Byrd and Women -- All in a Knight's Work

“All the people in the neighborhood…looked upon us as a troop of knights errant who were running this great risk of our lives.”

Arthur had Guinevere, Quixote had Dulcinea, but who does William Byrd have? Which damsel does Byrd keep in mind as he treks through the forests of America? The obvious answer would be his wife Maria Taylor. However, there is very little textual evidence within The History of the Dividing Line betwixt Virginia and North Carolina or The Secret History of the Line that would suggest Maria to be his inspiration. In fact, Maria is barely mentioned until the final paragraph of the journal. Byrd writes about the wives of other men, but he fails to comment on his own wife. Even in the secret passages from The History…which give a harsher, and more vulnerable point of view on the trek, Byrd fails to talk about his wife. If not Maria, then who is the William Byrd’s muse? What maiden is in need of Byrd’s rescue? I believe the answer is uniquely American: William Byrd, an American knight, rides for the honor of the Indian Princesses.

Of all the people Byrd meets on his journey, the Indian Princesses stand out as the group which receives the least amount of sarcastic criticism. The North Carolinians are calloused and lazy; Quakers are hypocritical and lazy; the inhabitants of Edenton are alcoholics and lazy, but the Indian princesses “would have made altogether as honest wives for the first planters as the damsels from aboard the ships,” and are, above all else, not lazy. Through simile Byrd states that though these Princesses are not the typical British “damsels” (they’re “Gentiles” after all) they are nevertheless quite comparable to British women and equally desirable. Even the terms used to describe the Indian women conjure up the images of a knight and his maiden. Byrd calls all women “damsels,” the connotation of which can heighten his role as a knight, but he calls the Indian women “princesses” exclusively. This sets this group aside from all the other women

Not only are the Indian Princesses “damsels.” More specifically, they are damsels in distress. Byrd seems to pity these Indian women. He notes that the work done by the Indians is done by the “poor women.” Also, seeing the Indians as heathens, it is partially Byrd’s job to spread the Christian message to them. Twice he emphasizes the idea that as a good Christian, it is his duty to “save [their] soul[s].” He also enforces the idea that intermarriage between colonists and Indians would be a very beneficial idea. Byrd may see marriage as a means of rescuing these damsels from the prison in which they are kept.

The attraction in these Indian women lies in their uniqueness. In many ways British settlers to the New World have tried to shape it into a new England (hence the title). But, there is also a very special intrigue about a virgin forest as part of a marginally undiscovered country. Byrd claims to have fallen in love with Maria because she “spoke Greek, the tongue of the Muses,” an attribute valued in the Old World. However, America poses a New Frontier. The Indian lifestyle, though they have adopted some British customs, still retain a unique and exciting culture to be explored. Maria represents an old, well trodden way of life. These new maidens present an unpredictable and new adventure, much more fitting for a knight to carry in mind.

One final thought, in the dubbed “secret” sections of The History…Byrd details many nearly avoided sexual transgressions, including a near rape. However, Byrd is very careful to clarify that nothing ever happens between himself and any women. He is always fortunate enough to avoid every tempting situation. Even when Byrd visits one of the princesses in her apartment, he is unable to see her “charms” because of the smoke made by the fire. This type of hyper-chastity could suggest that Byrd is lying to make himself look innocent in all matters of sexual impropriety on the journey. Or, as a counter argument, Byrd may be telling the truth in which case he may have needed to remain hyper-chaste in order to resist the temptations of the Indian Princesses. However, from either point of view, the attraction remains.

Overall, I’m not trying to suggest that Byrd engaged in any type of adulterous affairs on his journey along the Virginia-North Carolina border. Quixote never once met Dulcinea after traveling all over Spain. I am however suggesting that Byrd’s desire to take part in a uniquely American quest was urged on by a distinctly American Princess.