RENE LAUDONNIERE a.d. 



1565. 

 Ribault, & going both of us aside together out of the 

 Fort, he signified unto me the charge which he had, 

 praying mee not to returne into France, but to stay with 

 him my selfe and my company, and assured me that he 

 would make it well thought of at home. Whereupon I 

 replyed that out of this place I would do him all 

 service : that for the present I could not nor ought not 

 accept this offer, since he was come for no other intent 

 then to occupie the place which I before possessed, that 

 I could have no credite to be there commanded : that 

 my friends would never like of it, and that he would 

 hardly give me that counsaile, if in good earnest I should 

 demand his advise therein. He made me answere, that 

 he would not command me, that we should be com- 

 panions, & that he would build another fortresse, & that 

 he would leave mine owne unto me. This notwith- 

 standing I fully advertised him that I could not receive a 

 greater comfort then the newes which he brought me to 

 returne into France : and farther that though I should stay 

 there, yet it must needes be that one of us both was to [III. 351.] 

 command with title of the Kings Lieutenant, that this 

 could not well agree together : that I had rather have it 

 cast in my teeth to be the poorest begger in the world, 

 then to be commanded in that place, where I had endured 

 so much to inhabite and plant there, if it were not by 

 some great Lord or Knight of the order : and that in 

 these respects I prayed him very hartily to deliver me 

 the letters which my Lord Admirall had written unto 

 me, which he performed. 



The contents of those letters were these. 



CAptaine Laudonniere, because some of them which Letters of the 

 are returned from Florida speake indifferently of LordJdmirall 

 the Countrey, the King desireth your presence, to the ^^.^^^ 

 end, that according to your tryall, he may resolve to 

 bestow great cost thereon, or wholly to leave it : and 

 therfore 1 send Captaine John Ribault to bee governour 

 there, to whom you shall deliver whatsoever vou have 



85 



