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
Henry Spelman, an English boy who was sold to an Indian chief, lived as
a servant for many years among the savages. He relates an incident of
domestic life in the household of the king of Paspetanzy, who "went to
visitt another king, and one of his wives after his departure would goe
visitt her father, and she willed me to goe with hir and take hir child
and carye him thither in my armes, being a long days journey from the
place where we dwelt, which I refusing she strook me 3 or 4 blows." This
it appears was too much for the free-born Briton. "I gott to hir and puld
hir downe, giving hir some blows agayne which the other King's wives
perseyvinge they fell on me and beat me so as I thought they had lamed
me." It appears the lady's filial intentions were not carried out, the
heavy child being quite too much for her strength. All awaited the return
of the king, and the indignant Henry boldly told his side of the story.
There had been quarrels and fights before in the king's household, and he
knew how to deal with them. The remedy was at hand. Taking up a "paring
iron" he struck his wife and felled her to the ground, whereupon Henry, by
no means sure upon whom the instrument of domestic discipline would fall
next, fled to a neighbour's house and hid. His position was a perilous
one, his fate uncertain. The Indian baby settled the question. Henry had
been an affectionate nurse and perhaps bedfellow to the little pappoose,
who now lifted up his voice in loud lamentations, howling for his white
friend until midnight. The king was weary and longed for sleep. Search was
made for Henry, and at midnight the child was sent to him, as he says "to
still; for none could quiet him so well as myself."
The king, having had a good night's rest, was up early next morning to
interview Henry, and to assure him that no evil intent was cherished
against him, that his "Queene" was all right, that everybody loved him,
and none should hurt him; his Majesty content, as we all can understand,
to eat a good bit of humble-pie rather than lose a good nurse! "I was loth
to goe with him," says Henry, "and at my cumminge the Queene looked but
discontentedly at me, but I had the Kinge's promise and cared ye less for
others frownes." There is something very pathetic in the boy's narrative.
He was the son of an eminent scholar, Sir Henry Spelman, but, impatient
of restraint, had run away from a comfortable English home, and here
he was in the great wilderness, soothing the hunger of his heart in the
companionship of a savage baby.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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