the complete writings-3-第70部分

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The　last　work　of　our　author　was　published　in　1631；　the　year　of　his　death。　　Its　full　title　very　well　describes　the　contents：　〃Advertisements　for　the　Unexperienced　Planters　of　New　England；　or　anywhere。　　Or；　the　Pathway　to　Experience　to　erect　a　Plantation。　　With　the　yearly　proceedings　of　this　country　in　fishing　and　planting　since　the　year　1614　to　the　year　1630；　and　their　present　estate。　　Also；　how　to　prevent　the　greatest　inconvenience　by　their　proceedings　in　Virginia；　and　other　plantations　by　approved　examples。　　With　the　countries　armes；　a　description　of　the　coast；　harbours；　habitations；　landmarks；　latitude　and　longitude：　with　the　map　allowed　by　our　Royall　King　Charles。〃

Smith　had　become　a　trifle　cynical　in　regard　to　the　newsmongers　of　the　day；　and　quaintly　remarks　in　his　address　to　the　reader：　〃Apelles　by　the　proportion　of　a　foot　could　make　the　whole　proportion　of　a　man：　were　he　now　living；　he　might　go　to　school；　for　now　thousands　can　by　opinion　proportion　kingdoms；　cities　and　lordships　that　never　durst　adventure　to　see　them。　　Malignancy　I　expect　from　these；　have　lived　10　or　12　years　in　those　actions；　and　return　as　wise　as　they　went；　claiming　time　and　experience　for　their　tutor　that　can　neither　shift　Sun　nor　moon；　nor　say　their　compass；　yet　will　tell　you　of　more　than　all　the　world　betwixt　the　Exchange；　Paul's　and　Westminster。。。。　and　tell　as　well　what　all　England　is　by　seeing　but　Mitford　Haven　as　what　Apelles　was　by　the　picture　of　his　great　toe。〃

This　is　one　of　Smith's　most　characteristic　productions。　　Its　material　is　ill…arranged；　and　much　of　it　is　obscurely　written；　it　runs　backward　and　forward　along　his　life；　refers　constantly　to　his　former　works　and　repeats　them；　complains　of　the　want　of　appreciation　of　his　services；　and　makes　himself　the　centre　of　all　the　colonizing　exploits　of　the　age。　　Yet　it　is　interspersed　with　strokes　of　humor　and　observations　full　of　good　sense。

It　opens　with　the　airy　remark：　〃The　wars　in　Europe；　Asia　and　Africa；　taught　me　how　to　subdue　the　wild　savages　in　Virginia　and　New　England。〃　　He　never　did　subdue　the　wild　savages　in　New　England；　and　he　never　was　in　any　war　in　Africa；　nor　in　Asia；　unless　we　call　his　piratical　cruising　in　the　Mediterranean　〃wars　in　Asia。〃

As　a　Church　of　England　man；　Smith　is　not　well　pleased　with　the　occupation　of　New　England　by　the　Puritans；　Brownists；　and　such　〃factious　humorists〃　as　settled　at　New　Plymouth；　although　he　acknowledges　the　wonderful　patience　with　which；　in　their　ignorance　and　willfulness；　they　have　endured　losses　and　extremities；　but　he　hopes　better　things　of　the　gentlemen　who　went　in　1629　to　supply　Endicott　at　Salem；　and　were　followed　the　next　year　by　Winthrop。　　All　these　adventurers　have；　he　says；　made　use　of　his　〃aged　endeavors。〃　It　seems　presumptuous　in　them　to　try　to　get　on　with　his　maps　and　descriptions　and　without　him。　　They　probably　had　never　heard；　except　in　the　title…pages　of　his　works；　that　he　was　〃Admiral　of　New　England。〃

Even　as　late　as　this　time　many　supposed　New　England　to　be　an　island；　but　Smith　again　asserts；　what　he　had　always　maintainedthat　it　was　a　part　of　the　continent。　　The　expedition　of　Winthrop　was　scattered　by　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　any