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 COLONIAL COUNCILLORS OF STATE

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tlie council in 1614, and at this time succeeded Ralph Hamor, recorder of the colony, an office which he held till the office of secretary of state was created in 1619. But in spite of Rolfe's virtues, his fame rests largely upon his romantic marriage with Pocahontas, the In- dian maiden, whose story has justly gained so wide a fame. The account of Capt. John Smith's deliverance by this "Guardian Angel of \irginia" was for long accepted without tiuestion and has grown to be a part of the nation's treasured lore. Of recent years, how- ever, there has been an effort on the part of some eminent historians to discredit the tale and set it down as a mere invention of Smith. They point out that in a published letter of Smith to a friend in England, written shortly after his release by Powhatan, nothing w^as said of his fair rescuer, nor, indeed, is she mentioned in his first historical accounts. It is answered, however, by the no less eminent opponents of those idol breakers, that the publisher of the letter exjilicitly states that he has omitted a portion as being of a private nature, that his first history is admittedly in- complete, and that Smith told the tale unre- futed at the time of Pocahontas' visit to Lon- don, when there were many there besides her- self who were familiar with the facts and might have exjiosed the gallant captain had his account not tallied with them. However this may be, there is no doubt that, even ex- cluding this episode, the story of Pocahontas i.i a most romantic one or that she rendered the colony a great service by means of her friendship. At the age of fifteen she was ap- parently married to an Indian chief called Kocoum, with whose people she was found by Gov. Argall, who bribed an Indian to de- liver her a captive to him for the gift of a copper kettle. Argall's purpose in holding

Pocahontas prisoner was that she might act as hostage for her father Pow^hatan's good be- havior. An entirely new turn was given the matter by an attachment which grew up be- tween her and John Rolfe. Rolfe hesitated for some time both on account of the eltect on his fellow colonists and because he shrank from marrying a heathen princess unless he could make it the occasion of saving her soul. The latter scruple was soon removed by the conversion of Pocahontas, and the favor of Sir Thomas Dale being secured, the pic- turesque marriage was celebrated in the little church at Jamestown in Apr., 1614. The great Powhatan also smiled on the union and two of the bride's brothers were present. There can be little doubt that it served as Sir Thomas hoped it would to cement more closely the friendship of the English and Indians and postpone violence for a time. A year later Rolfe and Pocahontas sailed for England with Sir Thomas Dale, who took with him also, a number of young Indians, both men and maidens. Pocahontas was royally received and feted, entertained by the great, both secu- lar, who treated her as a princess, and the clergy, who regarded her as the first fruit of the church in the New World. While in Lon- don, she saw Ben Jonson's "Christmas . his Mask" played at court, had her portrait painted and was altogether the center of atten- tion. But while Pocahontas thus found favor, poor Rolfe's experience was not so pleasant. It is said that King James was envious of his marriage to a foreign princess and feared that h.e might attempt to establish himself King of America. The council of the company in Eng- land, when news of his marriage first reached them, actually considered, it is said, whether Rolfe might not be guilty of high treason in marrying a foreign king's daughter, and if