University of Virginia Library

XCVI. John Pory. A Letter to Sir Edwin Sandys
January 13, 1619/20

Document in Magdalene College, Cambridge. Autograph Letter, Signed
List of Records No. 156

Most worthy knight,

After my sicknesses and miseries past, the Bona noua hath brought
me in particular one singular and cordial comfort namely the newes
of your being elected Treasurer: for nowe I am confident, that what

seruice soeuer I shall indeuour for the publique shall come to that hand
wch knowes howe to value it, and will not onely accepte, but esteem it.
The defect is (wch makes me sigh) that my sufficiencies from hence (heu
quantum est in rebus inane!) cannot in the thousand parte answere
yours euery way so complete, out of England. And though I had it in
my person, yet the place so newly inhabited wantes many helpes,
wherwth those ciuiler partes doe abounde. Howbeit this yeare to come
(for the last was full of infirmities in all kindes) so it please God to con-
tinue my health as it is, being neuer more perfect in any place wheresoeuer
I haue remained, I will rouze up my spirits to doe all that may be possible.
Neither shall the vncertainty of my being continued, or by some newe
gouernour thrust out of my place, any whitt dismay me from performance
of my duty for the Interim; for that is a stroke, though many times vnjust
and cruell, for wch there is no sense. In this dispatche I haue sente you
enclosed in a letter of mine to the Counsell and company, a copie of a
warrant from the Gouernr: and Counsell here, for establishing my fees,
according as it was there ordered in courte, before my coming awaye.
Herein (as all of them can be my witnesses) I was not mine owne caruer
at all; but they in [1b] mine absence, and wthout my suggestion, did order
mine allowance, as appeareth in the same copie. For the first whole yeare
from the time my com̄ission was deliuered me, I receiued not a farthing,
and since that, very little, being faine to trust the most of those I doe
seruice for. If the Company shalbe pleased to confirme vnto me that,
wch all men of reason here do thinke to be but reasonable, I shall esteem
both my hazard and my paines well bestowed, although, do what I can, I
feare me, that at my three yeares ende I shall skarce make a sauing voiage.
In sum̄a sum̄arū, whatsoeuer they in their wisdom and bounty shall
thinke fitte to allotte me I will rest contented.

Now in answere to your letter by the same ship. Your loue I do most
thankfully acknowledge; and I thinke Sir George Yeardley will not deny,
but he hath still cause to affect me euery day more and more. To that
noble Earle I am deeply bound, who cannot but testifie on my behalfe,
that when he employed me in his owne particular seruice I performed it
fully to his minde, and aboue his expectation, and will hope to do the like,
if euer I shall haue the honour to serue him againe. As it hath bene your
indeuour to maintaine his lops good fauour towardℯ Sir George Yeardley,

so (as you will perceiue by somewhat that comes in this dispatche) it hath
bene my care to nourish Sir George his due respect and worthy seruice
towards his lop, and this also out of regard to the good of [2a] Virginia.
It would grieue me, that any error or disaster should haue any power to
worke any contrary effecte. But you knowe that humanū est errare, and
disasters what wisedome can preuent? If his lop be offended in ought, it
wilbe in respect of his more then ordinary affection towards Captain
Argall, whose faultes Sir George was bounde by com̄ission, and for the
saluing of his owne reputation also, to discouer. Sir George Yeardley, I
thinke, would not robb Captaine Argall of my lordes loue, for he hath in
him to deserue muche; nor would he haue his lop to haue spent so muche
loue upon any man in vaine; but onely doth wishe that Captain Argall
being riche, a Bachelour, and deuoid of chardge, would not so excessiuely
intende his owne thrifte. As touching Sir George his intercepting of my
letters, his lop I knowe (so noble is he) will not be implacable. And on
the other side, I knowe not howe he will interpret that wch hath bene
written concerning the Treasurer (wch Argall called his ship, while she was
here) or concerning Spelmans vnaduised using of his lops name to Opo-
chancano. Meane while in the dangers wherein the Colony stood, Sir
George thought himselfe vnworthy of a remedy, vnlesse he had sett downe
the truth of the case. What tempestes that answere of his by the Diana,
and those other letters then and since haue raised in your court, I doe
almost fear to think of. Without his com̄andement I did nothing [2b]
and that wch I did, he viewed and reuiewed still to a syllable. All wch
upon the sending away of this dispatch we throughly perused, and he
constantly auowes and Justifies euery iota and title. Jacta est alea, and
some body must run the hazard of it. But if we be blamed for doing part
of our duty, then what should we haue bene, if we had done all? All that
I can say is, that whatsoeuer errours of mine be represented back hither
(for in the distemper I was in, I could not chuse, but com̄itte some) I shall
be more willing to amende, then euer I was to com̄itte, and shall honour
them most, that read me my lesson most roundly. And whosoeuer do so,
shall in my conceipte do far better, then those others (who they were, I
knowe not) that by the Marigolde putt this gouernour for the time
(whenas I serued him wth the greatest fidelity and zeale that was possible)
into so many violent needles Jelousies against me, which notwthstanding
had not the force to batter downe my patience of prooff. That lawe of
iustice and friendship so to doe right to one friend, as to beware of offring
wrong to another, I haue as duely obserued, as I could any way deuise.
And you shall well perceiue, howe I haue concurred with you to close up the
breache, wch was in danger to haue growen wyder. So haue I euer
since my coming hither performed the parte of a true friend, and that for
the publique good, wherin I pray god, we may all haue Joye. For per-
forming my requestes, wthowt answering my letters, I most humbly [3a]
thanke you. This far in answere of your kinde letter. I haue sente you
in Sir George his boxe of letters directed both to your selfe, and to his
brother, the copies of our two dispatches both by the Prosperous and the
Flemish man of warre, to the ende, that if you haue occasion, you may
make use of them. I haue sent you also inclosed wth this, the copie of
my letter to you by the Fleming; and a copie also of my letter I write
nowe to my lord of Warwick, to the end you should from my part, be
ignorant of nothing wherby you may doe any good office between that
most noble lord and Sir George Yeardley, and for none other purpose.
This secret I would not putt into §any§ hand but yours, nor into yours,
but onely for that intent. I am to confident of your true worth, as I dare
putt my life into your handes, and therfore this, wch I hold not much
inferiour. By the Bona noua I purpose to sende you copies of suche
graunts of lande, as we shall haue passed to the ende, that if you like not
the forme, you may be pleased to reforme it. If you receiued Sir George
his dispatche by the Prosperous I would beseech you to viewe the general
petition §against Captaine Argall§ of those nine of James citty, §contained
in one sheet§ and to compare the original wth the copie sent you nowe in
Sir George his boxe, and if you finde neuer so little difference between
them §though but a worde§ that you would vouchsafe to giue me notice
by the first, for it may concerne me. You may best doe it by correcting
the said copie by the original, and sending it back againe. More time I
will not presume to rob you of, that haue so many better wayes to employe
it. [3b] Mine humble duty and seruice I beseech you to present to your
noble and vertuous lady. And so wishing her Idp, your selfe, and your
generous ofspring all happines, I reste

Postscript

Wheras in my letter by the Fleming I wrote concerning Poole the Inter-
preter, that Sir George would make him sure for telling any more false
tales to Opochancano, if once he gott him into his power; at Pooles coming
lately home we were quite of another opinion. For bringing the Kinges
picture as a messenger from Opochancanough, we counted him a pub-
lique, and as it were a neutral person, and so for not discontenting Opoe-
chancanough, wth whom nowe we stand in termes of reconciliation, we
thought it no wayes convenient to call Poole to accounte.

One fauour yet I must humbly beseech of you, and that is, after this dis-
patche hath bene perused in the courte, you would be pleased to sende it
my lo: Carewe to read it ouer, and likewise if there be any thing wch his
lop hath not seen in the last dispatche by the fleming.

At the sealing up of this I cannot finde the copie of my letter to you by
the Fleming, wch, it may be, you shall finde in one of the other pacquettℯ.

[Indorsed:] Mr John Pory: from Virginia 13 Jan: 1619.

By ye §George§ Bona noua

• + Sent ye order for his Fees.
• Apoligi for his dealing between ye E. & Sr G. Y.
• What if they had doon all their Duetie?
• Trust wth a Secret.
• Wil send copies of their grants of Land.
• □ Touching ye Complaints by ye Prosp̱us vide.
• Poole a messenger from Opachankeno.

[By Sr Edwin Sandys]

To Sr Edwin Sandys.