Yet here I reckon'd without the degeneracie of the Salvage, whose bestiall fancie ever delighteth in vilest things. So far from taking umbrage, Powhatan had like to split his lecherous sides on beholding the little painting; he slapt his knees, and slaver'd copiouslie over his wrinkl'd lipps. A long time pass'd ere he cd remove his eye from the foul peep-hole, and then only to peer therein againe, and againe, each time hollowing with glee.
At length my Capt made it knowne, the Queene, as well, shd receive a gifte. At this pronouncement, I clos'd my eyes and made my peace with God, for knowing sufficient by this time of the nature of my Capts giftes, and sensing farther the jealousie of the Emperour, I expected momentlie to feel the tomahawke at my neck. The Queene, however, seemed greatlie pleas'd at the prospect. As I might have guess'd, my Capt had reserv'd for her the most impressive gifte of alle. He drew from his inexhaustible pocket a smalle booke of sorts, constructed of a number of little pages bound fast at there tops (this miracle too I had seene at Jamestowne). On everie page a drawing was, of the sort one wd be loath to shew ones wife, each drawing alter'd only by a little from his neighbour, and the whole in a kind of sequence, so that, shd one grasp the lewd booke by the top, and bending it slightlie, allowe the pages to spring rapidlie each after each before the eye, the result was, that the figures thereon assum'd the semblance of life, in that they mov'd to & fro about there sinfull businesse.
Alas! The Queene, it grew cleare, was deprav'd as was her consort. Over & over againe, once having learnt the virtue of the small booke, she set the actors therein to moving, each time laughing alowd at what she sawe. .
[More food is serv'd, and a sort of Indian liquor, both of wch Smith takes unto himself in quantity. The Author declines, for the same reasons as before. The Queene appoints herself to wait on Smith personally, laving his hands and fetching bunches of wild-turkey feathers wherewith to dry them.]
The while this second feasting was in progresse, I contriv'd to screwe up sufficient courage to observe Powhatan, hoping to reade in his face prognostication of what was to followe. What I sawe did not refresh my spirits. . The Emperour never took his gaze from the Queene, who in turn, never remov'd hers from my Capt, with everie indecent promise in her eyes. She was on everie side of him at once, fetching this & carrying that, all her movements exaggerated, and none befitting any save a Drury Lane vestall. My Capt, whether through his characteristick ignorance, or, what is more likelie, in pursuit of some twisted designe of his owne, reply'd to her coquetries in kind. None of this escap'd the Emperour, who, it seem'd to me, was scarce able to put away his gluttonous repast, for watching them. When then this Powhatan summon'd to his couch three of his evillest-appearing lieutenants, all coal'd & oyl'd & bedaub'd & betassel'd & bedizen'd, and commenc'd with them a long colloquy of heathen grunts & whisperings, the purport whereof was unequivocall, I once againe commended my soule to Gods mercie, for I look'd to met him shortlie face to face. My Capt pay'd no heede, but went on blindlie with his sport.
My. . feares, it was soon prov'd, were justify'd. The Emperour made a signall, and the three great Salvages lay'd hold of my Capt. Despite his protestations, the wch were lowd enow, he was carry'd up to Powhatans couch, and there forc'd to his knees. The Salvages lay'd his head upon a paire of greate stones, put there for the purpose, and catching up there uglie war-clubbs, had beate out what smalle braines my Capt might make claim to, were it not that at this juncture, the Queene her selfe, to my astonishment, interceded. Running to the altar, she flung her selfe bodilie upon my Capt, and declar'd to Powhatan, that rather wd she loose her owne head, then that they shd dash in his. Were I the Emperour, I owne I shd have done the twain to death, for that so cleare an alliance cd lead but to adulterie ere long. But Powhatan stay'd his bullies; the assemblie was dismist, saving only the Emperour, his Queene, my Capt, & my selfe (who all seem'd to have forgot, thank God), and for the nonce, it appear'd, my heart wd go on beating in my breast. .
[There follow'd] a speech by the Emperour, wch, as best I grasp'd it, was unusuall as it was improper. Some I grant escap'd me, for that Powhatan spake with great rapiditie and chew'd his wordes withal. But the summe of what I gather'd was, that the Queene was not his Queene at all, neither one amongst his concubines, but his daughter, her name being Pocahontas. By this name is signify'd, in there tongue, the smalle one, or she of the smallnesse and impenetrabilitie, and this, it seem'd, referr'd not to the maidens stature, wch was in sooth but slight, nor to her mind, wch one cd penetrate with passing ease. Rather it reflected, albeit grosslie, a singular physickal short-coming in the childe, to witt: her privitie was that nice, and the tympanum therein so surpassing stowt, as to render it infrangible. This fact greatlie disturb'd the Emperour, for that in his nation the barbarous custom was practic'd, that whensoever a maid be affianc'd, the Salvage, who wisheth to wed her, must needs first fracture that same membrane, whereupon the suitor is adjudg'd a man worthie of his betrothed, and the nuptialls followe. Now Powhatan, we were told, had on sundrie occasions chosen warriors of his people to wedd this Pocahontas, but in everie instance the ceremonie had to be foregone, seeing that labour as they might, none had been able to deflowr her, and in sooth the most had done them selves hurt withal, in there efforts; whereas, the proper thing was, to injure the young lasse, and that as grievouslie as possible, the degree of injurie being reck'd a measure of the mans virilitie. Inasmuch as the Salvages are wont to marrie off there daughters neare twelve yeares of age, it was deem'd a disgracefull thing, the Emperour shd have a daughter sixteene, who was yet a maide.
Continuing this discourse, [Powhatan] said, that whereas his daughter had seen fitt, to save my Capts life, what time it had been the Emperours pleasure to dashe out his braines, then my Capt must needs regard him selfe affianc'd to her, and submit him selfe to that same labour (to witt, essaying the gate to Venus grottoe) as her former suitors. But. . with this difference, that where, having fail'd, her Salvage beaux had merelie been disgrac'd, and taunted as olde women, my Capt, shd he prove no better, his head wd be lay'd againe upon the stones, and the clubbing of his braines proceed without quarter or respite.
All this Pocahontas heard with greate joye, maugre its nature, Wch wd have mortify'd an English ladie; and my Capt, too, accepted readilie (in sooth he had no option in the matter). For my part, I was pleas'd to gaine reprieve once more from the butchers block, albeit a briefe one, for I could not see, since that the Salvages were of large stature, and my Capt so slight of build, how that he shd triumph where they had fail'd, unlesse there were some wondrous disproportion, in both cases, betwixt the size of what in each was visible, and what conceal'd, to the casuall eye. My fate, it seem'd, hung on my Capts, and for that I bade him Godspeed, preferring to heare for ever his endlesse boasting (wch wd surelie followe his successe), then to wett with my braines the Salvage clubbs, wch fate awaited me upon his failure. The carnall joust was set for sunup, in the publick yard of sorts, that fronted the Emperours house, and the entire towne was order'd to be present. This alone, I wot, wd have suffic'd to unstarch an ordinarie man, my selfe included, who am wont to worshipp Venus (after my fashion) in the privacie of darken'd couches; but my Capt appear'd not a whitt ruffl'd, and in sooth seem'd eager to make his essaye publicklie. This, I take it, is apt measure of his swinishnesse, for that whenas a gentleman is forc'd, against his will, to some abominable worke, he will dispatch it with as much expedition, and as little notice, as he can, whereas the rake & foole will noise the matter about, drawing the eyes of the world to his follie & license, and is never more content, then when he hath an audience to his mischief. .