Instructions, orders and constitucions by way of advise sett
downe, declared and propounded to Sir Thomas Gates, Knight,
Governor of Virginia and of the Colony there planted and to
be planted, and of all the inhabitants thereof, by us His
Majesties Counsell for the direction of the affaires of that
countrey for his better disposinge and proceedinge in the
government thereof accordinge to the authority and power
given unto us by virtue of His Majesties lettres patents.
1. Havinge considered the greate sufficiency and zealous affection which
you, Sir Thomas Gates, have many waies manifested unto us, and havinge
therefore by our Commission under our hands and seales constituted and
ordained you to be the Governor of Virginia, wee His Majesties Counsell
for that plantacion, have consulted and advised uppon divers
instructions for your safer and more deliberate proceedinge therein; and
therefore doe requier and charge you, accordinge to the Comission in
that behalf directed unto you, presently with all convenient speede to
take the charge and of our fleete consistinge of eight good shippes and
one pinnace and of sixe hundred land men to be transported under your
commaund, and with the first winde to sett saile for Virginia. And in
your passage thither you shall not land nor touch any of the Kinge of
Spaines his Dominions quetly possessed, without the leave or licence of
the governor of such place as you shal by accident or contrary windes be
forced into. You shall also hold counsell with the masters and pilotts
and men of the best experience what way is safest and fittest for you to
take, because we hold it daungerous that you should keepe the old course
of Dominico and Meins lest you fall into the hand of the Spaniard, who
may attend in that roade ready to intercept you:
2. When it shall please God that you have safely attained the Kings
River, and our porte and seate of James Towne in Virginia, wee advise
you to call by proclamacion into some publique place, all the governors,
officers, and other His Majesties subjects aswell already seated there
as transported with you, to whom you shall cause your Commission to be
directly reade, whereby significacion may be had of His Majesties
pleasure in establishinge you the Governor of that countrey and
plantacion, and the President, Councell and Colony there may take notice
of the revocacion of that fourme of governement by the first lettres
patents constituted and confirmed, and accordingly yeald due obedience
unto you, their Governor.
3. You shall demaund then and resume into your hands the former lettres
pattents and all instruccions & publique instruments given or sent unto
them and all bookes and records whatsoever of the generall proceedings
untill this time, and dispose of them in the future accordinge to your
discrecion.
4. Beinge setled in your government, you shall call unto you, for your
further advise and graver proceedinge, their principall officers and
gentlemen whom we do ordaine and appointe to be of the Councell and who
for earliness of their undertakings and their greate paines and merits
doe well deserve this honor & respect from us: Sir George Summers,
Knight, and Admirall of Virginia; Captaine John Smith, nowe President;
Captaine John Radclif; Captaine Peter Winne, Seirjant Major of the fort;
Mr. Mathewe Scrivenor, whom out of our good experience of his abilities
in that kinde we doe name and appointe to be Secretary of that Councell;
Captaine John Martine; Captaine Richard Waldoe, master of the workes;
Captaine Woode; and Mr. Fleetwoode, whom we assure ourselves you will
use with all good respecte in their places and to whome wee expecte that
you shall give such other preferrements as their former paines have
deserved, and in all matters of importance we require you to call them
to consultacion and to proceede therein with their advice; and wee doe
give further power and authority to you, to give the oathe of Counsellor
to such as are now named, or any other oathe in the like case,
accordinge to your direccion. Provided that they shall not have, single
nor together, anie bindinge or negative voice or power uppon your
conclusions but doe give you full authority, uppon just occasion to
sequester any of them from the execucion of any place whatsover, and to
depute another thereunto untill significacion unto us be here made:
5. You shall have power and authority to dispose and graunte any other
officer or commaunds whatsoever, either of governement or warr, except
such as are already disposed of by us to any persons of rancke or merite
(adventurers beings first regarded), accordinge to your discrecion and
so discharge or revoke the same or to sequester any so made or
constituted by us.
6. You shall take principall order and care for the true and reverent
worship of God that his worde be duely preached and his holy sacraments
administred accordinge to the constitucions of the Church of England in
all fundamentall pointes, and his ministers had in due observance and
respecte agreeable to the dignity of their callinge. And that all
atheisme, prophanes, popery, or schisme be exemplarily punished to the
honor of God and to the peace and safety of his Church, over which, in
this tendernes and infancy, you must be especially solicitous &
watchefull.
7. You shall, with all propensenes and diligence, endeavour the
conversion of the natives to the knowledge and worship of the true God
and their redeemer Christ Jesus, as the most pious and noble end of this
plantacion, which the better to effect you must procure from them some
convenient nomber of their children to be brought up in your language
and manners, and if you finde it convenient, we thinke it reasonable you
first remove from them their Iniocasockes or Priestes by a surprise of
them all and detaininge them prisoners, for they are so wrapped up in
the fogge and miserie of their iniquity and so tirrified with their
continuall tirrany, chained under the bond of deathe unto the divell
that while they live amounge them to poison and infecte them their
mindes, you shall never make any great progres into this glorious worke,
nor have any civill peace or concurre with them. And in case of
necessity or conveniency, we pronounce it not crueltie nor breache of
charity to deale more sharpely with them and to proceede even to dache
[death?] with these murtherers of soules and sacrificers of God's images
to the divill, referringe the consideracion of this as a waighty matter
of important consequence to the circumstances of the busines and place
in your discrecion.
8. You shall for capitall and criminal justice in case of rebellion and
mutiny and in all such cases of [provident (?)] necessity, proceede by
martiall lawe accordinge to your comission as of most dispatch and
terror and fittest for this governement; and in all other causes of that
nature as also in all matters of civill justice, you shall finde it
properest and usefullest for your governement to proceede rather as a
chauncelor than as a judge, rather uppon the naturall right and equity
then uppon the nicenes and lettre of the lawe which perplexeth in this
tender body, rather then dispatcheth all causes so that a summary and
arbitrary way of justice discreetely mingled with those gravities and
fourmes of magistracy as shall in your discrecion seeme aptest for you
and that place, wilbe of most use both for expedicion and for example:
9. You shall for the more regard and respect of your place, to begett
reverence to your authority and to refresh their mindes that obey the
gravity of those lawes under which they were borne; at your discrecion
use such fourmes and ensignes of governement as by our lettres pattents
wee are enabled to grant unto you; as also the attendance of a guarde
uppon your person, and in all such like cases you shall have power to
make, adde or distinguishe any lawes or ordinances at your discrecion
accordinge to the authority limited in your comission.
10. You shall, for the choice of plantacions observe two generall
rulles: that you rather seeke to the sun then from it, which is under
God the first cause both of health and riches; and that such places
which you resolve to build and inhabite uppon have at the leaste one
good outlett into the sea & fresh water to the land; that it be a dry
and wholesome earth and as free from woode as possiblie you may, whereby
you may have roome to discover about you and unshady ground to plant
nere you.
11. You must in every plantacion principally provide of your owne a
common graunge and storehowse of corne, besides that which you will
obtaine by tribute or trade with the natives.
12. In the distribucion of your men accordinge to these advises and
relacions which wee have receaved, we advise you to continue the
plantacion at James Towne with a convenient nomber of men, but not as
your situacion or citty, because the place is unwholsome and but in the
marish of Virginia, and to keepe it onely as a fitt porte for your
shippes to ride before to arive and unlade att; butt neither shall you
make it your principall storehowse or magazin either of armes, victualls
or goods, but because it is so accessable with shippinge that an enemy
may be easily uppon you with all the provision of ordinance and municion
and it is not to be expected that anie fortificacion there can endure an
enemy that hath the leasure to sitt downe before it.
13. The place you chose for your principall residence and seate to have
your catle, provisions of corne, foode, and magazin of other municion
in, as your greatest strength, trust and retraite, must be removed some
good distance from any navigable river, except with small boates, by
which no enemy shall dare to seeke your habitacion; and if in this place
some good fortificacion be made to which no ordinance can be brought by
water, if you be provided of victuall, you may dispute possession till a
straunger be wearied and starved.
14. Above the over falles of the Kinges River it is likely you shall
finde some convenient place to this purpose whither no enemy with ease
can approache nor with ordinance at all but by land, with at howe greate
disadvauntage he shall seeke when he must discover and fight at once
uppon straightes, in woodes, at foordes, and places of all
inconveniency, is easy to be considered; besides, you shall have the
commodity of the braunche of the river to bringe downe your provisions
from within the land in canooes and smalle boates in the River of
Chechehounnack, neere unto you and not farre of another navagable
outlett into the sea by the River of Pamaouke.
15. Foure dayes journey from your forte southewards is a towne called
Ohonahorn seated where the River of Choanocki devideth it self into
three braunches and falleth into the sea of Rawnocke in thirtie five
degrees; this place, if you seeke by Indian guides from James forte to
Winocke by water, from thence to Manqueocke, some twenty miles from
thence to Caththega, as much and from thence to Oconahoen, you shall
finde a brave and fruiteful seate every way unaccessable by a straunger
enemy, much more abundant in pochon and in the grasse silke called Cour
del Cherva and in vines, then any parte of this land knowne unto us.
Here we suppose, if you make your principall and cheife seate, you shall
doe most safely and richely because you are in the part of the land
inclined to the southe, and two of the best rivers will supply you;
besides you are neere to riche copper mines of Ritanoc and may passe
them by one braunche of this river, and by another, Peccarecamicke,
where you shall finde foure of the Englishe alive, left by Sir Walter
Rawely, which escaped from the slaughter of Powhaton of Roanocke, uppon
the first arrivall of our Colonie, and live under the proteccion of a
wiroane called Gepanocon, enemy to Powhaton by whose consent you shall
never recover them; one of these were worth much labour, and if you
finde them not, yet seach [search?] into this countrey, it is more
probable then towards the north.
16. These three habitations seeme enoughe for the nomber of the people
nowe transported, over every one of which you must appointe a discreete
commaunder that shall sett your men to severall workes accordinge to
their undertakings in the bookes by which they were receaved; in every
one of these there must be builte a church and a storehowse and a parte
of land sett out for corne for the publique and some allotted to the
care of manuringe and preparinge thereof. In buildinge your towns you
shall as easily keepe decorous and order as confusion; and so you shall
prepare for ornament and safety at once, for every streete may answere
one another and all of them the markett place or storehowse in the midle
which at the leaste must be paved and made firme and dry.
17. Your enemies can be but of two sortes, straungers and natives; for
the first, your defence must be uppon advauntage of the place and way
unto it, for fortes have no other use but that a fewe men may defend and
dispute their footinge with them against a greater nomber and to winne
time which, if you can do, a stranger cannot longe abide where he must
bringe all his releis [relief?] with him, and he shall have no way to
beseidge you but by blockinge you in and plantinge between you and the
sea, to which if you have two outeletts he must be very able and
powerfull that can do it; to prevent this you shall build some small
forte that may discry the sea neere Cape Comforte, and there hold a
reasonable garrison and keepe alwaies watch and longe boate that may be
ready to take the alarum and able to cary away our men, and munition if
you shall not be able to defend it. Besides it is not safe to lett any
of the savages dwell betwene you and the sea least they be made guides
to your enemies. To this commaunde wee desire Captaine Smith may be
allotted aswell for his earnest desire as the greate confidence & trust
that we have in his care & diligence.
18. The second enemy is the natives who can no way hurte you but by fire
or by destroyinge your catle, or hinderinge your workes by stealth or
your passages in small nombers; and in this sorte of warr there is most
perill if you be not very carefull, for if they may destroy but one
harvest or burne your townes in the night they will leave you naked and
exposed to famine and cold, and convey themselves into wodes where
revenge wilbe as difficult as unnecessary; to prevent that you must
keepe good watches in the fielde and suffer none of them to come nere
your corne in those daungerous seasons; and continuall centinells
without the walles or uttermost defences in the night; and you must give
order that your catle be kept in heards waited and attended on by some
small watch or so enclosed by them selves that they destroy not your
corne and other seed provisions.
19. For Powhaton and his Weroances it is clere even to reason beside our
experience that he loved not our neighbourhood and therefore you may no
way trust him, but if you finde it not best to make him your prisoner
yet you must make him your tributary, and all other his weroances about
him first to acknowledge no other lord but Kinge James, and so we shall
free them all from the tirrany of Powhaton ... uppon them. Every lord of
a province shall pay you and send you into your forte where you make
your cheif residence so many measures of corne at every harvest, soe
many basketts of dye, so many dozens of skins, so many of his people to
worke weekely, and of every thinge somewhat, accordinge to his
proporcion in greatenes of territory and men; by which meanes you shall
quietly drawe to your selves an annuall revenue of every commodity
growinge in that countrey and this tribute payd to you, for which you
shall deliver them from the exeacions of Powhaton which are now
burdensome, and protect and defend them from all their enemies; shall
also be a meanes of clearinge much ground of wood and of reducing them
to laboure and trade seinge for this rent onely they shall enjoye their
howses, and the rest of their travell quietly and many other commodities
and blessings of which they are yet insensible.
20. If you hope to winne them and to provide for your selves by trade
you wilbe deceaved, for already your copper is embased by your abundance
and neglect of prisinge it and they will never feede you but for feare.
Wherefore, if you perceave that they, uppon your landinge, fly up into
the countrey and forsake their habitacion, you must seise into your
custody half there corne and harvest and their Weroances and all other
their knowne successors at once whom, if you intreate well and educate
those which are younge and to succeede in the governement in your
manners and religion, their people will easily obey you and become in
time civill and Christian.
21. If you make freindship with any of these nations, as you must doe,
choose to doe it with those that are farthest from you and enemies unto
those amonge whom you dwell, for you shall have least occasion to have
differences with them and by that meanes a suerer league of amity, and
you shalbe suer of their trade partely for covetousnes and to serve
their owne ends, where the copper is yett in his primary estimacion
which Pohaton hath hitherto engrossed and partely for feare of
constrainte. Monocon, to the east and head of our river, Powhatons
enemy; and the Manahockes, to the northeast to the head of the River of
Moyompo in the necke of the land to the west betweene our bay and the
sea; Cathcatapeius, a greater Weroance then he is, also his enemy to the
Southeast and South--he hath no freinde to the north; the Masawoymekes
make continuall incursions uppon him and uppon all those that inhabite
the Rivers of Bolus and Myomps and to the northwest; Pocoughtuwonough
infecteth him with a terrible warr. With those you may hold trade and
freindeship good cheape for their emotenes [remoteness?] will prevent
all offence which must needes happen betweene us and them which we are
mingled with to the North. At the head bay is a large towne where is
store of copper and furres called Cataaneon that trade and discovery
wilbe to greate purpose, if it may be setled yearely.
22. Such trade as you shall finde necessary or profitable for you with
the Indians you shall endeavour to drawe them to seeke of you and to
bringe their commodities into your forte, which will greatly ease the
imployment of many men, and this you may bringe to passe by seeminge to
make litle estimacion of trade with them and by pretendinge to be so
able to consist within your selves as that you neede care for nothinge
of theires, but rather that you doe them a curtesy to spare such
necessaries as they want as leetle iron tooles, or copper, or the like
such as are convenient for traffique; and so one officer or two in every
forte, whom you must onely appointe to be truncmasters, may dispatch the
whole busines of trade which els will cost you many mens laboures if you
seeke it far from home. And besides these you must, by proclamacion or
edicte publiquely affixed, prohibite and forbidd uppon paine or
punishement of your discrecion all other persons to trade or exchange
for anythinge but such as shalbe necessarie for foode or clothinge; and
uppon all such commodities of yours as shall passe away from you
whatsoever, you must sett prises and values under which the
trunckemaster must not trade, and so you shalbe such to uphold the
reputacion of your commodity and to make your traffique rich, desired
and certaine; over this truncemaster there must be appointed a cape
merchant or officer belonginge to the store or provision house that must
deliver by booke all such things as shalbe allowed for trade and receave
and take an accounte of whatsover is retourned, accordinge to the prises
therein sett, and so beinge booked must store them up, to the publique
use of the colony.
23. You must constitute and declare some sharpe lawe with a penaltie
thereon to restraine the trade of any prohibited goods, especially of
swordes, pikeheads, gunnes, daggers, or any thinge of iron that may be
turned against you, and in case of such offence punishe severely; have
also especially regard that no arte or trade tendinge to armes in any
wise, as smithey, carpentry, of or such like, be taught the savages or
used in their presence, as they may learne therein.
24. Havinge deduced your colony into severall seates and plantacions
that may commodiously answere and receive one another, you must devide
your people into tennes, twenties, & so upwards, to every necessary
worke a competent nomber, over every one of which you must appointe some
man of care and [skill] in that worke to oversee them and to take daily
accounte of their laboures; and you must ordaine that every overseer of
such a nomber of workemen deliver once a weeke an accounte of the wholle
committed to his charge [to] the cheife governor or captaine of the
fourte; and that they also once a moneth make the like accounte to you
or your officer and that such goodes or provisions as are advanced or
gotten above expence may be receaved and entred into the capemarchantes
booke and so stored and preserved to the publique use of the colony. And
thus you shall both knowe howe your men are imployed, what they gett &
where it is, as also the measure of your provision and wealth.
25. For such of your men as shall attend any worke in or nere aboute
every towne, you shall doe best to lett them eate together at seasonable
howers in some publique place, beinge messed by sixe or five to a messe,
in which you must see there bee equality and sufficient that so they may
come and retourne to their worke without any delay and have no cause to
complaine of measure or to excuse their idlenes uppon the dressinge or
want of diett. You may well allowe them three howers in a somers day and
two in the winter, and shall call them together by ringinge of a bell
and by the same worne them againe to worke; for such as attend any
labouer so farre from the forte, as they cannot returne at seasonable
times, there must be a steward appointed that shall oversee there diett
and provision, els thoughe you give every one a reasonalbe allowance for
many dayes some will eate two meales at one & soe:
26. You shall give especiall order to the cheif commaunder of every
forte that the armes, powder and munition be well stored and looked into
and that the men be disposed into severall companies for warr and
captaines appointed over every fifty to traine them at convenient times
and to teache them the use of their armes and weapons and they may knowe
whether uppon all occasions and sudden attempts they shall repaire to
find them in a readines.
27. You must take especiall care what relacions come into England and
what lettres are written and that all thinges of that nature may be
boxed up and sealed and sent to first to the Councell here, accordinge
to a former instruccion unto the late president in that behalf directed;
and that at the arivall and retourne of every shippinge you endeavour to
knowe all the particuler passages and informacions given on both sides
and to advertise us accordingly.
28. Whensoever you consult of any busines of importance, wee advise you
to consider and deliberate all thinges patiently & willingly and to
heare every man his oppinion and objeccion, but the resultants out of
them or your owne determinacion what you intend to doe not to imparte to
any whatsoever, but to such onely as shall execute it, and to them also
under the sealle of your commaundement and but at the instant of their
partinge from you or the execucion of your will.
29. Next after buildinge, husbandry and manuringe the countrey for the
provision of life and conveniency, wee comend unto your care foure
principall waies of enrichinge the colonies and providinge returne of
commodity, of which you must be very solicitouse that our fleetes come
not home empty nor laden with useles marchandize. The first is discovery
either of the southe seas or royall mines, in the search of both which
we must referre you to the circumstances of your peace and your owne
discrecion; the second is trade whereby you recover all the commodities
of those countreys that ly far of and yet are accessable by water; the
third is tribute, by which you shall advaunce parte of what soever the
next lande can provide you can produce; the fourth is labour of your
owne men in makinge wines, pitche, tarre, sope, ashes, steele, iron,
pipestaves, in sowinge of hempe and flaxe, in gatheringe silke of the
grasse, and providinge the worme and in fishinge for pearle, codd,
sturgion, and such like.
30. Wee require you to call before you Captaine John Radcliffe and one
... Webbe who hath complained by peticion delivered unto you of divers
injuries and insolences done unto him in the governement of the said
Captaine Radcliffe, and accordingly to heare the cause and doe justice
in it as you shall finde reason in it your owne discrecion.
31. Whereas suite hath bine made unto us as for the retourne of Richard
Potts, David Wiffin and Post Ginnet, and sufficient reasons declared to
move us to graunte the same which hath bine agreed unto by the Councell
assembled, wee require you to give them their licence to come backe by
the next shippinge with such condicions or limitacions of retorne or
otherwise as you shall thinke good.
32. Whereas peticion hath bine made by the friends of John Tavernor,
capemarchant of the forte and store in Virginia, for his retorne uppon
some urgent occasion and for some time into England, we require you to
licence him so to do if it be his desire when you arive there; and we
doe nominate and appointe Thomas Wittingham into his roome and office,
beinge one in whose sufficiency and honesty we have greate confidence.
33. There beinge one George Liste, servant to John Woodall and sent over
by him with a chest of cheurgery sufficiently furnished, we require you
to give your licence to William Wilson, his fellowe, if the said George
Liste doe stay with you, to come backe in this passage, the better to
enfourme us what medicines and drugges are fittest to be provided for
the use of the colonie against the next supply.
34. You shall be very wary of grantinge freedomes and of givinge your
sealle to any but uppon good consideracion and greate merite, least you
make cheape the best way of our recompence; and in those you doe you
shall give with such limitacions of retorne in reasonable time as in
your discrecion shall seeme good.
35. If it shall please God that you should dy either in your way or in
your governement (which his mercy forbid) before other order be taken by
us therein, wee requier and commaund that the Councell there established
open a blacke boxe, marked with the figure of one and sealed with our
sealle, wherein they shall finde our determinacion concerninge the
successor to the governement; and do, in His Majesties name, charge and
commaund every person within the precincte of the Colony to give and
yeild due obedience to him so named and appointed accordinge unto his
commission unto him, directed as they will aunswere to the contrary at
their uttermost perill.
36. Wee also requier you, the present Governor & all your successors, to
keepe secret to your selves, unsealed and unbroken up, all such lettres,
schedules and instruments and whatsoever wee shall deliver you soe under
our sealle, especially two blacke boxes with divers markes wherein are
our commissions in cases of death or other vacacion of the Governor
untill such time as you shall find your self unlikely to live or
determined to returne, uppon which occasions wee requier you that they
be delivered before all the Councell to be opened successively after
such death or departure out of Virginia of any Governor.
Provided that in all thinges herein contained, except onely the
succession, wee doe by these our lettres instruccions binde you to
nothinge so strictely but that uppon due consideracion and good reason,
and uppon divers circumstances of time and place wherein we cannot here
conclude, you may in your discrecion departe and dissent from them and
change, alter or establishe, execute and doe all ordinances or acts
whatsoever that may best conducte to the glory of God, the honor of our
Kinge and nation to the good and perfect establishement of our Colony.
Geven under our hands and Councell sealle the day of May, in the
seaventh yeare of His Majesties ragne of England, Fraunce & Ireland and
Scotland the two and fortithe.
Kingsbury, _Records of the Virginia Company of London_, Vol. III, pp.
12-24.
VIRGINIA COUNCIL. "INSTRUCTIONS,
ORDERS AND CONSTITUCIONS ... TO ...
SIR THOMAS WEST, KNIGHT, LORD LA
WARR."
1609/10(?)
Instructions, orders and constitucions by way of advise sett
downe, declared, propounded and delivered to the Right
Honourable Sir Thomas West, Knight, Lord La Warr, Lord
Governor and Capten Generall of Virginea and of the Colonies
there planted and to be planted and of all other the
inhabitants thereof, by us, His Majesties Counsell for the
Companie of Adventurers and Planters in Virginea resident in
England under the hands of some of us for the direccion of
the affares of that countrey for his better disposinge and
proceedinge in the government thereof, according to the
authoritie and power given unto us by His Majesties lettres
patents in that behalf, together with a copie of certaine of
the cheifest instruccions which have bene formerlie given to
Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, for his direccion, which coppie we
have given to his Lordship to peruse and looke into but
leave it to his discretion to use and put them in execution
or to beare to be advised or directed by them further then
in his owne discretion he shall thinke meete.
We, the said Councell, havinge considered the great & zealous affeccion
which you, Sir Thomas West, Knight, Lord Lawarr, have many wayes
manifested unto us and for the furtherance and advaunceinge of the
plantacion of Virginea have therefore by our commission under the handes
of some of us, constituted you to be Lord Governor and Captaine Generall
of Virginea and for your more safe and deliberate proceedinge in your
goverment there, have advised, constituted & agreed uppon divers
instructions followinge, vizt:
1. First, we require your Lordship to take into your charge our fleete
consistinge of three good shippes with the masters, mariners, sailors
and one hundred and fiftie landmen goinge in them to be transported
under your commaund with what speed conveniently you maye unto Virginea
and with the first winde to sett saile for that place and in your
passage thither not to lande or touche uppon anye of the Kinge of Spaine
his dominions by him quietly possessed without the licence of the
governour of such place first obtained, unles by necessitie of winde and
weather you shalbe forced thereunto; in which passage you shall holde
councell with the masters, pilates and men of best experience what way
is safest and fitt for you to take for your arrivinge in Virginea.
2. Your Lordships beinge landed there, we wishe you should (with what
convenientcy you may by proclamacion made) call into some publique place
all the governors, officers and other His Majesties subjects, aswell
already seated there as transported with you, to whom you shall manifest
your commission and cause it to be publiquely read to them, to the end
His Majesties pleasure may be knowne as alsoe our choise in
establishinge your Lordship Governor of Virginea and of the plantacion
there; and that the President, Counsell and Colony there may take notice
of our revocacion of all former kindes and formes of goverment,
constituted or confirmed, and that they accordingely may yeild due
obedience unto you, theire Lord Governor and Captaine Generall, at which
time we holde it fitt you tender unto every of them the oath of
supremacy to be by them taken whereby they shall manifest theire
obedience and loyaltie to His Majestie and you thereby the better
assured of theire fidelities as alsoe to be the rather encouraged to
comitt matter of counsell and charge unto them; att which time alsoe
your Lordship shall, in our opinions, doe well to give generall
commaundement that all former private or publique quarels, greivancs or
grudgs be from thenceforth from amongest them utterly abbandoned and
forgotten and they willingly embrace peace and love as becommeth
Christians without discention or hindrance to the common good or quiet.
3. Moreover, your Lordship shall demaunde and resume into your hands all
former commissions and all instructions and publique instruments given
or sent unto them and all bookes and records whatsoever of all the
proceedings untill this time and dispose of all theire offices and
places in the future accordinge to your discretion; except the office of
Leiuetennante Governor, which your Lordship is by your commission to
bestowe upon Sir Thomas Gates, if he shalbe there to execute the same,
and office of Marshall uppon Sir Thomas Dale, at this cominge thither,
and the office of Admirall upon Sir George Sumers, if he shalbe there,
and the office of Viceadmirall upon Capten Newport, he beinge there to
supplye the said place.
4. Your shippes beinge discharged of theire provision, we wishe that
they, the seamen and soe manie others as shalbe needfull for that worke,
be, with what convenient speed you may, employed to theire fishinge for
sturgeons and other fish; which done we desier your Lordship should make
up the residue of theire fraight with divers of the best severall
patternes of the land, commodities that you can gett there havinge
regarde more to the goodnes and qualitie of them then to the quantity;
and to retorne the said shippes for England with as quick dispatch as
you may for easinge of the Companie of Adventurers of the charge both of
wages of the said shippes, seamen and victualls which they must be att
untill they retorne.
5. After your Lordship is settled in your governement, we thinke it very
behofefull that you employ soe many of your people as shalbe needfull in
sowing, setting and plantinge of corne and such rootes for foode as you
for your better provision, sustentacion and maintennance shall thinke
meete to be planted.
6. As touchinge your landmen, we thinke fitt your Lordship should reduce
them all into severall bandes and companies of fifties or more when you
thinke good and to committ the charge of them to severall officers and
captaines to be exercised and trained up in martiall manner and warlike
discipline.
7. Your Lordship is to take principall order and care for the true
worship and service of God as by havinge the Gospell preched, frequent
prayers and the sacraments often administred as becommeth Christians.
And that such your ministers and preachers as shalbe with you be had in
due respect agreable to theire dignitie and callinge and that your
Lordship, with the counsell of your said prechers and ministers, doe, as
occasion shall be offered, proceede in punishinge of all atheisme,
prophanisme, popery and scisme by exemplary punishment to the honor of
God and to the peace and safety of his church over which in this
tendernes and infancy your Lordship must be especially solicitous and
watchfull.
8. It is very expedient that your Lordship with all diligence indeavor
the conversion of the natives and savages to the knowledge and worship
of the true God and theire redemer Christ Jesus as the most pious and
noble end of this plantacion; which the better to effecte you are to
procure from them some of theire children to be brought up in our
language and manners and, if you finde it convenient, we thinke it
necesserie you first remove from them the iniococks or priests by a
surprise of them and detaninge them prisoners and in case they shalbe
willfull and obstinate then to send over some three or foure of them
into England, we may endevor theire conversion here.
9. We holde it requisite that your Lordship in causes of civill justice,
proceede rather as a counsellor then as a judge; that is to saie, rather
uppon the right and equitie of the thinge in demaunde then uppon the
nicenes and letter of the lawe, which perplexeth in this tender body
rather then dispatcheth causes. Soe that a summary and arbitrary way of
justice, mingled with discreet formes of magistracy as shall in your
discretion seeme aptest for your Lordship to exercise in that place,
wilbe of most use both for expedicion and example and for criminall
causes, you are to deale therein according to your comission and good
discretion.
10. That your Lordship doe not permitt any shippe or vessell to trade or
traffique within your precincte to carrie from thence any commodities or
marchandizes without warrant brought you or sent to your Lordship from
the Councell for the Company of Adventurers under the Councell seale.
11. We doe require your Lordship that with what possible speed and
conveniency you may, after you are setled, you appointe a convenient
number with guides and some discreete commaunder to discover northwest,
south and southwest, beyonde the faulls ten or twelve dayes journey, and
that assone as may be your Lordship send unto us the narracion of that
voyage what rivers, lakes or seas they finde or here of with the
circumstanc there unto belonginge.
12. If Sir Thomas Gates be there arived and Sir George Sommers and
Capten Newport, or any of them, that your Lordship doe give unto Sir
Thomas Gates the place or office of Leiuetennant Governor to your
Lordship duringe the time of your Lordship and his abode there together,
and in your Lordships absence he beinge there to be your deputy and
cheif generall and commaunder of the whole Colonye and Companie, and to
rule and governe according to suche instructions as your Lordship shall
limitt and appointe him; and that Sir George Sommers may have the office
of Cheif Admirall under your Lordship and that Sir Ferdinando Weyneman
may have the office of Master of the ordinance, and that Capten Newport
may have the office of Viceadmirall unto your Lordship.
13. Your Lordship must take especiall care what relacions come into
England and what lettres are written & that all things of that nature
may be boxed up and sealed and sent first to the Counsell here,
accordinge to a former instruction unto the late Governor in that behalf
directed; and that att the arrival and retorne of every shippinge you
endeavor to knowe all the particuler passages and informacions given on
both sides and to advertise us accordingly.
14. Last of all, for temporall goverment & perticuler proceedinge in
your plantacion, in respect of the shortnes of time, we commende unto
your Lordship the copie of some of the cheifest of the old instruccions
before mencioned to have bene formerly delivered to Sir Thomas Gates, to
be used or refused as you shall in your wisdome thinke fitt, neither is
or meanes to tie your Lordship to the stricte perfourmance of theis newe
instructions but as occasion of time, place or necessetie shall requir
your Lordship may doe therein as shall seeme best in your owne
discretion. Southampton, Pembroke, Philip Mountgomery, Edward Cecill,
Walter Cope, Dudly Diggs, William Rumney, Thomas Smith, Robert Drewrye,
Robert Maunsell, Baptist Hicks, Christofer Brooke.
The copie of the old instruccions which were formerly with others
delivered to Sir Thomas Gates, Knight, att his goinge to Virginea for
his direccion in his goverment there, and noew are by us, His Majesties
Councill for the Companie of Adventurers for Virginea, given to the
Right Honourable, the Lord La Warr to looke into and advise on and at
his discretion to use [or] forbeare to put them in execucion.
Such of the old instructions which were formerly given to Sir Thomas
Gates, Knight, and nowe delivered to the Lord La Warre, beginne att the
ninth instruccion in the articles in thi booke which by waye of advise
were sett down to the said Sir Thomas Gates and soe are written ontill
you come to the thirtith instruccion which 30th, 31, 32 & 33
instructions are not given his Lordship but the 34th is given him, but
not the 35 nor 36, but the effect of the provisoe followinge is given.