between　like　shuttlecocks。　The　sealed　box　that
they　carried　proved　a　manner　of　Ate's　apple。　All　knew　that　seven　on　board
were　councilors　and　rulers；　with　one　of　the　number　President；　but　they　knew
not　which　were　the　seven。　Smith　says　that　this　uncertainty　wrought　much
mischief；　each　man　of　note　suggesting　to　himself；　〃I　shall　be
Presidentor；　at　least；　Councilor！〃　The　ships　became　cursed　with　a　pest　of
factions。　A　prime　quarrel　arose　between　John　Smith　and　Edward…Maria
Wingfield；　two　whose　temperaments　seem　to　have　been　poles　apart。　There
arose　a　〃scandalous　report；　that　Smith　meant　to　reach　Virginia　only　to
usurp　the　Government；　murder　the　Council；　and　proclaim　himself　King。　The
bickering　deepened　into　forthright　quarrel；　with　at　last　the　expected
explosion。　Smith　was　arrested；　was　put　in　irons；　and　first　saw　Virginia　as
a　prisoner。

On　the　twenty…sixth　day　of　April；　1607；　the　Susan　Constant；　the　Goodspeed；
and　the　Discovery　entered　Chesapeake　Bay。　They　came　in　between　two　capes；
and　one　they　named　Cape　Henry　after　the　then　Prince　of　Wales；　and　the　other
Cape　Charles　for　that　brother　of　short…lived　Henry　who　was　to　become
Charles　the　First。　By　Cape　Henry　they　anchored；　and　numbers　from　the　ships
went　ashore。　〃But；〃　says　George　Percy's　Discourse；　〃we　could　find　nothing
worth　the　speaking　of；　but　faire　meadows　and　goodly　tall　Trees；　with　such
Fresh…waters　running　through　the　woods　as　I　was　almost　ravished　at　the
first　sight　thereof。　At　night；　when　wee　were　going　aboard；　there　came　the
Savages　creeping　upon　all　foure　from　the　Hills　like　Beares；　with　their
Bowes　in　their　mouths；　charged　us　very　desperately　in　the　faces；　hurt
Captaine　Gabriel　Archer　in　both　his　hands；　and　a　sayler　in　two　places　of
the　body　very　dangerous。　After　they　had　spent　their　Arrowes　and　felt　the
sharpnesse　of　our　shot；　they　retired　into　the　Woods　with　a　great　noise；　and
so　left　us。〃

That　very　night；　by　the　ships'　lanterns；　Newport；　Gosnold；　and　Ratcliffe
opened　the　sealed　box。　The　names　of　the　councilors　were　found　to　be
Christopher　Newport；　Bartholomew　Gosnold；　John　Ratcliffe；　Edward…Maria
Wingfield；　John　Martin；　John　Smith；　and　George　Kendall；　with　Gabriel　Archer
for　recorder。　From　its　own　number；　at　the　first　convenient　time；　this
Council　was　to　choose　its　President。　All　this　was　now　declared　and
published　to　all　the　company　upon　the　ships。　John　Smith　was　given　his
freedom　but　was　not　yet　allowed　place　in　the　Council。　So　closed　an　exciting
day。　In　the　morning　they　pressed　in　parties　yet　further　into　the　land；　but
met　no　Indiansonly　came　to　a　place　where　these　savages　had　been　roasting
oysters。　The　next　day　saw　further　exploring。　〃We　marched　some　three　or
foure　miles　further　into　the　Woods　where　we　saw　great　smoakes　of　fire。　Wee
marched　to　those　smoakes　and　found　that　the　Savages　had　beene　there　burning
downe　the　grasse　。　。　。　。We　passed　through　excellent　ground　full　of　Flowers
of　divers　kinds　and　colours；　anal　as　goodly　trees　as　I　have　seene；　as
cedar；　cipresse　and　other　kindes；　going　a　little　further　we　came　into　a
little　pla