A Briefe and True Report of the New Found Land of Virginia | Page 5

be requisite.
Touching which woorthines through cause of the diuersitie of relations and reportes,
manye of your opinions coulde not bee firme, nor the mindes of some that are well
disposed, bee setled in any certaintie.
I haue therefore thought it good beeing one that haue beene in the discouerie and in
dealing with the natuall inhabitantes specially imploied; and hauing therefore seene and
knowne more then the ordinaire: to imparte so much vnto you of the fruites of our labours,

as that you may knowe howe iniuriously the enterprise is slaundered. And that in publike
manner at this present chiefelie for two respectes.
First that some of you which are yet ignorant or doubtfull of the state thereof, may see
that there is sufficiêt cause why the cheefe enterpriser with the fauour of her Maiestie,
notwithstanding suche reportes; hath not onelie since continued the action by sending into
the countrey againe, and replanting this last yeere a new Colony; but is also readie,
according as the times and meanes will affoorde, to follow and prosecute the same.
Secondly, that you seeing and knowing the continuance of the action by the view hereof
you may generally know & learne what the countrey is; & therevpon cõsider how your
dealing therein if it proceede, may returne you profit and gaine; bee it either by
inhabitting & planting or otherwise in furthering thereof.
And least that the substance of my relation should be doubtful vnto you, as of others by
reason of their diuersitie: I will first open the cause in a few wordes wherefore they are [a
3] so different; referring my selue to your fauourable constructions, and to be adiudged of
as by good consideration you shall finde cause.
Of our companie that returned some for their misdemenour and ill dealing in the countrey,
haue beene there worthily punished; who by reason of their badde natures, haue
maliciously not onelie spoken ill of their Gouernours; but for their sakes slaundered the
countrie it selfe. The like also haue those done which were of their confort.
Some beeing ignorant of the state thereof, nothwithstanding since their returne amongest
their friendes and acquaintance and also others, especially if they were in companie
where they might not be gainesaide; woulde seeme to know so much as no men more;
and make no men so great trauailers as themselues. They stood so much as it maie seeme
vppon their credite and reputation that hauing been a twelue moneth in the countrey, it
woulde haue beene a great disgrace vnto them as they thought, if they coulde not haue
saide much wheter it were true or false. Of which some haue spoken of more then euer
they saw or otherwise knew to bee there; othersome haue not bin ashamed to make
absolute deniall of that which although not by thê, yet by others is most certainely ãd
there plêtifully knowne. And othersome make difficulties of those things they haue no
skill of.
The cause of their ignorance was, in that they were of that many that were neuer out of
the Iland where wee were seated, or not farre, or at the leastwise in few places els, during
the time of our aboade in the countrey; or of that many that after golde and siluer was not
so soone found, as it was by them looked for, had little or no care of any other thing but
to pamper their bellies; or of that many which had little vnderstanding, lesse discretion,
and more tongue then was needfull or requisite.
Some also were of a nice bringing vp, only in cities or townes, or such as neuer (as I may
say) had seene the world before. Because there were not to bee found any English cities,
norsuch faire houses, nor at their owne wish any of their olde accustomed daintie food,
nor any soft beds of downe or fethers: the countrey was to them miserable, & their

reports thereof according.
Because my purpose was but in briefe to open the cause of the varietie of such speeches;
the particularities of them, and of many enuious, malicious, and slaûderous reports and
deuises els, by our owne countrey men besides; as trifles that are not worthy of wise men
to bee thought vpon, I meane not to trouble you withall: but will passe to the
commodities, the substance of that which I haue to make relation of vnto you.
The treatise where of for your more readie view & easier vnderstanding I will diuide into
three speciall parts. In the first I will make declaration of such commodities there alreadie
found or to be raised, which will not onely serue the ordinary turnes of you which are and
shall bee the plãters and inhabitants, but such an ouerplus sufficiently to