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TO THE HIGH
Hopeful Charles,
Prince of Great Britaine.
Sir:
So favourable was your most renowned and memorable Brother,
Prince Henry, to all generous designes; that in my discovery of Virginia,
I presumed to call two namelesse Headlands after my Soveraignes
heires, Cape Henry, and Cape Charles.
my chance to range some other parts of America, whereof I heere
present your Highness the description in a Map; my humble sute is,
you would please to change their Barbarous names, for such English,
as Posterity may say, Prince Charles was their Godfather. What here
in this relation I promise my Countrey, let mee || live or die the slave
of scorne and infamy, if (having meanes) I make it not apparent;
please God to blesse me but from such accidents as are beyond my
power and reason to prevent. For my labours, I desire but such conditions
as were promised me out of the gaines; and that your Highnesse
would daigne to grace this Work, by your Princely and
favourable respect unto it, and know mee to be
Your Highnesse true and faithfull servant,
John Smith.
1. According to George Percy, "The nine and twentieth day [of April 1607] we set
up a Crosse at Chesupioc Bay, and named that place Cape Henry" (Samuel Purchas,
Hakluytus Posthumus, or Purchas His Pilgrimes ... [London, 1625], IV, 1687; Philip L.
Barbour, ed., The Jamestown Voyages under the First Charter, 1606-1609 [Hakluyt Society,
2d Ser., CXXXVI-CXXXVII (Cambridge, 1969)], I, 135). Since Smith was then
"under restraint," it is doubtful that he had anything to do with the naming of that
promontory. He may well have named Cape Charles, however, since he was the first to
explore that region (see the Proceedings, 29; and cf. the Map of Va., 2).
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