the complete writings-3-第65章

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ighty　pounds；　out　of　which　he　reserves　to　himself　twenty　pounds　to　be　disposed　of　as　he　chooses　in　his　lifetime。　　The　sum　of　twenty　pounds　is　to　be　disbursed　about　the　funeral。　　To　his　most　worthy　friend；　Sir　Samuel　Saltonstall　Knight；　he　gives　five　pounds；　to　Morris　Treadway；　five　pounds；　to　his　sister　Smith；　the　widow　of　his　brother；　ten　pounds；　to　his　cousin　Steven　Smith；　and　his　sister；　six　pounds　thirteen　shillings　and　fourpence　between　them；　to　Thomas　Packer；　Joane；　his　wife；　and　Eleanor；　his　daughter；　ten　pounds　among　them；　to　〃Mr。　Reynolds；　the　lay　Mr　of　the　Goldsmiths　Hall；　the　sum　of　forty　shillings〃；　to　Thomas；　the　son　of　said　Thomas　Packer；　〃my　trunk　standing　in　my　chamber　at　Sir　Samuel　Saltonstall's　house　in　St。　Sepulcher's　parish；　together　with　my　best　suit　of　apparel　of　a　tawny　color　viz。　hose；　doublet　jirkin　and　cloak；〃　〃also；　my　trunk　bound　with　iron　bars　standing　in　the　house　of　Richard　Hinde　in　Lambeth；　togetherwith　half　the　books　therein〃；　the　other　half　of　the　books　to　Mr。　John　Tredeskin　and　Richard　Hinde。　　His　much　honored　friend；　Sir　Samuel　Saltonstall；　and　Thomas　Packer；　were　joint　executors；　and　the　will　was　acknowledged　in　the　presence　〃of　Willmu　Keble　Snr　civitas；　London；　William　Packer；　Elizabeth　Sewster；　Marmaduke　Walker；　his　mark；　witness。〃

We　have　no　idea　that　Thomas　Packer　got　rich　out　of　the　houses；　lands　and　tenements　in　the　county　of　Lincoln。　　The　will　is　that　of　a　poor　man；　and　reference　to　his　trunks　standing　about　in　the　houses　of　his　friends；　and　to　his　chamber　in　the　house　of　Sir　Samuel　Saltonstall；　may　be　taken　as　proof　that　he　had　no　independent　and　permanent　abiding…place。

It　is　supposed　that　he　was　buried　in　St。　Sepulcher's　Church。　　The　negative　evidence　of　this　is　his　residence　in　the　parish　at　the　time　of　his　death；　and　the　more　positive；　a　record　in　Stow's　〃Survey　of　London；〃　1633；　which　we　copy　in　full：

This　Table　is　on　the　south　side　of　the　Quire　in　Saint　Sepulchers；　with　this　Inscription：

To　the　living　Memory　of　his　deceased　Friend；　Captaine　John　Smith；　who　departed　this　mortall　life　on　the　21　day　of　June；　1631；　with　his　Armes；　and　this　Motto；

Accordamus；　vincere　est　vivere。

Here　lies　one　conquer'd　that　hath　conquer'd　Kings；　Subdu'd　large　Territories；　and　done　things　Which　to　the　World　impossible　would　seeme；　But　that　the　truth　is　held　in　more　esteeme；　Shall　I　report　His　former　service　done　In　honour　of　his　God　and　Christendome：　How　that　he　did　divide　from　Pagans　three；　Their　heads　and　Lives；　types　of　his　chivalry：　For　which　great　service　in　that　Climate　done；　Brave　Sigismundus　（King　of　Hungarion）　Did　give　him　as　a　Coat　of　Armes　to　weare；　Those　conquer'd　heads　got　by　his　Sword　and　Speare？　Or　shall　I　tell　of　his　adventures　since；　Done　in　Firginia；　that　large　Continence：　I…low　that　he　subdu'd　Kings　unto　his　yoke；　And　made　those　heathen　flie；　as　wind　doth　smoke：　And　made　their　Land；　being　of　so　large　a　Station；　A　hab；tation　for　our　Christian　Nation：　Where　God　is　glorifi'd；　their　wants　suppli'd；　Which　else　for　necessaries　might　have　di'd？　But　what　avails　his　Conquest　now　he　lyes　Inter'd　in　earth　a　prey　for　Wormes　&　Flies？

O　may　his　soule　in　sweet　Mizium　sleepe；　Untill　the　Keeper　that　all　soules　doth　keepe；　Returne　to　judgement　and　that　after　thence；　With　Angels　he　may　have　his　recompence。　Captaine　John　Smith；　sometime　Governour　of　Firginia；　and　Admirall　of　New　England。


This　remarkable　epitaph　is　such　an　autobiographical　record　as　Smith　might　have　written　himself。　　That　it　was　engraved　upon　a　tablet　and　set　up　in　this　church　rests　entirely　upon　the　authority　of　Stow。　　The　present　pilgrim　to　the　old　church　will　find　no　memorial　that　Smith　was　buried　there；　and　will　encounter　besides　incredulity　of　the　tradition　that　he　ever　rested　there。

The　old　church　of　St。　Sepulcher's；　formerly　at　the　confluence　of　Snow　Hill　and　the　Old　Bailey；　now　lifts　its　head　far　above　the　pompous　viaduct　which　spans　the　valley　along　which　the　Fleet　Ditch　once　flowed。　　All　the　registers　of　burial　in　the　church　were　destroyed　by　the　great　fire　of　1666；　which　burnt　down　the　edifice　from　floor　to　roof；　leaving　only　the　walls　and　tower　standing。　　Mr。　Charles　Deane；　whose　lively　interest　in　Smith　led　him　recently　to　pay　a　visit　to　St。　Sepulcher's；　speaks　of　it　as　the　church　〃under　the　pavement　of　which　the　remains　of　our　hero　were　buried；　but　he　was　not　able　to　see　the　stone　placed　over　those　remains；　as　the　floor　of　the　church　at　that　time　was　covered　with　a　carpet。。。。　　The　epitaph　to　his　memory；　however；　it　is　understood；　cannot　now　be　deciphered　upon　the　tablet；〃which　he　supposes　to　be　the　one　in　Stow。

The　existing　tablet　is　a　slab　of　bluish…black　marble；　which　formerly　was　in　the　chancel。　　That　it　in　no　way　relates　to　Captain　Smith　a　near　examination　of　it　shows。　　This　slab　has　an　escutcheon　which　indicates　three　heads；　which　a　lively　imagination　may　conceive　to　be　those　of　Moors；　on　a　line　in　the　upper　left　corner　on　the　husband's　side　of　a　shield；　which　is　divided　by　a　perpendicular　line。　　As　Smith　had　no　wife；　this　could　not　have　been　his　cognizance。　　Nor　are　these　his　arms；　which　were　three　Turks'　heads　borne　over　and　beneath　a　chevron。　　The　cognizance　of　〃Moors'　heads；〃　as　we　have　said；　was　not　singular　in　the　Middle　Ages；　and　there　existed　recently　in　this　very　church　another　tomb　which　bore　a　Moor's　head　as　a　family　badge。　　The　inscription　itself　is　in　a　style　of　lettering　unlike　that　used　in　the　time　of　James　I。；　and　the　letters　are　believed　not　to　belong　to　an　earlier　period　than　that　of　the　Georges。　　This　bluish…black　stone　has　been　recently　gazed　at　by　many　pilgrims　from　this　side　of　the　ocean；　with　something　of　the　feeling　with　which　the　Moslems　regard　the　Kaaba　at　Mecca。　　This　veneration　is　misplaced；　for　upon　the　stone　are　distinctly　visible　these　words：

　　　　　　　　　　〃Departed　this　life　September。。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。sixty…six　。。。。years。。。。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。months　。。。。〃

As　John　Smith　died　in　June；　1631；　in　his　fifty…second　year；　this　stone　is　clearly　not　in　his　honor：　and　if　his　dust　rests　in　this　church；　the　fire　of　1666　made　it　probably　a　labor　of　wasted　love　to　look　hereabouts　for　any　monument　of　him。

A　few　years　ago　some　American　antiquarians　desired　to　place　some　monument　to　the　〃Admiral　of　New　England〃　in　this　church；　and　a　memorial　window；　commemorating　the　〃Baptism　of　Pocahontas；〃　was　suggested。　　We　have　been　told；　however；　that　a　custom　of　St。　Sepulcher's　requires　a　handsome　bonus　to　the　rector　for　any　memorial　set　up　in　the　church）　which　the　kindly　incumbent　had　no　power　to　set　aside　（in　his　own　case）　for　a　foreign　gift　and　act　of　international　courtesy　of　this　sort；　and　the　project　was　abandoned。

Nearly　every　trace　of　this　insatiable　explorer　of　the　earth　has　disappeared　from　it　except　in　his　own　writings。　　The　only　monument　to　his　memory　existing　is　a　shabby　little　marble　shaft　erected　on　the　southerly　summit　of　Star　Island；　one　of　the　Isles　of　Shoals。　　By　a　kind　of　irony　of　fortune；　which　Smith　would　have　grimly　appreciated；　the　only　stone　to　perpetuate　his　fame　stands　upon　a　little　heap　of　rocks　in　the　sea；　upon　which　it　is　only　an　inference　that　he　ever　set　foot；　and　we　can　almost　hear　him　say　again；　looking　round　upon　this　roomy　earth；　so　much　of　which　he　possessed　in　his　mind；　〃No　lot　for　me　but　Smith's　Isles；　which　are　an　array　of　barren　rocks；　the　most　overgrowne　with　shrubs　and　sharpe　whins　you　can　hardly　passe　them：　without　either　grasse　or　wood　but　three　or　foure　short　shrubby　old　cedars。〃

Nearly　all　of　Smith's　biographers　and　the　historians　of　Virginia　have；　with　great　respect；　woven　his　romances　about　his　career　into　their　narratives；　imparting　to　their　paraphrases　of　his　story　such　an　elevation　as　his　own　opinion　of　himself　seemed　to　demand。　　Of　contemporary　estimate　of　him　there　is　little　to　quote　except　the　panegyrics　in　verse　he　has　preserved　for　us；　and　the　inference　from　his　own　writings　that　he　was　the　object　of　calumny　and　detraction。　Enemies　he　had　in　plenty；　but　there　are　no　records　left　of　their　opinion　of　his　character。　　The　nearest　biographical　notice　of　him　in　point　of　time　is　found　in　the　〃History　of　the　Worthies　of　England；〃　by　Thomas　Fuller；　D。D。；　London；　1662。

Old　Fuller's　schoolmaster　was　Master　Arthur　Smith；　a　kinsman　of　John；　who　told　him　that　John　was　born　in　Lincolnshire；　and　it　is　probable　that　Fuller　received　from　his　teacher　some　impression　about　the　adventurer。

Of　his　〃strange　performances〃　in　Hungary；　Fuller　says：　〃The　scene　whereof　is　laid　at　such　a　distance　that　they　are　cheaper　credited　than　confuted。〃

〃From　the　Turks　in　Europe　he　passed　to　the　pagans　in　America；　where　towards　the　latter　end　of　the　reign　of　Queen　Elizabeth　＇it　was　in　the　reign　of　James＇　such　his　perils；　preservations；　dangers；　deliverances；　they　seem　to　most　men　above　belief；　to　some　beyond　truth。　　Yet　have　we　two　witnesses　to　attest　them；　the　prose　and　the　pictures；　both　in　his　own　book；　and　it　soundeth　much　to　the　diminution　of　his　deeds　that　he　alone　is　the　herald　to　publish　and　proclaim　them。〃

〃Surely　such　reports　from　strangers　carry　the　greater　reputation。　However；　moderate　men　must　allow　Captain　Smith　to　have　been　very　instrumental　in　settling　the　plantation　in　Virginia；　whereof　he　was　governor；　as　also　Admiral　of　New　England。〃

〃He　led　his　old　age　in　London；　where　his　having　a　prince's　mind　imprisoned　in　a　poor　man's　purse；　rendered　him　to　the　contempt　of　such　as　were　not　ingenuous。　　Yet　he　efforted　his　spirits　with　the　remembrance　and　relation　of　what　formerly　he　had　been；　and　what　he　had　done。〃

Of　the　〃ranting　epitaph；〃　quoted　above；　Fuller　says：　〃The　orthography；　poetry；　history　and　divinity　in　this　epitaph　are　much　alike。〃

Without　taking　Captain　John　Smith　at　his　own　estimate　of　himself；　he　was　a　peculiar　character　even　for　the　times　in　which　he　lived。　　He　shared　with　his　contemporaries　the　restless　spirit　of　roving　and　adventure　which　resulted　from　the　invention　of　the　mariner's　compass　and　the　discovery　of　the　New　World；　but　he　was　neither　so　sordid　nor　so　rapacious　as　many　of　them；　for　his　boyhood　reading　of　romances　had　evidently　fired　him　with　the　conceits　of　the　past　chivalric　period。　This　imported　into　his　conduct　something　inflated　and　something　elevated。　　And；　besides；　with　all　his　enormous　conceit；　he　had　a　stratum　of　practical　good　sense；　a　shrewd　wit；　and　the　salt　of　humor。

If　Shakespeare　had　known　him；　as　he　might　have　done；　he　would　have　had　a　character　ready　to　his　hand　that　would　have　added　one　of　the　most　amusing　and　interesting　portraits　to　his　gallery。　　He　faintly　suggests　a　moral　Falstaff；　if　we　can　imagine　a　Falstaff　without　vices。　　As　a　narrator　he　has　the　swagger　of　a　Captain　Dalghetty；　but　his　actions　are　marked　by　honesty　and　sincerity。　　He　appears　to　have　had　none　of　the　small　vices　of　the　gallants　of　his　time。　　His　chivalric　attitude　toward　certain　ladies　who　appear　in　his　adventures；　must　have　been　sufficiently　amusing　to　his　associates。　There　is　about　his　virtue　a　certain　antique　flavor　which　must　have　seemed　strange　to　the　adventurers　and　court　hangers…on　in　London。　Not　improbably　his　assumptions　were　offensive　to　the　ungodly；　and　his　ingenuous　boastings　made　him　the　object　of　amusement　to　the　skeptics。　Their　ridicule　would　naturally　appear　to　him　to　arise　from　envy。　　We　read　between　the