address of a publisher, and is not found entered in the registers of
Stationers' Hall. It bears the arms of Sir Walter Raleigh on the reverse
of the title, and is highly commended by Ralfe Lane, the late Governor
of the Colony, who testifies, 'I dare boldly auouch It may very well
pass with the credit of truth even amongst the most true relations of
this age.' It was manifestly put forth somewhat hurriedly to counteract,
in influential quarters, certain slanders and aspersions spread abroad
in England by some ignorant persons returned from Virginia, who 'woulde
seeme to knowe so much as no men more,' and who ' had little
vnderstanding, lesse discretion, and more tongue then was needful or
requisite.' Hariot's book is dated at the end, February 1588, that is
1589 by present reckoning. Raleigh's assignment is dated the 7th of
March following. It is probable therefore that the 'influential
quarters' above referred to meant the Assignment of Raleigh's Charter
which would have expired by the limitation of six years on the 24th of
March, 1590, if no colonists had been shipped or plantation attempted.
It is possible also that Theodore De Bry's presence in London, as
mentioned below, may have hastened the printing of the volume.

Indeed, the little book professes to be only an epitome of what might be
expected, for near the end the author says, ' this is all the fruits of
our labours, that I haue thought necessary to aduertise you of at
present;' and, further on, ' I haue ready in a discourse by it self in
maner of a Chronicle according to the course of times, and when time
shall bee thought conuenicnt, shall also be published.' Hariot's
'Chronicle of Virginia ' among things long lost upon earth ! It is to be
hoped that some day the historic trumpet of Fame will sound loud enough
to awaken it, together with Cabot's lost bundle of maps and journals
deposited with William Worthington ; Ferdinand Columbus' lost life of
his father in the original Spanish; and Peter Martyr's book on the first