CCCLXXXIII. Attorney-General Coventry and Solicitor-General
Heath. Letter to the King
July 31, 1623
C. O. 1, Vol. II, No. 43
Document in Public Record Office, London
List of Records No. 551
May it please yor most excellent Matie
Wee received a significacion of yor Maties pleasure from the lords of your
most honorable privy counsell touching two poyntℯ which concerne the
Virginia company.
The one that wee should take knowledg from them what hath bene done
by them for the relief of the present distres of yor subiectℯ in Virginia
according to the proposicions and offers made by them att the Counsell
board and withall to signifie to them that they were speedily to p̱form the
same att theyr p̱ill
The other to take into our consideracions the sevrall letters patentℯ granted
to that company and the reportℯ concerning the same lately made by yor
Maiesties Commissionrs and therevpon certifie our opinions to yor Matie
concerning the Resuming of that govrnmẽt.
ffor the first wee sent for the deputy and three or fower others of the com-
pany whom wee acquainted wth yor Maties pleasure and within two or
three daies after wee received from themselves a particular account in
writing which wee humbly send to yor Matie herevnto annexed.
ffor the other wee have diligently p̱vsed the severall lrẽs patentℯ and
advisedly comparing them and the sevrall clauses of them together and
wth the certificates of the commissioners wee conceave that for the apparent
abuses and miscariage in the plantation and government and for some
defectℯ also in the patentℯ themselves yor Matie if yow so please may iustly
resume that govrnment and order and dispose of it in such other manner
as in yor wisedome yow shall fynd best for the good of the plantation.
But for the manner because the resuming of theyr privilegℯ in a legall
course must be the worke of tyme and the distresse of yor Maties subiectℯ
in that colony (as seemeth by the com̃issionrs certificates) doth necessarily
require more expedicion wee humbly offer it to yor Maties iudgment whether
yow will not think it fitt in a case of this nature according to the prsident
in the case of the marchant adventurers by yor Maties royall proclamacion
to command the forbearans of the execucion of those lres patentℯ and of
the authority thereby given and com̃itted vnto them And that then if
the company shall [2] not vpon consideraciõ of theyr owne weaknes
voluntarily yeld vp theyr privelegℯ there may be a legall p̳ceeding against
them for calling in the same.
But seeing it is yor good pleasure not to avoyd the private interestℯ of any
of yor subiectℯ which have bene adventurers either in parson or purse wee
conceive and humbly offer it also to yor Maties iudgment that for avoyding
the inconveniens which may ensue by suspension of the present governmẽt
vntill a better be resolved on it wilbe fitt that yor Maiestie first determin
of that way which yow shall think best to establish for the government of
that colony before yow publish yor intention by proclamacion or otherwise
and then att the same instant yor subiectℯ may have knowledg both of the
necessity of this alteracion and of yor grace to the adventurers in settling
and vpholding theyr private interestℯ All wch wee do most humbly
submitt to yor owne good pleasure and princely directions
Yor Maties most humble servantℯ
Thomas Coventrye
Ro. Heath
31 July 1623
