University of Virginia Library

LI. Sir George Yeardley. A Letter to [Sir Edwin Sandys][125]
[1619]

Noble

Sir, since my Last vnto you by the Swan, wherein I was forced to
wryght breifly, hoping to have more tyme by the Ships that were to
ffollow hir, to signify at large vnto you of all matters, and espetially about

the bewsines of Capt Argall, it hath pleased god in his mercy that Capt
Nuce with his whole Company are safely arived at Elisabeth Cyty, whether
I am now come to lend him my best assistance and furtherance for the
seating himselfe and his people with most conveniency and best helpe
this place will any way afford, and p̱swading the ould Inhabitants here to
remove frõ of this Land now chosen for the Company and to leave theire
howses with some resonable consideration of helpe to build others vpon
theire owne dividents, wherein I will p̢vaile god willing, wherefore yf I
shall entreat you to excuse me in not wryghting so largly as I entended,
and not therein p̱forming the things I p̳mised in answering of all your
letters, I pray Impute it to this nessisary troble wch at this tyme doth
posses me and suffer me to take a littell more tyme therein, wch shall be
no longer then the dep̱ture of the Bona Nova now this second tyme, yett
have I not left all things vndon, though I endevored to doe more yf tyme
and buisines would have given leave but have now by this ship sent home
enclosed in the Companyes pakett, such of our p̳ceedings in Capt Argalls
matters as in this tyme wee could ffinish with some other discourses I
hope not vnnessisary, wee doe entend by the Bona Nova to make a full
conclusion of Capt Argalls buisines and to send you home what we can,
expecting your resolution therevpon, I fynd in this gent Capt Nuce much
worth and suffitienty, and cannott but comend the godly care of the com-
pany in p̳curing and making choyse of men of such good quality, and I
doe assure my the bivsines, both by him and mr [1b] Traysy a worthy
gent as I heare, but have not yet spoken with him though thanks be to
god he is safly arived in the River, I missing his Ship as I came downe
the River hether in the nyght tyme, by them both and Capt Thorpe who
I can never suffitiently comend, nor give you enough thankes for, will be
exceedingly strenghned and in all good things forwarded, for Capt
Thorpe espetially of whõ I have had most experience, I find to be a most
suffitient gent vertuous and wyse, and one vpon whose shoulders the
fframe of this godly building the goverment of this whole Collony would
most fittly sitt, And my humble request therefore shall be vnto your
Noble selfe whõ I hould still to Patronise this noble worke, though god of
his Infinite goodnes and espetiall p̳vidence hath for the farther and more
greater good of this his worke moved the hart of that most Noble p̱son to
take vpon himselfe the Cheife place and Gard hereof, for wch great blessing
and mercy my selfe as being s trewly sensible thereof retorne most harty
prayse vnto the Allmyghty for the same, that therefore being I am assured
you tender most deerly the welfare of this plantation you would be pleased
my tyme of 3 yeares being expired in the Goverment, to comend vnto the
good regard of the Company this worthy p̱son Capt Thorpe whõ I doe
find to be a man most Jeolesly affected vnto the well p̳ceed of the whole
plantation, and being it pleaseth god to give him health and strenght
having allso bin well seasoned to the Country assuredly will be the most
ffitt man to be Governour of Virginia vnto whõ I shall be most willing to
surender my place and Comand, and be as ready and foreward to doe
my best service to the Collony in what I may as yf I still remayned in
the Goverment, neither will it seeme harsh to me to be comanded as I
my selfe have done espetially by one whõ I can obey with such Love, as
I shall doe vnto him, then allso shall I be able to attend with Dilligence
that bewsines wch partly through my absence hath so much miscarryed
I meane the place I love and greive to see it yett not thrive Sowthampton
Hundreth, and to speake truth it is Impossible for any man that shall be
Governour throughly to looke vnto the p̳ceed of any one p̱ticular planta-
tion, in regard the publike Affayres of the Collony and the care of all will
draw him frõ that dayly regard a p̢vate plantation doth and will require,
and so shall he be forced to trust others and [2] to beare the blame himselfe,
yett Sir I beseech you not to conceave that I goe about contrary to my
p̳mise both to god your selfe and the Company to shyse my selfe out of
the Goverment of Virginia for yf I spend my lyf substance strengh and
all I have in the service thereof, I shall thinke my selfe hapy to ffinish my
course in such a worke, and will not be found a murmurer agaynst god,
yf he shall please to pick me out for the same. But being I have now
well weyghed and considered that I may be able to doe the Country as
good servise, yea and being best acquainted with my owne disposition,
better service then yf I did continew Governour, and that in many respects
wch your selfe Sowthampton Hundreth and allso the whole Company shall
fynd god willing, yett wherein for the p̱ticulars I will not boast, till I
shall have p̱formed thẽ, in execution whereof I shall not stick to spend
my Lyfe for the effecting of such matters for the Publike good, I doe now
therefor beseech you Sir since my servise to the Country shall be no less
but more, that you would be pleased my tyme of 3 years being expired
to give your ffurtherance for this gent Capt Thorpe to be Chossen and
established Governour of Virginia in my stead, wherein I know and am
well assurd you shall doe a most worthy worke.

I have now sent home my Ship I bought of Capt Ward and Mr Bargraves
Atornyes, having in hir such tobako as my selfe and ffreinds have thought
good to adventure in hir vnto fflushing, seeing that by p̳clamation wee
are restrayned for sending of any into England, wch I am the more boulder
to doe since the Company have advertised of theire entents therein allso
and therefore I hope it will not be ill taken, my Ship I hope shall fynd
better sucses then my Pinas wch since the Company have bought hir I
shall desire may doe the good service to wch I will ad my best advice and
ffurtherance to Capt Nuce for the employing hir to the companyes beni-
ffitt, Mr Bargrave thinkes he had a hard bargayne in the sale of the Ship
and Pinas, but I am sure they cost me a sound pryse, and had I sent the
tobako home I gave for thẽ I would not have douted to haue bought too
better vessels with halfe the prys of that tobako, though perhaps he
myght find but a bad markett for want of a good Chapman [2a] yett
the gent shall fynd me ready to doe him any pleasure I may to give him
helpe in his transportation att any tyme whilse I shall vse hir, though I
know he cannott Chuse but make more mony of the tobako then they
both cost him, and had they come home his they would have bin as dead
a comodity as the Pinas was being myne, but he is a man as I conceave
that wicheth well to the plantation and doth entend himselfe to come
over, wherefor for his encoragment I doubt not s but in his voyage to
pleasure him and thus much yf you please you may certify him, This
bearer Capt Rostingam my wyfes Nephew, though yong yett of good
worth and discretion as by experience had of him here in Virginia I may
speake, him I most humbly recomend vnto your Noble ffavor beseeching
you to afford vnto him your wonted courtesy, and your best assistance
in all Lawfull causes wherein he shall have ocassion to entreat your helpe,
herein as in all other your great ffavors shewed me I shall §be§ most
thankfull vnto you for any ffavor shewed him as yf the same were Imediatly
to my selfe, and doe not doubt but yf you shall please to give him admitans
into your ffavor but that in some measur he will deserve it, and Manger
all Malitious false forestalled reportes acquitt himselfe and win your
aprobation, but of such reports I hope you have had of late good expe-
rience, therefor I will not troble you with any more thereof, As for Mr

Pory I have formerly written some thing to you concerning him, and doe
not doubt but you have well considered it, wherein I Justified him I had
my reasons for it and I know you will aprove them, and I beleeve you doe
not conceave me so weake as not to see having lyght given me by so good
a watchman as your selfe, the tyme I hope will not be long but you shall
see how far I have beleeved and how I trust him, your words you spake
to me a littell before my dep̱ture have never since dep̱ted frõ me and by
experience I have found your Judgment not deceaved, neither have I
bin slak in making vse of it, but nessitty hath no law and better a bad
foole then none or worse.

[3a] I wrott vnto you by the Swan wherein I did entreat you to excuse
§me§ that I had not ffurnished you with walnutt plankes, and that you
would be pleased to ffurnish your selfe out of the Tryall with so much
as would serve you I having as I wrott a 9th parte thereof and your selfe
being ffurnished that you would be pleased in my name to p̢sent some
other as Sir John Wolstenholme with as much as would be for a table,
Sir Nicolas Tuston with another Sir Dudly Diges with another Mr Deputy
ffarar with another and the remayne to dispose where you please, I doe
therefore agayne beseech you soe to dispose of it acordingly, for my
share and part of payment of the ffrayght of the Ship I have payed to
Mr Edwards Mr of hir and therefore there is no charge to be layd vpon
my part of the walnutt tree but to be delivered to you freely, I can not
p̳cure it to be landed in the Downes because it is not devided and is in
one bulk till it be Landed and shared, I did desire to have so ffitted
it but could not, may it please you therefore to accept of my best endevor
and to dispose of it at your owne pleasure, My Lady Dales Crop of tobako
I have sent home in the Tryall she is not to pay any ffrayght for it, I
having p̳cured the consent of all my partners in that ship, and because of
the p̳clamation I have charged the Mr to Ryde in the Downes till he send
away postlemy * * * to know what she will have done with hir
* * * part of an honest man * * * therein I have en * * *
paines wch is all the charge she * * * the transportation of
2300li of to * * * companyes pryse woulde have cost * * *
herewith was ready to hir Ladiship a * * * shall ever be bound to
doe in regard * * * love and service I owght vnto that * * *

Sir Tho Dale whose losse I lament * * * plantation hauing lost a
worthy and goo * * *[126]

[3b] The deere for his Maiesty I mentioned are now sent home in my
owne ship pray god they may safly arrive and be delivered.

Your letters by this ship the Bona Nova I have received the contents
whereof I will not fayle to follow with my best endevors, desiring nothing
more when I have done all I can doe but the good acceptance of the Com-
pany whõ I have served allwayes with my best strengh and care, and
now since it hath pleased god to dispose of the buisines into the hands of
my most honored Lord of Sowthampton wherein every good man hath
cause to reioyce, I for my part shall and will be both ready and willing to
put in practice and p̱forme with my best witt and skill all such his Lord-
ships comands and directions as I shall receave both §frõ§ him selfe and
the Company, but what am I that I should be able to doe any thing
against wch the Lord of Lords hath otherwise disposed, or what are wee
all, that we should gaynesay the Allmyghty, and allthough as I doe
acknowlege all things have bin most effectually and wisly p̳iected yett
yf the Lord will lay his hand vpon vs and cross vs with sickness and
mortality, and soe apoynt in his p̳vidence a longer tyme for the bringing
those matters to pass wch are by man determined of, what then shall he
say vnto these things but that it is the Lord lett him doe what he please,
and allthough he kill yett still to trust in him, not doubting but there is
a tyme wherein he will be mercifull, for my part as I know my consience
to be cleare ffrõ any necglect in me of what I have bin able to doe to the
vttmost §of my§ power, soe will I not Justify my selfe but that my sins
and vnworthynes have gone together with the rest both of the people
§here§ and company at home * * * might have desended * * *
can work * * * ed but repent amend and p̳ceed * * * ty,
wayting gods leysure, and not hasty * * * ur owne Imaginations, for
things to be * * * are theire tyme, though man p̱haps con * * *
it done, and the best workes have had * * * s, what by the care of
man may be p̳ven * * * be ready to be with you waking vsing my
* * * s and will not lett in all to doe the part of a man but I had need
doe more.

No man shall more desire to win the ffavor of so Noble a p̱son as my
Lord of Southampton, but it will not ly in my power to deserve it yf it
shall be expected I should p̱forme what ever is p̳iected, but one thing I
shall be willing to p̳mise and humbly to p̱forme to doe my best not to
fayle, even so long till I fayle of lyfe yf yt may give content, yf not I
know I shall aprove therein my selfe to god, and so will rest never to
rest laboring to my power in this worke, I would you knew and saw
both all my deeds and thoughts herein, then I am sure though I were
not rewarded I should not be blamed the gent̃ you name in your letter
are all dead except Mr Sandis who hath bin visited with long sicknes
but now thankes be to god is well recovered, I doubt not but he will
p̳ove a worthy member the people where he liveth take great liking to
him, and I Assure §you Sir§ he is most faythfully affected to his study,
and doth deserve to be beloved, what will become of the Iron workes
I know not all the principall officers and Cheife men being dead we are
now in hand to doe what possible we can with Capt Blevets Company
having found an excellent water and good oare, yet without suply of
good vnderstanding workers and good Capinters there being very few
left we shall doe littell yf the Company please to suply I dare now
bouldly §say§ theire shall not want matter to sett the men aworke meane
tyme we doe what we can to make things ready with buildg of howses
to entertayne more men, my care for that bivsines of S. H. [or H.] I assure
you is not smale, I am now removed thether and my eye shall be ever
p̢sent. The Spirituall vine you speake of will not so sodaynly be planted
as it may be desired, the Indians being very loath vpon any tearmes to
part with theire children, the best course I could devise herein to draw
the people in to live amongst vs, was that Opachankeno would apoynt
and Cuse out so many p̱ * * * families, as that in every Corporation
and p̱rea * * * plantation there myght be placed a howshould p̳mising
him they should have howses built in every place and ground to sett
Corne and plant vpon to wch he willingly condisended and p̳mised he
would apoynt the ffamilies that should remove to vs, wch yf he doe we
shall then both have [4b] the opertunity to Instruct theire Children, and
theire parents living amongst vs may have theire Children live with
selves, and allso will by theire owne labors having ground to manure
mayntayne theire owne ffamilies with Corne, so yf the Company please

for the encoragment of thẽ to live with vs, to allov thẽ some aparel and
cattell and such other nessisaryes it will be a means to begett in them a
good affection to continew thẽ selves with vs and to draw in others who
shall see thẽ live so hapily, what other course to take, I can not yett
resolue, yet will I doe my best to purchase some Children to that nomber
yf I may acording to your former Directions, as like wise by putting some
of the Companyes boyes amõg thẽ to learne the Language, I find Capt
Nuce and his wyf to deserve your Comendations and will therein doe
acording to your Desire as allso my wyf in Duty to your good Lady will
be ready to doe Mrs Nuce all the pleasure she is able, herein I must
beseech you to excuse both me and my wyfe in that we have not retorned
answer to those Letters wee have received frõ your vertuous Lady whõ
we both honour, in the meane tyme in my wyfes name I doe retorne
most harty thankes to my Lady for * * * The p̢sent my wyfe receaved
frõ hir Ladiship by Mrs Nuce entending not to fayle but by the Bona
Nova to retorne more humble thankes by our letters The service reco-
mended vnto me by you frõ the Countes Dowager of Pembrok I will not
fayle to p̱forme by the Bona Nova and to wryght thereof, the Dutchmẽ
now come have sought all these partes about the teritories of Elisabeth
Cyty and cannott fynd a place ffitting for water streame to sett vp theire
workes, att my going vp hence I resolve to take thẽ * * * with me
to lett thẽ see yf that water wherewith we entend to sett the Iron worke
with Capt Blevets people will serve thẽ for theire milles yf it will I entend
to seat thẽ there and to give thẽ the best helpe I can, but how ever they
must have a fitt water before they can doe any thing I doubt not but
this will ffitt thẽ excellent well.