University of Virginia Library

XCVIII. John Pory. A Letter to Sir Edwin Sandys
January 16, 1619/20

Honoble Knight

Once more give me leave to interrupt yow § in § answeringe an obiection
wch some may make against Sr George Yeardley for p̳feringe to serve ye
Cõpany in his place of his governemt, for his three yeares in Case he be
continued gratis.

Against this some man may alleadge that he hath broke his proffer in
takinge this yeare a rente of Corne and tobacco, though not much, from
Martins hundred people, whom Capt Argall had placed on the G[overno]rs
lande.

To this he answeres, first that what he received from them did not arise
out of ye labours of those fifty of his guarde, wch ye Company allowed him,
by whose labor he hath not yet reaped a penny benefit, save onely and
meerely in Corne, wch he Cannot Converte into mony, because he muste
reserve yt for his next yeares provision. Secondly he is at least 80011
sterlinge out of purse by reason of this Chardgeable employmt and that
yf he should heale vp his estate againe out of ye Governors lande, onely to
that sum̃e, and no farther, yet might he be sayd to serve them, gratis,
havinge made but owne of owne. But still he p̳fesseth as in his former that
he Consecrateth that expence wholly to ye service of ye Colony, that he
will not from henceforth rayse a penny proffit out of those mens labors that
remaine of his guarde. or that shalbe sent over for a farther addition, but
apply it wholly to ye buildinge and mayntaininge a fort at Point Comforte:
and lastly that he tooke that petty rente of Martins Hundred people, to
make them acknowledge by ye same act of theirs that Paspaheigho by
expresse wordes in ye greate Com̃ission did belonge to ye Governor and
that they had bene wrongfully seated by Capt Argall vpon that lande,
wch both he had instructions, and Sr George Yeardley Com̃ission to lay
out for ye Governors vse.

Sr George adviseth not onely ye Adventurers for Smythes hundred, but
ye generall Company also, to send hither husbandmen truely bred (whereof
here is a greate scarcity, or none at all) both to manage ye Plough. and
breake or oxen and horses to that busines. Besides he wisheth ye generall
Company would send greate store of Vignerons, and Vine plants of a good
race though growinge in England, albeit they woulde doe better to be had
of ffrance and Spaine. Mr Nicholas Leate ye Marchant hath vpon my
knowledge or (I am sure) had a lardge vine of Corynth grapes at ye house
he formerly dwelt in ye garden whereof Containinge ye same vine is parted
but by a wall from ye §garden of the§ house where he nowe dwelleth. It
grewe when I sawe yt against ye North wall of ye same garden wch supported
it towardℯ ye South sune. If yow Could p̳cure any slips of that howe [1b]
gainefull might they prove wth in seven or Eight yeares, heere beinge
h[eat] enough both to ripen and to dry them? There belonge so many
severall skills to ye plantinge and dressinge of a vineyard and to ye makinge
and preservinge of wines, whereof or nation is ignorant, as needes must
wee have Vignerons from from forraine partes: And vineyards beinge
once planted where such infinite store of caske may be provided, wee
might §for want of other com̃odities§ lade all ye ships that come, wth as
rich wines as ffrance or Spaine doth yeild. Sr George brought hither some
plantℯ wch doe prosper passinge well, but his Vigneron being a fretfull olde
man is dead. And because Canary wine is ye most durable in all voyages
and Climates of anie, and so Consequently ye most salable and proffitable:
yt would doe passinge well, yf wee could get store of plantℯ from thence,
* * * yt would one day acquite ye Cost to p̳cure plantℯ of those
wines * * * ly and Greece, wch doe emulate ye Nectar. Then this,
no Country is more apt for that purpose; for in time of yeare yow Can
scarce walke three steps in any place vnmanured, where some vine or
other will not be ready to entangle yor foote. But of this subiect enough,
whereof I have so lardgely dilated, not because I thirst after yt; for I
thanke god, I drinke water here wth as much (yf not more) pleasure §and§
contente, as I dranke wine in those partℯ.

ffor ye breedinge also and attendance of silke-wormes it would be most
necessary to send hither men that have in other Countryes bene trayned
vp meerely to that profession. ffor there belongeth greate Curiosity to it.

ffor ye dressinge hatchellinge, and makinge marchantable silke grasse,
flaxe and hempe, hither would be sent men of professed and practised
skill---it may be some might be founde in England.

Tobacco onely takes vp as much labor and care, as all these (yea yf yow
should adde some one Com̃odity more) Can employ or exercise. ffor in
sowing plantinge, weedinge, worminge, gatheringe, Curinge, and making
vp, it Consumes ten monethes at least, yf not eleven. Ad quid tot * * *
perditio hæc? vel in fumū saltem evanitio? yet this benefit wee may
* * * cape out of it. The extreame Care, diligence, and labor spent
about yt, doth prepare or people for some more excellente subiect. All
those other Comodities can prosper in a wet yeare, when tobacco proves
starke naught. Besides they are not in danger of frost, wch sometimes
overthrowes ye greatest parte of ye tobacco in ye lande. And though this
yeare (wch was a most extraordinary good yeare both for Corne and To-
bacco) I thinke there will goe home ten thowsand waighte at least as good
as ever Came out of ye Indies; yet are wee not to set or rest vpon a Com̃-
odity as much importuned as little necessary. When I sate downe I
thought to have wryt but ten lines at ye most. But ye true and vnfained
respect [2a] I beare to yor worthy selfe, my love to ye Country, and those
flourishinge hopes wch not in remote, but in neare possibility * * *
§I doe§ Conceive of yt, doe make me forget that other respect I should
Carry to ye price of yor time, wch else would be far better employed. To
my selfe I dare not presume to wish such a degree of happines, as I doe to
yow, wch yf I might have my desire, should be wth ye most, And in that
minde, wch I hope shall never change, I rest

One thinge more I am willed to adde for a Postscript; and that is a reason
yet vnalleadged why ye greater parte of the Companies and Colledge men
sent hither in ye Bona Nova are put out to olde planters. It is because
those that ye Company hath appointed to governe them are men quite

vnexpercienced in this Country, and therefore not fit to take so greate a
chardg vpon them at ye first, as ye Comaundinge and ye directing and
orderinge of fifty men a piece. The greater parte of wch by that time their
yeares service to those old men is expired, wilbe men well seasoned and
skillfull to labor themselves and those two gentlemen their Governors by
that tyme also wilbe more apt to take chardge over them all.

Two other packettℯ I haue sent you from my selfe, the one by this bearer
Mr Ewens Mr of the George, and the other inclosed in a letter to Mr
Ralph Yeardley, putt up in the lesser boxe of the twoe, wch Sir George
Yeardley now sendeth you.[186]

[Indorsed by Sir Edwin Sandys:] John Pory from Virginia 16. Jan: 1619.
By * * *
Reasons of Rent taken by Sr G. Y. from Mart. Hun.
The Paspaheys land.
Store of True Housbandmen to be sent.

• Vignerons & Vines from Fr: and Spain
• Mr Letes Corinthian Vine.
• Vines from the Canaries best.
• Abundance of naturall Vines there.
• Men skilfull for Silkworms & Silk to be sent.
• Item for dressing flax & so yen Silkgrasse

The Extreme labor (of 10 Moneths) about Tobacco hath prepared them
for better things.
They send 10m of the best Tobacco that ever grew in Virginia. As
good as ye Spanish.
The men put out, because their Governors vnexp̱ienced.
To Sr Edwin Sandys.