The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary ManUnknown
General
The Surprising Adventures of Bampfylde Moore Carew, King of the Beggars: Containing his Life, a Dictionary of the Cant Language, and many Entertaining Particulars of that Extraordinary Man
Pocahonta was told all along that Captain Smith was dead, to excuse his
not coming to Virginia again; from which he had been diverted by settling
a colony in New England. Wherefore, when this lady saw him, thinking the
English had injured her in telling her a falsity, which she had ill
deserved from them, she was so angry that she would not deign to speak to
him: but at last, with much persuasion and attendance, was reconciled,
and talked freely to him: she then put him in mind of the obligations she
had laid upon him, and reproached him for forgetting her, with an air so
lively, and words so sensible, that one might have seen nature abhors
nothing more than ingratitude—a vice that even the very savages detest.
She was carried to court by the Lady Delaware, and entertained by ladies
of the first quality, towards whom she behaved herself with so much grace
and majesty, that she confirmed the bright character Captain Smith had
given of her. The whole court was charmed with the decency and grandeur
of her deportment so much, that the poor gentleman, her husband, was
threatened to be called to an account for marrying a princess royal
without the king’s consent; though in that king James showed a very
notable piece of kingcraft, for there was no likelihood that Mr. Rolfe,
by marrying Pocahonta, could any way endanger the peace of his dominions;
or that his alliance with the king of Wicomaco could concern the king of
Great-Britain; indeed, we are told, that upon a fair and full
representation of the matter, the king was pleased to be satisfied.
The lady Pocahonta, having been entertained with all manner of respect in
England, was taken ill at Gravesend, where she lay in order to embark for
Virginia; she died there with all the signs of a sincere Christian and
true penitent.
She had one son by Mr. Rolfe, whose posterity are at this day in good
repute in Virginia, and inherit lands by descent from her.
The language of the Indians is lofty, but narrow; the accent and emphasis
of some of their words are great and sweet, as Okorocston, Rancoce,
Oriston, Shakameton, Poquiffin, all names of places, and as sonorous as
any in Attica; then for sweetness they have their _anna_, mother,
_issimus_, brother, _nelapsin_ and _usque oret_, very good, _pone_,
bread, _morridge walk_, a burying-place, _scaw_, a woman, _salop_, a man,
_pappoes_, a child.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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