The Other Happened In The Same Yeere Wee Were There, But In A Towne That
Was Threescore Miles From Vs,
And it was tolde mee for straunge newes
that one beeing dead, buried and taken vp againe as the first,
Shewed
that although his bodie had lien dead in the graue, yet his soule was
aliue, and had trauailed farre in a long broade waie, on both sides
whereof grewe most delicate and pleasaut trees, bearing more rare and
excellent fruites then euer hee had seene before or was able to
expresse, and at length came to most braue and faire houses, neere which
hee met his father, that had beene dead before, who gaue him great
charge to goe backe againe and shew his friendes what good they were to
doe to enioy the pleasures of that place, which when he had done he
should after come againe.
What subtilty soeuer be in the 'Wiroances' and Priestes, this opinion
worketh so much in manie of the common and simple sort of people that it
maketh them haue great respect to their Gouernours, and also great care
what they do, to auoid torment after death, and to enjoy blisse;
although nothwithstanding there is punishment ordained for malefactours,
as stealers, whoremoongers, and other sortes of wicked doers; some
punished with death, some with forfeitures, some with beating, according
to the greatnes of the factes.
And this is the summe of their religion, which I learned by hauing
special familiarity [miliarity] with some of their priestes. Wherein
they were not so sure grounded, nor gaue such credite to their
traditions and stories but through conuersing with vs they were brought
into great doubts of their owne, and no small admiratio of ours, with
earnest desire in many, to learne more than we had meanes for want of
perfect vtterance in their language to expresse.
Most thinges they sawe with vs, as Mathematicall instruments, sea
compasses, the vertue of the loadstone in drawing yron, a perspectiue
glasse whereby was shewed manie strange sightes, burning glasses,
wildefire woorkes, gunnes, bookes, writing and reading, spring clocks
that seeme to goe of themselues, and manie other thinges that wee had,
were so straunge vnto them, and so farre exceeded their capacities to
comprehend the reason and meanes how they should be made and done, that
they thought they were rather the works of gods then of men, or at the
leastwise they had bin giuen and taught vs of the gods. Which made manie
of them to haue such opinions of vs, as that if they knew not the trueth
of god and religion already, it was rather to be had from vs, whom God
so specially loued then from a people that were so simple, as they found
themselues to be in comparison of vs. Whereupon greater credite was
giuen vnto that we spake of concerning such matters.
Manie times and in euery towne where I came, according as I was able, I
made declaration of the contentes of the Bible; that therein was set
foorth the true and onelie GOD, and his mightie woorkes, that therein
was contayned the true doctrine of saluation through Christ, which manie
particularities of Miracles and chiefe poyntes of religion, as I was
able then to vtter, and thought fitte for the time. And although I told
them the booke materially & of itself was not of anie such vertue, as I
thought they did conceiue, but onely the doctrine therein cotained; yet
would many be glad to touch it, to embrace it, to kisse it, to hold it
to their brests and heades, and stroke ouer all their bodie with it; to
shew their hungrie desire of that knowledge which was spoken of.
The 'Wiroans' with whom we dwelt called 'Wingina', and many of his
people would be glad many times to be with vs at our praiers, and many
times call vpon vs both in his owne towne, as also in others whither he
sometimes accompanied vs, to pray and sing Psalmes; hoping thereby to
bee partaker in the same effectes which wee by that meanes also expected.
Twise this 'Wiroans' was so greiuously sicke that he was like to die,
and as hee laie languishing, doubting of anie helpe by his owne
priestes, and thinking he was in such daunger for offending vs and
thereby our god, sent for some of vs to praie and bee a meanes to our
God that it would please him either that he might liue or after death
dwell with him in blisse; so likewise were the requestes of manie others
in the like case.
On a time also when their corne began to wither by reason of a drouth
which happened extraordinarily, fearing that it had come to passe by
reason that in some thing they had displeased vs, many woulde come to
vs & desire vs to praie to our God of England, that he would perserue
their corne, promising that when it was ripe we also should be partakers
of the fruite.
There could at no time happen any strange sicknesse, losses, hurtes, or
any other crosse vnto them, but that they would impute to vs the cause
or meanes therof for offending or not pleasing vs.
One other rare and strange accident, leauing others, will I mention
before I ende, which mooued the whole countrey that either knew or
hearde of vs, to haue vs in wonderfull admiration.
There was no towne where we had any subtile deuise practised against vs,
we leauing it vnpunished or not reuenged (because wee sought by all
meanes possible to win them by gentlenesse) but that within a few dayes
after our departure from euerie such towne, the people began to die very
fast, and many in short space; in some townes about twentie, in some
fourtie, in some sixtie, & in one sixe score, which in trueth was very
manie in respect of their numbers. This happened in no place that wee
could learne but where wee had bene, where they vsed some practise
against vs, and after such time; The disease also so strange, that they
neither knew what it was, nor how to cure it; the like by the report of
the oldest men in the countrey neuer happened before, time out of minde.
A thing specially obserued by vs as also by the naturall inhabitants
themselues.
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