LETTER CLIV. 1618. ambassador, say, I shall prove it under the proprietaries [hand; by 1] the custome-bookes, and by the King's March 21. quinto, of which I recovered an [ingot] or two. And I shall make it appeare, to any Prince or State that will | undertake it, how easily those mines and five or six more may be [possess]t, and the most of them in those places which never yet have bene attempted by any enemie, nor any passage to them ever discovered by the English, Dutch, or French. But at KEMISHES returne from Orenoque, when I rejected his counsell and his course, and told him that he had undone me, and wounded my credite with the King past recoverie, he slew himself. For I told him, that, seing my sonne was lost, I cared not if he had lost an hundred more in opening the mine, so my credite had been saved. For I protest before God, had not Captain WHITNEY (whome I gave more countenance unto then to all the captaines of my fleet) runne from me at the Granadas, and carried another ship with him of Captain WOLLASTON'S, I would have left [my bodļie at St. Thome, by my sonnes, or have brought with me out [of that or] other mines so much gold ore, as should have satisfied | the King that | I had propounded no vaine thing. What shall become of me now, I know not; I am unpardoned in England, and my poore estate consumed; and whether any other Prince or State will give me bread, I know not. I desire your Honour to hold me in your good opinion, and to remember my service to my lords of ARUNDELL and PEMBROKE; to take some pity on my poore wife, to whome I dare not write, for 1 These words are in MS. Cecil. 2 MS. Cecil omits the words "from Orenoque.” renewing the sorrow for her sonne; and beseech you to give a copie of these to my Lord CAREW. For to a broken mind, to a weake bodie, and weake eyes, it is a torment to write many letters. I have founde many thinges of importance for discovering the estate and weakenes of the Indies, which, if I live, I shall hereafter impart unto your Honor, to whome I shall ever1 remaine a faithfull servant, W. RALEGH. [POSTSCRIPT.2]-Sir, since the death of KEMISH, it is confesst by the Sergeant-major and others of his inward. friendes, that he told them, when they were at the river's mouth coming thence, that he could have brought them to the mine, within two howers march from the river's side; but because my sonne was slayne, myself unpardoned, and not like to live, he had no reason to open the mine either for the Spaniards or for the King. They aunswered, that the King (though I were not pardoned) had graunted me my pa[tent under the great] seale. He replyed that the graunt to me was | to a man who | was non ens in law, and therefore of no force. | This discourse] he had, which I knew not of till after h[is death]. When I was resolved to write unto your Honour, [he prayed] me to joyne with him in excusing his not go[ing to the] mine. I answered him, I would not doe [it; that] if himself could satisfy the King and the State that he had reason not to open it, I should be glad of it; but for my part, I must avow it that he knew it, and that he might, with litle losse, have done it; other excuse I would not frame. He then told me that he would waite on me LETTER CLIV. 1618. March 21. MS. Cecil omits "ever." 2 In MS. Cecil the Postscript appears as a separate letter. LETTER CLIV. 1618. March 21. presently, and give me better satisfaction: but I was no sooner come from him into my cabin, but I heard a pistoll go of over my head, and sending up to know who shott it, word was brought that KEMISH had shott it out of his cabin window to clense it; his boy, going into the cabin, found him lying on his bed with much bloude by him, and looking on his face saw he was deade. The pistoll being but litle, the bullet did but cracke his ribb; but he, turning him over, founde a long knife in his bodie, all but the handle. Sir, I have sent into England, in a fly-boate, with my coosen HERBERT (a very valiant and honest gentleman), diverse other unworthy persons, good for nothing, either by land or sea; and, though it was at their owne suite, yet I know that they will wrong me in all that they can. I beseech your Honor that this scumme of men may not be beleeved of me, who have taken more paine, and suffered more then the meanest rascall in the ship. These being gone, I shalbe able, if I live, to keepe the sca till the end of August, with fower reasonable good ships. Sir, whensoever God shall permitt me to arrive in any part of Europe, I will not faile to let your Honour know what wee have done. Till then, and ever, Your Honour's servant, W. RALEGH. 2 From St. Christophers, one of the Ilandes of the Antillias, the 21th of March, 1617 [O.S.]. CLV. TO LADY RALEGH. From a Copy in MS. HARL. 4761, ff. 23-25 (British Museum). I WAS loathe to write, because I knewe not how to comforte you; and, God knowes, I never knewe what sorrow meant till nowe. All that I can say to you is, that you must obey the will and providence of God; and remember, that the Queene's Majestie bare the losse of Prince HENRY with a magnanimous harte, and the Lady HARRINGTON of her onely1 sonne. Comfort your hart (deerest BESSE), I shall sorrow for us bothe. I shall sorrow the lesse, because I have not longe to sorrowe, because not longe to live. I referr you to Mr. Secretary WINWOOD's letter, who will give you a coppy of it, if you sende for it. Therein you shall know what hath passed. I have written [but] that letter, for my braynes are broken, and it is a torment for mee to write, and espetially of misery. I have desired Mr. Seacretary to give my Lord CAREWE a coppy of his letter. I have clensed my shipp of sicke men, and sent them home. I hope God will send us somewhat ere wee returne. Comend mee to all att Loathbury. You shall heare from mee, if I live, from the Newefoundland; where I meane to make cleane my shipps and revittle; for I have tobacco enough to pay for it. The Lord blesse and 1 MS. Harl. omits this word. MS. Sloane here repeats "I have." 3 MS. Harl. omits this sentence. LETTER CLV. 1618. March 22. To Lady From St. Christopher's. Death of their son Walter.Particulars of the exedition Keymis. under LETTER 1618. March 22. comfort you, that you may bear patiently the death of your1 valiant sonne. 22d of March [1618], from the Isle of Christophers, Your's, W. RALEGH. [POSTSCRIPT.]-I protest before the majestie of God, that as Sir FRANCIS DRAKE and Sir JHON HAWKINS died hartbroken when they failed of their enterprise, I could willingly doe the like, did I not contend against sorrowe for your sake, in hope to provide somewhat for you; and to comfort and releive you. If I live to returne, resolve yourselfe that it is the care for you that hath strengthened my harte. It is true, that KEMISH might have gonne directly to the myne, and meante it. But, after my sonnes death, hee made them to beleive hee knew not the waye, and excused himselfe uppon the want of water in the river, and, counterfetting many impediments, left it unfound. When hee came backe, I told him that hee had undone mee, and that my creditt was loste for ever. He answered, that when my sonne was loste and that he left mee soe weake that hee resolved not to finde mee alive, hee had no reason to enrich a company of rascalls, who, after my sonnes death, made no accompt of him. Hee further told mee, that the English sent upp into Guiana could hardly defend the Spanish towne of St. Thomas which they had taken, and therefore for them to passe through thicke woods it was impossible; and more impossible to have victualls brought them into the 1 Here MS. Sloane inserts "most.” 2 MS. Sloane reads, “with." 3 The words "in the river" are omitted in MS. Harl. MS. Sloane omits the words “and that." 6 Here MS. Sloane inserts "the" 5 Ib. "Thome." |