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
Her son was born while she was in England, or shortly before her coming
thither, and the London Company made provision for him and for her. The
smoke of London so distressed her that she removed to Brentford. The tiny
smoky hut of her childhood she could bear--but not the London fog. At
Brentford John Smith visited her. In mortal fear of offending the king by
familiarity with a princess, he addressed her ceremoniously as the "Lady
Rebekah," and this[79] wounded her so deeply that she covered her face
with her hands and turned away, refusing to speak for two or three hours!
It appears that he awaited her pleasure, and presently she reproached him
for his distant manner, thinking perhaps that he was ashamed to own her
before his own people. She reminded him that he had always called Powhatan
"father," and so she now meant to call him, and be his child, and forever
and ever his countrywoman; adding, "they did tell me you were dead, and
I knew no other till I came to Plymouth; yet[80] Powhatan did command
Uttamatomakkin to seeke you and know the truth because your Countriemen
will lie much."[81]
The Indian with the long name was Matachanna's husband, also known on
these pages as "Tocomoco." Powhatan had sent him to number the English,
which he proceeded to do by notches on a stick, but soon grew weary of
such a hopeless task. He took great offence because King James paid him
no attention, and never ceased abusing the English after his return, thus
helping along the massacre of five years later.
Pocahontas was on her way home, "sorely against her will," when she was
smitten with illness on board ship and taken ashore at Gravesend. There
she died, March 1, 1617, sustained by the faith and hope of the true
Christian. She was interred in the chancel of St. George's Church; the
exact spot of burial is, however, not known.
Before she left England her portrait was painted by an unknown artist, and
presented to Mr. Peter Elwin, a relative of the Rolfe family, by Madame
Zucchelli. As Zucchero was a painter of the time, the name Zucchelli might
have been mistaken for his. Zucchero painted a beautiful portrait of Queen
Elizabeth with a marvellous jewelled stomacher, but without the monstrous
fanlike wings of gauze at the throat with which we are familiar.
[Illustration: Royal Palace, Whitehall.]
John Rolfe left his son in England to be educated, and he found his
"match" once more, and married the daughter of a rich man at Jamestown.
Pocahontas's son married also, and was the progenitor of some of
Virginia's most distinguished citizens and statesmen. He visited his uncle
Opechancanough and his aunt "Cleopatre" after he returned to Virginia.
He was not ashamed of his Indian relatives! Nor are his descendants. The
names of Pocahontas, Powhatan, and Matoaca are still borne by them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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