for eight or ten days; and, what is more, stated that all, or at least the greater part of them, were Lutherans.  Immediately the general sent him back to his countrymen, to say they must surrender, and give up their arms, or he would put them all to death.  A French gentleman, who was a sergeant, brought back the reply that they would surrender on condition their lives should be spared.  After having parleyed a long time, our brave captain-general answered “that he would make no promises, that they must surrender unconditionally, and lay down their arms, because, if he spared their lives, he wanted them to be grateful for it, and, if they were put to death, that there should be no cause for complaint.”  Seeing that there was nothing else left for them to do, the sergeant returned to the camp; and soon after he brought all their arms and flags, and gave them up to the general, and surrendered unconditionally.  Finding they were all Lutherans, the captain-general ordered them all to be put to death; but, as I was a priest, and had bowels of mercy, I begged him to grant me the favor of sparing those whom we might find to be Christians.  He granted it; and I made investigations, and found ten or twelve of the men Roman Catholics, whom we brought back.  All the others were executed, because they were Lutherans and enemies of our Holy Catholic faith.  All this took place on Saturday (St. Michael’s Day), September 29, 1565.[3]

    [1] Francisco Lopez de Mendoza was the chaplain of the expedition. 
    His account is printed in “Old South Leaflets.”

[2] These ships, commanded by Ribault,—­seven in number, with 500 men besides families of artizans on board,—­had arrived at the mouth of the St. John’s River on August 29, 1565.  The four left outside, as seen by Menendez, were at the time disembarking their passengers.

[3] When the French Government learned of this massacre, the event did not arouse any particular interest.  Indeed, the colony seems not to have had any special protection from the home authorities.  Had the contrary been the case, it would have been easily possible for the French to have built up a flourishing colony in America nearly half a century before the English were ever established in the new world.

SIR WALTER RALEIGH’S VIRGINIA COLONIES

(1584-1587)

I

The account by John A. Doyle[1]

The task in which Gilbert[2] had failed was to be undertaken by one better qualified to carry it out.  If any Englishman in that age seemed to be marked out as the founder of a colonial empire, it was Raleigh.  Like Gilbert, he had studied books; like Drake, he could rule men.  The pupil of Coligny, the friend of Spenser, traveler-soldier, scholar, courtier, statesman, Raleigh with all his varied graces and powers rises before us, the type and personification of the age in which he lived.  The associations of his youth, and the training of his early manhood, fitted him to sympathize with the aims of his half-brother Gilbert, and there is little reason to doubt that Raleigh had a share in his undertaking and his failure.