the complete writings-3-第64章

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y　a　storm；　and　reached　Salem　with　the　loss　of　threescore　dead　and　many　sick；　to　find　as　many　of　the　colony　dead；　and　all　disconsolate。　　Of　the　discouraged　among　them　who　returned　to　England　Smith　says：　〃Some　could　not　endure　the　name　of　a　bishop；　others　not　the　sight　of　a　cross　or　surplice；　others　by　no　means　the　book　of　common　prayer。　This　absolute　crew；　only　of　the　Elect；　holding　all　（but　such　as　themselves）　reprobates　and　castaways；　now　made　more　haste　to　return　to　Babel；　as　they　termed　England；　than　stay　to　enjoy　the　land　they　called　Canaan。〃　　Somewhat　they　must　say　to　excuse　themselves。　Therefore；　〃some　say　they　could　see　no　timbers　of　ten　foot　diameter；　some　the　country　is　all　wood；　others　they　drained　all　the　springs　and　ponds　dry；　yet　like　to　famish　for　want　of　fresh　water；　some　of　the　danger　of　the　ratell…snake。〃　　To　compel　all　the　Indians　to　furnish　them　corn　without　using　them　cruelly　they　say　is　impossible。　　Yet　this　〃impossible；〃　Smith　says；　he　accomplished　in　Virginia；　and　offers　to　undertake　in　New　England；　with　one　hundred　and　fifty　men；　to　get　corn；　fortify　the　country；　and　〃discover　them　more　land　than　they　all　yet　know。〃

This　homily　endsand　it　is　the　last　published　sentence　of　the　〃great　Smith〃with　this　good　advice　to　the　New　England　colonists：

〃Lastly；　remember　as　faction；　pride；　and　security　produces　nothing　but　confusion；　misery　and　dissolution；　so　the　contraries　well　practised　will　in　short　time　make　you　happy；　and　the　most　admired　people　of　all　our　plantations　for　your　time　in　the　world。

〃John　Smith　writ　this　with　his　owne　hand。〃

The　extent　to　which　Smith　retouched　his　narrations；　as　they　grew　in　his　imagination；　in　his　many　reproductions　of　them；　has　been　referred　to；　and　illustrated　by　previous　quotations。　　An　amusing　instance　of　his　care　and　ingenuity　is　furnished　by　the　interpolation　of　Pocahontas　into　his　stories　after　1623。　　In　his　〃General　Historie〃　of　1624　he　adopts；　for　the　account　of　his　career　in　Virginia；　the　narratives　in　the　Oxford　tract　of　1612；　which　he　had　supervised。　　We　have　seen　how　he　interpolated　the　wonderful　story　of　his　rescue　by　the　Indian　child。　　Some　of　his　other　insertions　of　her　name；　to　bring　all　the　narrative　up　to　that　level；　are　curious。　　The　following　passages　from　the　〃Oxford　Tract〃　contain　in　italics　the　words　inserted　when　they　were　transferred　to　the　〃General　Historie〃：

〃So　revived　their　dead　spirits　（especially　the　love　of　Pocahuntas）　as　all　anxious　fears　were　abandoned。〃

〃Part　always　they　brought　him　as　presents　from　their　king；　or　Pocahuntas。〃

In　the　account　of　the　〃masques〃　of　girls　to　entertain　Smith　at　Werowocomoco　we　read：

〃But　presently　Pocahuntas　came；　wishing　him　to　kill　her　if　any　hurt　were　intended；　and　the　beholders；　which　were　women　and　children；　satisfied　the　Captain　there　was　no　such　matter。〃

In　the　account　of　Wyffin's　bringing　the　news　of　Scrivener's　drowning；　when　Wyffin　was　lodged　a　night　with　Powhatan；　we　read：。

〃He　did　assure　himself　some　mischief　was　intended。　　Pocahontas　hid　him　for　a　time；　and　sent　them　who　pursued　him　the　clean　contrary　way　to　seek　him；　but　by　her　means　and　extraordinary　bribes　and　much　trouble　in　three　days'　travel；　at　length　he　found　us　in　the　middest　of　these　turmoyles。〃

The　affecting　story　of　the　visit　and　warning　from　Pocahontas　in　the　night；　when　she　appeared　with　〃tears　running　down　her　cheeks；〃　is　not　in　the　first　narration　in　the　Oxford　Tract；　but　is　inserted　in　the　narrative　in　the　〃General　Historie。〃　　Indeed；　the　first　account　would　by　its　terms　exclude　the　later　one。　　It　is　all　contained　in　these　few　lines：

〃But　our　barge　being　left　by　the　ebb；　caused　us　to　staie　till　the　midnight　tide　carried　us　safe　aboord；　having　spent　that　half　night　with　such　mirth　as　though　we　never　had　suspected　or　intended　anything；　we　left　the　Dutchmen　to　build；　Brinton　to　kill　foule　for　Powhatan　（as　by　his　messengers　he　importunately　desired）；　and　left　directions　with　our　men　to　give　Powhatan　all　the　content　they　could；　that　we　might　enjoy　his　company　on　our　return　from　Pamaunke。〃

It　should　be　added；　however；　that　there　is　an　allusion　to　some　warning　by　Pocahontas　in　the　last　chapter　of　the　〃Oxford　Tract。〃　　But　the　full　story　of　the　night　visit　and　the　streaming　tears　as　we　have　given　it　seems　without　doubt　to　have　been　elaborated　from　very　slight　materials。　　And　the　subsequent　insertion　of　the　name　of　Pocahontas　of　which　we　have　given　examples　aboveinto　old　accounts　that　had　no　allusion　to　her；　adds　new　and　strong　presumptions　to　the　belief　that　Smith　invented　what　is　known　as　the　Pocahontas　legend。〃

As　a　mere　literary　criticism　on　Smith's　writings；　it　would　appear　that　he　had　a　habit　of　transferring　to　his　own　career　notable　incidents　and　adventures　of　which　he　had　read；　and　this　is　somewhat　damaging　to　an　estimate　of　his　originality。　　His　wonderful　system　of　telegraphy　by　means　of　torches；　which　he　says　he　put　in　practice　at　the　siege　of　Olympack；　and　which　he　describes　as　if　it　were　his　own　invention；　he　had　doubtless　read　in　Polybius；　and　it　seemed　a　good　thing　to　introduce　into　his　narrative。

He　was　（it　must　also　be　noted）　the　second　white　man　whose　life　was　saved　by　an　Indian　princess　in　America；　who　subsequently　warned　her　favorite　of　a　plot　to　kill　him。　　In　1528　Pamphilo　de　Narvaes　landed　at　Tampa　Bay；　Florida；　and　made　a　disastrous　expedition　into　the　interior。　　Among　the　Spaniards　who　were　missing　as　a　result　of　this　excursion　was　a　soldier　named　Juan　Ortiz。　　When　De　Soto　marched　into　the　same　country　in　1539　he　encountered　this　soldier；　who　had　been　held　in　captivity　by　the　Indians　and　had　learned　their　language。　　The　story　that　Ortiz　told　was　this：　He　was　taken　prisoner　by　the　chief　Ucita；　bound　hand　and　foot；　and　stretched　upon　a　scaffold　to　be　roasted；　when；　just　as　the　flames　were　seizing　him；　a　daughter　of　the　chief　interposed　in　his　behalf；　and　upon　her　prayers　Ucita　spared　the　life　of　the　prisoner。　　Three　years　afterward；　when　there　was　danger　that　Ortiz　would　be　sacrificed　to　appease　the　devil；　the　princess　came　to　him；　warned　him　of　his　danger；　and　led　him　secretly　and　alone　in　the　night　to　the　camp　of　a　chieftain　who　protected　him。

This　narrative　was　in　print　before　Smith　wrote；　and　as　he　was　fond　of　such　adventures　he　may　have　read　it。　　The　incidents　are　curiously　parallel。　　And　all　the　comment　needed　upon　it　is　that　Smith　seems　to　have　been　peculiarly　subject　to　such　coincidences

Our　author's　selection　of　a　coat　of　arms；　the　distinguishing　feature　of　which　was　〃three　Turks'　heads；〃　showed　little　more　originality。　It　was　a　common　device　before　his　day：　on　many　coats　of　arms　of　the　Middle　Ages　and　later　appear　〃three　Saracens'　heads；〃　or　〃three　Moors'　heads〃probably　most　of　them　had　their　origin　in　the　Crusades。　　Smith's　patent　to　use　this　charge；　which　he　produced　from　Sigismund；　was　dated　1603；　but　the　certificate　appended　to　it　by　the　Garter　King　at　Arms；　certifying　that　it　was　recorded　in　the　register　and　office　of　the　heralds；　is　dated　1625。　　Whether　Smith　used　it　before　this　latter　date　we　are　not　told。　　We　do　not　know　why　he　had　not　as　good　right　to　assume　it　as　anybody。

＇Burke's　〃　Encyclopedia　of　Heraldry　〃　gives　it　as　granted　to　Capt。　John　Smith；　of　the　Smiths　of　Cruffley；　Co。　　Lancaster；　in　1629；　and　describes　it：　〃　Vert；　a　chev。　　gu。　　betw。　　three　Turks'　heads　couped　ppr。　　turbaned　or。　　Crest…an　Ostrich　or；　holding　in　the　mouth　a　horseshoe　or。〃＇




XX

DEATH　AND　CHARACTER

Hardship　and　disappointment　made　our　hero　prematurely　old；　but　could　not　conquer　his　indomitable　spirit。　　The　disastrous　voyage　of　June；　1615；　when　he　fell　into　the　hands　of　the　French；　is　spoken　of　by　the　Council　for　New　England　in　1622　as　〃the　ruin　of　that　poor　gentleman；　Captain　Smith；　who　was　detained　prisoner　by　them；　and　forced　to　suffer　many　extremities　before　he　got　free　of　his　troubles；〃　but　he　did　not　know　that　he　was　ruined；　and　did　not　for　a　moment　relax　his　efforts　to　promote　colonization　and　obtain　a　command；　nor　relinquish　his　superintendence　of　the　Western　Continent。

His　last　days　were　evidently　passed　in　a　struggle　for　existence；　which　was　not　so　bitter　to　him　as　it　might　have　been　to　another　man；　for　he　was　sustained　by　ever…elating　〃great　expectations。〃　　That　he　was　pinched　for　means　of　living；　there　is　no　doubt。　　In　1623　he　issued　a　prospectus　of　his　〃General　Historie；〃　in　which　he　said：　〃These　observations　are　all　I　have　for　the　expenses　of　a　thousand　pounds　and　the　loss　of　eighteen　years'　time；　besides　all　the　travels；　dangers；　miseries　and　incumbrances　for　my　countries　good；　I　have　endured　gratis：　。。。。this　is　composed　in　less　than　eighty　sheets；　besides　the　three　maps；　which　will　stand　me　near　in　a　hundred　pounds；　which　sum　I　cannot　disburse：　nor　shall　the　stationers　have　the　copy　for　nothing。　　I　therefore；　humbly　entreat　your　Honour；　either　to　adventure；　or　give　me　what　you　please　towards　the　impression；　and　I　will　be　both　accountable　and　thankful。〃

He　had　come　before　he　was　fifty　to　regard　himself　as　an　old　man；　and　to　speak　of　his　〃aged　endeavors。〃　　Where　and　how　he　lived　in　his　later　years；　and　with　what　surroundings　and　under　what　circumstances　he　died；　there　is　no　record。　　That　he　had　no　settled　home；　and　was　in　mean　lodgings　at　the　last；　may　be　reasonably　inferred。　　There　is　a　manuscript　note　on　the　fly…leaf　of　one　of　the　original　editions　of　〃The　Map　of　Virginia。。。。〃　　（Oxford；　1612）；　in　ancient　chirography；　but　which　from　its　reference　to　Fuller　could　not　have　been　written　until　more　than　thirty　years　after　Smith's　death。　　It　says：　〃When　he　was　old　he　lived　in　London　poor　but　kept　up　his　spirits　with　the　commemoration　of　his　former　actions　and　bravery。　　He　was　buried　in　St。　Sepulcher's　Church；　as　Fuller　tells　us；　who　has　given　us　a　line　of　his　Ranting　Epitaph。〃

That　seems　to　have　been　the　tradition　of　the　man；　buoyantly　supporting　himself　in　the　commemoration　of　his　own　achievements。　　To　the　end　his　industrious　and　hopeful　spirit　sustained　him；　and　in　the　last　year　of　his　life　he　was　toiling　on　another　compilation；　and　promised　his　readers　a　variety　of　actions　and　memorable　observations　which　they　shall　〃find　with　admiration　in　my　History　of　the　Sea；　if　God　be　pleased　I　live　to　finish　it。〃

He　died　on　the　21　St　of　June；　1631；　and　the　same　day　made　his　last　will；　to　which　he　appended　his　mark；　as　he　seems　to　have　been　too　feeble　to　write　his　name。　　In　this　he　describes　himself　as　〃Captain　John　Smith　of　the　parish　of　St。　Sepulcher's　London　Esquior。〃　　He　commends　his　soul　〃into　the　hands　of　Almighty　God；　my　maker；　hoping　through　the　merits　of　Christ　Jesus　my　Redeemer　to　receive　full　remission　of　all　my　sins　and　to　inherit　a　place　in　the　everlasting　kingdom〃；　his　body　he　commits　to　the　earth　whence　it　came；　and　〃of　such　worldly　goods　whereof　it　hath　pleased　God　in　his　mercy　to　make　me　an　unworthy　receiver；〃　he　bequeathes：　first；　to　Thomas　Packer；　Esq。；　one　of　his　Majesty's　clerks　of　the　Privy　Seal；　It　all　my　houses；　lands；　tenantements　and　hereditaments　whatsoever；　situate　lying　and　being　in　the　parishes　of　Louthe　and　Great　Carleton；　in　the　county　of　Lincoln　together　with　my　coat　of　armes〃；　and　charges　him　to　pay　certain　legacies　not　exceeding　the　sum　of　eighty　pounds；　out　of　which　he　reserves　to　himself　twenty　pounds　to　be　disposed　of　as　he　chooses　in　h