Images courtesy of the
Internet Archive. Taken from a book titled Nicolas Martiau, the adventurous Huguenot, the military engineer, and the earliest American ancestor of George Washington. Published by John Baer Stoudt circa 1932.
Please note these images are purely for personal research, and prints have been disabled as a result.
Transcript copied from the book:
Right Hoble, It is observed that great Personages are like the Sunne, wch maye be only looked at, not gazed on: that 1 have sometime written unto yr Ldsp is no persuasive reason I should be frequent, lest the over officiousnesse of my love, mght incurre the censure of too much boldnesse, however my Lord my prayers have not bene wantinge, whenas my pen hath stood still. Notwithstandinge fearinge that too much silence might argue more neglect, your poore servant would not pretermitt this present opportunitie of making a tender of his dutie both to yr selfe & yours, & in leu of a more reall demonstracon thereof to waite upon your Honr in these fewe lines. Yr Ldsp Letter dated July the 12th 1624 I received, wch one being all hitherto, I could not but thinke enough, if not too much, in regard to yr Honor’s Greatnesse vouchsafed to descend so far beneath your selfe as to take notice of your unworthy servant. With how reverent & willinge a hart I intertained it, he knowes wch knoweth the hart, beinge full of noble comforts & incouragemts, & also bringinge with it some more then sensible rellish of your Ldps bountie. It was not longe after, that I returned your Hr an answer (as iustly requisite) with a remonstrance of my humble thankfullnesse; wch I (yet doubt me) came not to yr Ldps handes, through some default of the messenger. I found yr noble Courties bestowed some hoble, care & industries in the managinge of my Estate, which of your Hor shall thinke good maye so continue till my comminge over. As for your Ldps Adventure whereof your letter maketh mention, I have not bene wantinge according to my utmost skill & power, having made choice & sequestracon of a piece of well condiconed soile for your Honr., commonly with us called Nansimahum; for mine owne part I cannot as yet proceede anie further for yr advantage, untill I heare further from your Honour, only it behoveth yr Ldp to have a confirmacon thereof from his Matie., wch so procured your Hor if you please maye safely plant & occupie it by yeerly supplying it with a competent number of laborious servants, otherwise I cannot see what benefitt will accrue unto your Ldshipp, by the bare possession of it, but I will remitt your Honr unto the bearer hereof, for a more particular declaracon of the same, whose experience hath bene well beaten in the knowledge & affaires of our Country & Estate. It was more then my desire ‘to have visited yr Ldp longe ere this, but I am now both a husband & a father, & so constrayned to staye a while longer by it, untill my little ones can rise & followe mee. Your Ldp maye receive by the hand of this Gentleman Mr. Wm. Hutchinson a certaine proporcon of sasafras wch I will not faile to supple you with, if it maye prove anye waye commodious & usefull for yr Honr. My wife also (though unknowne as yet unto yr Hors.) is bold also to present unto your Noble Lady, a small token of Tobacco, wch wee wish maye be as graciously accepted of you, as they are sincerely transmitted to you. Your Honrs cannot stand in neede of anie things of ours not unworthy of your esteeme & expectacon. Wherefore thus are wee wont to offer wth the least unto Great Ones that we may testifie at once both our devotion and their abundance. Newes have wee none in Virginia that maye meritt anie relacon, but will report my selfe unto this messenger, not troublinge your Honours patience with any impertinencies butt only recommendinge the prayers both of me & mine unto the Allmighty for the Health & honours of you & yrs. I est. Yr Honrs in all sincere serviceablenesse
NICOLAS MARTIAU. from Elizabeth Cytty in Virginia December 12th, 1625.
