University of Virginia Library

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LXXXIX. Adventurers and Planters. Copy of a Petition to the
Counsell for Virginia
1620 (?)

To ye Right Honble, the Lods and the rest of ye Counsayle and bodye
pollitique for ye state of his Maties Collonye in Virginia

The humble peticion of many of ye first personall Aduenturers, & Planters,
willing & ready to p̢pare themselues, with Familyes thither agayne,
vpon due consideracion following.

Right Honble
and ye rest of this Honble Court: We doubt nothing, but you allowe
itt, an approued truithe, that Great Actions are carryed wth best suc-
cesse by such Comanders, who haue p̱sonall Aucthoritye & greatness
answerable to ye Action; Sithence itt is nott easye to swaye a vulgar
and serui seruile Nature, by vulgar & seruile Spiritts; and surely in ye
raising of soe happye a State, as is hoped in ye Plantacion of Virginia, all
cannott be select, but some such whom only Reuerence of ye Comanders
Eminence, or Nobillitye (wherunto by Nature euerye man subordinate is
ready to yeild a willing submission wthowt contempt, or repyning) may
easely be p̱swade under those dutyes of Obedience: which Aucthoritye
conferrd vpon a meane man, and of one no bettar, then selected owt of
their owne Ranke, shall neuar be able to compell:

We vrge not this as willing to derogate from ye Gouernor who nowe holds
ye Place, and hath succeded the thrice Noble deseased Lo: Lawarr, whose
Memorye, for this buissness be euar happye,: vnto whom we suppose, if
another, Noble lyke himselfe might haue risen vp, this buissness would
haue fownd much willinger forwardness, and a great many olde Aduen-
turers & Planters, both heare in England, would haue returned, togethar
wth manye neiw of Good Worth sett onwards: and many of ye Cheife
there, who are now nowe readye to reuollt & looke hoame, would settle
themselues with firmar Alacritye:

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If then itt may be supposed an Aduancement to ye Collonye, to haue both
such who haue suffered many yeares in ye Early dayes of ye buissness
vnder his Lopp the Lo: Lawarr to returne, and manye volluntarye forces
to addresse them thithar, as allso to staye, and fixe such of the bettar sorte
as be readye to come away, al and all for want of some Eminent Comander:
We humblye besech this Honble Cowrt to take into consideracion this owr
only Reqwest (who otherwyse fynding themselues much disparagied and
wronged are resolued to abandon, and qwitt the Countrye, & Action for
euar) that some, eythar Noble, or little lesse in Honor, or Dower may be
maturelye aduisd vpon, to maintayne & hold vp ye dignitye of so Great
and good a cawse.

And herein this Honble Cowrt shall encourage many neiw, & auncient
volluntarye Aduenturers, both of Good place, and Qwallitye to sett for-
ward with expedition, both with great supplies of men, and other pro-
uisions.

[Indorsed:] Peticon of sondry antient Aduenturers to haue some man of
Qualitye sent Gouernor into Virginia.