Bacon's Rebellion

what he had heard people talke off; For the falure of this
enterprise (which must wholly be refer’d to the breach he made
upon their sedulous determinations) which was (as is intimated
before, to croude in to the Howse with the Centrey) was not
onely injurious to there owne party, by leting slip so faire an
occasion to weaken the power of the enimy, by removeing
Whaly out of the way, who was esteemed the Most Considera-
blest parson on that side; but it was, and did prove of bad
cosequence to the adjacent parts, where he kep gard: For
whereas before he did onely take ame where he might do mis-
cheife, he now did mischeife without takeing ame: before this
unhapie conflict, he did levie at this or that particuler onely,
but now he shott at Rovers, let the same lite where it would
he matter’d nott.

      Capt. Grantham¹ had now bin som time in Yorke River,
A man unto whom Verginia is very much beholden for his
neate contrivance in bringing Ingram (and som others) over
to harken to reason. With Ingram he had som small aquain-
tance, for it was in his Ship that he came to Verginia; and so
resalved to try if he might not doe that by words, which others
could not accomplish with Swords. Now all though he knew
that Ingram was the Point where all the lines of his contri-
vance were for to Center, yet he could not tell, very well, how to
obtaine this point. For all though he did know that Ingram,
in his private Condition, was accostable enough; yet since the
Tit Mouse (by one of Fortunes figaryes)² was becom an Elli-
phant, he did not know but that his pride might be as immence
as his power: since the Peacock (though bred upon a Dung-
hill) is no less proud of his fine fethers then the princely Eagle
is of his noble curage. What Arguments Grantham made use
of, to ring the Sword out of Ingrams hand, to me is not visable,
more then what he tould me of; which I thinke was not Mercu-
riall³ enough, against an ordnary Sophester. But to speake

      ¹Captain Thomas Grantham, afterward knighted, was a merchant cap-
tain who chanced to be in Virginia at this time, and played a loyal but mediating
part. Some account of Bacon’s rebellion, and of his own life, is given, from docu-
ments furnished by him, in the rare little book, An Historical Account of some
Memorable Actions, [Particularly in Virginia, 2d ed.] by Sir Thomas Grantham, Kt.
(London, 1714, 1716; reprinted, Richmond, 1882).

     ² Vagaries.

     ³Alluding to Mercury as the god of eloquence.