THE VOYAGERS 



Philip Sidney, who longed to escape from the fetters of 



the Court ; but the Queen would not relax her hold, and 



the choice fell on Sir Richard Grenville, Raleigh's cousin, 



as Admiral, with Ralph Lane as Governor of the colony. 



Had Sidney gone, it is possible that the whole course of 



the history of Virginia and of North America might have 



been changed. But Sidney was to die, a year later, at 



Zutphen, and that ever-memorable and heroic fire-eater, 



Sir Richard Grenville, was to work his will on the people Grenville and 



' . , . Lane, 



of the Golden Age. He spent the summer m explormg 



the islands, dragooning the natives, and burning their 



crops and houses ; on his way home with the fleet he 



fought and captured a rich Spanish ship. His right 



work was fighting, not civilising. Lane, who was left 



in charge, spent his time in gold-seeking and organising 



forced labour among the Indians. Before a year was out 



they were in open rebellion, and the business of massacre 



began. Thenceforward no help was to be had in sowing 



corn and catching fish ; and the colonists rejoiced when 



Drake, on his way back from his famous West Indian 



exploits, lent them ships to go home in. A fortnight 



after their departure. Sir Richard Grenville turned up 



with three ships, and put fifteen men in possession, who 



were never seen again. Raleigh's last attempt was made 



in 1587, with a hundred and fifty colonists, under Captain 



John White. White himself returned to England the F^^'^re of the 



same summer, and in the turmoil that followed was 



unable to send ships to the relief of his colonists until 



1590, when none of them could be found. A few were 



naturalised among the Indians, and when Virginia was at 



last planted, nearly twenty years later, seven English were 



found alive. ' It is the sinfullest thing in the world,* 



41 



