Instructions to the Governor for the time being and Counsell of State in
Virginia:
1. First wee requier you in gennerall take into spetiall regard and
estimation the service of Almightie God and observance of his divine
lawes and that the people in Virginia bee trained up in true religion,
god lives and vertue, that ther example may be a meanes to winn the
infidells to God: wherin wee pray you especiallie to have in daly
rememberance that the patterne which you shall give in your owne persons
& in your families wilbee of singular and chief moment whatt may soever
itt shall propend. And since our gennerall endeavours and designes have
nott yett effected a due establishment of the honor and rights
belonginge to the Church and ministerie, wee must requier your most
earnest care to advance all things appertayninge thereunto, seriously
endeavoring the establishment of due order in administringe of all
services according to the usuall forme and discipline of the Church of
England and carefullie avoidinge all factious and needlesse novelties
tending onlie to the disturbance of peace and unitie; and that such
ministers as have been or shalbe sent from time to time may bee
respected and mainteined according to the orders made in that behalfe,
also for accomodatinge the churches or places for divine service.
2. Wee praie you likewise take care, that the people now ther or
hereafter inhabitinge bee kept in due obedience to His Majestie and that
they all take the oaths of supremacie and allegiance; and that you
provide that justice bee equallie administered to all His Majesties
subjects ther resideing, and as neare as may be after the forme of this
realme of England, wherin you are to have a vigilant care to prevent
corruption amongst your inferior officers tending to the perverting or
delaying of justice; wee praie you also to have espetiall care that no
injurie or oppresion bee wrought by the English against any of the
natives of that countrie wherby the present peace may be disturbed and
ancient quarrells (now buried) might be revived; provided, nevertheles,
that the honor of our nation and safety of our people bee still
preserved and all maner of insolence committed by the natives be
severely and sharpelie punished.
3. Item: that you cause our people to applie themselves to an
industrious course of life in followeinge ther buissinesies, each in the
several degre and proffession, and that no man bee suffered to live
idly, the example wherof might prove pernicious to the rest; in
perticular that you bee carefull now in the begining to suppresse too
much gaming and above all things that odious vice of drunkenes; and that
all kinde of riott both in apparrell & otherwise bee eschewed; and that
an edict bee speedily published that no person residing in Virginia
(excepting those of the Counsill and heads of hundreds and plantations,
ther wives & chilldren) shall weare any gold in ther clothes or any
apparrell of silke, untill such time they have itt of the silke ther
made by silkewormes & raised by ther owne industry.
4. Item: that you use good prudence that no just cause of offence bee
given to any other prince, state or people which are in league or amitie
with His Majestie; and that no captaine or other of our Colonie under
pretence of trade to the coast of the West Indies bee suffred to saile
out with anie vessell ther to robb & spoile wherby to provoke any other
nation against us; and that no piratts have cause by ... accesse to
retier with ther purchasses to the coast of Virginia, but that they be
severlie punnished & ther goods confiscated: for the preventing of
which, as alsoe for securing your selves against all forraigne ennimies,
wee require your serious considerations for the speedie errecting of
fortresses or blockhouses at the mouth of the river as also for all
other manner of needfull fortifications in all places, and to the
effecting hereof wee requirer you, as well private persons as hundreds
and corporations, bee ratablie proportioned to the performance of
certaine dayes worke by the yeare.
5. Item: that the best meanes bee used to draw the better disposed of
the natives to converse with our people and labor amongst them with
convenient reward that therby they may growe to a likeing and love of
civility and finallie bee brought to the knowledge and love of God and
true religion, which may prove also of great strength to our people
against the savages or other invadors, whatsoever; and they may bee fitt
instruments to assist afterwards in the more gennerall conversion of the
heathen people which wee somuch desier.
6. Item: that for the laying of the surer foundation for the said
conversion, that each towne, cittie, burrough and other particular
plantation bee procured to obtaine to themselves by just meanes a
certaine number of the chilldren of the natives to be educated by them
in true religion and a civill course of life; of which chilldren the
most towardlie boyes in will and graces of nature to bee brought up by
them in the first elements of literature so to bee fitted for the
colledge, in the fabricke whereof we purpose to proceed assoone as any
proffit returned from the tenantes shall enhable us; and doe therfore
verie ernestlie requier your uttermost helps aswell for the improveinge
of ther labors, as for the true account and returne of the proffitts
already due, that so that busines of the colledge may goe forward with
which wee doubt not a particular blessing of God will goe a long uppon
the Collony ther as wee are assured the love of all good men here to the
plantation will therby be encreased.
7. Item: that imediatlie after the gatheringe in of the present yeares
cropp by Sir George Yeardlie, wee requier that the land belonging to the
place of Governor bee resigned to Sir Francis Wyate and that ther bee
delivered to him by Sir George Yeardly the hundred tenants well
furnished which wee sent him for the place; and if ther bee any of them
wanting, Sir George Yeardly is out of his private to make good the full
nomber of a hundred, which wee hope hee will gladlie doe, remembringe
our courtesie in the addition of thirtie able persons sent him the
former springe to supplie those that wee understood through mortallitie
had failed; as also our refusing to accept of his offer to depart
[part?] with all the proffitt by the Governors land or tenants, onlie
exspecting his care to cultivate well that land and to uphold that
nomber of a hundred tenants for the place.
8. Item: imediatelie upon the expiracion of Sir George Yeardlys
goverment on the eighteenth of November next, you shall admitt Sir
Francis Wiats commission to bee read, whom accordinglie you shall
receave and publish Governor and Captaine Generall, yealding unto his
person and place all our respect, honor and observance.
9. Item: the comission for establishing of the Counsell you shall
publish uppon the deliverie therof and as speedylie as convenientlie you
may to administer the oath of Counsellors unto the severall persons
therin named.
10. And forasmuch as ther hath ben in theise late yeares great fault or
defect in nott putting in execucion our orders of court and Counsell for
the setting upp & upholdinge those staple comodities which are
necessarie for the subsisting and encrease of the plantation, which hath
happned in part by the our chargeing the Governor with toe much
buissnes, wee have uppon espetiall approvement of the industry and
sufficiency of George Sandis, Esqr., as also for his faithfulnes and
plenarie intelligence of our intendments and counsells here (wherunto
hee hath from time to time bein privie, not only elected and athorised
him to bee Treasurer in Virginia, butt also committed to his spetiall
and extreordinarie care the execution of all our orders, charters and
instructions tending to the setting upp, encrease and maintaininge of
the said staple comodities); wee, therefore, requier you that upon all
such occationes wherin the said master ... shall have occation to bee
employed, you give him all such countenance, help and power in the
execution therof as you would doe to the Governor himselfe if hee were
personallie present; and that provition bee made for convenient
transporting him from place upon all those occations; we have by order
of our quarter court bearing date the second day of May last, allotted
unto the place of Treasuror fifteen hundred acres of land and fifty
tenants wherof twenty five are now sent and twenty five more are to bee
sent the next Spring; to the place of Marshall (wherunto wee have chosen
Sir William Neuce) wee have likewise allotted fifteene hundred acres of
land and fifty tenantes now provided and furnished and deliverid to the
said Sir William Newce to bee transported this present somer; to the
place of the Companies Deputie (wherunto wee have formerlie allotted
twelve hundred acres and forty men) wee have added three hundred acres
of land and tenn tenants more to bee sent the next springe; to the
phisitions place wee have allotted twenty tenantes sent last spring and
five hundred acres of land; to the Secretarie, five hundred acres of
land and twenty tenantes sent out the last springe; for the accomateinge
of which severall persons in ther places & offices in the best manner
according to our promises, furtherance that in you lieth.
11. Item: wee pray you likewise with convenient speed to reveive the
commissiones formerlie directed to Sir George Yeardly, then Governor,
and to the Counsell of State ther beareinge date the 18 of November,
1618, conteining the lawes & orders for dividing the citties and
burroughs with ther land and people, and sondrie other particularities
for the well settling of that State. And haveing sent you coppies of all
such instructions, letters, charters & directions as have here before
been sent from time to time, wee pray you to peruse them all and what
soever you shall find not contrarie to any of theise instructions and
requisite for the behouf of Collonie ther or of the Companie here, wee
wish you to observe itt as though the same were here particularly
inserted. Also all orders of courtes that shall bee certified uppon
peticions or otherwise, under the attest of our Secretaries hand
referred unto the Governor or Counsell ther, wee pray you see that a due
course bee taken accordinglie to doe the partie whome it shall concerne
right and justice, no lesse then if they had been particularly here by
name commended unto you.
12. Item: that the captaines and heades of everie particular plantation
or hundreds, as likewise everie cheif officer that hath people under his
charge, deliver severall catalogues at one of the fower quarter sessions
of the Counsell yearly as well of the severall names, conditions and
qualities of those that bee liveing, as also of those that bee dead, and
likewise of the mariages and christnings hapninge with that place; and
that the personall goods and estate of the partie deceased bee
carefullie keptt & reserved to the rightt owners therof; and lastlie
that a list bee kept of the nomber of all sorts of cattell in each
particular burrough or plantation; and that you cause the Secretarie
once everie yeare to returne us hether a perfect coppie of all the
premisses.
13. Item: that whereas the principall hope of the plantacion dependes
much on the prosperity of particular Colonies or hundreds, itt wilbe
verie necessarie that in case of the death or other misaccidents of the
chief heads of those Colonies, you take into your carefull regaurd the
conservation of the bodie and sinews of that plantation united,
preserving the remaines by the best meanes that either industry or
charity can effect.
14. Item: that according to His Majesties gratious advise and the desire
& expectacion of the whole state here, you draw the people from the
excessive planting of tobacco and that, according to a late order of
court in that behalfe made the thirteenth of June last, you suffer them
not to plaint in one yeare alone one hundred waight tobacco the head,
that is the person; and that you do provide by some generall course to
bee held amongst them that they apply themselves to the soweing and
planting of corne in good plentie that ther may bee alwaies a large
proportion not onlie for their owne use, but store also for such as in
great multitudes wee hope yearly to send; likewise by the same generall
course to cause the generall inhabitants and households to enclose by
pale & strong fences some fitting portion of our land for the keping of
cowes, tame swine and poultrie; and for the making all due provitiones
for the encrease & preservation of the bread of all sorts of cattle, and
in particular kine, wherof wee thinke itt most unfitt that any should
bee as yett killed and requier your vigilent care for the inhibiting
thereof.
15. Item: after corne, wee comend unto your care the matter of silke
which his Majesty heretofore espetially to commended unto us and out of
his owne store hath moste gratiouslie been pleased often to furnish our
Company with seed: in supply of which more hath bin since sent and a
greater quantitie shall likewise followe hereafter as soone as itt shall
come to our hands. Wee requier therfore that you cause in everie
particular plantation great nomber of mulbery trees to bee plainted
neare ther dwellings, and such as are already groweing to bee preserved
for planting, of which many excellent bookes have binn already sent in
December last, unto which wee referr you for your better direction
therin, as also to divers French and other experienced men, late sent &
procured at extraordinarie charge, of whose generall subsistence wee
expect your assidious care.
16. Item: silke grasse, being a comoditie of spetiall hope and much use,
not with standing through negligence and want of experience, it hath
lately been declared to bee full of difficullty and hazard both in
groweing and curing, yett we doe especially recomend unto your care and
that you direct some good way to bring it to perfection by experimenting
the soiles, the seasons and true maner of cultivating of itt, being
confident that that which growes so naturally in those parts will much
more by art and industry bee at lenght brought to perfection, and being
many wayes so usefull will bring great honor an [and?] proffitt unto the
action.
17. Item: wee doe also especially recommend unto you the planting of
vines in aboundance and that the vignerons sent with so great charge to
the Company bee fairely & carefullie provided for.
18. Item: wee requier also that all sorts of artsmen be employed in ther
severall trades and that store of aprentizes bee placed & held to learne
ther occupations, especially those that are most usefull or most
comodious; and that you duely consider the quallities and trades of all
those people sent over for the Companies or any of the Collonies servis
& that you cause them to bee held to ther trades and occupations wherin
ther are like to deserve & win most bennifitt; and not to suffer them to
forsake ther former occupacions for planting tobacco or such uselesse
comodities. And here wee earnestly commend unto your care the Dutchemen
sent for the erecting of sawing mills, a worke most necessarie since the
materialls for howsing and shipping can not otherwise without much more
troble, paines and charge bee provided; & although wee have received
some notice that fitting places for ther works and not ther easilie
found out, yett wee hope that dillegence fitting to bee used in a case
of so generall benifitt hath discoverid how to make use of ther skills
by this time. Nor doe wee here apprehend any difficullty of finding
accomodation for that purpose about the falls or towards the heads of
some river or brookes by the station, wherof timber may be brought unto
them verie easili and by the current of the river the plankes or boords
sawen may bee transported for the generall use of all or the greatest
part of our people.
19. Item: that your corne mills bee presentlie erected and pupliqe
bakehowses in everie burrough bee built with all speed and dilligence.
20. Item: that all apparent or proved contracts made in England or in
Virginia betweene the owners of land in Virginia and ther tenants or
servants be truly performed and the breach of them reformed by due
punishment as justice shall requier.
21. Item: that you suffer no crafty or advantageous meanes to bee used
to entice a way the tenants or servants of any particular plantacion
from the place they are ... ceited and that all offenders herein bee
severlie punished and the partie drawne away bee returned to ther former
place.
[22]. Wee commend unto your especiall regard the providing for such
persons as have already bin sent or are now or shall be hereafter
entertained for the erecting of iron works; that all possible meanes bee
used for ther encouradgment & for the performing of generall contracts
here made with the Company wherby justice unto them and profitt to the
plantation may arise. And whereas Mr. John Berkly hath bin approved unto
us here by extreordinary recommendations to bee industrious and
intelligent gentleman many ways, butt espetially for iron works, wee
desier hee & his company may bee cherished by you and supported by the
helpe of the whole Colonie if need shall requier, therby to enhable him
to perfect that worke wherupon the Company have already expended great
somes of money & itt is a com[modity] so necessarie as few other are to
bee valewed in comparrison therof. Upon the successe therof also, mens
eyes are generally fixed & therfore if itt should now (as by former
misaccident or negligence) fall to the ground, ther were little hope
that ever they would bee revived againe; and whereas wee have bin so
circomspect as to contraict with many masters severally for the erecting
of the said works, wherby wee hoped though some miscarried or failled
others should have proceeded; if by want of workes or necessarie
materialls the said masters cannot for present bee seatted or enjoy the
conditions of ther contraicts, wee thinke fitt you should accomodate
them according to ther several habillities in some secondarie or
subordinarie places of assistance to Mr. Berkly, or when another worke
may be advanced to worke them over that, according (as neere as may bee)
to ther contraictes made here with the Company, wherby this worke of so
great consequence & generall expectacion, infinitt com[modity] &
unspeakeable benifitt to the plantacion may bee dilligentlie prosecuted
& upheld.
23. Item: salt, pich and tarr, soape ashes, &c., often recommended and
sett up, and for which fittinge men & matterialles have been sent to the
great charge of the Company and yett daylie complaints come to us of the
want of them, wee desier you will now prosecute and further with all
dilligence & care.
24. Item: your makeing of oile of wallnuts, your employing your
apothecaries in distilling of hott waters out of your lees of beere and
searching after minierall dyes, gummes, druggs, and the like things, wee
desier you not to forgett and good quanteties of all sorts to send us by
all shipps.
25. Item: since wee have conceaved itt most fitting to ordaine that a
small quantety of tobacco shall bee plainted or cherished in Virginia,
wee hold itt verie necessarie to use all possible care that the
proporcion limmitted may bee improved in goodnes as much as may bee; and
therefore that some good order bee taken to see itt well cured and duely
ordred that bringing itt into request may cause any certaine benifitt to
the planters.
26. Item: that due proceeding bee used in the erection of those howses
appointed for lodgeing of new men upon ther landing, according to former
directions; and that from time to time a course bee taken for ther
repaire, cleane & neat; keeping likewise, for comon store, howses in
convenient places as well for other needs necessary provitions, as upper
roomes for conservation of a proportion of gounpouder ready for use.
27. Item: whereas wee have many times found losse & interuption in our
buissines through want of frequent relacion from Virginia, wee therefore
requier you att least to make a quarterly dispatch unto us, the
duplicate wherof to bee duely sentt by the next oppertunitie of shipping
after.
28. Item: whereas Capt. William Norton and certaine Itallians, now by
the general Company and other worthy minded adventures att a verie great
charge, sent for the erecting of a glasse furnace in Virginia, wee
hartilie desire you to afford them all favor possible. And in particular
that the guesthowses built by Leftenant Whitakers bee allowed them for
ther habitacion till they may convenientlie provide themselves of ther
owne; and that all orders given them from hence bee exactlie putt in
execucion.
29. Item: a gentleman's great dilligence in our affaires, accompaned
with extreordinarie capacity and judgement, haveing proceeded the
treatise of the buissnes belonging to the plantacion, approved by us to
bee full of exellent observances for those that are emmenly employd in
Virginia, as well for us here, wee sent a coppy to ly amongst the
records of your Counsell from whence, from the often veiw of former
passadgs, wee wish every Counsellor may make permanent instructions, and
no doubt much helps and furtherance may bee produced in most occasiones
for the advancement of the plantacion.
30. Item: that ther be espetiall care taken both of generall and
particular survaies wherby not onlie a true mapp and face of the whole
country, costs, creeks, rivers, highe ground & lowe ground, &c., may bee
exactlie discoverid, but also the boundaries of the severall hundreds
and plantacions, with the perticuler directions in them bee perfectlie
sett forth from time to time, mainetained to prevent therby future
differences that arise upon questions of possestion, wherin also itt may
be fitting and moste usefull to posteritie to cast an imaginarie eye and
view, wher and which way the grand highewayes may bee like to strike and
passe through the dominions; in which course the hard mountaines, the
fords, the places for bridges, &c., may nott unfittlie bee considered;
for performance of all which the premises (and for the better
sattisfaction) of the planters, whoe have so often required ther lands
may bee devided and bounded, wee have now sent and furnished out Mr.
William Cleyburne, gentleman, recomended unto us as very [fitt] in the
art of surveying.
31. Item: the oppressing and imoderate fees heretofore exacted in
Virginia by divers officers in valuacion of ther paines & travell for
the Colonies service have partlie occationed the settling a competent
revenue to arrise therby tenants to everie cheif officer; wee now
forbidd that officer so provided for, or otherwise by allotted parts out
of the common profitt recompenced, doe take any other fees for execution
of ther severall places either directly or indirectly; neverthelesse,
that clarks & such like may have a reward for ther dilligence, wee
require you by order to sett downe some small proportion for passes,
warrants, copies of orders, seales, &c., or proportionably to the merits
of servants paines and attendance.
32. Item: the Governor & Counsell assembled within a short time after
the arivall of this shipp are to sett downe the fittest months after
ther quarterlie meeting of the Counsell of State according to the
seasons and to fitting meanes for ther entertayment, together with
regaurd of the best ease and benifitt of the people, that shall have
occasion to addresse themselves unto the Counsell, either for justice or
direction; considering also the times of making ther dispathes to
England, according to the oppertunities of shiping ther comeing or
goeing.
33. That the Governor for the time being in or about the foresaid time
doe summon by an officer appointed for that purpose the Counsell of
State to appeare at a day and to bee together for the space of one whole
month or more if need shall requier to advise & consult upon matter of
Counsell of State and of the generall affaires of the Colonie, and as
ther shalbee cause to order and determine the greater causes of
consequence or such matter as shall growe or arise within the Colonie,
either by reference or judgment; and that free accesse bee permitted to
all suiters to make knowne ther perticuler grevances, bee itt against
what person soever. And if the plaint appeare to bee important, to
record the same ther & to returne a coppy ther of together with the
report of your proceeding therin.
34. As also to keepe a perfect register of all the acts of each quarter
sessions duely and orderlie and therof to returne a perfect transcript
unto us by the first oppertunitie of shipping from time to time. And
that at everie sessions you cause all instructions and charters that are
already or shall hereafter bee sent from hence to bee read and so from
sessions to sessions untill our directory shall bee fullie executed.
35. Item: in case of the Governor death or removall or suspencion by
order from hence untill other direction from us can come, wee requier
that the Counsell or major part of them then residing in Virginia doe
imedialie assemble themselves and within fourteene dayes or sooner from
out of ther body to elect one to supplie the place for the time; and to
preserve the state of bussinesse still in the same current that it was.
36. The relation of which act of Counsell wee will you send us with as
much speede as may bee, and if ther should bee an unexpected division in
the voices of the counsell that a just halfe should bee willing to elect
one and the other halfe desirous of another, then wee will that election
bee made of the Leftennant Governor; and in his absence or necessarie
cause of declining the Marshall, and in case of his default or such
refusall then the Treasurer, then one of the two deputies or the other
till the place of Governor be settled in on [one] of our said cheif
officers.
37. Item: whereas ther hath bin severall directions given to the former
Governor for fixing the tenants uppon the lands as well belonging to the
Governor place as other the officers seated by the Governor, which uppon
pretences hath bin allowed and neglected and the men lett out to the
heir; wee requier you that hereafter no officer bee permitted to lett
out his tenants, butt settle them uppon the lands sett out for his
place, enjoining them to enclose gardens, build howses, deviding them
into families or societies, to place them upon the land appropriated to
his office, excepting onlie the Counsell shall have power to make a
convenient order at one of the quarter sessions to dispence with this
article for the space of six months & that in case onlie of extreeme
necessitie.
38. Item: the Governor, onlie for the time being, shall summon Counsells
and sine warrants & execute or give athoritie for execution of the
Counsells orders, except in cases which seeme to appertaine to the
imediate execucions of Liftenant Generall, Marshall, Tresuror, or
deputies, wherin according to ther severall comissions or by a conceaved
order from a quarter counsell the officers are severallie directed and
authorised.
39. The Governor for the time being shall have absolute power and
authoritie according to the implicacion of his particular commission to
direct, determine and punish at his good discretion any emergent
buissnes, neglect or contempt of authority in any kind or what soever
negligence or contempt may bee found in any person ther residing or
being, except only those of the Counsell for ther on persons whoe are in
such cases to bee summoned to appeare at the next quarter session of the
Counsell holdne ther abide ther censure; in the meane time if the
Governor shall thinke itt may concerne either the quiett of that state
to proceed more speedily with such an offendor, itt shall bee lawful to
summon a Counsell extreordinarie, wherat six of the Counsell at lest are
to bee present with the said Governor and by the main parte of ther
voices committ any Counsellor to saife custody or upon baile to appere
and abide the order of the nextt quarter counsell.
40. Everie order and decree of the Counsell of State shalbe concluded by
the major parte of voices at that Assembly, wherin the Governor for the
time being is to have a casting voice if the nomber of Counsellors
should bee even or should bee equally devided in oppinnion;
neverthelesse reserving to the said Governor a negative voice att any
Generall Assembly according to a former comission granted.[26]
[Footnote 26: One of the few references to the _Commission_,
not the "Instructions", to Yeardley, authorizing a General
Assembly.]
41. Item: wee pray you likewise to take into your care the protexcion of
the people, that they suffer no wrong by the engrossing commodity &
forestalling the marketts, butt preserve them open for all men freely or
indifferently to buy or sell.
42. Item: wee requier you expecially to see the publicke labors to bee
from time to time equally charged & burdned for the people that one mans
tenants bee nott favored above others or officers tenants favored more
then those of the puplique; and to the end those services may fall as
easy to all ports as may bee, wee thinke in the punishment of all
enormus misdemeanors, &c., ill deservers bee condemned to a nomber of
days works for puplique use & building, or to finnishing of a fence or
dike, or to cariage or roweing according to the meritt of the offence.
43. Item: where as the Right Honourable the Earle of Pembroke with
divers his associates have undertaken to plaint thirty thousand acres of
land in Virginia, we therfore intreat you to make choice of the best
seate on that river that is not yett inhabited; and herin to take the
advise of Mr. Leech, whoe now goes over to veiw the cuntrie and to bee
enployd in that plantacion which being sett out wee desier to be
informed therof.
44. Item: as wee hold itt most necessarie that you provide for the
generall safety and securing of your selves and estats together, so doe
wee conceave it a matter of exceeding great advantage & incouragment to
discover everie day farther by the sea coast and within land about which
wee requier you to conceave a fitting course from time espetiallie to
find good fishing betweene James river and Cape Cod or any wher within
our limmittes wherin wee suppose the new trade of commodities found
wilbe like to recompence the troble and charge bestowed therin, for wee
are certainely informed that the Dutchmen within 20 or 30 leagues of
your plantacion steile a trade for furrs, &c., to ther verie great gaine
& content.
45. Item: for as much as planting of staple commodities is useuallie
much advanced by example taken one from another, wee expect that the
cheif officers by ther owne particular employment of ther people & land,
& setting forth the benifitts & hopes of such endeavors, shall
exceedinglie advance the state of commodity and trade.
46. Item: wee doe moreover requier that according to your oaths and
severall charges your thoughts & endeavors be unanimouslie employed for
performance of our instructions in generall, & particuler that chieflie
aiminge at the establishment of the Colonie your selves & all of us that
have endeavorid therein may bee comforted in a happie apparence of
prosperity of the plantacion which wilbe glorious before God and
infinitt honor, strenght & profitt to our King & Cuntry.
47. Lastly wee pray you that no shipp that now or at any time wee shall
send at the companies charge to Virginia bee suffered to stay ther above
thirty dayes for avoiding of charge which hath heretofore grown uppon
long voydges in freight & wages & that you suffer not in the said shipps
any goods provicions sent thither to bee brought from thence againe by
any marriners, passengers or others uppon paine of some punishment to be
inflicted upon them; and although the infancy of the plantacion may nott
some time afford the more valuable comodities to freight the shipps home
uppon so short a stay, yett wee suppose that a prudent course &
preperacion may at last afford them choice timber as clear walnutt or
some other such lesse valueable commodity to add to ther lading which
will yeild more profitt to the Companie with the shipps quicke returne
then is usueally raised by ther best comodities when longer accompt for
freightt hath drawne on a further charge. Given under the Counsell scale
the fower and twentith day of Julie, 1621; and in the yeare of the raign
of our soveraigne Lord James, by the grace of God of England, Scotland,
France and Ireland, Defender of the faith, &c., that is to say of
England, France and Ireland the nineteenth and Scottland the fower and
fiftith.