The waiters stood watchful to do his command. “When he, [Powhatan,] dineth or suppeth, one of his women, before and after meat, bringeth him water in a wooden platter to wash his hands. Another waiteth with a bunch of feathers to wipe them instead of a towel, and the feathers, when he hath wiped, are dryed againe.”--_Captain Smith._ [NOTE 17--CANTO FOURTH, SECT. I.] And over, and over, down they roll’d, And plunged beneath the wave. Burk says that on one occasion Captain Smith, “whilst he walked unattended in the woods, was attacked by the king of Paspahey, a man of gigantic stature;” and Stith adds, that “the Indian, by mere dint of strength, forced him into the water with intent to drown him. Long they struggled, till the President (Smith) got such hold of his throat, that he almost strangled him.” [NOTE 18--CANTO FOURTH, SECT. VII.] Temples that shield from vulgar sight A thousand holy things, Their idols, tombs, and images Of great and ancient kings. “In every territory of a werowance is a temple and priest; two or three or more. “Upon the top of certaine red sandy hills in the woods, there are three great houses filled with images of their kings, and devils, and tombs of their predecessors. Those houses are near sixty foot in length, built arbor-wise, after their building. This place they count so holy as that but the priests and kings dare come into them; nor the savages dare not go up the river in boats by it, but they solemnly cast some piece of copper, white beads, or pocones, into the river, for fear their Okee should be offended and revenged of them.”--_Smith’s Virginia._ [NOTE 19--CANTO FOURTH, SECT. VII.] When lo! the solemn man comes forth With slow and measured tread: A crown of snakes and weasel skins Is borne upon his head. “Their chief priest differed from the rest in his ornaments, but inferior priests could hardly be knowne from the common people, but that they had not so many holes in their ears to hang their jewells at. The ornaments of the chief priest were certaine attires for his head, made thus. They took a dozen or sixteen or more snakes’ skins, and stuffed them with mosse, and of weazles and other vermines’ skins a good many. All these they tie by their tails, so as all their tails meet on the top of their head like a great tassell. Round about this tassell is as it were a crowne of feathers; the skins hang round about his head, necke and shoulders, and in a manner cover his face. The faces of all their priests are painted as ugly as they can devise; in their hands they had every one his rattle, some base, some smaller.”--_Smiths Virginia._ [NOTE 20--CANTO FOURTH, SECT. VII.] The sacred weed is in his hand, That Okee’s favor wins, Whose grateful odor hath the power To expiate all sins: He hurls it forth with sinewy arm Into the hottest flame, And thrice aloud in solemn tone Invokes great Okee’s name.