And therefore we may justly say, as the children of Israel say here to Joshua, we are a great people, and the lande is too narrow for us; so that whatsoever we have beene, now it behooves us to be both prudent and politicke, and not to deride and reject good powers of profitable and gainefull expectation; but rather to embrace every occasion which hath any probabilitie in its future hopes: And seeing there is neither preferment nor employment for all within the lists of our Countrey, we might justly be accounted as in former times, both imprudent and improvident, if we will yet sit with our armes foulded on our bosomes, and not rather seeke after such adventers whereby the Glory of God may be advanced, the teritories of our Kingdome inlarged, our people both preferred and employed abroad, our wants supplyed at home, His Majesties customes wonderfully augmented, and the honour and renown of our Nation spread and propagated to the ends of the World....
The report goeth, that in Virginia the people are savage and incredibly rude, they worship the divell, offer their young children in sacrifice unto him, wander up and downe like beasts, and in manners and conditions, differ very little from beasts, having no Art, nor science, nor trade, to imploy themselves, or give themselves unto, yet by nature loving and gentle, and desirous to imbrace a better condition. Oh how happy were that man which could reduce this people from brutishness to civilitie, to religion, to Christianitie, to the saving of their souls....
Farre be it from the hearts of the English, they should give any cause to the world to say that they sought the wealth of that Countrie above or before the glorie of God, and the propagation of his Kingdome.
Their second objection is [the argument of opponents of colonization] that this age will see no profit of this plantation. Which objection admit it were true, yet it is too brutish, and bewraies their neglect and incurious respect of posteritie: we are not borne like beasts for ourselves, and the time present only. ... What benefit or comfort should we have enjoyed in things of this world, if our forefathers had not provided better for us, and bin more carefully respective of posteritie than for themselves? We sow, we set, we build, not so much for ourselves as for posteritie; ... They which onely are for themselves, shall die in themselves, and shall not have a name among posterity; their rootes shall be dried up beneath, and above shall their branches bee cut down, their remembrance shall perish from the earth, and they shall have no name in the street. Job xviii; 16, 17.
Others object to the continuall charges [assessments] which will prove in their opinion very heavie and burdensome to those that shall undertake the said Plantation. These like the dog in the manger, neither eate hay themselves, neither will they suffer the Oxe that would. They never think any charge too much that may any way increase their owne private estate. They have thousands to bestow about the ingrossing of a commoditie, or upon a morgage, or to take their neighbors house over his head, or to lend upon usurie; but if it come to a publicke good, they grone under the least burden of charges that can bee required of them. These men should be used like sponges; they must be squeased, seeing they drink up all, and will yeeld to nothing, though it concerne the common good never so greatly. But it is demonstratively prooved in Nova Britannia, that the charges about this Plantation will be nothing, in comparison of the benefit that will grow thereof. And what notable thing I pray you can be brought to passe without charges? ... Without question, he that saves his money, where Gods glory is to be advanced, Christian religion propagated and planted, the good of the commonwealth increased, and the glorious renowne of the King inlarged is subject to the curse of Simon Magus, his money and he are in danger to perish together. Let none therefore find delaies, or faine excuses to withhold them from this imployment for Virginia, seeing every opposition against it is an opposition against God, the King, the Church, and the Commonwealth....
6. Nova Britannia, 1609
Peter Force's Historical Tracts, I (Washington, 1836).
This tract of some 12,000 words (equivalent to thirty-five pages of this volume) was written in 1609 for the same purpose as No. 5 above.
So I wish and intreat all well affected subjects, some in their persons, others in their purses, cheerefully to adventure, and joyntly take in hand this high and acceptable worke, tending to advance and spread the kingdome of God, and the knowledge of the truth, among so many millions of men and women, Savage and blind, that never yet saw the true light shine before their eyes ... as also for the honor of our King, and enlarging of his kingdome, and for preservation and defence of that small number our friends and countrimen already planted, least for want of more supplies we become a scorne to the world, subjecting our former adventures to apparent spoile and hazard, and our people (as a prey) to be sackt and puld out of possession, as were the French out of Nova Francia, not many yeares ago; and, which is the lest and last respect (yet usuallie preferred), for the singular good and benefite that will undoubtedly arise to this whole nation, and to everie one of us in particular, that will adventure therein.
It is knowne to the world [reference to attempts of Raleigh and Gilbert] how the present generation, scorning to sit downe by their losses, made newe attempts, not induring to looke on whilst so huge and spacious countries (the fourth part of the world) and the greatest and wealthiest part of all the rest, should remain a wilderness, subject (for the most part) but to wild beasts and fowles of the ayre, and to savage people, which have no Christian nor civill use of any thing; and that the subjects onely of one Prince Christian [Spaniards], which but within the memorie of man began first to creepe upon the face of those Territories, and now by meanes of their remnants settled here and there, do therefore imagine the world to be theirs, shouldring out all other nations, accounting themselves Kings and Commanders, not onely in townes and places where they have planted, but over all other partes of America, which containe sundrie vast and barbarous Regions, many of which (to this day) they never knew, nor did ever setle foote therein: which notwithstanding, if it were yeelded them as due, yet their strength and meanes, farre inferiour to their aspires, will never stretch to compasse ... the hundredth part.