登陆注册
5212100000333

第333章

This child, named Thomas Rolfe, was given after the death of Pocahontas to the keeping of Sir Lewis Stukely of Plymouth, who fell into evil practices, and the boy was transferred to the guardianship of his uncle Henry Rolfe, and educated in London.When he was grown up he returned to Virginia, and was probably there married.There is on record his application to the Virginia authorities in 1641 for leave to go into the Indian country and visit Cleopatra, his mother's sister.He left an only daughter who was married, says Stith (1753), "to Col.John Bolling; by whom she left an only son, the late Major John Bolling, who was father to the present Col.John Bolling, and several daughters, married to Col.Richard Randolph, Col.John Fleming, Dr.William Gay, Mr.Thomas Eldridge, and Mr.James Murray."Campbell in his "History of Virginia" says that the first Randolph that came to the James River was an esteemed and industrious mechanic, and that one of his sons, Richard, grandfather of the celebrated John Randolph, married Jane Bolling, the great granddaughter of Pocahontas.

In 1618 died the great Powhatan, full of years and satiated with fighting and the savage delights of life.He had many names and titles; his own people sometimes called him Ottaniack, sometimes Mamauatonick, and usually in his presence Wahunsenasawk.He ruled, by inheritance and conquest, with many chiefs under him, over a large territory with not defined borders, lying on the James, the York, the Rappahannock, the Potomac, and the Pawtuxet Rivers.He had several seats, at which he alternately lived with his many wives and guard of bowmen, the chief of which at the arrival of the English was Werowomocomo, on the Pamunkey (York) River.His state has been sufficiently described.He is said to have had a hundred wives, and generally a dozen--the youngest--personally attending him.When he had a mind to add to his harem he seems to have had the ancient oriental custom of sending into all his dominions for the fairest maidens to be brought from whom to select.And he gave the wives of whom he was tired to his favorites.

Strachey makes a striking description of him as he appeared about 1610: "He is a goodly old man not yet shrincking, though well beaten with cold and stormeye winters, in which he hath been patient of many necessityes and attempts of his fortune to make his name and famely great.He is supposed to be little lesse than eighty yeares old, Idare not saye how much more; others saye he is of a tall stature and cleane lymbes, of a sad aspect, rownd fatt visaged, with graie haires, but plaine and thin, hanging upon his broad showlders; some few haires upon his chin, and so on his upper lippe: he hath been a strong and able salvadge, synowye, vigilant, ambitious, subtile to enlarge his dominions:....cruell he hath been, and quarellous as well with his own wcrowanccs for trifles, and that to strike a terrour and awe into them of his power and condicion, as also with his neighbors in his younger days, though now delighted in security and pleasure, and therefore stands upon reasonable conditions of peace with all the great and absolute werowances about him, and is likewise more quietly settled amongst his own."It was at this advanced age that he had the twelve favorite young wives whom Strachey names.All his people obeyed him with fear and adoration, presenting anything he ordered at his feet, and trembling if he frowned.His punishments were cruel; offenders were beaten to death before him, or tied to trees and dismembered joint by joint, or broiled to death on burning coals.Strachey wondered how such a barbarous prince should put on such ostentation of majesty, yet he accounted for it as belonging to the necessary divinity that doth hedge in a king: "Such is (I believe) the impression of the divine nature, and however these (as other heathens forsaken by the true light) have not that porcion of the knowing blessed Christian spiritt, yet I am perswaded there is an infused kind of divinities and extraordinary (appointed that it shall be so by the King of kings) to such as are his ymedyate instruments on earth."Here is perhaps as good a place as any to say a word or two about the appearance and habits of Powhatan's subjects, as they were observed by Strachey and Smith.A sort of religion they had, with priests or conjurors, and houses set apart as temples, wherein images were kept and conjurations performed, but the ceremonies seem not worship, but propitiations against evil, and there seems to have been no conception of an overruling power or of an immortal life.Smith describes a ceremony of sacrifice of children to their deity; but this is doubtful, although Parson Whittaker, who calls the Indians "naked slaves of the devil," also says they sacrificed sometimes themselves and sometimes their own children.An image of their god which he sent to England "was painted upon one side of a toadstool, much like unto a deformed monster." And he adds: "Their priests, whom they call Quockosoughs, are no other but such as our English witches are." This notion I believe also pertained among the New England colonists.There was a belief that the Indian conjurors had some power over the elements, but not a well-regulated power, and in time the Indians came to a belief in the better effect of the invocations of the whites.In "Winslow's Relation," quoted by Alexander Young in his " Chronicles of the Pilgrim Fathers," under date of July, 1623, we read that on account of a great drought a fast day was appointed.When the assembly met the sky was clear.The exercise lasted eight or nine hours.Before they broke up, owing to prayers the weather was overcast.Next day began a long gentle rain.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 天道有九

    天道有九

    我本凡人不知天,修仙求道为红颜,诸圣之争与我何干?天下纷乱我却难安。我本轻狂年,奈何天道变幻欲争天。天道九则人间显,逆掌乾坤非妄言。
  • 外戚攻略

    外戚攻略

    洪萱在边塞苦寒之地生活了十来年,才知道自己有个当贵妃的姐姐,当皇帝的姐夫,当国公的叔父。一朝罪官变外戚,麻雀变凤凰。面对接踵而来的巴结和奉承,阴谋与算计洪萱表示,她要习惯的还有很多。
  • 神女重生:傲娇千金

    神女重生:傲娇千金

    她是九天仙琴,私化两代人的恩怨被贬下凡,由灵顽踏错时空,随着水晶链穿越时空。他是九天仙童,却贪婪凡间情爱难修正果,追随这她的步伐.来到人间。她与他在人间的降生,一次又一次地擦肩而过;一次又一次地阴谋再次浮现,身为傲娇王爷的他,是否能突破前世的束缚结成连理……
  • 星梦情缘大玉儿传奇续

    星梦情缘大玉儿传奇续

    望支持深沉新书《二战悲歌:梦断莱茵河》2010年开始连载,首部穿越二战纳粹德国的小说,黑暗历史中的爱恨情仇。《重生之大辽王妃》原名《大辽王妃》最近改版她,是一代贤后大玉儿,史书上记载她辅佐一代君王,培育两代幼主!是一位美貌与智慧兼并的奇女子。然而,现实中的她却胆小懦弱。她,是一个现代社会的女孩,聪明开朗,敢爱敢恨。当她变成了她,会发生怎样翻天覆地的改变呢?
  • 腹黑燕王妃

    腹黑燕王妃

    一觉醒来,腹黑的莫淼淼竟然穿越到了古代。成了杜府的小姐杜凌爱。好吧,既来之则安之!本以为来到这古代能过的轻松惬意些,可没想到事事不如她意!家人的算计,姐妹的陷害,父亲的嫌弃,靠,这他妈的还有活路了吗?人家穿越都是什么皇妃呀,公主啊,什么的,她倒好,穿越成了娘不疼舅不爱的杜凌爱身上。是她苦逼?还是陷害杜凌爱的人将要苦逼?这杜凌爱就是个任人宰割的苦逼三小姐。属于谁看她不顺眼都能踹上一脚的主,可是那是以前,现在在她这不好使!敢欺负她的试试?让他们站着来躺着回。可没想到自己一时大意,一场选妃宴上,被人陷害中了媚药,幸亏有美男挺身相救。可她要是知道这货这么阴险腹黑,她就是死了也不让他救啊!本以为是只鸭,没想到他竟然是赫赫有名的燕王爷,此人腹黑无比,又冷酷无情,更巧的是,他就是姐姐杜凌月的心上人?好吧,想着杜凌月气吐血的样她就高兴。精彩片段一:燕云傲躺在她的身下,看着小脸酡红的她,厚颜无耻的说,“我这是在帮你。”杜凌爱手脚并用的爬到了男人的身上,“草,你他妈的倒是好好帮啊,像个死人一样。”燕云傲唇角微扬,“既然你不会的话,那我就不客气了。”说完反压之。只听某女一声怒骂,“王八蛋,刚才装犊子?”“我是在给你机会。”他没给她在说话的机会,狠狠的将她疼爱了一番。次日一早,杜凌爱浑身酸软,看了看还在睡的燕云傲,我草他大爷的,这货的精力还真不是一般的充沛,不过他到底是谁?莫非这古代也有鸭?不管了,杜凌爱快速的套上衣服,将十两银子放在了床上,然后肉疼的看了看,妈的,十两银子啊!精彩片段二:“我说你是不是男人?就不能有点爱心?”杜凌爱气的不轻,这货看见她被人围住竟然无动于衷。“是不是男人,你不都已经验证过了吗?至于爱心吗?你又不是我什么人,我干嘛浪费力气又得罪人?”“草,我是你客户。”“嗯,你已经给过钱了,所以我们没关系了。”某女气的咬牙切齿,行,丫的,你狠!精彩片段三:奶声奶气的女娃跑到燕云爱的书房,然后伸开小手要他抱,“父王,我娘穿的漂漂亮亮的走了,还拿了好多的银票。”燕王爷俊脸一黑,“你娘说去哪了?”“我娘说了,不让我告诉你,不然就不让我看美男了。”某男的脸更加阴云密布,这死女人竟然敢教坏女儿?“宝汐乖,告诉父皇你娘去哪儿,我就让五阿哥他们都来陪你玩怎么样?”
  • 燕兰小谱

    燕兰小谱

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 逆天驱魔妃

    逆天驱魔妃

    她乃是活了上千年的巫女,驱魔师,为世人算清了前尘后世,却没有想到无意间泄露天机,遭上天惩罚,魂飞魄散,却不料这个男人将她救于水深火热之中,她决定无论付出什么代价,都要助他一生幸福。
  • 巽隐集

    巽隐集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 我的异能不简单

    我的异能不简单

    我跟你说我的异能可不简单,你不要过来啊!不要过来啊!要过来啊!过来啊!来啊!啊!
  • 西池集

    西池集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。