Pocahontas, -1617; Powhatan Indians -- Biography; Powhatan women -- Biography
“The bruite of the exquesite perfection of your youngest daughter, being
famous through all your territories, hath come to the hearing of your
brother, Sir Thomas Dale, who for this purpose hath addressed me hither,
to intreate you by that brotherly friendship you make profession of, to
permit her (with me) to returne unto him, partly for the desire which
himselfe hath, and partly for the desire her sister hath to see her of
whom, if fame hath not been prodigall, as like enough it hath not, your
brother (by your favour) would gladly make his nearest companion, wife
and bed fellow [many times he would have interrupted my speech, which
I entreated him to heare out, and then if he pleased to returne me
answer], and the reason hereof is, because being now friendly and firmly
united together, and made one people [as he supposeth and believes] in
the bond of love, he would make a natural union between us, principally
because himself hath taken resolution to dwel in your country so long as
he liveth, and would not only therefore have the firmest assurance hee
may, of perpetuall friendship from you, but also hereby binde himselfe
thereunto.”
Powhatan replied with dignity that he gladly accepted the salute of love
and peace, which he and his subjects would exactly maintain. But as to
the other matter he said: “My daughter, whom my brother desireth, I sold
within these three days to be wife to a great Weroance for two bushels
of Roanoke [a small kind of beads made of oyster shells], and it is true
she is already gone with him, three days' journey from me.”
Hamor persisted that this marriage need not stand in the way; “that if
he pleased herein to gratify his Brother he might, restoring the Roanoke
without the imputation of injustice, take home his daughter again, the
rather because she was not full twelve years old, and therefore not
marriageable; assuring him besides the bond of peace, so much the
firmer, he should have treble the price of his daughter in beads,
copper, hatchets, and many other things more useful for him.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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