So I and a few besides,
both in Virginia and at home, viewed the mean houses, the poor
church and rude fort, and loved the spot which had witnessed
much suffering and small joy, but which held within it the future,
which was even now a bit in the mouth of Spain, a thing in itself
outweighing all the toil and anguish of our planting. But there
were others who saw only the meanness of the place, its almost
defenselessness, its fluxes and fevers, the fewness of its
inhabitants and the number of its graves. Finding no gold and no
earthly paradise, and that in the sweat of their brow they must eat
their bread, they straightway fell into the dumps, and either died
out of sheer perversity, or went yelping home to the Company with
all manner of dismal tales, - which tales, through my Lord
Warwick's good offices, never failed to reach the sacred ears of
his Majesty, and to bring the colony and the Company into
disfavor.
We came to the palisade, and found the gates wide open and the
warder gone.
"Where be the people?" marveled Master Sparrow, as we rode
through into the street. In truth, where were the people? On either
side of the street the doors of the houses stood open, but no person
looked out from them or loitered on the doorsteps; the square was
empty; there were no women at the well, no children underfoot, no
gaping crowd before gaol and pillory, no guard before the
Governor's house, - not a soul, high or low, to be seen.
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