University of Virginia Library

CDLXXIV. Council in Virginia. A Letter to the Privy Council
June 15, 1625

Right Honorll͠

We haue receaued order from Your Lorp̃p̃s. for returninge an Accoumpt of
mr Pountis his estate together wth the goodes themselves, An Inventory
we haue taken, by wch Sr. Thomas merry may vnderstande ye valwe
therof to be farr shorte of wt is conceived, and his depts both by reason of
his owne engagementℯ, and intanglinge him selfe wth the estates of other
men, Tenn tymes exceedinge the same, Therfore we humblie desire to be
excused yt we sende not home the goodℯ, The most parte wherof are not
woorth the Transporte, to the end the Creditors may receaue some p̱te of
Satisfactione

May it please your Honors. to take knowledg yt we are informed yt Sr.
Tho. merry knight as Executor to mr Powntis, doth sue mr John Eache for
the payment of two hundred pownd wch the Countrey assigned vnto him

towardes the supportance of his Charges in the solicytinge of theire
affayres, A publique p̱testatione beinge made by the saide mr Powntis,
that he would receiue the money by parcels as he should haue occasione
to vse it, and render an accoumpt of his disbursments, and to restore the
remander, now Since no money was expended, and our suite not p̳secuted,
by resone of his death at his first arival vppon the Coaste, The Country
humbly by us solicyte your Lorp̃p̃s, that they not both lose theire cause
and theire Charges, But that you woulde be pleased out of your Lorp̃p̃s
accustomed equitie to take such order, That Sr. Thomas merry his suite
may not p̳ceede to the pervertinge of the intentione of theire gifte, and the
equitie of the cause itselfe, To wch we doupt not yt he beinge soe worthie a
gentleman, will willinglie condiscende, We haue further to acquant your
Lorp̃p̃s that his maties Comissioners for the affayers of Virginia haue written
vnto us to send home the Tobacco levied for the discharge of the two
hundred powndes yf it had been paide & consigne it to them, Wch we
desire wee may nott be forced vnto, beinge more grevious then ye former,
seinge those goodℯ, the money not beinge paide, is theire owne that gave it.

Wheras Capt John martin formerly recomended by your Lorp̃p̃s. and lately
nominated by his maties Comissioners to be one of his Counsell in Virginia,
hath proved him selfe altogether vnwoorthie of either, as is evident, yf
your Lorp̃p̃s shalbe pleased to pervse them, by many depositions and other
p̱ticulers, in so much as we haue benn forced owt of ye service wch we owe
to his matie & this Countrey, to suspende him from the Executione of his
place, wherin we proceeded accordinge to the awthoritie formerly given,
And ratified by his maties Comissione, and the Comissioners order, To
whom we affoorded all respect and favor, not wthstandinge his many
delinquencies from his first entrance into the lande, vntill they grew to
soe great an excess as was dangerous to his Maties service, and extreamely
preiudicyall to the Colony, and we humblie desire that this may be accepted
as our iuste excuse.

We haue vnderstood from one of his maties Comissioners for virginia, that
his matie is highlie incensed against us for punishinge one Edwarde sharples,
who beinge farr aboue his qualitie and condicione after the death of mr
Secretarye, into whose service at his ernest request, he was first receaued,
admitted to wright vnder us as a Clarke, and sworne not to deliuer any

copies of our wrightings wthowt leaue from the Gouernor, He contrary to
his oath and dwtie, had vppon a secrett practice, delivered our papers wch
greatly concernde us, comitted to his charge, for wch his perfidiousnes and
periurie, he was sett one the Pillory and lost a peece of one of his eares,
though his sentance was to lose them bothe, wch hath been so misreported
& aggravated to his Matie, as other thingℯ also hath benn, as a bloudie and
barbarous Acte, and we threatned wth such fowle and iniouryous tearmes
as yf we were below the Conditione of ffreemen, We humblie desire Your
Lorp̃p̃s that we may not tread as vppon thornes, in all our ac̃c̃ons through
the malice of our traducers, nor be subiect to theire violent insultingℯ.

Lastlie we are humblie to offer to Your Lorp̃p̃s consideratione the desperate
estate of this Colony, by the late p̱nitious contract wch hath diverted his
maties royall intentions and bountie to this Colony in grauntinge us the
sole importacione of Tobacco, (wch well ordered, would certainely and
suddenly advaunce the Plantacione, by the presente inhablinge us for
woorkes of woorth and continuance, but by convertinge the benefitt therof
to theire privatt and inordinate lucre, hath giuen the Colony the greatest
blowe that euer it receaued, And wthowt spedie redress, will proue incur-
able, and cause this noble and hopefull Accone to be deserted, The
effectℯ wherof begin to disclose themselues in our scante & miserable
supplies, at moste inconscyonable rates, and in the generall discoragement
of the whole Colony, And we may not be silent, that some whom his matie
hath appoynted Comissioners for those affayres, are contriuers & favorers
of this Contract, [14a] Contrary to theire duties and the trust ymposed
vppon them by his matie, and some of them alredie by theire divininge
and tryumphinge vppon those miserable wantes that we are alredie falen
into, shew they well enoughe vnderstande the inevitable p̱nitious conse-
quences of the Contract, wch will, as they say, make us rather to be pittied
then expostulated wth all. Besides the malitious designs wch are now in
plottinge and Contrivinge to overthrow his maties publique ministers, who
haue discharged theire Conscyences in his maties service wth all integretie
and fidelitie, And we no longer desire his maties favor, wch is more then life
vnto us, then theire intentions shall appere to tende to the destructione,
And our endeavors to the upholdinge and advancment of the Colony.
Thus humbly desiringe your Lorp̃p̃s to take our innocence into your
Honorble͠ patronage, and that accordinge to the Coustome of the former

tymes We may nott be Condempned before we be harde, and that the
Colony may nott fale whilst it is in our Charge by the sinister practice of
others, wch frustrate all our endevers we humbly take our leaues, And rest
and remaine

James Cytie the 15tℯ of June 1625.

Your Lorp̃p̃s most humble Servantℯ

     

Samuell Mathews	George Sandys	Francis Wyatt
Abraham Persie	Roger Smith	Francis West
Wm Cleyburne.	Raphe Hamer	George Yardley