The Story of Pocohantas | Page 5

and was living in 1620, and
that it was his grandson of the same name who was subsequently
connected with the Virginia colony. He was, judged by his writings, a
man of considerable education, a good deal of a pedant, and shared the
credulity and fondness for embellishment of the writers of his time. His
connection with Lord Delaware, and his part in framing the code of
laws in Virginia, which may be inferred from the fact that he first
published them, show that he was a trusted and capable man.

William Strachey left behind him a manuscript entitled "The Historie of
Travaile into Virginia Britanica, &c., gathered and observed as well by
those who went first thither, as collected by William Strachey, gent.,
three years thither, employed as Secretaire of State." How long he
remained in Virginia is uncertain, but it could not have been "three
years," though he may have been continued Secretary for that period,
for he was in London in 1612, in which year he published there the
laws of Virginia which had been established by Sir Thomas Gates May
24, 1610, approved by Lord Delaware June 10, 1610, and enlarged by
Sir Thomas Dale June 22, 1611.
The "Travaile" was first published by the Hakluyt Society in 1849.
When and where it was written, and whether it was all composed at one
time, are matters much in dispute. The first book, descriptive of
Virginia and its people, is complete; the second book, a narration of
discoveries in America, is unfinished. Only the first book concerns us.
That Strachey made notes in Virginia may be assumed, but the book
was no doubt written after his return to England
[This code of laws, with its penalty of whipping and death for what are
held now to be venial offenses, gives it a high place among the Black
Codes. One clause will suffice:
"Every man and woman duly twice a day upon the first towling of the
Bell shall upon the working daies repaire unto the church, to hear
divine service upon pain of losing his or her allowance for the first
omission, for the second to be whipt, and for the third to be condemned
to the Gallies for six months. Likewise no man or woman shall dare to
violate the Sabbath by any gaming, publique or private, abroad or at
home, but duly sanctifie and observe the same, both himselfe and his
familie, by preparing themselves at home with private prayer, that they
may be the better fitted for the publique, according to the
commandments of God, and the orders of our church, as also every
man and woman shall repaire in the morning to the divine service, and
sermons preached upon the Sabbath day, and in the afternoon to divine
service, and Catechism upon paine for the first fault to lose their
provision, and allowance for the whole week following, for the second

to lose the said allowance and also to be whipt, and for the third to
suffer death."]
Was it written before or after the publication of Smith's "Map and
Description" at Oxford in 1612? The question is important, because
Smith's "Description" and Strachey's "Travaile" are page after page
literally the same. One was taken from the other. Commonly at that
time manuscripts seem to have been passed around and much read
before they were published. Purchas acknowledges that he had
unpublished manuscripts of Smith when he compiled his narrative. Did
Smith see Strachey's manuscript before he published his Oxford tract,
or did Strachey enlarge his own notes from Smith's description? It has
been usually assumed that Strachey cribbed from Smith without
acknowledgment. If it were a question to be settled by the internal
evidence of the two accounts, I should incline to think that Smith
condensed his description from Strachey, but the dates incline the
balance in Smith's favor.
Strachey in his "Travaile" refers sometimes to Smith, and always with
respect. It will be noted that Smith's "Map" was engraved and
published before the "Description" in the Oxford tract. Purchas had it,
for he says, in writing of Virginia for his "Pilgrimage" (which was
published in 1613):
"Concerning-the latter [Virginia], Capt. John Smith, partly by word of
mouth, partly by his mappe thereof in print, and more fully by a
Manuscript which he courteously communicated to mee, hath
acquainted me with that whereof himselfe with great perill and paine,
had been the discoverer." Strachey in his "Travaile" alludes to it, and
pays a tribute to Smith in the following: "Their severall habitations are
more plainly described by the annexed mappe, set forth by Capt. Smith,
of whose paines taken herein I leave to the censure of the reader to
judge. Sure I am there will not return from thence in hast, any one who