the complete writings-3-第86章

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The　plan　was　not　carried　out；　and　Smith　never　became　lord　of　even　these　barren　rocks；　the　Isles　of　Shoals。　　That　he　visited　them　when　he　sailed　along　the　coast　is　probable；　though　he　never　speaks　of　doing　so。　　In　the　Virginia　waters　he　had　left　a　cluster　of　islands　bearing　his　name　also。

In　the　Captain's　〃True　Travels；〃　published　in　1630；　is　a　summary　of　the　condition　of　colonization　in　New　England　from　Smith's　voyage　thence　till　the　settlement　of　Plymouth　in　1620；　which　makes　an　appropriate　close　to　our　review　of　this　period：

〃When　I　first　went　to　the　North　part　of　Virginia；　where　the　Westerly　Colony　had　been　planted；　it　had　dissolved　itself　within　a　year；　and　there　was　not　one　Christian　in　all　the　land。　　I　was　set　forth　at　the　sole　charge　of　four　merchants　of　London；　the　Country　being　then　reputed　by　your　westerlings　a　most　rocky；　barren；　desolate　desart；　but　the　good　return　I　brought　from　thence；　with　the　maps　and　relations　of　the　Country；　which　I　made　so　manifest；　some　of　them　did　believe　me；　and　they　were　well　embraced；　both　by　the　Londoners；　and　Westerlings；　for　whom　I　had　promised　to　undertake　it；　thinking　to　have　joyned　them　all　together；　but　that　might　well　have　been　a　work　for　Hercules。　　Betwixt　them　long　there　was　much　contention：　the　Londoners　indeed　went　bravely　forward：　but　in　three　or　four　years　I　and　my　friends　consumed　many　hundred　pounds　amongst　the　Plimothians；　who　only　fed　me　but　with　delays；　promises；　and　excuses；　but　no　performance　of　anything　to　any　purpose。　　In　the　interim；　many　particular　ships　went　thither；　and　finding　my　relations　true；　and　that　I　had　not　taken　that　I　brought　home　from　the　French　men；　as　had　been　reported：　yet　further　for　my　pains　to　discredit　me；　and　my　calling　it　New　England；　they　obscured　it；　and　shadowed　it；　with　the　title　of　Canada；　till　at　my　humble　suit；　it　pleased　our　most　Royal　King　Charles；　whom　God　long　keep；　bless　and　preserve；　then　Prince　of　Wales；　to　confirm　it　with　my　map　and　book；　by　the　title　of　New　England；　the　gain　thence　returning　did　make　the　fame　thereof　so　increase　that　thirty；　forty　or　fifty　sail　went　yearly　only　to　trade　and　fish；　but　nothing　would　be　done　for　a　plantation；　till　about　some　hundred　of　your　Brownists　of　England；　Amsterdam　and　Leyden　went　to　New　Plimouth；　whose　humorous　ignorances；　caused　them　for　more　than　a　year；　to　endure　a　wonderful　deal　of　misery；　with　an　infinite　patience；　saying　my　books　and　maps　were　much　better　cheap　to　teach　them　than　myself：　many　others　have　used　the　like　good　husbandry　that　have　payed　soundly　in　trying　their　self…willed　conclusions；　but　those　in　time　doing　well；　diverse　others　have　in　small　handfulls　undertaken　to　go　there；　to　be　several　Lords　and　Kings　of　themselves；　but　most　vanished　to　nothing。〃





XIX

WRITINGS…LATER　YEARS

If　Smith　had　not　been　an　author；　his　exploits　would　have　occupied　a　small　space　in　the　literature　of　his　times。　　But　by　his　unwearied　narrations　he　impressed　his　image　in　gigantic　features　on　our　plastic　continent。　　If　he　had　been　silent；　he　would　have　had　something　less　than　justice；　as　it　is；　he　has　been　permitted　to　greatly　exaggerate　his　relations　to　the　New　World。　　It　is　only　by　noting　the　comparative　silence　of　his　contemporaries　and　by　winnowing　his　own　statements　that　we　can　appreciate　his　true　position。

For　twenty　years　he　was　a　voluminous　writer；　working　off　his　superfluous　energy　in　setting　forth　his　adventures　in　new　forms。　Most　of　his　writings　are　repetitions　and　recastings　of　the　old　material；　with　such　reflections　as　occur　to　him　from　time　to　time。　He　seldom　writes　a　book；　or　a　tract；　without　beginning　it　or　working　into　it　a　resume　of　his　life。　　The　only　exception　to　this　is　his　〃Sea　Grammar。〃　　In　1626　he　published　〃An　Accidence　or　the　Pathway　to　Experience；　necessary　to　all　Young　Seamen；〃　and　in　1627　〃A　Sea　Grammar；　with　the　plain　Exposition　of　Smith's　Accidence　for　Young　Seamen；　enlarged。〃　　This　is　a　technical　work；　and　strictly　confined　to　the　building；　rigging；　and　managing　of　a　ship。　　He　was　also　engaged　at　the　time　of　his　death　upon　a　〃History　of　the　Sea；〃　which　never　saw　the　light。　　He　was　evidently　fond　of　the　sea；　and　we　may　say　the　title　of　Admiral　came　naturally　to　him；　since　he　used　it　in　the　title…page　to　his　〃Description　of　New　England；〃　published　in　1616；　although　it　was　not　till　1617　that　the　commissioners　at　Plymouth　agreed　to　bestow　upon　him　the　title　of　〃Admiral　of　that　country。〃

In　1630　he　published　〃　The　True　Travels；　Adventures　and　Observations　of　Captain　John　Smith；　in　Europe；　Asia；　Affrica　and　America；　from　1593　to　1629。　　Together　with　a　Continuation　of　his　General　History　of　Virginia；　Summer　Isles；　New　England；　and　their　proceedings　since　1624　to　this　present　1629：　as　also　of　the　new　Plantations　of　the　great　River　of　the　Amazons；　the　Isles　of　St。　　Christopher；　Mevis　and　Barbadoes　in　the　West　Indies。〃　　In　the　dedication　to　William；　Earl　of　Pembroke；　and　Robert；　Earl　of　Lindsay；　he　says　it　was　written　at　the　request　of　Sir　Robert　Cotton；　the　learned　antiquarian；　and　he　the　more　willingly　satisfies　this　noble　desire　because；　as　he　says；　〃they　have　acted　my　fatal　tragedies　on　the　stage；　and　racked　my　relations　at　their　pleasure。　　To　prevent；　therefore；　all　future　misprisions；　I　have　compiled　this　true　discourse。　　Envy　hath　taxed　me　to　have　writ　too　much；　and　done　too　little；　but　that　such　should　know　how　little；　I　esteem　them；　I　have　writ　this　more　for　the　satisfaction　of　my　friends；　and　all　generous　and　well…disposed　readers：　To　speak　only　of　myself　were　intolerable　ingratitude：　because；　having　had　many　co…　partners　with　me；　I　cannot　make　a　Monument　for　myself；　and　leave　them　unburied　in　the　fields；　whose　lives　begot　me　the　title　of　Soldier；　for　as　they　were　companions　with　me　in　my　dangers；　so　shall　they　be　partakers　with　me　in　this　Tombe。〃　　In　the　same　dedication　he　spoke　of　his　〃Sea　Grammar〃　caused　to　be　printed　by　his　worthy　friend　Sir　Samuel　Saltonstall。

This　volume；　like　all　others　Smith　published；　is　accompanied　by　a　great　number　of　swollen　panegyrics　in　verse；　showing　that　the　writers　had　been　favored　with　the　perusal　of　the　volume　before　it　was　published。　　Valor；　piety；　virtue；　learning；　wit；　are　by　them　ascribed　to　the　〃great　Smith；〃　who　is　easily　the　wonder　and　paragon　of　his。　age。　　All　of　them　are　stuffed　with　the　affected　conceits　fashionable　at　the　time。　　One　of　the　most　pedantic　of　these　was　addressed　to　him　by　Samuel　Purchas　when　the　〃General　Historie　〃　was　written。

The　portrait　of　Smith　which　occupies　a　corner　in　the　Map　of　Virginia　has　in　the　oval　the　date；　〃AEta　37；　A。　16l6；〃　and　round　the　rim　the　inscription：　〃　Portraictuer　of　Captaine　John　Smith；　Admirall　of　New　England；〃　and　under　it　these　lines　engraved：

　　　　　　　〃These　are　the　Lines　that　show　thy　face：　but　those　　　　　　　　That　show　thy　Grace　and　Glory　brighter　bee：　　　　　　　　Thy　Faire　Discoveries　and　Fowle…Overthrowes　　　　　　　　Of　Salvages；　much　Civilized　by　thee　　　　　　　　Best　shew　thy　Spirit；　and　to　it　Glory　Wyn；　　　　　　　　So；　thou　art　Brasse　without；　but　Golde　within；　　　　　　　　If　so；　in　Brasse　（too　soft　smiths　Acts　to　beare）　　　　　　　　I　fix　thy　Fame　to　make　Brasse　steele　outweare。

Thine　as　thou　art　Virtues　JOHN　DAVIES；　Heref。〃


In　this　engraving　Smith　is　clad　in　armor；　with　a　high　starched　collar；　and　full　beard　and　mustache　formally　cut。　　His　right　hand　rests　on　his　hip；　and　his　left　grasps　the　handle　of　his　sword。　　The　face　is　open　and　pleasing　and　full　of　decision。

This　〃true　discourse〃　contains　the　wild　romance　with　which　this　volume　opens；　and　is　pieced　out　with　recapitulations　of　his　former　writings　and　exploits；　compilations　from　others'　relations；　and　general　comments。　　We　have　given　from　it　the　story　of　his　early　life；　because　there　is　absolutely　no　other　account　of　that　part　of　his　career。　　We　may　assume　that　up　to　his　going　to　Virginia　he　did　lead　a　life　of　reckless　adventure　and　hardship；　often　in　want　of　a　decent　suit　of　clothes　and　of　〃regular　meals。〃　　That　he　took　some　part　in　the　wars　in　Hungary　is　probable；　notwithstanding　his　romancing　narrative；　and　he　may　have　been　captured　by　the　Turks。　　But　his　account　of　the　wars　there；　and　of　the　political　complications；　we　suspect　are　cribbed　from　the　old　chronicles；　probably　from　the　Italian；　while　his　vag