United States or Marshall Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !


Our men brought away with them onely two of their dogs, leauing in recompense belles, looking-glasses, and diuers of our countrey toyes behinde them. This countrey, no doubt, promiseth good hope of great commoditie and riches, if it may be well discouered. The description whereof you shall finde more at large in the second voyage.

Oh decline those thoughts; Let not the lucid tapers of your soule, Bright grace and reason, fondly be extinct. Lady. These are toyes Forgd to delude mortality: let me die And afterwards my uncontroled Ghost Shall visitt you. I only goe and aske How my Belisia does enioy her health Since she exchangd her native ayre of earth For those dull regions.

Hee caused also litle Paniers made of Palme leaues full of Gourds red and blew to be deliuered vnto them. For recompence of which presents he was satisfied with French toyes. These two olde men caused our men to bee guided backe againe to the place from whence they came, by the young Paracoussy which had brought them thither.

"Many idle toyes, but the old play that Adam and Eve acted in bare action under the figge tree draws most of the gentlemen." An Account of the Proclamation of the Mystery plays, acted in "Ye Citye on ye Dee," may prove of interest, and the copy of which I subjoin is taken from the Harleian M.S. No. 2013. "The proclamation for Whitsone playes made by Wm. Newell, Clarke of the Pendice, 24 Hen. 8.

And the better to allure those brutish and vnciuill people to courtesie against other times of our comming, we left therein diuers of our Countrey toyes, as belles, and kniues, wherein they specially delight, one for the necessary vse, and the other for the great pleasure thereof. Also pictures of men and women in lead, men on horsebacke, looking glasses, whistles, and pipes.

After they had made very much of vs, they shewed vs their Paracoussy, that is to say, their King and Gouernour, to whom I presented certaine toyes, wherewith he was well pleased. And for mine owne part, I prayse God continually, for the great loue which I haue found in these Sauages, which were sory for nothing, but that the night approached, and made vs retire vnto our ships.

The care of prouision for meate and drincke, appareille and householde, they betake to the women. This people hath many superstitious toyes. It is a heinous matter with them, to touche the fier, or take fleshe out of a potte with a knife.

Besides, for solace of our people, and allurement of the Sauages, we were prouided of Musike in good variety: not omitting the least toyes, as Morris dancers, Hobby horsse, and Maylike conceits to delight the Sauage people, whom we intended to winne by all faire meanes possible. And to that end we were indifferently furnished of all petty haberdasherie wares to barter with those people.

There is little wonder that the boy-king, who had passed through the stern hands of George Buchanan and had spent his time for the most part with men of our austere Scottish character, should have felt the seductiveness of the gay foreigner 'with his French fasons and toyes. Esme Stewart had not been long in the country before James began to decorate him with honours and enrich him with gifts of lands and money.

But at last we regained some conference with them, and gaue them such toyes; and sent to Powhatan, his women, and children such presents, as gaue them in generall full content.