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.