the complete writings-3-第64部分

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This　is　the　earliest　use　I　find　of　our　word　〃conundrum；〃　and　the　sense　it　bears　here　may　aid　in　discovering　its　origin。

Powhatan　is　a　very　large　figure　in　early　Virginia　history；　and　deserves　his　prominence。　　He　was　an　able　and　crafty　savage；　and　made　a　good　fight　against　the　encroachments　of　the　whites；　but　he　was　no　match　for　the　crafty　Smith；　nor　the　double…dealing　of　the　Christians。　There　is　something　pathetic　about　the　close　of　his　life；　his　sorrow　for　the　death　of　his　daughter　in　a　strange　land；　when　he　saw　his　territories　overrun　by　the　invaders；　from　whom　he　only　asked　peace；　and　the　poor　privilege　of　moving　further　away　from　them　into　the　wilderness　if　they　denied　him　peace。

In　the　midst　of　this　savagery　Pocahontas　blooms　like　a　sweet；　wild　rose。　　She　was；　like　the　Douglas；　〃tender　and　true。〃　　Wanting　apparently　the　cruel　nature　of　her　race　generally；　her　heroic　qualities　were　all　of　the　heart。　　No　one　of　all　the　contemporary　writers　has　anything　but　gentle　words　for　her。　　Barbarous　and　untaught　she　was　like　her　comrades；　but　of　a　gentle　nature。　　Stripped　of　all　the　fictions　which　Captain　Smith　has　woven　into　her　story；　and　all　the　romantic　suggestions　which　later　writers　have　indulged　in；　she　appears；　in　the　light　of　the　few　facts　that　industry　is　able　to　gather　concerning　her；　as　a　pleasing　and　unrestrained　Indian　girl；　probablv　not　different　from　her　savage　sisters　in　her　habits；　but　bright　and　gentle；　struck　with　admiration　at　the　appearance　of　the　white　men；　and　easily　moved　to　pity　them；　and　so　inclined　to　a　growing　and　lasting　friendship　for　them；　tractable　and　apt　to　learn　refinements；　accepting　the　new　religion　through　love　for　those　who　taught　it；　and　finally　becoming　in　her　maturity　a　well…balanced；　sensible；　dignified　Christian　woman。

According　to　the　long…accepted　story　of　Pocahontas；　she　did　something　more　than　interfere　to　save　from　barbarous　torture　and　death　a　stranger　and　a　captive；　who　had　forfeited　his　life　by　shooting　those　who　opposed　his　invasion。　　In　all　times；　among　the　most　savage　tribes　and　in　civilized　society；　women　have　been　moved　to　heavenly　pity　by　the　sight　of　a　prisoner；　and　risked　life　to　save　himthe　impulse　was　as　natural　to　a　Highland　lass　as　to　an　African　maid。　　Pocahontas　went　further　than　efforts　to　make　peace　between　the　superior　race　and　her　own。　　When　the　whites　forced　the　Indians　to　contribute　from　their　scanty　stores　to　the　support　of　the　invaders；　and　burned　their　dwellings　and　shot　them　on　sight　if　they　refused；　the　Indian　maid　sympathized　with　the　exposed　whites　and　warned　them　of　stratagems　against　them；　captured　herself　by　a　base　violation　of　the　laws　of　hospitality；　she　was　easily　reconciled　to　her　situation；　adopted　the　habits　of　the　foreigners；　married　one　of　her　captors；　and　in　peace　and　in　war　cast　in　her　lot　with　the　strangers。　　History　has　not　preserved　for　us　the　Indian　view　of　her　conduct。

It　was　no　doubt　fortunate　for　her；　though　perhaps　not　for　the　colony；　that　her　romantic　career　ended　by　an　early　death；　so　that　she　always　remains　in　history　in　the　bloom　of　youth。　　She　did　not　live　to　be　pained　by　the　contrast；　to　which　her　eyes　were　opened；　between　her　own　and　her　adopted　people；　nor　to　learn　what　things　could　be　done　in　the　Christian　name　she　loved；　nor　to　see　her　husband　in　a　less　honorable　light　than　she　left　him；　nor　to　be　involved　in　any　way　in　the　frightful　massacre　of　1622。　　If　she　had　remained　in　England　after　the　novelty　was　over；　she　might　have　been　subject　to　slights　and　mortifying　neglect。　　The　struggles　of　the　fighting　colony　could　have　brought　her　little　but　pain。　　Dying　when　she　did；　she　rounded　out　one　of　the　prettiest　romances　of　all　history；　and　secured　for　her　name　the　affection　of　a　great　nation；　whose　empire　has　spared　little　that　belonged　to　her　childhood　and　race；　except　the　remembrance　of　her　friendship　for　those　who　destroyed　her　people。




XVII

NEW　ENGLAND　ADVENTURES

Captain　John　Smith　returned　to　England　in　the　autumn　of　1609；　wounded　in　body　and　loaded　with　accusations　of　misconduct；　concocted　by　his　factious　companions　in　Virginia。　　There　is　no　record　that　these　charges　were　ever　considered　by　the　London　Company。　　Indeed；　we　cannot　find　that　the　company　in　those　days　ever　took　any　action　on　the　charges　made　against　any　of　its　servants　in　Virginia。　　Men　came　home　in　disgrace　and　appeared　to　receive　neither　vindication　nor　condemnation。　　Some　sunk　into　private　life；　and　others　more　pushing　and　brazen；　like　Ratcliffe；　the　enemy　of　Smith；　got　employment　again　after　a　time。　　The　affairs　of　the　company　seem　to　have　been　conducted　with　little　order　or　justice。

Whatever　may　have　been　the　justice　of　the　charges　against　Smith；　he　had　evidently　forfeited　the　good　opinion　of　the　company　as　a　desirable　man　to　employ。　　They　might　esteem　his　energy　and　profit　by　his　advice　and　experience；　but　they　did　not　want　his　services。　　And　in　time　he　came　to　be　considered　an　enemy　of　the　company。

Unfortunately　for　biographical　purposes；　Smith's　life　is　pretty　much　a　blank　from　1609　to　1614。　　When　he　ceases　to　write　about　himself　he　passes　out　of　sight。　　There　are　scarcely　any　contemporary　allusions　to　his　existence　at　this　time。　　We　may　assume；　however；　from　our　knowledge　of　his　restlessness；　ambition；　and　love　of　adventure；　that　he　was　not　idle。　　We　may　assume　that　he　besieged　the　company　with　his　plans　for　the　proper　conduct　of　the　settlement　of　Virginia；　that　he　talked　at　large　in　all　companies　of　his　discoveries；　his　exploits；　which　grew　by　the　relating；　and　of　the　prospective　greatness　of　the　new　Britain　beyond　the　Atlantic。　　That　he　wearied　the　Council　by　his　importunity　and　his　acquaintances　by　his　hobby；　we　can　also　surmise。　No　doubt　also　he　was　considered　a　fanatic　by　those　who　failed　to　comprehend　the　greatness　of　his　schemes；　and　to　realize；　as　he　did；　the　importance　of　securing　the　new　empire　to　the　English　before　it　was　occupied　by　the　Spanish　and　the　French。　　His　conceit；　his　boasting；　and　his　overbearing　manner；　which　no　doubt　was　one　of　the　causes　why　he　was　unable　to　act　in　harmony　with　the　other　adventurers　of　that　day；　all　told　against　him。　　He　was　that　most　uncomfortable　person；　a　man　conscious　of　his　own　importance；　and　out　of　favor　and　out　of　money。

Yet　Smith　had　friends；　and　followers；　and　men　who　believed　in　him。　This　is　shown　by　the　remarkable　eulogies　in　verse　from　many　pens；　which　he　prefixes　to　the　various　editions　of　his　many　works。　　They　seem　to　have　been　written　after　reading　the　manuscripts；　and　prepared　to　accompany　the　printed　volumes　and　tracts。　　They　all　allude　to　the　envy　and　detraction　to　which　he　was　subject；　and　which　must　have　amounted　to　a　storm　of　abuse　and　perhaps　ridicule；　and　they　all　tax　the　English　vocabulary　to　extol　Smith；　his　deeds；　and　his　works。　　In　putting　forward　these　tributes　of　admiration　and　affection；　as　well　as　in　his　constant　allusion　to　the　ill　requital　of　his　services；　we　see　a　man　fighting　for　his　reputation；　and　conscious　of　the　necessity　of　doing　so。　　He　is　ever　turning　back；　in　whatever　he　writes；　to　rehearse　his　exploits　and　to　defend　his　motives。

The　London　to　which　Smith　returned　was　the　London　of　Shakespeare's　day；　a　city　dirty；　with　ill…paved　streets　unlighted　at　night；　no　sidewalks；　foul　gutters；　wooden　houses；　gable　ends　to　the　street；　set　thickly　with　small　windows　from　which　slops　and　refuse　were　at　any　moment　of　the　day　or　night　liable　to　be　emptied　upon　the　heads　of　the　passers　by；　petty　little　shops　in　which　were　beginning　to　be　displayed　the　silks　and　luxuries　of　the　continent；　a　city　crowded　and　growing　rapidly；　subject　to　pestilences　and　liable　to　sweeping　conflagrations。　　The　Thames　had　no　bridges；　and　hundreds　of　boats　plied　between　London　side　and　Southwark；　where　were　most　of　the　theatres；　the　bull…baitings；　the　bear…fighting；　the　public　gardens；　the　residences　of　the　hussies；　and　other　amusements　that　Bankside；　the　resort　of　all　classes　bent　on　pleasure；　furnished　high　or　low。　At　no　time　before　or　since　was　there　such　fantastical　fashion　in　dress；　both　in　cut　and　gay　colors；　nor　more　sumptuousness　in　costume　or　luxury　in　display　among　the　upper　classes；　and　such　squalor　in　low　life。　　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　o