Newes from Virginia OF THE HAPPY Ariuall of that famous & worthy knight Sir Thomas Gates and well reputed and valiant Captaine Newport into England.
IT is no idle fabulous tale,
nor is it fayned newes:
For
Truth herselfe is heere arriu'd,
because you should not muse.
With her, both Gates and
Newport come,
to tell
Report doth lye:
Which did deuulge vnto the world,
that they at Sea did dye.
Tis true that Eleauen monthes and more,
these gallant worthy wights:
Was in the Shippe
(Sea-venture nam'd)
depriu'd
Virginia's sight.
And brauely did they glyde the maine,
till
Neptune gan to frowne:
As if a Courser prowdly backt,
would throwe his ryder downe.
The Seas did rage, the windes did blowe,
distressed were they then:
Their Ship did leake, her tacklings breake,
in daunger were her men.
But heauen was Pylotte in this storme,
and to an Iland nere:
Bermoothawes call'd, conducted then,
which did abate their feare.
But yet these Worthies forced were,
opprest with weather againe:
To runne their Ship betweene two Rockes,
where she doth still remaine.
And then on shoare the Iland came,
Inhabited by Hogges:
Some Foule and Tortoyses there were
they onely had one Dogge
To kill these swyne, to yeild them food
that little had to eate:
Their store was spent, and all things scant,
alas they wanted meate.
A thousand hogges that dogge did kill,
their hunger to sustaine:
And with such foode, did in that Ile
two and forty weekes remaine.
And there two gallant Pynases,
did build, of Seader-tree:
The braue
Deliuerance one was call'd,
of seauenty Tonne was shee.
The other
Patience had to name,
her burthen thirty Tonne:
Two only of their men which there,
pale death did ouercome.
And for the losse of those two soules,
which were accounted deere:
A Sonne and Daughter then was borne
and were Baptized there.
The two and forty weekes being past,
they hoyst Sayle and away:
Their Ships with hogs well freighted were,
their harts with mickle ioy.
And so vnto
Virginia came,
where these braue Souldiers finde
The English-men opprest with greife
and discontent in minde.
They seem'd distracted and forlorne,
for those two worthyes losse:
Yet at their home returne they ioyd,
among'st them some were crosse.
And in the mid'st of discontent,
came noble
Delaware:
He heard the greifes on either part,
and sett them free from care.
He comforts them and cheeres their hearts,
that they abound with ioy:
He feedes them full and feedes their soules,
with Gods word euery day.
A discreet counsell he creates,
of men of worthy fame:
That noble
Gates leiftenant was
the Admirall had to name.
The worthy Sir George
Somers knight,
and others of commaund:
Maister Georg
Pearcy which is brother,
vnto
Northumberland.
Sir Fardinando
Wayneman knight
and others of good fame:
That noble Lord, his company,
which to
Virginia came
And landed there: his number was
One hundred Seauenty: then
Ad to the rest and they make full,
foure hundred able men.
Where they vnto their labour fall,
as men that meane to thriue:
Let's pray that heauen may blesse them all
and keep them long aliue.
Those men that
Vagrants liu'd with vs,
haue there deserued well:
Their Gouernour writes in their praise,
as diuers Letters tel.
And to th' Aduenturers thus he writes,
be not dismayd at all:
For scandall cannot doe vs wrong
God will not let vs fall.
Let England knowe our willingnesse,
for that our worke is good,
Wee hope to plant a Nation,
where none before hath stood.
To glorifie the Lord tis done,
and to no other end:
He that would crosse so good a worke,
to God can be no friend.
There is no feare of hunger here,
for Corne much store here growes,
Much fish the gallant Riuers yeild,
tis truth, without suppose.
Great store of Fowle, of Venison,
of Grapes, and Mulberries,
Of Chesnuts, Walnuts, and such like,
of fruits and Strawberries,
There is indeed no want at all:
but some condiciond ill,
That wish the worke should not goe on,
with words doe seeme to kill.
And for an instance of their store,
the noble
Delaware,
Hath for a present hither sent,
to testific his care,
In mannaging so good a worke,
two gallant ships: by name
The
Blessing and the
Hercules,
well fraught, and in the same
Two ships, are these commodities:
Furres, Sturgeon, Cauiare,
Blacke-walnut-tree, and some deale-boords,
with such they laden are:
Some Pearle, some Wainscot and clapbords,
with some Sassafras wood:
And Iron promist, for tis true,
their Mynes are very good.
Then maugre scandall, false report,
or any opposition
Th' aduenturers doe thus deuulge:
to men of good condition:
That he that wants shall haue reliefe,
be he ofhonest minde:
Apparell, coyne, or any thing,
to such they will be kinde.
To such as to
Virginia,
do purpose to repaire:
And when that they shall thither come,
each man shall haue his share.
Day wages for the Laborer,
and for his more content,
A house and garden plot shall haue,
besides, t'is further ment
That euery man shall haue a part,
and not thereof denaid:
Of generall profit, as if that he
twelue pounds ten shillings paid,
And he that in Virginia,
shall copper coyne receiue,
For hyer or commodities,
and will the country leaue,
Vpon deliuery of such coyne,
Vnto the Gouernour:
Shall by exchange at his returne,
be by their Treasurer
Paid him in London at first sight,
no man shall cause to grieue:
For 'tis their generall will and wish
that euery man should liue.
The number of Aduenturers,
that are for this Plantation:
Are full eight hundred worthy men,
some Noble, all offashion.
Good, discreete, their worke is good,
and as they haue begun:
May Heauen assist them in their worke,
and thus our newes is done.
FINIS.