University of Virginia Library

CDLXXVII. Governor and Council in Virginia. A Letter to the
Privy Council
April 6, 1626

Right Honobl͠

The 23th of march arived the good shipp the Virgen of Southamptone wth
Lr̃es from your Lop̅p̅s wilbe of the 24th of October laste, Wherby we vnderstande
his Maties royall care of this Plantation, as well in present supplie of our
wants, as in takinge order for the full and p̱fect setlinge of ye affayrs
therof. To the greate encoragement of the whole Colony, She bringℯ us an
ernest of those larger supplies gratiouslie p̳mised by Matie, in Comodities
though in p̳portione not answerable to our great wantℯ yett all very vsefull
and well conditioned, for wch we must acknowledge our great bonde to
your Lop̅p̅s & in p̱ticuler to our singular good lorde The Lor Highe Threar̃.

We must ever acknowledge it a singuler favor from his matie, That he hath
been pleased to remitt the ympositione vppon Tobacco in Consideratione
of supplyinge of the Colony and we humbly desire yt your Lop̅p̅s wilbe
pleased to take order, that it may be aswell p̱formed one theire p̱tes as
p̳mised, since we vnderstande not as yett of any shipp sett owt by them,
Except it should be the William & John, wch is a smale shipp, and her
course by the west indies, As the tymes are, full of hazarde, and makes
our supplie by her, very vncertaine, neither can it be greate, as well in
respect of ye Passengers wch she is to lande there, as of the Comodities
wch may be likelie to be vented there.

Nothinge hath been longe more ernestly desired, then the setlinge of the
affayres of the Colonie, aswell for the Gouerment as otherwayes, neither
could there haue been a greter Incouragement to the Planter, Then to
vnderstand it to be his Maties gratious pleasure, That noe p̱sone of whome
they haue heertofore iustlie complayned, should have any hand in the
Gouerment, (either heere or there) And we humbly desire yor Lop̅p̅s to
solycite his Matie (yf it be not alredye donne) for the spedy Accom-

plishment therof, The rather because the Governors necessary occasiones
require his present retourne.

His maties gratious assurance yt every man shall haue his p̱ticuler right
p̢served wth additione of resonable immunimentℯ, wilbe a singuler meanes
of invitinge many people hither, and settlinge them selves heere, Who for
the moste heertofore, (by reason of the many distractiones & discorage-
mentℯ, Haue only endeavered a present Cropp, and theire hastie retourne,
To ye greate hinderance of raysinge staple Comodities, & all woorkes of
woorth and Contynuance, wch all men will wth ernestnes and alacrytie
applye themselves to, when theire thoughts are fixed in this Countrey,
And much the rather, yf your Lop̅p̅s shall obtaine of his Matie ye remissione
(for the present) of the ympositione of §vpon§ Tobacco, & other comodi-
ties, for the p̱fectinge wherof, since as yett we must be inhable by vp-
holdinge the prise of Tobacco, We humbly beseech his matie to contynue
his favor in p̳hibitinge the ymportatione & sale of all Tobaccoes, except
from this Colony and the Sommer Islands, And heere we cannot but make
remonstrance to your Lop̅p̅s how preiuditiall those petty Plantationes of
the Englishe in the Salvage Islands in the West Indyes, must proue to this
Colony, in effect to the vtter overthrowinge of the benefitt of the sole
ymportatione graunted to us by his matie, both in respect of the quantities
they may sende, And that vnder Couler therof, much Spanish Tobacco
may be ymported & vented, And yf the saide p̳hibitione be not strictlie
and precisely lookt to, ye m9chante who now hardlie keepes himselfe wthin
the boundes of our proclamation concerninge the rates of comodities)
will take advantage therupon to inhannse his pryses excessiuely, Wherby
the Colony wilbe kept in povertie as formerly.

Those greate and ymportant woorkes, of surprysinge the Indyans, dis-
coveries by sea and lande, ffortificatione againste a foraigne Enemy, that
they may be throwlie and effectually p̱formed, will require no less nmbers
then five hundred soldiers to be yeerly sent over for certen yeeres, wth a full
yeers p̳visione of victualls, apparell, armes, munitions, toole, & all neces-
saryes, To which woorthie designes, The Colynie wilbe allways readie to
yeeld theire best furtherance & asistance, as they haue beene very for-

warde since the massacre, notwthstandinge theire great losse then sus-
tayned, And we conceive so great expence will haue the better success, yf
the orderinge therof be referde to ye Gou9nor and Counsell heere residinge,
wth the advise (in specyall cases) of the generall Assembly, both concern-
inge this and all other thinges wch may conduce to the settlinge of the Plantatione.

We haue formerly given your Lop̅p̅s advertisment, in the generall As-
semblies answere to the fower p̳positions propounded by your Lop̅p̅s to
the Comissioners sent hither, And we doupt not but Sr. George Yardley
hath given your Lop̅p̅s full informatione of all things necessarie, And that
nothinge be wantinge one our p̱tes, by the next shipps we will give your
Lop̅p̅s more full advertisementℯ wt courses we conceive most proper and
assured for advancement of this noble Accõn.

[70] Tendinge soe much to the glory of God, and his maties honor, As farr as
experience vppon ye place shall inhable our weake abilities. By the next
also we shall advertice your Lop̅p̅s of ye Titles & estates of the severall
owners of lands and other p̱ticularities required by your Lop̅p̅s, wherin
we could not give your Lop̅p̅s present satisfactione, those shipps beinge
suddenly to Departe.

We shall exactlie obserue his maties Comande yt all iudgmentℯ, Decrees,
and ymportant Accons be given, determyned, & vndertaken, by the
advise and voyces of the greater parte of the Councell (wch course also we
heertofore observed in all our p̳ceedingℯ) And yt all be donne in his maties
name, vnder whose royall Gouerment and p̱tectione, this Accon (wch
hath hitherto labored vnder so ma[n]y Difficulties shall we doupt not
receive the dwe p̱fectione, And (as we never did) soe we shall always for-
beare the Chousinge of any Officers for longer tyme then dwringe his Maties
pleasure.

Thus beseechinge your Lop̅p̅s to Contynu ye Patronage of this Plantatione,
that the beames of his maties favor may by your mediatione and Councells
shine, and be derived vppon us, to Cherishe our Indeavors, And quicken
our new springinge hopes, that noe Contrary gustℯ may nipp them in the

budd, nor envious cloude interpose it selfe betwen us & that comfortable
light, we humbly take our leavs,