the complete writings-3-第26部分

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roops　for　its　relief　or　its　recovery。　　The　Duc　de　Mercoeur　went　out　to　meet　this　army；　and　encountered　it　in　the　plains　of　Girke。　　In　the　first　skirmishes　the　Earl　Meldritch　was　very　nearly　cut　off；　although　he　made　〃his　valour　shine　more　bright　than　his　armour；　which　seemed　then　painted　with　Turkish　blood。〃　　Smith　himself　was　sore　wounded　and　had　his　horse　slain　under　him。　　The　campaign；　at　first　favorable　to　the　Turks；　was　inconclusive；　and　towards　winter　the　Bashaw　retired　to　Buda。　　The　Duc　de　Mercoeur　then　divided　his　army。　　The　Earl　of　Rosworme　was　sent　to　assist　the　Archduke　Ferdinand；　who　was　besieging　Caniza；　the　Earl　of　Meldritch；　with　six　thousand　men；　was　sent　to　assist　Georgio　Busca　against　the　Transylvanians；　and　the　Duc　de　Mercoeur　set　out　for　France　to　raise　new　forces。　　On　his　way　he　received　great　honor　at　Vienna；　and　staying　overnight　at　Nuremberg；　he　was　royally　entertained　by　the　Archdukes　Mathias　and　Maximilian。　The　next　morning　after　the　feasthow　it　chanced　is　not　knownhe　was　found　dead　His　brother…inlaw　died　two　days　afterwards；　and　the　hearts　of　both；　with　much　sorrow；　were　carried　into　France。

We　now　come　to　the　most　important　event　in　the　life　of　Smith　before　he　became　an　adventurer　in　Virginia；　an　event　which　shows　Smith's　readiness　to　put　in　practice　the　chivalry　which　had　in　the　old　chronicles　influenced　his　boyish　imagination；　and　we　approach　it　with　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　that　it　loses　nothing　in　Smith's　narration。

It　must　be　mentioned　that　Transylvania；　which　the　Earl　of　Meldritch；　accompanied　by　Captain　Smith；　set　out　to　relieve；　had　long　been　in　a　disturbed　condition；　owing　to　internal　dissensions；　of　which　the　Turks　took　advantage。　　Transylvania；　in　fact；　was　a　Turkish　dependence；　and　it　gives　us　an　idea　of　the　far　reach　of　the　Moslem　influence　in　Europe；　that　Stephen　VI。；　vaivode　of　Transylvania；　was；　on　the　commendation　of　Sultan　Armurath　III。；　chosen　King　of　Poland。

To　go　a　little　further　back　than　the　period　of　Smith's　arrival；　John　II。　　of　Transylvania　was　a　champion　of　the　Turk；　and　an　enemy　of　Ferdinand　and　his　successors。　　His　successor；　Stephen　VI。；　surnamed　Battori；　or　Bathor；　was　made　vaivode　by　the　Turks；　and　afterwards；　as　we　have　said；　King　of　Poland。　　He　was　succeeded　in　1575　by　his　brother　Christopher　Battori；　who　was　the　first　to　drop　the　title　of　vaivode　and　assume　that　of　Prince　of　Transylvania。　　The　son　of　Christopher；　Sigismund　Battori；　shook　off　the　Turkish　bondage；　defeated　many　of　their　armies；　slew　some　of　their　pashas；　and　gained　the　title　of　the　Scanderbeg　of　the　times　in　which　he　lived。　　Not　able　to　hold　out；　however；　against　so　potent　an　adversary；　he　resigned　his　estate　to　the　Emperor　Rudolph　II。；　and　received　in　exchange　the　dukedoms　of　Oppelon　and　Ratibor　in　Silesia；　with　an　annual　pension　of　fifty　thousand　joachims。　　The　pension　not　being　well　paid；　Sigismund　made　another　resignation　of　his　principality　to　his　cousin　Andrew　Battori；　who　had　the　ill　luck　to　be　slain　within　the　year　by　the　vaivode　of　Valentia。　　Thereupon　Rudolph；　Emperor　and　King　of　Hungary；　was　acknowledged　Prince　of　Transylvania。　　But　the　Transylvania　soldiers　did　not　take　kindly　to　a　foreign　prince；　and　behaved　so　unsoldierly　that　Sigismund　was　called　back。　　But　he　was　unable　to　settle　himself　in　his　dominions；　and　the　second　time　he　left　his　country　in　the　power　of　Rudolph　and　retired　to　Prague；　where；　in　1615；　he　died　unlamented。

It　was　during　this　last　effort　of　Sigismund　to　regain　his　position　that　the　Earl　of　Meldritch；　accompanied　by　Smith；　went　to　Transylvania；　with　the　intention　of　assisting　Georgio　Busca；　who　was　the　commander　of　the　Emperor's　party。　　But　finding　Prince　Sigismund　in　possession　of　the　most　territory　and　of　the　hearts　of　the　people；　the　earl　thought　it　best　to　assist　the　prince　against　the　Turk；　rather　than　Busca　against　the　prince。　　Especially　was　he　inclined　to　that　side　by　the　offer　of　free　liberty　of　booty　for　his　worn　and　unpaid　troops；　of　what　they　could　get　possession　of　from　the　Turks。

This　last　consideration　no　doubt　persuaded　the　troops　that　Sigismund　had　〃so　honest　a　cause。〃　　The　earl　was　born　in　Transylvania；　and　the　Turks　were　then　in　possession　of　his　father's　country。　　In　this　distracted　state　of　the　land；　the　frontiers　had　garrisons　among　the　mountains；　some　of　which　held　for　the　emperor；　some　for　the　prince；　and　some　for　the　Turk。　　The　earl　asked　leave　of　the　prince　to　make　an　attempt　to　regain　his　paternal　estate。　　The　prince；　glad　of　such　an　ally；　made　him　camp…master　of　his　army；　and　gave　him　leave　to　plunder　the　Turks。　　Accordingly　the　earl　began　to　make　incursions　of　the　frontiers　into　what　Smith　calls　the　Land　of　Zarkamamong　rocky　mountains；　where　were　some　Turks；　some　Tartars；　but　most　Brandittoes；　Renegadoes；　and　such　like；　which　he　forced　into　the　Plains　of　Regall；　where　was　a　city　of　men　and　fortifications；　strong　in　itself；　and　so　environed　with　mountains　that　it　had　been　impregnable　in　all　these　wars。

It　must　be　confessed　that　the　historians　and　the　map…makers　did　not　always　attach　the　importance　that　Smith　did　to　the　battles　in　which　he　was　conspicuous；　and　we　do　not　find　the　Land　of　Zarkam　or　the　city　of　Regall　in　the　contemporary　chronicles　or　atlases。　　But　the　region　is　sufficiently　identified。　　On　the　River　Maruch；　or　Morusus；　was　the　town　of　Alba　Julia；　or　Weisenberg；　the　residence　of　the　vaivode　or　Prince　of　Transylvania。　　South　of　this　capital　was　the　town　Millenberg；　and　southwest　of　this　was　a　very　strong　fortress；　commanding　a　narrow　pass　leading　into　Transylvania　out　of　Hungary；　probably　where　the　River　Maruct：　broke　through　the　mountains。　　We　infer　that　it　was　this　pass　that　the　earl　captured　by　a　stratagem；　and　carrying　his　army　through　it；　began　the　siege　of　Regall　in　the　plain。　　〃The　earth　no　sooner　put　on　her　green　habit；〃　says　our　knight…errant；〃　than　the　earl　overspread　her　with　his　troops。〃　Regall　occupied　a　strong　fortress　on　a　promontory　and　the　Christians　encamped　on　the　plain　before　it。

In　the　conduct　of　this　campaign；　we　pass　at　once　into　the　age　of　chivalry；　about　which　Smith　had　read　so　much。　　We　cannot　but　recognize　that　this　is　his　opportunity。　　His　idle　boyhood　had　been　soaked　in　old　romances；　and　he　had　set　out　in　his　youth　to　do　what　equally　dreamy　but　less　venturesome　devourers　of　old　chronicles　were　content　to　read　about。　　Everything　arranged　itself　as　Smith　would　have　had　it。　　When　the　Christian　army　arrived；　the　Turks　sallied　out　and　gave　it　a　lively　welcome；　which　cost　each　side　about　fifteen　hundred　men。　　Meldritch　had　but　eight　thousand　soldiers；　but　he　was　re…enforced　by　the　arrival　of　nine　thousand　more；　with　six…and…twenty　pieces　of　ordnance；　under　Lord　Zachel　Moyses；　the　general　of　the　army；　who　took　command　of　the　whole。

After　the　first　skirmish　the　Turks　remained　within　their　fortress；　the　guns　of　which　commanded　the　plain；　and　the　Christians　spent　a　month　in　intrenching　themselves　and　mounting　their　guns。

The　Turks；　who　taught　Europe　the　art　of　civilized　war；　behaved　all　this　time　in　a　courtly　and　chivalric　manner；　exchanging　with　the　besiegers　wordy　compliments　until　such　time　as　the　latter　were　ready　to　begin。　　The　Turks　derided　the　slow　progress　of　the　works；　inquired　if　their　ordnance　was　in　pawn；　twitted　them　with　growing　fat　for　want　of　exercise；　and　expressed　the　fear　that　the　Christians　should　depart　without　making　an　assault。

In　order　to　make　the　time　pass　pleasantly；　and　exactly　in　accordance　with　the　tales　of　chivalry　which　Smith　had　read；　the　Turkish　Bashaw　in　the　fortress　sent　out　his　challenge：　〃That　to　delight　the　ladies；　who　did　long　to　see　some　courtlike　pastime；　the　Lord　Tubashaw　did　defy　any　captaine　that　had　the　command　of　a　company；　who　durst　combat　with　him　for　his　head。〃

This　handsome　offer　to　swap　heads　was　accepted；　lots　were　cast　for　the　honor　of　meeting　the　lord；　and；　fortunately　for　us；　the　choice　fell　upon　an　ardent　fighter　of　twenty…three　years；　named　Captain　John　Smith。　　Nothing　was　wanting　to　give　dignity　to　the　spectacle。　　Truce　was　made；　the　ramparts　of　this　fortress…city　in　the　mountains　（which　we　cannot　find　on　the　map）　were　〃all　beset　with　faire　Dames　and　men　in　Armes〃；　the　Christians　were　drawn　up　in　battle　array；　and　upon　the　theatre　thus　prepared　the　Turkish　Bashaw；　armed　and　mounted；　entered　with　a　flourish　of　hautboys；　on　his　shoulders　were　fixed　a　pair　of　great　wings；　compacted　of　eagles'　feathers　within　a　ridge　of　silver　richly　garnished　with　gold　and　precious　stones；　before　him　was　a　janissary　bearing　his　lance；　and　a　janissary　walked　at　each　side　leading　his　steed。

This　gorgeous　being　Smith　did　not　keep　long　waiting。　　Riding　into　the　field　with　a　flourish　of　trumpets；　and　only　a　simple　page　to　bear　his　lance；　Smith　favored　the　Bashaw　with　a　courteous　salute；　took　position；　charged　at　the　signal；　and　before　the　Bashaw　could　say　〃Jack　Robinson；〃　thrust　his　lance　through　the　sight　of　his　beaver；　face；　head　and　all；　threw　him　dead　to　the　ground；　alighted；　unbraced　his　helmet；　and　cut　off　his　head。　　The　whole　affair　was　over　so　suddenly　that　as　a　pastime　for　ladies　it　must　have　been　disappointing。　　The　Turks　came　out　and　took　the　headless　trunk；　and　Smith；　according　to　the　terms　of　the　challenge；　appropriated　the　head　and　presented　it　to　General　Moyses。

This　ceremonious　but　still　hasty　procedure　excited　the　rage　of　one　Grualgo；　the　friend　of　the　Bashaw；　who　sent　a　particular　challenge　to　Smith　to　regain　his　friend's　head　or　lose　his　own；　together　with　his　horse　and　armor。　　Our　hero　varied　the　combat　this　time。　　The　two　combatants　shivered　lances　and　then　took　to　pistols；　Smith　received　a　mark　upon　the　〃placard；〃　but　so　wounded　the　Turk　in　his　left　arm　that　he　was　unable　to　rule　his　horse。　　Smith　then　unhorsed　him；　cut　off　his　head；　took　possession　of　head；　horse；　and　armor；　but　returned　the　rich　apparel　and　the　body　to　his　friends　in　the　most　gentlemanly　manner。

Captain　Smith　was　perhaps　too　serious　a　knight　to　see　the　humor　of　these　encounters；　but　he　does　not　lack　humor　in　describing　them；　and　he　adopted　easily　the　witty　courtesies　of　the　code　he　was　illustrating。　　After　he　had　gathered　two　heads；　and　the　siege　still　dragged；　he　became　in　turn　the　challenger；　in　phrase　as　courteously　and　grimly　facetious　as　was　permissible