The Birth of the Nation, Jamestown, 1607Pryor, Sara Agnes Rice
History
The Birth of the Nation, Jamestown, 1607
Pryor, Sara Agnes Rice
Virginia -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
"His answer was that he loved his daughter as his life, and though hee had
many children hee delighted in none so much as shee, whom if he could not
behold he could not possibly live, which living with us hee could not do,
having resolved on no termes to put himselfe in our hands or come amongst
us, continuing: 'returne my brother this answer: that I desire no more
assurance of his friendship than the promise he hath made. From me he
hath one of my daughters which so long as she lives shall be sufficient.
When she dies he shall have another: I hold it not brotherly to desire to
bereave me of my two children at once. Farther tell him though he hath no
pledge at all he need not distrust any injurie from me or my people. There
have been too many of his men and mine slain, and by my occasion there
shall never be more (I, which have power to perform it, have said it),
although I should have just cause, for I am now old, and would gladly end
my days in peace; if you offer me injury my country is large enough to go
from you. This much I hope will satisfy my brother. Now because you are
weary and I sleepy we will thus end.'" And so the alliance, which would
have been a brilliant one for the Princess Cleopatre, was declined with
thanks.
It is the privilege of royalty to begin and end a conversation, so Hamor
retired, and "the next morning he came to visit us, and kindly conducted
us to the best cheer he had."
After this we hear occasionally of the emperor, now, according to
Strachey, eighty years old. He was once found in possession of a handsome
blank-book, in which he requested an English visitor to write a list of
the articles to be sent to him as presents. His guest coveted the useful
book, but Powhatan refused to part with it, "It gives me pleasure," he
said, "to show it to strangers!"
His crown (sent him by King James) was kept in his treasure-house. Every
autumn his people assembled to husk, shell, and store his corn, bringing
him eight parts out of ten of all grain, game, skins, or pearls they had
acquired; and when the grain was stored it was his custom to put on his
crown, and present beads to those who best pleased him.
[Illustration: Powhatan Rock, under which the Indian Chief is said to be
buried.
Copyright, 1906, by Jamestown Official Photo. Corp'n. ]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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