八喜电子书 > 经管其他电子书 > the complete writings-3 >

第57部分

the complete writings-3-第57部分

小说: the complete writings-3 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



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manuscripts seem to have been passed around and much read before they were published。  Purchas acknowledges that he had unpublished manuscripts of Smith when he compiled his narrative。  Did Smith see Strachey's manuscript before he published his Oxford tract; or did Strachey enlarge his own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 hath been more industrious; or who hath had (Capt。 Geo。 Percie excepted) greater experience amongst them; however misconstruction may traduce here at home; where is not easily seen the mixed sufferances; both of body and mynd; which is there daylie; and with no few hazards and hearty griefes undergon。〃

There are two copies of the Strachey manuscript。  The one used by the Hakluyt Society is dedicated to Sir Francis Bacon; with the title of 〃Lord High Chancellor;〃 and Bacon had not that title conferred on him till after 1618。  But the copy among the Ashmolean manuscripts at Oxford is dedicated to Sir Allen Apsley; with the title of 〃Purveyor to His Majestie's Navie Royall〃; and as Sir Allen was made 〃Lieutenant of the Tower〃 in 1616; it is believed that the manuscript must have been written before that date; since the author would not have omitted the more important of the two titles in his dedication。

Strachey's prefatory letter to the Council; prefixed to his 〃Laws〃 (1612); is dated 〃From my lodging in the Black Friars。  At your best pleasures; either to return unto the colony; or pray for the success of it heere。〃  In his letter he speaks of his experience in the Bermudas and Virginia: 〃The full storie of both in due time 'I' shall consecrate unto your view。。。。  Howbit since many impediments; as yet must detaine such my observations in the shadow of darknesse; untill I shall be able to deliver them perfect unto your judgments;〃 etc。

This is not; as has been assumed; a statement that the observations were not written then; only that they were not 〃perfect〃; in fact; they were detained in the 〃shadow of darknesse〃 till the year 1849。 Our own inference is; from all the circumstances; that Strachey began his manuscript in Virginia or shortly after his return; and added to it and corrected it from time to time up to 1616。

We are now in a position to consider Strachey's allusions to Pocahontas。  The first occurs in his description of the apparel of Indian women:

〃The better sort of women cover themselves (for the most part) all over with skin mantells; finely drest; shagged and fringed at the skyrt; carved and coloured with some pretty work; or the proportion of beasts; fowle; tortayses; or other such like imagry; as shall best please or expresse the fancy of the wearer; their younger women goe not shadowed amongst their owne companie; until they be nigh eleaven or twelve returnes of the leafe old (for soe they accompt and bring about the yeare; calling the fall of the leaf tagnitock); nor are thev much ashamed thereof; and therefore would the before remembered Pocahontas; a well featured; but wanton yong girle; Powhatan's daughter; sometymes resorting to our fort; of the age then of eleven or twelve yeares; get the boyes forth with her into the markett place; and make them wheele; falling on their hands; turning up their heeles upwards; whome she would followe and wheele so herself; naked as she was; all the fort over; but being once twelve yeares; they put on a kind of semecinctum lethern apron (as do our artificers or handycrafts men) before their bellies; and are very shamefac't to be seene bare。  We have seene some use mantells made both of Turkey feathers; and other fowle; so prettily wrought and woven with threeds; that nothing could be discerned but the feathers; which were exceedingly warme and very handsome。〃

Strachey did not see Pocahontas。  She did not resort to the camp after the departure of Smith in September; 1609; until she was kidnapped by Governor Dale in April; 1613。  He repeats what he heard of her。  The time mentioned by him of her resorting to the fort; 〃of the age then of eleven or twelve yeares;〃 must have been the time referred to by Smith when he might have married her; namely; in 1608…9; when he calls her 〃not past 13 or 14 years of age。〃  The description of her as a 〃yong girle〃 tumbling about the fort; 〃naked as she was;〃 would seem to preclude the idea that she was married at that time。

The use of the word 〃wanton〃 is not necessarily disparaging; for 〃wanton〃 in that age was frequently synonymous with 〃playful〃 and 〃sportive〃; but it is singular that she should be spoken of as 〃well featured; but wanton。〃  Strachey; however; gives in another place what is no doubt the real significance of the Indian name 〃Pocahontas。〃  He says:

〃Both men; women; and children have their severall names; at first according to the severall humor of their parents; and for the men children; at first; when they are young; their mothers give them a name; calling them by some affectionate title; or perhaps observing their promising inclination give it accordingly; and so the great King Powhatan called a young daughter of his; whom he loved well; Pocahontas; which may signify a little wanton; howbeyt she was rightly called Amonata at more ripe years。〃

The Indian girls married very young。  The polygamous Powhatan had a large number of wives; but of all his women; his favorites were a dozen 〃for the most part very young women;〃 the names of whom Strachey obtained from one Kemps; an Indian a good deal about camp; whom Smith certifies was a great villain。  Strachey gives a list of the names of twelve of them; at the head of which is Winganuske。 This list was no doubt written down by the author in Virginia; and it is followed by a sentence; quoted below; giving also the number of Powhatan's children。  The 〃great darling〃 in this list was Winganuske; a sister of Machumps; who; according to Smith; murdered his comrade in the Bermudas。  Strachey writes:

〃He 'Powhatan' was reported by the said Kemps; as also by the Indian Machumps; who was sometyme in England; and comes to and fro amongst us as he dares; and as Powhatan gives him leave; for it is not otherwise safe for him; no more than it was for one Amarice; who had his braynes knockt out for selling but a baskett of corne; and lying in the English fort two or three days without Powhatan's leave; I say they often reported unto us that Powhatan had then lyving twenty sonnes and ten daughters; besyde a young one by Winganuske; Machumps his sister; and a great darling of the King's; and besides; younge Pocohunta; a daughter of his; using sometyme to our fort in tymes past; nowe married to a private Captaine; called Kocoum; some two years since。〃

This passage is a great puzzle。  Does Strachey intend to say that Pocahontas was married to an Iniaan named Kocoum?  She might have been during the time after Smith's departure in 1609; and her kidnapping in 1613; when she was of marriageable age。  We shall see hereafter that Powhatan; in 1614; said he had sold another favorite daughter of his; whom Sir Thomas Dale desired; and

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 5 2

你可能喜欢的