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itants。　　All　the　churches　in　Lincolnshire　indicate　the　existence　of　a　much　larger　population　who　were　in　the　habit　of　attending　service　than　exists　at　present。　　Many　of　these　now　empty　are　of　size　sufficient　to　accommodate　the　entire　population　of　several　villages。　Such　a　one　is　Willoughby；　which　unites　in　its　church　the　adjacent　village　of　Sloothby。

The　stories　of　the　sailors　and　the　contiguity　of　the　salt　water　had　more　influence　on　the　boy's　mind　than　the　free；　schools　of　Alford　and　Louth　which　he　attended；　and　when　he　was　about　thirteen　he　sold　his　books　and　satchel　and　intended　to　run　away　to　sea：　but　the　death　of　his　father　stayed　him。　　Both　his　parents　being　now　dead；　he　was　left　with；　he　says；　competent　means；　but　his　guardians　regarding　his　estate　more　than　himself；　gave　him　full　liberty　and　no　money；　so　that　he　was　forced　to　stay　at　home。

At　the　age　of　fifteen　he　was　bound　apprentice　to　Mr。　Thomas　S。　Tendall　of　Lynn。　　The　articles；　however；　did　not　bind　him　very　fast；　for　as　his　master　refused　to　send　him　to　sea；　John　took　leave　of　his　master　and　did　not　see　him　again　for　eight　years。　　These　details　exhibit　in　the　boy　the　headstrong　independence　of　the　man。

At　length　he　found　means　to　attach　himself　to　a　young　son　of　the　great　soldier；　Lord　Willoughby；　who　was　going　into　France。　　The　narrative　is　not　clear；　but　it　appears　that　upon　reaching　Orleans；　in　a　month　or　so　the　services　of　John　were　found　to　be　of　no　value；　and　he　was　sent　back　to　his　friends；　who　on　his　return　generously　gave　him　ten　shillings　（out　of　his　own　estate）　to　be　rid　of　him。　　He　is　next　heard　of　enjoying　his　liberty　at　Paris　and　making　the　acquaintance　of　a　Scotchman　named　David　Hume；　who　used　his　purseten　shillings　went　a　long　ways　in　those　daysand　in　return　gave　him　letters　of　commendation　to　prefer　him　to　King　James。　　But　the　boy　had　a　disinclination　to　go　where　he　was　sent。　　Reaching　Rouen；　and　being　nearly　out　of　money；　he　dropped　down　the　river　to　Havre　de　Grace；　and　began　to　learn　to　be　a　soldier。

Smith　says　not　a　word　of　the　great　war　of　the　Leaguers　and　Henry　IV。；　nor　on　which　side　he　fought；　nor　is　it　probable　that　he　cared。　　But　he　was　doubtless　on　the　side　of　Henry；　as　Havre　was　at　this　time　in　possession　of　that　soldier。　　Our　adventurer　not　only　makes　no　reference　to　the　great　religious　war；　nor　to　the　League；　nor　to　Henry；　but　he　does　not　tell　who　held　Paris　when　he　visited　it。　Apparently　state　affairs　did　not　interest　him。　　His　reference　to　a　〃peace〃　helps　us　to　fix　the　date　of　his　first　adventure　in　France。　Henry　published　the　Edict　of　Nantes　at　Paris；　April　13；　1598；　and　on　the　2d　of　May　following；　concluded　the　treaty　of　France　with　Philip　II。　at　Vervins；　which　closed　the　Spanish　pretensions　in　France。　　The　Duc　de　Mercoeur　（of　whom　we　shall　hear　later　as　Smith's　〃Duke　of　Mercury〃　in　Hungary）；　Duke　of　Lorraine；　was　allied　with　the　Guises　in　the　League；　and　had　the　design　of　holding　Bretagne　under　Spanish　protection。　　However；　fortune　was　against　him　and　he　submitted　to　Henry　in　February；　1598；　with　no　good　grace。　　Looking　about　for　an　opportunity　to　distinguish　himself；　he　offered　his　services　to　the　Emperor　Rudolph　to　fight　the　Turks；　and　it　is　said　led　an　army　of　his　French　followers；　numbering　15；000；　in　1601；　to　Hungary；　to　raise　the　siege　of　Coniza；　which　was　beleaguered　by　Ibrahim　Pasha　with　60；000　men。

Chance　of　fighting　and　pay　failing　in　France　by　reason　of　the　peace；　he　enrolled　himself　under　the　banner　of　one　of　the　roving　and　fighting　captains　of　the　time；　who　sold　their　swords　in　the　best　market；　and　went　over　into　the　Low　Countries；　where　he　hacked　and　hewed　away　at　his　fellow…men；　all　in　the　way　of　business；　for　three　or　four　years。　　At　the　end　of　that　time　he　bethought　himself　that　he　had　not　delivered　his　letters　to　Scotland。　　He　embarked　at　Aucusan　for　Leith；　and　seems　to　have　been　shipwrecked；　and　detained　by　illness　in　the　〃holy　isle〃　in　Northumberland；　near　Barwick。　　On　his　recovery　he　delivered　his　letters；　and　received　kind　treatment　from　the　Scots；　but　as　he　had　no　money；　which　was　needed　to　make　his　way　as　a　courtier；　he　returned　to　Willoughby。

The　family　of　Smith　is　so　〃ancient〃　that　the　historians　of　the　county　of　Lincoln　do　not　allude　to　it；　and　only　devote　a　brief　paragraph　to　the　great　John　himself。　　Willoughby　must　have　been　a　dull　place　to　him　after　his　adventures；　but　he　says　he　was　glutted　with　company；　and　retired　into　a　woody　pasture；　surrounded　by　forests；　a　good　ways　from　any　town；　and　there　built　himself　a　pavilion　of　boughsless　substantial　than　the　cabin　of　Thoreau　at　Walden　Pondand　there　he　heroically　slept　in　his　clothes；　studied　Machiavelli's　〃Art　of　War；〃　read　〃Marcus　Aurelius；〃　and　exercised　on　his　horse　with　lance　and　ring。　　This　solitary　conduct　got　him　the　name　of　a　hermit；　whose　food　was　thought　to　be　more　of　venison　than　anything　else；　but　in　fact　his　men　kept　him　supplied　with　provisions。　　When　John　had　indulged　in　this　ostentatious　seclusion　for　a　time；　he　allowed　himself　to　be　drawn　out　of　it　by　the　charming　discourse　of　a　noble　Italian　named　Theodore　Palaloga；　who　just　then　was　Rider　to　Henry；　Earl　of　Lincoln；　and　went　to　stay　with　him　at　Tattershall。　　This　was　an　ancient　town；　with　a　castle；　which　belonged　to　the　Earls　of　Lincoln；　and　was　situated　on　the　River　Bane；　only　fourteen　miles　from　Boston；　a　name　that　at　once　establishes　a　connection　between　Smith's　native　county　and　our　own　country；　for　it　is　nearly　as　certain　that　St。　Botolph　founded　a　monastery　at　Boston；　Lincoln；　in　the　year　654；　as　it　is　that　he　founded　a　club　afterwards　in　Boston；　Massachusetts。

Whatever　were　the　pleasures　of　Tattershall；　they　could　not　long　content　the　restless　Smith；　who　soon　set　out　again　for　the　Netherlands　in　search　of　adventures。

The　life　of　Smith；　as　it　is　related　by　himself；　reads　like　that　of　a　belligerent　tramp；　but　it　was　not　uncommon　in　his　day；　nor　is　it　in　ours；　whenever　America　produces　soldiers　of　fortune　who　are　ready；　for　a　compensation；　to　take　up　the　quarrels　of　Egyptians　or　Chinese；　or　go　wherever　there　is　fighting　and　booty。　　Smith　could　now　handle　arms　and　ride　a　horse；　and　longed　to　go　against　the　Turks；　whose　anti…Christian　contests　filled　his　soul　with　lamentations；　and　besides　he　was　tired　of　seeing　Christians　slaughter　each　other。　　Like　most　heroes；　he　had　a　vivid　imagination　that　made　him　credulous；　and　in　the　Netherlands　he　fell　into　the　toils　of　three　French　gallants；　one　of　whom　pretended　to　be　a　great　lord；　attended　by　his　gentlemen；　who　persuaded　him　to　accompany　them　to　the　〃Duchess　of　Mercury；〃　whose　lord　was　then　a　general　of　Rodolphus　of　Hungary；　whose　favor　they　could　command。　　Embarking　with　these　arrant　cheats；　the　vessel　reached　the　coast　of　Picardy；　where　his　comrades　contrived　to　take　ashore　their　own　baggage　and　Smith's　trunk；　containing　his　money　and　goodly　apparel；　leaving　him　on　board。　　When　the　captain；　who　was　in　the　plot；　was　enabled　to　land　Smith　the　next　day；　the　noble　lords　had　disappeared　with　the　luggage；　and　Smith；　who　had　only　a　single　piece　of　gold　in　his　pocket；　was　obliged　to　sell　his　cloak　to　pay　his　passage。

Thus　stripped；　he　roamed　about　Normandy　in　a　forlorn　condition；　occasionally　entertained　by　honorable　persons　who　had　heard　of　his　misfortunes；　and　seeking　always　means　of　continuing　his　travels；　wandering　from　port　to　port　on　the　chance　of　embarking　on　a　man…of…　war。　　Once　he　was　found　in　a　forest　near　dead　with　grief　and　cold；　and　rescued　by　a　rich　farmer；　shortly　afterwards；　in　a　grove　in　Brittany；　he　chanced　upon　one　of　the　gallants　who　had　robbed　him；　and　the　two　out　swords　and　fell　to　cutting。　　Smith　had　the　satisfaction　of　wounding　the　rascal；　and　the　inhabitants　of　a　ruined　tower　near　by；　who　witnessed　the　combat；　were　quite　satisfied　with　the　event。

Our　hero　then　sought　out　the　Earl　of　Ployer；　who　had　been　brought　up　in　England　during　the　French　wars；　by　whom　he　was　refurnished　better　than　ever。　　After　this　streak　of　luck；　he　roamed　about　France；

viewing　the　castles　and　strongholds；　and　at　length　embarked　at　Marseilles　on　a　ship　for　Italy。　　Rough　weather　coming　on；　the　vessel　anchored　under　the　lee　of　the　little　isle　St。　Mary；　off　Nice；　in　Savoy。

The　passengers　on　board；　among　whom　were　many　pilgrims　bound　for　Rome；　regarded　Smith　as　a　Jonah；　cursed　him　for　a　Huguenot；　swore　that　his　nation　were　all　pirates；　railed　against　Queen　Elizabeth；　and　declared　that　they　never　should　have　fair　weather　so　long　as　he　was　on　board。　　To　end　the　dispute；　they　threw　him　into　the　sea。　　But　God　got　him　ashore　on　the　little　island；　whose　only　inhabitants　were　goats　and　a　few　kine。　　The　next　day　a　couple　of　trading　vessels　anchored　near；　and　he　was　taken　off　and　so　kindly　used　that　he　decided　to　cast　in　his　fortune　with　them。　　Smith's　discourse　of　his　adventures　so　entertained　the　master　of　one　of　the　vessels；　who　is　described　as　〃this　noble　Britaine；　his　neighbor；　Captaine　la　Roche；　of　Saint　Malo；〃　that　the　much…tossed　wanderer　was　accepted　as　a　friend。　　They　sailed　to　the　Gulf　of　Turin；　to　Alessandria；　where　they　discharged　freight；　then　up　to　Scanderoon；　and　coasting　for　some　time　among　the　Grecian　islands；　evidently　in　search　of　more　freight；　they　at　length　came　round　to　Cephalonia；　and　lay　to　for　some　days　betwixt　the　isle　of　Corfu　and　the　Cape　of　Otranto。　　Here　it　presently　appeared　what　sort　of　freight　the　noble　Britaine；　Captain　la　Roche；　was　looking　for。

An　argosy　of　Venice　hove　in　sight；　and　Captaine　la　Roche　desired　to　speak　to　her。　　The　reply　was　so　〃untoward〃　that　a　man　was　slain；　whereupon　the　Britaine　gave　the　argosy　a　broadside；　and　then　his　stem；　and　then　other　broadsides。　　A　lively　fight　ensued；　in　which　the　Britaine　lost　fifteen　men；　and　the　argosy　twenty；　and　then　surrendered　to　save　herself　from　sinking。　　The　noble　Britaine　and　John　Smith　then　proceeded　to　rifle　her。　　He　says　that　〃the　Silkes；　Velvets；　Cloth　of　Gold；　and　Tissue；　Pyasters；　Chiqueenes；　and　Suitanies；　which　is　gold　and　silver；　they　unloaded　in　four…and…twenty　hours　was　wonderful；　whereof　having　sufficient；　and　tired　with　toils；　they　cast　her　off　with　her　company；　with　as　much　good　merchandise　as　would　have　freighted　another　Britaine；　that　was　but　two　hundred　Tunnes；　she　four　or　five　hundred。〃　　Smith's　share　of　this　booty　was　modest。