 | THE TRUE
TRAVELS,
ADVENTURES,
AND OBSERVATIONS
Of Captaine John Smith,
in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America:
beginning about the yeere 1593, and
continued to this present 1629. |  |
Chapter I.
His Birth; Apprentiship; Going into France;
His beginning with ten shillings and three pence;
His Service in Netherlands; His bad passage
into Scotland; His returne to Willoughby; And how
he lived in the Woods.
HE was borne in Willoughby in Lincolne-shire,
and a Scholler in the two Free-schooles
of Alford and Louth. His father
anciently descended from the ancient
Smiths of Crudley in Lancashire; his
mother from the Rickards at great Heck
in York-shire.
His parents dying
when he wasabout thirteene yeeres of age, left him a
competent meanes, which hee not being
capable to manage, little regarded; his minde being even then set
154
intending secretly to ∥ get to Sea, but that his fathers death stayed
him. But now the Guardians of his estate more regarding it than
him, he had libertie enough, though no meanes, to get beyond the
Sea. About the age of fifteene yeeres hee was bound an Apprentice
to Master Thomas Sendall of Linne, the greatest Merchant of all
those parts; but because hee would not presently send him to Sea, he
never saw his master in eight yeeres after.
At last he found meanes
to attend Master Perigrine Barty155
generous Lord Willoughby, and famous Souldier; where comming
to his brother Robert, then at Orleans, now Earle of Linsey, and
Lord great Chamberlaine of England; being then but little youths
under Tutorage: his service being needlesse, within a monethor six
weekes they sent him backe againe to his friends; who when he came
from London they liberally gave him (but out of his owne estate) ten
shillings to be rid of him; such oft is the share of fatherlesse children:
but those two Honourable Brethren gave him sufficient to returne
for England. But it was the least thought of his determination, for
now being freely at libertie in Paris, growing acquainted with one
Master David Hume, who making some use of his purse, gave him
Letters to his friends in Scotland to preferre him to King James.
Arriving at Roane, he better bethinkes himselfe, seeing his money
neere spent, downe the River he went to Haver de grace, where he
first began to learne the life of a souldier: Peace being concluded in
France, he went with Captaine Joseph Duxbury into the Low-countries,
under whose Colours having served three or foure yeeres,
he tooke his journey for Scotland, to deliver his Letters.
At Ancusan
he imbarked himselfe for Lethe, but as muchdanger, as shipwracke and sicknesse could endure, hee had at the
holy Ile in Northumberland neere Barwicke: (being recovered) into
Scotland he went to deliver his Letters.
After much kinde usage amongst those honest Scots at Ripweth
and Broxmoth,
Courtier, he returned to Willoughby in Lincolne-shire; where within
a short time being glutted with too much company, wherein he took
small delight, he retired himselfe into a little wooddie pasture, a good
way from any towne, invironed with many hundred Acres of other
156
only in his cloaths he lay. His studie was Machiavills Art of warre,
and Marcus Aurelius; his exercise a good horse, with his lance and
Ring; his food was thought to be more of venison than any thing
else; what he wanted his man brought him. The countrey wondering
at such an Hermite; His friends perswaded one Seignior Theadora
Polaloga, Rider to Henry Earle of Lincolne, an excellent
Horse-man, and a noble Italian Gentleman, to insinuate into his
wooddish acquaintances, whose Languages and good discourse, and
exercise of riding drew him to stay with him at Tattersall. Long
these pleasures could not content him, but hee returned againe to
the Low-Countreyes.
| THE TRUE
TRAVELS,
ADVENTURES,
AND OBSERVATIONS
Of Captaine John Smith,
in Europe, Asia, Africke, and America:
beginning about the yeere 1593, and
continued to this present 1629. | |