& 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.
Insomuch that when some of the inhabitantes which were our friends &
especially the 'Wiroans Wingina' had obserued such effects in foure or
fiue towns to follow their wicked practises, they were preswaded that it
was the worke of our God through our meanes, and that wee by him might
kil and slai whom we would without weapons and not come neere them.
And thereupon when it had happened that they had vnderstanding that any
of their enemies had abused vs in our iourneyes, hearing that wee had
wrought no reuenge with our weapons, & fearing vpon some cause the
matter should so rest: did come and intreate vs that we woulde bee a
meanes to our God that they as others that had dealt ill with vs might
in like sort die; alleaging howe much it would be for our credite and
profite, as also theirs; and hoping furthermore that we would do so much
at their requests in respect of the friendship we professe them.
Whose entreaties although wee shewed that they were vngodlie, affirming
that our God would not subiect him selfe to anie such praiers and
requestes of me: that in deede all thinges haue beene and were to be
done according to his good pleasure as he had ordained:
