Sound Bites -- Provocative excerpts from primary and secondary sources (some with audio commentary)
301-310 of 333 Sound Bites. [show all]
< 301-310 311-320 321-330 331-333
301) it is like to be the most worthy Voyage that euer was effected by any Christian in deserving any Country of the world; both for the peace of the Entry, for the plenty of the Countrey, and for the Clymate. Seeing that the Coantry is not vnlike to equalize . . . Tyrus for colours, Basan for woods, Persia for oyls, Arabia for spices, Spaine for silks, Tharsis for shipping, Netherlands for fish, Bonania for fruite, and by tillage, Babylon for corne, besides the aboundance of . . . . The Philosopher commendeth the Temperature, the Marchant the Commodity, the Polititian the Opportunity, the Diuine the Piety, in convertsing so many thousand soules. The Virginian desireth it, and the Spaniard enuyeth us, and yet our own lasie, drousie, yet barking Countrimen traduce it. (Daniel Price, Sauls Prohibition staide . . . With a reproofe of those that traduce the Honourable Plantation of Virginia. London, 1609.)
302) give me leaue to examine the lying speeches that haue injuriously vilified and traduced a great part of the glory of God, the Honour of our land, Joy of our nation, and expectation of many wise, and Noble Senators of this kingdom, I mean in the plantation of Virginia. When the [?] of the Indians, was offered to that learned and famous Prince Henry the seuenth, Some idle, dull and vnworthy Sceptickes moued the king not to entertaine the motion. Wee know our losse by the Spaniards gaine, but now the Souls of those Dreamers doe seeme by a Pithagericall Transanimation to bee come into some of those scandalous and slanderous Detractors of that most Noble Voyage (Daniel Price, Sauls Prohibition staide . . . With a reproofe of those that traduce the Honourable Plantation of Virginia. London, 1609.)
303) And lastely, because the principall effect which wee cann desier or expect of this action is the conversion and reduccion of the people in those partes unto the true worshipp of God and Christian religion, in which respect wee would be lothe that anie person should be permitted to passe that wee suspected to affect the superstitions of the Churche of Rome, wee doe hereby declare that it is oure will and pleasure that none be permitted to pass in anie voiadge from time to time to be made into the saide countrie but such as firste shall have taken the oath of supremacie. (King James I, Second Charter for the Virginia Company. Samuel M. Bemiss, ed. The Three Charters of the Virginia Company of London: With Seven Related Documents; 1606-1621. Williamsburg: The Virginia 350th Anniversary Celebration Corporation, 1957.)
304) These signes are past and gone: when the sun will be darkened, and the moon turned into bloud, we cannot tell: but for the publication of the Gospel ouer the world, it may be proued by many instances. One most pregnant, most fresh, is that of Virginia which now (by God grace) through our English shal heare news of Christ, the gospel of Christ shall be published, no doubt the sound of the preachers will goe out into that corner of the world, and make it as a well watered garden. There were a people of the like qualitie (with the naturall inhabitants of Virginia) poore and naked things, (I call them so, the more to indeare your affections) when they were conquered, there was that crueltie vsed vnto them, that scandall was giuen vnto the name of Christ, the name of Christianity grewe odious vnto them, by reason of that cruelty they would let it haue no roome in their thoughts. . . . I hope our English are of that metall that hauing in their hands the key of the kingdome of God, they will not keep those weake ones out, but rather make way for the Gospell (as I hope they may) by their gentle & humane dealing. (George Benson, A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse the Seaventh of May MDCIX. London, 1609.)
305) Moreover, all Politititians doe with one consent, holde and maintaine, that a Christian king may lawfullie make war uppon barbarous and sauage people, and such as live under no lawfull and warrantable government, and may make a conquest of them, so that the warre be undertaken to this ende, to reclaim and reduce those sauages from their barbarous kinde of life. (Robert Gray, A Good Speed to Virginia. Offering most excellent fruites by Planting in Virginia. London, 1609.)
306) there is no intendment to take away from them by force that rightfull inheritaunce which they haue in that Countrey, for they are willing to entertaine us, and haue offered to [?] into our handes on reasonable conditions, more lande then we shall bee able this long time to plant and manure . . . so that we goe to live peaceablie among them, and not to supplant them. (Robert Gray, A Good Speed to Virginia. Offering most excellent fruites by Planting in Virginia. London, 1609.)
307) It is euerie mans dutie to travell both by sea and land, and to venture either with his person or with his purse, to bring the barbarous and sauage people to a civill and Christian kinde of government, under which they may learne how to live holily, iustly, and soberly in this world, and to apprehend the meanes to saue their soules in the world to come. (Robert Gray, A Good Speed to Virginia. Offering most excellent fruites by Planting in Virginia. London, 1609.)
308) And therefore we may iustly say, as the children of Israel say here to Joshua, we are a great people, and the lande is too narrow for us: so that whatsoever we haue beene, now it behooves us to be both prudent and politicke . . . to imbrace euery occasion which hath any probabilitie in it of future hopes: And seeing there is neither preferment nor employment for all within the lists of our countrey, we might iustly be accounted, as in former times, both impudent and improvident, if we will yet sit with our armes foulded in our bosomes, and not rather seeke after such adventures whereby the glory of God may be advanced, the territories of our kingdome enlarged, our people both preferred and employed abroad, our wants supplyed at home, his Maiesties customes wonderfully augmented, and the honour and renown of our Nation spied and propagated to the ends of the world. (Robert Gray, A Good Speed to Virginia. Offering most excellent fruites by Planting in Virginia. London, 1609.)
309) Bee not then discouraged, though you light on enemies: for that did God foretell vnto Abram, that hee and his seed must find. Rather be strong, and of good courage: because the Lord is with you; and with them, but an arme of flesh. (William Symonds, Virginia: a sermon preached at Whitechapel in the presence of . . . the Adventurers and Planters for Virginia. London, 1609.)
310) A right sure foundation therefore haue you . . . laid for the immortalitie of your names and memory, which, for the aduancement of Gods glorie, the renown of his Maiestie, and the good of your Countrie, haue vndertaken so honourable a proiect, as all posterities shal blesse you and vphold your names and memories so long the Sunne and Moone endureth: whereas they which preferre their money before vertue, their pleasure before honour, and their sensuall securitie before heroicall adventures, shall perish with their money, die with their pleasures, and be buried in euverlasting forgetfulnes (Robert Gray, A Good Speed to Virginia. Offering most excellent fruites by Planting in Virginia. London, 1609.)
