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Fragment C. 1613.
SAMUEL PURCHAS
and Smith's True Relation
[Source: Samuel Purchas, Purchas his Pilgrimage. Or Relations Of The World ...
(London, 1613), 638.]
This fragment is part of Book VIII, Chapter VI, "Of the Religion and Rites
of the Virginians." Having first dealt with the reports from the Roanoke
colony, Purchas took up the question of the religion of the Virginia Indians;
and here a question is immediately raised. A marginal note that takes the
place of a subtitle states: "Newes from Virginia and a M.S. of Captain
Smith." But "Newes from Virginia" is the running head of Smith's own True
Relation, first published with no mention of Smith on the title page, as is
explained in the editor's Introduction to that work. Purchas's marginal note
shows that he did not know that Smith was the author, and also opens the
question of whether Purchas was the source of the anonymous annotations
in the copy of the True Relation that has been reproduced in facsimile for this
edition of Smith's works. Did Purchas himself make the annotations? The
handwriting bears strong resemblance to his, but we cannot be certain. In
any event, the following excerpt from the Pilgrimage is worth comparing with
the True Relation, sig. C3r, and with the Map of Virginia, 31–32, inasmuch as
it differs here and there from both.
was taken by the Virginians, and while hee stayed amongst them
observed these their magicall Rites. Three or foure daies after his
taking, seven of their Priestes in the house where he lay, each with a
Rattle, (setting him by them) began at ten of the clocke in the morning,
to sing about a fire, which they invironed with a circle of Meale,
at the end of every song, (which the Chiefe Priest began, the rest
following) laying downe two or three Graines of Wheate: and after
they had thus laide downe six or seven hundred in one Circle,
accounting their songes by Graines, as the Papists their Orisons by
Beades, they made two or three other circles in like manner, and put
at the end of every song, betwixt every two, or three, or five Graines,
a litle sticke. The High Priest disguised with a great skinne, his head
hung round with little skinnes of Weasils, and other Vermine, with
each song useth strange and vehement gestures, casting great Cakes
of Deare-suet, and Tobacco into the Fire: thus till six of the clocke
in the evening, they continued these howling devotions, and so held
on three daies. This they pretended to doe, to know if any more of
his countreymen would arrive, and what hee there intended. They
so fedd this our Authour, that he much misdoubted, that hee should
have beene sacrificed to the Quiyoughquosicke, which is a Superiour
power they worship, then the Image whereof a more ugly thing
cannot be described. To cure the sicke, a certaine man with a little
Rattle, using extreme howlings, shouting, singing, with divers anticke
and strange behaviours over the Patient, sucketh bloud out of his
stomacke, or diseased place.
A marginal note to the last sentence reads: "Their Ratles are of Gourds
or Pompion rindes: of which they have their treble, tenor, base, etc." (cf.
the Map of Virginia, 28).
It may be worth noting here that Purchas adorned the next ensuing
paragraph (condensed from the Proceedings, 44–45) with rather ludicrous
comparisons with classical mythology: the leader of the "entertainment" at
Werowocomoco being likened to "both Actæon and Diana"; and the thirty
young women, "as if they had beene the infernall guard, comming with
Cerberus to welcome Proserpina to her Palace."
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