University of Virginia Library

Chapter 15.
The true modell of a plantation, tenure, increase of trade,
true examples, necessity of expert Souldiers, the names
of all the first discoverers for plantations and
their actions, what is requisite to be in the Governour
of a plantation, the expedition of Queene Elizabeths
Sea Captaines.

IN regard of all that is past, it is better of those slow proceedings
than lose all,

and better to amend late than never; I know how
hatefull it is to envy, pride, flattery, and greatnesse to be advised, but
I hope my true meaning wise men will excuse, for making my opinion
plaine; I have beene so often and by so many honest men intreated
for the rest, the more they mislike it, the better I like it my selfe.

Concerning this point of a Cittadell, it is not the least, though
the last remembred: therefore seeing you have such good meanes and

power of your owne I never had, with the best convenient speed may
be erect a Fort, a Castle or Cittadell, which in a manner is all one;
towards the building, provision, and maintenance thereof, every
man for every acre he doth culturate to pay foure pence yearely, and
some small matter out of every hundred of fish taken or used within
five or ten miles, or as you please about it, it being the Center as a
Fortresse for ever belonging to the State, and when the charge shall
be defrayed to the chiefe undertaker, in reason, let him be Governour
for his life: the overplus to goe forward to the erecting another in like
manner in a most convenient place, and so one after another, as your
abilities can accomplish, by benevolences, forfeitures, fines, and impositions,
as reason and the necessitie of the common good requireth;
all men holding their lands on those manners as they doe of Churches,
Universities, and Hospitals, but all depending upon one principall,
and this would avoid all faction among the Superiours, extremities
from the comminalty, and none would repine at such payments,
when they shall see it justly imployed for their owne defence and
security; as for corruption in so small a Government, you may quickly
perceive, and punish it accordingly.

Now as his Majesty hathmade you custome-free for seven
yeares, have a care that all your Country men shall come to trade
with you, be not troubled with Pilatage, Boyage, Ancorage, Wharfage,
Custome, or any such tricks as hathbeene lately used in most of
new Plantations, where they would be Kings before their folly; to
the discouragement of many, and a scorne to them of understanding,
for Dutch, French, Biskin,

or any will as yet use freely the Coast
without controule, and why not English as well as they: Therefore
use all commers with that respect, courtesie, and liberty is fitting,
which in a short time will much increase your trade and shipping to
fetch it from you, for as yet it were not good to adventure any more
abroad with factors till you bee better provided; now there is nothing
more inricheth a Common-wealth than much trade, nor no meanes
better to increase than small custome, as Holland, Genua, Ligorne,
and divers other places can well tell you, and doth most beggar those
places where they take most custome, as Turkie, the Archipelagan
Iles, Cicilia, the Spanish ports, but that their officers will connive to
inrich themselves, though undoe the State.

In this your infancy, imagine you have many eyes attending
your actions, some for one end, and some onely to finde fault; neglect
therefore no opportunity, to informe his Majesty truly your orderly
proceedings, which if it be to his liking, and contrary to the common
rumour here in England, doubtlesse his Majesty will continue you
custome free, till you have recovered your selves, and are able to

subsist; for till such time, to take any custome from a Plantation, is
not the way to make them prosper, nor is it likely those Patentees
shall accomplish any thing; that will neither maintaine them nor
defend them, but with Countenances, Councells, and advice, which
any reasonable man there may better advise himselfe, than one
thousand of them here who were never there; nor will any man, that
hathany wit, throw himselfe into such a kinde of subjection, especially
at his owne cost and charges; but it is too oft seene that sometimes
one is enough to deceive one hundred, but two hundred not
sufficient to keepe one from being deceived.

I speake not this to discourage any with vaine feares, but could
wish every English man to carry alwaies this Motto in his heart; Why
should the brave Spanish Souldiers brag. The Sunne never sets in the
Spanish dominions, but ever shineth on one part or other we have
conquered for our King; who within these few hundred of yeares,
was one of the least of most of his neighbours; but to animate us to
doe the like for ours, who is no way his inferior; and truly

there is no
pleasure comparable to a generous spirit; as good imploiment in
noble actions, especially amongst Turks, Heathens, and Infidels, to
see daily new Countries, people, fashions, governments, stratagems,
releeve the oppressed, comfort his friends, passe miseries, subdue
enemies, adventure upon any feazable danger for God and his
Country: it is true, it is a happy thing to be borne to strength, wealth,
and honour, but that which is got by prowesse and magnanimity is
the truest lustre; and those can the best distinguish content, that have
escaped most honourable dangers, as if out of every extremity he
found himselfe now borne to a new life to learne how to amend and
maintaine his age.

Those harsh conclusions have so oft plundered

me in those perplexed
actions, that if I could not freely expresse my selfe to them
doth second them, I should thinke my selfe guilty of a most damnable
crime worse than ingratitude; however some overweining
capricious conceits, may attribute it to vaine-glory, ambition, or
what other idle Epithete such pleased to bestow on me: But such
trash I so much scorne, that I presume further to advise those, lesse
advised than my selfe, that as your fish and trade increaseth, so let
your forts and exercise of armes, drilling your men at your most convenient
times, to ranke, file, march, skirmish, and retire, in file,
manaples, battalia, or ambuskados, which service there is most
proper; also how to assault and defend your forts, and be not sparing
of a little extraordinary shot and powder to make them mark-men,
especially your Gentlemen, and those you finde most capable, for
shot must be your best weapon, yet all this will not doe unlesse you
have at least 100. or as many as you can, of expert, blouded, approved
good Souldiers, who dare boldly lead them, not to shoot a ducke, a
goose, or a dead marke, but at men, from whom you must expect
such as you send. The want of ∥ this, and the presumptuous assurance
of literall Captaines, was the losse of the French and Spaniards in
Florida, each surprising other, and lately neare the ruine of Mevis
and Saint Christophers in the Indies: also the French at Port Riall,
and those at Canada, now your next English neighbours: Lastly,
Cape Britton not far from you, called New-Scotland. Questionlesse
there were some good Souldiers among them, yet somewhat was the
cause they were undone by those that watched the advantage of
opportunity: for as rich preyes make true men theeves; so you must
not expect, if you be once worth taking and unprovided, but by some
to bee attempted in the like manner: to the prevention whereof, I
have not beene more willing at the request of my friends to print this
discourse, than I am ready to live and dye among you, upon conditions
suting my calling and profession to make good, and Virginia
and New-England, my heires, executors, administrators and assignes.

Now because I cannot expresse halfe that which is necessary for
your full satisfaction and instruction belonging to this businesse in
this small pamphlet, I referre you to the generall history of Virginia,
the Summer Iles, and New-England; wherein you may plainly see
all the discoveries, plantations, accidents, the misprisions and causes
of defailments of all those noble and worthy Captaines; Captaine
Philip Amadas, and Barlow; that most renowned Knight Sir Richard
Greenvile, worthy Sir Ralph Layne, and learned Master Hariot,
Captaine John White, Captaine Bartholomew Gosnold, Captaine
Martin Pring, and George Waymouth,

with mine owne observations
by sea, rivers and land, and all the governours that yearely succeeded
mee in Virginia. Also those most industrious Captaines, Sir
George Summers, and Sir Thomas Gates, with all the governours
that succeeded them in the Summer Iles. Likewise the plantation of
Sagadahock, by those noble Captaines, George Popham, Rawley
Gilbert, Edward Harlow, Robert Davis, James Davis, John Davis,
and divers others, with the maps of those Countries: with it also you
may finde the plantations of Saint Christophers, Mevis, the Berbados,
and the great river of the Amazons, whose greatest defects, and the
best meanes to amend them are there yearely recorded, to be warnings
and examples to them that are not too wise to learne to understand.

This great worke, though small in conceit,

is not a worke for
every one to mannage such an affaire, as make a discovery, and plant
a Colony, it requires all the best parts of art, judgement, courage,
honesty, constancy, diligence, and industry, to doe but neere well;
some are more proper for one thing than another, and therein best
to be imployed, and nothing breeds more confusion than misplacing
and misimploying men in their undertakings. Columbus, Curtes,
Pitzara, Zotto, Magellanus, and the rest, served more than an
apprentiship to learne how to begin their most memorable attempts
in the West Indies, which to the wonder of all ages, succesfully they
effected, when many hundreds farre above them in the worlds
opinion, being instructed but by relation, scorning to follow their
blunt examples, but in great state, with new inventions came to
shame and confusion in actions of small moment, who doubtlesse in
other matters, were both wise, discreet, generous and couragious. I
say not this to detract any thing from their noblenesse, state, nor
greatnesse, but to answer those questionlesse questions that keepe us
from imitating the others brave spirits, that advanced themselves
from poore Souldiers to great Captaines, their posterity to great
Lords, and their King to be one of the greatest potentates on earth,
and the fruits of their labours his greatest glory, power, and renowne.

Till his greatnesse and security made his so rich remote and dispersed
plantations such great booties and honours, to the incomparable
Sir Francis Drake, the renowned Captain Candish, Sir
Richard Luson,

Sir John Hawkins, Captaine Carlile, and Sir Martin
Furbisher, etc. and the most memorable and right honourable Earles,
Cumberland, Essex, Southampton, and Nottingham that good Lord
Admirall, with many hundreds of brave English Souldiers, Captaines
and Gentlemen, that have taught the Hollanders to doe the
like: Those would never stand upon a demurre who should give the
first blow, when they see peace was onely but an empty name, and
no sure league, but impuissance to doe hurt, found it better to buy
peace by warre, than take it up at interest of those could better guide
penknives than use swords; and there is no misery worse than be
conducted by a foole, or commanded by a coward; for who can
indure to be assaulted by any, see his men and selfe imbrued in their
owne bloud, for feare of a checke, ∥ when it is so contrary to nature
and necessity, and yet as obedient to government and their Soveraigne,
as duty required. Now your best plea is to stand upon your
guard, and provide to defend as they did offend, especially at landing:
if you be forced to retire, you have the advantage five for one in
your retreat, wherein there is more discipline, than in a brave charge;
and though it seeme lesse in fortune, it is as much in valour to defend
as to get, but it is more easie to defend than assault, especially in
woods where an enemy is ignorant. Lastly, remember as faction,
pride, and security, produces nothing but confusion, miserie and dissolution;
so the contraries well practised will in short time make you
happy, and the most admired people of all our plantations for your
time in the world.