Captain John Smith eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 268 pages of information about Captain John Smith.

Captain John Smith eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 268 pages of information about Captain John Smith.

“Two or three Sunday mornings, the Indians gave us allarums at our towne.  By that tymes they weare answered, the place about us well discovered, and our devyne service ended, the daie was farr spent.  The preacher did aske me if it were my pleasure to have a sermon:  hee said hee was prepared for it.  I made answere, that our men were weary and hungry, and that he did see the time of the daie farr past (for at other tymes bee never made such question, but, the service finished he began his sermon); and that, if it pleased him, wee would spare him till some other tyme.  I never failed to take such noates by wrighting out of his doctrine as my capacity could comprehend, unless some raynie day hindred my endeavor.  My mynde never swelled with such ympossible mountebank humors as could make me affect any other kingdome than the kingdom of heaven.

“As truly as God liveth, I gave an ould man, then the keeper of the private store, 2 glasses with sallet oyle which I brought with me out of England for my private stoare, and willed him to bury it in the ground, for that I feared the great heate would spoile it.  Whatsoever was more, I did never consent unto or know of it, and as truly was it protested unto me, that all the remaynder before mencioned of the oyle, wyne, &c., which the President receyved of me when I was deposed they themselves poored into their owne bellyes.

“To the President’s and Counsell’s objections I saie that I doe knowe curtesey and civility became a governor.  No penny whittle was asked me, but a knife, whereof I have none to spare The Indyans had long before stoallen my knife.  Of chickins I never did eat but one, and that in my sicknes.  Mr. Ratcliff had before that time tasted Of 4 or 5.  I had by my owne huswiferie bred above 37, and the most part of them my owne poultrye; of all which, at my comyng awaie, I did not see three living.  I never denyed him (or any other) beare, when I had it.  The corne was of the same which we all lived upon.

“Mr. Smyth, in the time of our hungar, had spread a rumor in the Collony, that I did feast myself and my servants out of the comon stoare, with entent (as I gathered) to have stirred the discontented company against me.  I told him privately, in Mr. Gosnold’s tent, that indeede I had caused half a pint of pease to be sodden with a peese of pork, of my own provision, for a poore old man, which in a sicknes (whereof he died) he much desired; and said, that if out of his malice he had given it out otherwise, that hee did tell a leye.  It was proved to his face, that he begged in Ireland like a rogue, without a lycence.  To such I would not my nam should be a companyon.”

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Captain John Smith from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.