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INTRODUCTION
As has been mentioned in the editor's General Introduction in Volume I, a
dozen, largely brief, documents pertinent to John Smith's life and works,
never before assembled, have been included in this edition. These consist in
a few bits of Smith's poetry, several quotations from Smith that are found in
other works, a single letter to him, a summary of pertinent correspondence,
and other details. They are presented chronologically and listed as "Fragments,"
since the bulk of them are evidently incomplete. They may be summarized
according to sources and nature as follows:
Fragments A–D and I–J have been reprinted from two works by
Samuel Purchas, the first four from Purchas his Pilgrimage. Or Relations Of The
World ... (London, 1613), and the latter two from Hakluytus Posthumus, or
Purchas His Pilgrimes ... (London, 1625). These fragments contain notes not
exactly reproduced in any other work bearing Smith's name, and specifically
Fragment J supplies us with a first draft, or prototype, of what Smith himself
later printed as his True Travels.
Fragments E and F provide independent information on Smith's activities
in 1616, about the time he failed to get further support for his plans to
colonize New England. Fragment E consists of a much-damaged letter from
Capt. Edward Brawnde to Smith, while Fragment F contains a summary of
recently strayed documents regarding a proposal of Smith's to promote
whale fishing off New England with Danish and even Basque help. Both of
these have to do with Smith's efforts to establish colonies, by however roundabout
a route.
Fragment G is an indirect contribution to the solution of the everpresent
problem of inspiring confidence in the rank and file of followers when
fortune seems to frown ominously on their efforts. This document, attributed
to Smith, is a rough translation of, or commentary on, a passage in Julius
Caesar's De bello gallico, and so impressed Nathaniel Butler that he copied
(and perhaps altered) it in his own hand.
Fragments H, K, and L form with "The Sea Marke" (prefacing the
Advertisements) the only known, or surmised, verses by John Smith. The two
couplets in Fragment H may be attributed to Smith on the grounds that they
have not been found in Bishop Martin Fotherby's Atheomastix (London,
1622), which supplied Smith with all his other illustrative poetical asides in
the Generall Historie. The other two fragments are Smith's only known commendatory
verses honoring author-friends.
The bibliographical details of sources are given at the head of each
fragment.
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