第 68 节
作者:津夏      更新:2021-02-24 22:22      字数:9322
  fully preserved by him; not much above a pint in all this time spent; and gave each of us in a great oyster shell some three spoonfuls。〃
  We trust that Sir Thomas Dale gave a faithful account of all this to his wife in England。
  Sir Thomas Gates left Virginia in the spring of 1614 and never returned。  After his departure scarcity and severity developed a mutiny; and six of the settlers were executed。  Rolfe was planting tobacco (he has the credit of being the first white planter of it); and his wife was getting an inside view of Christian civilization。
  In 1616 Sir Thomas Dale returned to England with his company and John Rolfe and Pocahontas; and several other Indians。  They reached Plymouth early in June; and on the 20th Lord Carew made this note: 〃Sir Thomas Dale returned from Virginia; he hath brought divers men and women of thatt countrye to be educated here; and one Rolfe who married a daughter of Pohetan (the barbarous prince) called Pocahuntas; hath brought his wife with him into England。〃  On the 22d Sir John Chamberlain wrote to Sir Dudley Carlton that there were ten or twelve; old and young; of that country。〃
  The Indian girls who came with Pocahontas appear to have been a great care to the London company。  In May; 1620; is a record that the company had to pay for physic and cordials for one of them who had been living as a servant in Cheapside; and was very weak of a consumption。  The same year two other of the maids were shipped off to the Bermudas; after being long a charge to the company; in the hope that they might there get husbands; 〃that after they were converted and had children; they might be sent to their country and kindred to civilize them。〃  One of them was there married。  The attempt to educate them in England was not very successful; and a proposal to bring over Indian boys obtained this comment from Sir Edwin Sandys:
  〃Now to send for them into England; and to have them educated here; he found upon experience of those brought by Sir Thomas Dale; might be far from the Christian work intended。〃  One Nanamack; a lad brought over by Lord Delaware; lived some years in houses where 〃he heard not much of religion but sins; had many times examples of drinking; swearing and like evils; ran as he was a mere Pagan;〃 till he fell in with a devout family and changed his life; but died before he was baptized。  Accompanying Pocahontas was a councilor of Powhatan; one Tomocomo; the husband of one of her sisters; of whom Purchas says in his 〃Pilgrimes〃: 〃With this savage I have often conversed with my good friend Master Doctor Goldstone where he was a frequent geust; and where I have seen him sing and dance his diabolical measures; and heard him discourse of his country and religion。。。。  Master Rolfe lent me a discourse which I have in my Pilgrimage delivered。  And his wife did not only accustom herself to civility; but still carried herself as the daughter of a king; and was accordingly respected; not only by the Company which allowed provision for herself and her son; but of divers particular persons of honor; in their hopeful zeal by her to advance Christianity。  I was present when my honorable and reverend patron; the Lord Bishop of London; Doctor King; entertained her with festival state and pomp beyond what I had seen in his great hospitality offered to other ladies。  At her return towards Virginia she came at Gravesend to her end and grave; having given great demonstration of her Christian sincerity; as the first fruits of Virginia conversion; leaving here a goodly memory; and the hopes of her resurrection; her soul aspiring to see and enjoy permanently in heaven what here she had joyed to hear and believe of her blessed Saviour。  Not such was Tomocomo; but a blasphemer of what he knew not and preferring his God to ours because he taught them (by his own so appearing) to wear their Devil… lock at the left ear; he acquainted me with the manner of that his appearance; and believed that their Okee or Devil had taught them their husbandry。〃
  Upon news of her arrival; Captain Smith; either to increase his own importance or because Pocahontas was neglected; addressed a letter or 〃little booke〃 to Queen Anne; the consort of King James。  This letter is found in Smith's 〃General Historie〃 ( 1624); where it is introduced as having been sent to Queen Anne in 1616。  Probably he sent her such a letter。  We find no mention of its receipt or of any acknowledgment of it。  Whether the 〃abstract〃 in the 〃General Historie〃 is exactly like the original we have no means of knowing。 We have no more confidence in Smith's memory than we have in his dates。  The letter is as follows:
  〃To the most high and vertuous Princesse Queene Anne of Great Brittaine。
  Most ADMIRED QUEENE。
  〃The love I beare my God; my King and Countrie hath so oft emboldened me in the worst of extreme dangers; that now honestie doth constraine mee presume thus farre beyond my selfe; to present your Majestie this short discourse: if ingratitude be a deadly poyson to all honest vertues; I must be guiltie of that crime if I should omit any meanes to bee thankful。  So it is。
  〃That some ten yeeres agoe being in Virginia; and taken prisoner by the power of Powhaten; their chiefe King; I received from this great Salvage exceeding great courtesie; especially from his sonne Nantaquaus; the most manliest; comeliest; boldest spirit; I ever saw in a Salvage and his sister Pocahontas; the Kings most deare and wel… beloved daughter; being but a childe of twelve or thirteen yeeres of age; whose compassionate pitifull heart; of desperate estate; gave me much cause to respect her: I being the first Christian this proud King and his grim attendants ever saw; and thus enthralled in their barbarous power; I cannot say I felt the least occasion of want that was in the power of those my mortall foes to prevent notwithstanding al their threats。  After some six weeks fatting amongst those Salvage Courtiers; at the minute of my execution; she hazarded the beating out of her owne braines to save mine; and not onely that; but so prevailed with her father; that I was safely conducted to Jamestowne; where I found about eight and thirty miserable poore and sicke creatures; to keepe possession of all those large territories of Virginia; such was the weaknesse of this poore Commonwealth; as had the Salvages not fed us; we directly had starved。
  〃And this reliefe; most gracious Queene; was commonly brought us by this Lady Pocahontas; notwithstanding all these passages when inconstant Fortune 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; is to tell you this; because none so oft hath tried it as myselfe: and the rather being of so great a spirit; however her station: if she should not be well received; seeing this Kingdome may rightly have a Kingdome by her meanes: her present love to us and Christianitie; migh