The Myths of the North American IndiansSpence, Lewis
History
The Myths of the North American Indians
Spence, Lewis
Indian mythology -- North America; Indians of North America -- Folklore
"'Thus, most gracious Lady, I have related to your Majesty, what at
your best leisure our approved Histories will account you at large, and
done in the time of your Majesty's life; and however this might be
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 ability and her exceeding desert; your birth, means and
authority; her birth, virtue, want and simplicity, doth make me thus
bold, humbly to beseech your Majesty to take this knowledge of her,
though it be from one so unworthy to be the reporter, as myself, her
husband's estate not being able to make her fit to attend your Majesty.
The most and least I can do is to tell you this, because none so oft
has tried it as myself, and the rather being of so great a spirit,
however her stature: if she should not be well received, seeing this
kingdom may rightly have a kingdom by her means; her present love to us
and Christianity might turn to such scorn and fury, as to divert all
this good to the worst of evil: whereas finding so great a Queen should
do her some honour {36} more than she can imagine, for being so kind to
your servants and subjects, would so ravish her with content, as endear
her dearest blood to effect that, your Majesty and all the King's
honest subjects most earnestly desire.
Captain Powell continues:
"The small time I staid in London, divers courtiers and others, my
acquaintances, have gone with me to see her, that generally concluded,
they did think God had had a great hand in her conversion, and they
have seen many English Ladies worse favoured, proportioned, and
behavioured; and as since I have heard, it pleased both the King and
Queen's Majesty honourably to esteem her, accompanied with that
honourable Lady the Lady de la Ware, and that honourable Lord her
husband, and divers other persons of good qualities, both publicly at
the masques and otherwise, to her great satisfaction and content, which
doubtless she would have deserved, had she lived to arrive in Virginia.
"The Treasurer, Council and Company, having well furnished Captain
Samuel Argall, the Lady Pocahontas alias Rebecca, with her husband and
others, in the good ship called the _George_; it pleased God at
Gravesend to take this young Lady to His mercy, where she made not more
sorrow for her unexpected death, than joy to the beholders to hear and
see her make so religious and godly an end. Her little child Thomas
Rolfe, therefore, was left at Plymouth with Sir Lewis Stukly, that
desired the keeping of it."
Indian Kidnapping
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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