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sade across the narrow neck, and another without, from water to water, and in this strong position erected his 'City of Henricus.” It had three streets, store-houses,

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a church, and regular watch-houses. Across the stream, on the south bank, a large inclosure, "twelve English miles of ground," was shut in also by stout palisades, and defended by forts Charity, Patience, and others. Hope-in-Faith, the name of a part of this tract, suggests a Puritan origin, and it is not improbable that a portion of Sir Thomas's settlers were of that faith. He had his official residence in the town on the plateau, and Rock Hall, the parsonage of the good Alexander Whitaker, the "Apostle of Virginia," was in sight across the river. The name Henrico, or City of Henricus, was conferred upon the place in honor of Prince Henry, son of James I., of whom Dale wrote these noble words, on his sudden death: "My glorious master is gone, that would have enameled with his favors the labors I undertake for God's cause and his immortal honor. He was the great captain of our Israel; the hope to have builded up this heavenly New Jerusalem be interred, I think; the whole frame of this business fell into his grave."

Having founded the City of Henricus, the High Marshal proceeded to found another at Bermuda Hundreds, and the new communities were illustrations of society in its first stage of social-military organization. Each group of families had its "commander," in peace a magistrate, and in war a captain. Excellent Mr. Whitaker looked after the morals of all. "Every Sabbath day," he writes to a friend in London, "we preach in the forenoon, and catechise in the afternoon. Every Saturday, at night, I exercise in Sir Thomas Dale's house."

The picture is a cheerful one. The Apostle of Virginia and the High Marshal are excellent good friends. For this "worthy and experienced soldier," who has lived so rough a life in Flanders, who has bored peoples' tongues, and inflicted cruel and barbarous death penalties, is not, after all, so great a monster. He enjoys converse with the mild clergyman, who calls him "our religious and valiant Governor," and draws the full portrait of the High Marshal in a sentence: "Sir Thomas Dale, with whom I am, is a man of great knowledge in divinity, and of a good conscience in all things, both which be rare in a martial man." This was said by one of the purest of men, who knew the Marshal well, and must be taken for his true likeness.

So the City of Henricus was established and went on its way. After a while there was another attraction there. Pocahontas came to live in the vicinity. That worthy gentleman, Master John Rolfe, who had married the maiden, had a plantation near the place, and he and his little brunette wife went in and out with their Indian connections. Pocahontas, we are told by the old historian Stith, who afterwards lived at Henricus, "held friendly trade and commerce" with her father the Emperor; and thus Varina is full of figures, and is a charmed domain to the antiquary and romance lover. To-day the figures have all disappeared apostles and marshals, soldiers and axe-men, women and children, and the mild face of the girl-wife, Pocahontas. The city is gone also, with its outlying dependencies, Coxendale, Hope-in-Faith, and its forts, Patience and Charity. The past has vanished, but here, nearly three centuries ago, the first Americans were laying the foundation of the republic.

XVI.

ROLFE AND POCAHONTAS.

AFTER the departure of Smith from Virginia, Pocahontas did not reappear at Jamestown - a fact which occasioned surprise, as she had made frequent visits and was known to take a warm interest in the English. It was now discovered that she had left Werowocomoco, either in consequence of some misunderstanding with Powhatan, or to visit her relatives on the Potomac. Raphe Hamor, the contemporary historian, attributes her absence from the York River country to the latter cause. "The Nonparella of Virginia in her princely progress," he says, "took some pleasure to be among her friends of Potomac." Another account speaks of her as "being at Potomac, thinking herself unknown," which leaves the impression that she had taken refuge there. But this is all conjecture.

She was now (1612) taken prisoner, and conducted to Jamestown by that roving adventurer, Captain Samuel Argall, who had brought Smith the intelligence of his deposition. Sent in a sloop to procure a supply of corn from the Potomac country, Argall was informed by a chief named Japazaws that Pocahontas was on a visit to him; and the offer of a copper kettle induced him to betray her into the rover's hands. She was brought on board the vessel, and taken weeping to Jamestown, Argall's object being to hold her as a hostage for the good behavior of Powhatan.

When the Emperor heard of her capture he was bitterly offended, and when the English sent him word that she

would be released as soon as he restored some captured men and arms he took no notice of the message. Pocahontas therefore remained at Jamestown in custody of the English until the spring of the next year (1613), when Sir Thomas Dale, the High Marshal, set out with one hundred and fifty men to visit Powhatan, taking her with him, to negotiate the proposed exchange. Sailing down the James, and then into York River, the Marshal reached Werowocomoco, but found the Emperor absent. His reception was not encouraging. A swarm of Indians appeared on the bank and shouted defiance. Had the English come to fight? they cried. If so, they were welcome, and might remember the fate of Ratcliffe. A flight of arrows followed, and one of the Englishmen was wounded; whereupon Dale, who was a man of decision, pushed ashore, killed some of the party, burned their cabins, and then, reëmbarking, sailed up the York, looking for the Emperor.

At Machot, an Indian village near the present West Point, several hundred savages were drawn up and awaited him. They defied him to come on shore, and he promptly did so; but no fighting followed. A truce was agreed upon until Powhatan could be heard from, and Master John Rolfe and Master Sparks" were sent with a message to him. They penetrated to his retreat in the woods, but the Emperor refused to grant them a personal interview. Vague promises only were held out by Powhatan's representatives, and the two emissaries returned to Dale at Machot.

A scene had meanwhile taken place there which induced Sir Thomas to change all his plans. He had fully resolved to carry fire and sword into the Indian realm; in the comprehensive phrase of the chronicle,

"to destroy and take away all their corn, burn all their houses on that river, leave not a fish-wear standing nor a canoe in any creek, and destroy and kill as many of them as he could." From this fell purpose he was now diverted, and the change in his plans is explained by the old writer, Master Raphe Hamor, who was present. The details of the scene are entertaining, and have escaped the historians. They are found only in the work of Hamor, until recently nearly unknown.1

Pocahontas had landed at Machot, but would scarcely take any notice of her own people. She complained that "if her father had loved her he would not value her less than old swords, pieces, and axes; wherefore she would still dwell with the Englishmen, who loved her." What this meant was soon seen. Two of her brothers hastened to meet her, one of them the Nantaquaus, whom Smith described as "the most manliest, comeliest, boldest spirit he ever saw in a savage," — and expressed the utmost delight at again seeing her. Pocahontas replied by making them an unexpected confidence. She was going to marry one of the Englishmen - a Master John Rolfe; and the affair was communicated to Sir Thomas Dale at the same moment. Rolfe had written a long letter to Sir Thomas, asking his "advice and furtherance," and this was now handed by Raphe Hamor to the Marshal. It produced a magical effect. Sir Thomas saw in the marriage the promise of peace and good-will between the two races, and abandoning his hostile designs returned to Jamestown, taking Pocahontas back with him.

This is the first mention of Rolfe in Virginia. He

1 The rare old Present Estate of Virginia till the 18th of June, 1614, was reprinted at Albany, in fac-simile, in the present century.

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