the complete writings-3-第59章

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　　The　press　teemed　with　tracts　and　pamphlets；　written　in　language　〃as　plain　as　a　pikestaff；〃　against　the　immoralities　of　the　theatres；　those　〃seminaries　of　vice；〃　and　calling　down　the　judgment　of　God　upon　the　cost　and　the　monstrosities　of　the　dress　of　both　men　and　women；　while　the　town　roared　on　its　way；　warned　by　sermons；　and　instructed　in　its　chosen　path　by　such　plays　and　masques　as　Ben　Jonson's　〃Pleasure　reconciled　to　Virtue。〃

The　town　swarmed　with　idlers；　and　with　gallants　who　wanted　advancement　but　were　unwilling　to　adventure　their　ease　to　obtain　it。　There　was　much　lounging　in　apothecaries'　shops　to　smoke　tobacco；　gossip；　and　hear　the　news。　　We　may　be　sure　that　Smith　found　many　auditors　for　his　adventures　and　his　complaints。　　There　was　a　good　deal　of　interest　in　the　New　World；　but　mainly　still　as　a　place　where　gold　and　other　wealth　might　be　got　without　much　labor；　and　as　a　possible　short　cut　to　the　South　Sea　and　Cathay。　　The　vast　number　of　Londoners　whose　names　appear　in　the　second　Virginia　charter　shows　the　readiness　of　traders　to　seek　profit　in　adventure。　　The　stir　for　wider　freedom　in　religion　and　government　increased　with　the　activity　of　exploration　and　colonization；　and　one　reason　why　James　finally　annulled　the　Virginia；　charter　was　because　he　regarded　the　meetings　of　the　London　Company　as　opportunities　of　sedition。

Smith　is　altogether　silent　about　his　existence　at　this　time。　　We　do　not　hear　of　him　till　1612；　when　his　〃Map　of　Virginia〃　with　his　description　of　the　country　was　published　at　Oxford。　　The　map　had　been　published　before：　it　was　sent　home　with　at　least　a　portion　of　the　description　of　Virginia。　　In　an　appendix　appeared　（as　has　been　said）　a　series　of　narrations　of　Smith's　exploits；　covering　the　rime　he　was　in　Virginia；　written　by　his　companions；　edited　by　his　friend　Dr。　Symonds；　and　carefully　overlooked　by　himself。

Failing　to　obtain　employment　by　the　Virginia　company；　Smith　turned　his　attention　to　New　England；　but　neither　did　the　Plymouth　company　avail　themselves　of　his　service。　　At　last　in　1614　he　persuaded　some　London　merchants　to　fit　him　out　for　a　private　trading　adventure　to　the　coast　of　New　England。　　Accordingly　with　two　ships；　at　the　charge　of　Captain　Marmaduke　Roydon；　Captain　George　Langam；　Mr。　John　Buley；　and　William　Skelton；　merchants；　he　sailed　from　the　Downs　on　the　3d　of　March；　1614；　and　in　the　latter　part　of　April　〃chanced　to　arrive　in　New　England；　a　part　of　America　at　the　Isle　of　Monahiggan　in　43　1/2　of　Northerly　latitude。〃　　This　was　within　the　territory　appropriated　to　the　second　（the　Plymouth）　colony　by　the　patent　of　1606；　which　gave　leave　of　settlement　between　the　38th　and　44th　parallels。

Smith's　connection　with　New　England　is　very　slight；　and　mainly　that　of　an　author；　one　who　labored　for　many　years　to　excite　interest　in　it　by　his　writings。　　He　named　several　points；　and　made　a　map　of　such　portion　of　the　coast　as　he　saw；　which　was　changed　from　time　to　time　by　other　observations。　　He　had　a　remarkable　eye　for　topography；　as　is　especially　evident　by　his　map　of　Virginia。　　This　New　England　coast　is　roughly　indicated　in　Venazzani's　Plot　Of　1524；　and　better　on　Mercator's　of　a　few　years　later；　and　in　Ortelius's　〃Theatrum　Orbis　Terarum　〃　of　1570；　but　in　Smith's　map　we　have　for　the　first　time　a　fair　approach　to　the　real　contour。

Of　Smith's　English　predecessors　on　this　coast　there　is　no　room　here　to　speak。　　Gosnold　had　described　Elizabeth's　Isles；　explorations　and　settlements　had　been　made　on　the　coast　of　Maine　by　Popham　and　Weymouth；　but　Smith　claims　the　credit　of　not　only　drawing　the　first　fair　map　of　the　coast；　but　of　giving　the　name　〃　New　England　〃　to　what　had　passed　under　the　general　names　of　Virginia；　Canada；　Norumbaga；　etc。

Smith　published　his　description　of　New　England　June　18；　1616；　and　it　is　in　that　we　must　follow　his　career。　　It　is　dedicated　to　the　〃high；　hopeful　Charles；　Prince　of　Great　Britain；〃　and　is　prefaced　by　an　address　to　the　King's　Council　for　all　the　plantations；　and　another　to　all　the　adventurers　into　New　England。　　The　addresses；　as　usual；　call　attention　to　his　own　merits。　　〃Little　honey　＇he　writes＇　hath　that　hive；　where　there　are　more　drones　than　bees；　and　miserable　is　that　land　where　more　are　idle　than　are　well　employed。　　If　the　endeavors　of　these　vermin　be　acceptable；　I　hope　mine　may　be　excusable：　though　I　confess　it　were　more　proper　for　me　to　be　doing　what　I　say　than　writing　what　I　know。　　Had　I　returned　rich　I　could　not　have　erred；　now　having　only　such　food　as　came　to　my　net；　I　must　be　taxed。　　But；　I　would　my　taxers　were　as　ready　to　adventure　their　purses　as　I；　purse；　life；　and　all　I　have；　or　as　diligent　to　permit　the　charge；　as　I　know　they　are　vigilant　to　reap　the　fruits　of　my　labors。〃　　The　value　of　the　fisheries　he　had　demonstrated　by　his　catch；　and　he　says；　looking；　as　usual；　to　large　results；　〃but　because　I　speak　so　much　of　fishing；　if　any　mistake　me　for　such　a　devote　fisher；　as　I　dream　of　nought　else；　they　mistake　me。　I　know　a　ring　of　gold　from　a　grain　of　barley　as　well　as　a　goldsmith；　and　nothing　is　there　to　be　had　which　fishing　doth　hinder；　but　further　us　to　obtain。〃

John　Smith　first　appears　on　the　New　England　coast　as　a　whale　fisher。　The　only　reference　to　his　being　in　America　in　Josselyn's　〃Chronological　Observations　of　America　〃　is　under　the　wrong　year；　1608：　〃Capt。　John　Smith　fished　now　for　whales　at　Monhiggen。〃　　He　says：　〃Our　plot　there　was　to　take　whales；　and　made　tryall　of　a　Myne　of　gold　and　copper；〃　these　failing　they　were　to　get　fish　and　furs。　Of　gold　there　had　been　little　expectation；　and　（he　goes　on）　〃we　found　this　whale　fishing　a　costly　conclusion；　we　saw　many；　and　spent　much　time　in　chasing　them；　but　could　not　kill　any；　they　being　a　kind　of　Jubartes；　and　not　the　whale　that　yeeldes　finnes　and　oyle　as　we　expected。〃　　They　then　turned　their　attention　to　smaller　fish；　but　owing　to　their　late　arrival　and　〃long　lingering　about　the　whale〃　chasing　a　whale　that　they　could　not　kill　because　it　was　not　the　right　kindthe　best　season　for　fishing　was　passed。　　Nevertheless；　they　secured　some　40；000　codthe　figure　is　naturally　raised　to　6o；ooo　when　Smith　retells　the　story　fifteen　years　afterwards。

But　our　hero　was　a　born　explorer；　and　could　not　be　content　with　not　examining　the　strange　coast　upon　which　he　found　himself。　　Leaving　his　sailors　to　catch　cod；　he　took　eight　or　nine　men　in　a　small　boat；　and　cruised　along　the　coast；　trading　wherever　he　could　for　furs；　of　which　he　obtained　above　a　thousand　beaver　skins；　but　his　chance　to　trade　was　limited　by　the　French　settlements　in　the　east；　by　the　presence　of　one　of　Popham's　ships　opposite　Monhegan；　on　the　main；　and　by　a　couple　of　French　vessels　to　the　westward。　　Having　examined　the　coast　from　Penobscot　to　Cape　Cod；　and　gathered　a　profitable　harvest　from　the　sea；　Smith　returned　in　his　vessel；　reaching　the　Downs　within　six　months　after　his　departure。　　This　was　his　whole　experience　in　New　England；　which　ever　afterwards　he　regarded　as　particularly　his　discovery；　and　spoke　of　as　one　of　his　children；　Virginia　being　the　other。

With　the　other　vessel　Smith　had　trouble。　　He　accuses　its　master；　Thomas　Hunt；　of　attempting　to　rob　him　of　his　plots　and　observations；　and　to　leave　him　〃alone　on　a　desolate　isle；　to　the　fury　of　famine；　And　all　other　extremities。〃　　After　Smith's　departure　the　rascally　Hunt　decoyed　twenty…seven　unsuspecting　savages　on　board　his　ship　and　carried　them　off　to　Spain；　where　he　sold　them　as　slaves。　　Hunt　sold　his　furs　at　a　great　profit。　　Smith's　cargo　also　paid　well：　in　his　letter　to　Lord　Bacon　in　1618　he　says　that　with　forty…five　men　he　had　cleared　L　1；500　in　less　than　three　months　on　a　cargo　of　dried　fish　and　beaver　skinsa　pound　at　that　date　had　five　times　the　purchasing　power　of　a　pound　now。

The　explorer　first　landed　on　Monhegan；　a　small　island　in　sight　of　which　in　the　war　of　1812　occurred　the　lively　little　seafight　of　the　American　Wasp　and　the　British　Frolic；　in　which　the　Wasp　was　the　victor；　but　directly　after；　with　her　prize；　fell　into　the　hands　of　an　English　seventy…four。

He　made　certainly　a　most　remarkable　voyage　in　his　open　boat。　　Between　Penobscot　and　Cape　Cod　（which　he　called　Cape　James）　he　says　he　saw　forty　several　habitations；　and　sounded　about　twenty…five　excellent　harbors。　　Although　Smith　accepted　the　geographical　notion　of　his　time；　and　thought　that　Florida　adjoined　India；　he　declared　that　Virginia　was　not　an　island；　but　part　of　a　great　continent；　and　he　comprehended　something　of　the　vastness　of　the　country　he　was　coasting　along；　〃dominions　which　stretch　themselves　into　the　main；　God　doth　know　how　many　thousand　miles；　of　which　one　could　no　more　guess　the　extent　and　products　than　a　stranger　sailing　betwixt　England　and　France　could　tell　what　was　in　Spain；　Italy；　Germany；　Bohemia；　Hungary；　and　the　rest。〃　　And　he　had　the　prophetic　vision；　which　he　more　than　once　refers　to；　of　one　of　the　greatest　empires　of　the　world　that　would　one　day　arise　here。　　Contrary　to　the　opinion　that　prevailed　then　and　for　years　after；　he　declared　also　that　New　England　was　not　an　island。

Smith　describes　with　considerable　particularity　the　coast；　giving　the　names　of　the　Indian　tribes；　and　cataloguing　the　native　productions；　vegetable　and　animal。　　He　bestows　his　favorite　names　liberally　upon　points　and　islandsfew　of　which　were　accepted。　　Cape　Ann　he　called　from　his　charming　Turkish　benefactor；　〃Cape　Tragabigzanda〃；　the　three　islands　in　front　of　it；　the　〃Three　Turks'　Heads〃；　and　the　Isles　of　Shoals　he　simply　describes：　〃Smyth's　Isles　are　a　heape　together；　none　neare　them；　against　Acconimticus。〃　　Cape　Cod；　which　appears　upon　all　the　maps　before　Smith's　visit　as　〃Sandy〃　cape；　he　says　〃is　only　a　headland　of　high　hills　of　sand；　overgrown　with　shrubbie　pines；　hurts　＇whorts；　whortleberries＇　and　such　trash；　but　an　excellent　harbor　for　all　weathers。　　This　Cape　is　made　by　the　maine　Sea　on　the　one　side；　and　a　great　bay　on　the　other　in　the　form　of　a　sickle。〃

A　large　portion　of　this　treatise　on　New　England　is　devoted　to　an　argument　to　induce　the　English　to　found　a　permanent　colony　there；　of　which　Smith　shows　that　he　would　be　the　proper　leader。　　The　main　staple　for　the　present　would　be　fish；　and　he　shows　how　Holland　has　become　powerful　by　her　fisheries　and　the　training　of　hardy　sailors。　The　fishery　would　support　a　colony　until　it　had　obtained　a　good　foothold；　and　control　of　these　fisheries　would　bring　more　profit　to　England　than　any　other　occupation。　　There　are　other　reasons　than　gain　that　should　induce　in　England　the　large　ambition　of　founding　a　great　state；　reasons　of　religion　and　humanity；　erecting　towns；　peopling　countries；　informing　the　ignorant；　reforming　things　unjust；　teaching　virtue；　finding　employment　for　the　idle；　and　giving　to　the　mother　country　a　kingdom　to　attend　her。　　But　he　does　not　expect　the　English　to　indulge　in　such　noble　ambitions　unless　he　can　show　a　profit　in　them。

〃I　have　not　＇he　says＇　been　so　ill　bred　but　I　have　tasted　of　plenty　and　pleasure；　as　well　as　want　and　misery；　nor　doth　a　necessity　yet；　nor　occasion　of　discontent；　force　me　to　these　endeavors；　nor　am　I　ignorant　that　small　thank　I　shall　have　for　my　pains；　or　that　many　would　have　the　world　imagine　them　to　be　of　great　judgment；　that　can　but　blemish　these　my　designs；　by　their　witty　objections　and　detractions；　yet　（I　hope）　my　reasons　and　my　deeds　will　so　pre