It is unfortunate for the memory of Sir Thomas Smith, that both the Company and Colony of South Virginia were distracted by a malevolent party fpirit; and, that he was equally an object of reproach on the one hand, and of panegyric on the other. To decide on the merit or demerit of his character, at this diftance of time, would perhaps require more evidence than can be produced; but candour is due to the dead, as well as to the living.

He was a warm friend of Captain John Smith, who in his account of Virginia, fpeaks of him with refpect, as a diligent and careful overfeer, especially in fending fupplies to the Colony, during his refidence there; and after his return to England, he depended on Sir Thomas and the Council, for thofe accounts of the Colony which he has inferted in his hiftory, fubfequent to that period.

In a dedication prefixed to a narrative of the fhipwreck of Sir George Somers on the inland of Bermuda,* Sir Thomas is complimented in the following manner: "Worthy

*This narrative was written by Sylvefter Jordan, one of the passengers. The dedication was by another perfon, who fubfcribes it with the initials W. C. It was printed with the black English letter, 1613.

thy Sir, if other men were like you, if all as able as you, were as willing, we fhould foon fee a flourishing Chriftian Church and Commonwealth in Virginia. But let this be your confolation; there is one that is more able and more willing than you, even the GOD of heaven and earth, And know further, for your comfort, that though the burthen lie on you and a few more, yet. are there many honourable and worthy men of all forts who will never fhrink from you. Go on, therefore, with courage and conftancy; and, be affured that though by your honourable embaffages and employments, and by your charitable and virtuous courses, you have gained a worthy reputation in this world, yet nothing that you ever did or fuffered, more honours you in the eyes of all that are godly-wife, than your faithful and unwearied profecution, your continual and comfortable affiftance of thofe foreign plantations."

But though flattered and complimented by his admirers, yet he had enemies both among the Company in England, and the Colonists in Virginia. By fome of his affociates, he was accufed of favouring the

growth

growth of tobacco in the Colony, to the neglect of other staple commodities, which the country was equally capable of produ cing. It was also alleged, that inftead of a body of laws agreeable to the English Conftitution, a book had been printed and dedicated to him, and fent to Virginia by his own authority, and without the order or confent of the Company, containing "Laws written in blood;" which, though they might ferve for a time of war, being mostly tranflated from the martial law of the United Netherlands, yet were deftructive of the liberties of Englift, fubjects, and contrary to the exprefs letter of the Royal Charter. For this reafon, many people in England were deterred from emigrating to Virginia, and many perfons in the Colony were unjustly put to death.

In the Colony, the clamour against him was ftill louder. It was there faid, that he had been most scandaloufly negligent, if not corrupt, in the matter of fupplies; that in a certain period called "the ftarving time," the allowance for a man was only eight ounces of meal and half a pint of pease per day, and that neither of them were fit to be eaten;

eaten; that famine obliged many of the people to fly to the favages for relief, who being retaken were put to death for defertion; that others were reduced to the neceffity of stealing, which by his fanguinary laws was punished with extreme rigour; that the fick and infirm, who were unable to work, were denied the allowance, and famifhed for want; that fome in these extremities dug holes in the earth, and hid themselves till they perished; that the fcarcity was "fo lamentable," that they were conftrained to eat dogs, cats, fnakes, and even human corpfes; that one man killed his wife, and put her flesh in pickle, for which he was burnt to death.* These calamities were by the Colonists so strongly and pointedly laid to the charge of the Treafurer, that when they had found a mare which had been killed by the Indians, and were boiling her flesh for food, they wished Sir Thomas was in the fame kettle. A lift of thefe grievances was prefented to King James; and in the conclufion of the petition, they begged his Majefty, that, " rather than be reduced to live under the like government again, he would fend over Commiffioners to hang them."

Stith, 305.

In

7

In anfwer to thefe accufations, it was faid, that the original ground of all these calamities, was the unfortunate shipwreck of a veffel loaded with fupplies, on the island of Bermuda. This happened at a time when Captain John Smith was disabled and obliged to quit the Colony, which had been fupported in a great meafure by his exertions.* Another fource of the mischief was the indolence of the Colonifts themfelves; who regarded only the present moment, and took no care for the future. This indolence was fo great, that they would eat their fish raw, rather than go to a fmall diftance from the water for wood to drefs it. When there was a plenty of fturgeon in the river, they would not take any more than to ferve their pref ent neceffity, though they knew the season was approaching, when these fish return to the fea; nor did they take care to preserve. their nets, but fuffered them to perish for want of drying and mending. Another cause, was the difhonefty of those who were employed in procuring corn from the natives; for having accomplished their object, they went to fea and turned pirates; some of them

* See Vol. I. 304