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　cost　me　near　five　years　work；　and　more　than　500　pounds　of　my　own　estate；　besides　all　the　dangers；　miseries　and　encumbrances　I　endured　gratis；　where　I　stayed　till　I　left　500　better　provided　than　ever　I　was：　from　which　blessed　Virgin　（ere　I　returned）　sprung　the　fortunate　habitation　of　Somer　Isles。〃　　〃Ere　I　returned〃　is　in　Smith's　best　vein。　　The　casual　reader　would　certainly　conclude　that　the　Somers　Isles　were　somehow　due　to　the　providence　of　John　Smith；　when　in　fact　he　never　even　heard　that　Gates　and　Smith　were　shipwrecked　there　till　he　had　returned　to　England；　sent　home　from　Virginia。　　Neill　says　that　Smith　ventured　L　9　in　the　Virginia　company！　　But　he　does　not　say　where　he　got　the　money。

New　England；　he　affirms；　hath　been　nearly　as　chargeable　to　him　and　his　friends：　he　never　got　a　shilling　but　it　cost　him　a　pound。　　And　now；　when　New　England　is　prosperous　and　a　certainty；　〃what　think　you　I　undertook　when　nothing　was　known；　but　that　there　was　a　vast　land。〃　These　are　some　of　the　considerations　by　which　he　urges　the　company　to　fit　out　an　expedition　for　him：　〃thus　betwixt　the　spur　of　desire　and　the　bridle　of　reason　I　am　near　ridden　to　death　in　a　ring　of　despair；　the　reins　are　in　your　hands；　therefore　I　entreat　you　to　ease　me。〃

The　Admiral　of　New　England；　who　since　he　enjoyed　the　title　had　had　neither　ship；　nor　sailor；　nor　rod　of　land；　nor　cubic　yard　of　salt　water　under　his　command；　was　not　successful　in　his　several　〃Trials。〃　And　in　the　hodge…podge　compilation　from　himself　and　others；　which　he　had　put　together　shortly　after；the　〃General　Historie；〃　he　pathetically　exclaims：　〃Now　all　these　proofs　and　this　relation；　I　now　called　New　England's　Trials。　　I　caused　two　or　three　thousand　of　them　to　be　printed；　one　thousand　with　a　great　many　maps　both　of　Virginia　and　New　England；　I　presented　to　thirty　of　the　chief　companies　in　London　at　their　Halls；　desiring　either　generally　or　particularly　（them　that　would）　to　imbrace　it　and　by　the　use　of　a　stock　of　five　thousand　pounds　to　ease　them　of　the　superfluity　of　most　of　their　companies　that　had　but　strength　and　health　to　labor；　near　a　year　I　spent　to　understand　their　resolutions；　which　was　to　me　a　greater　toil　and　torment；　than　to　have　been　in　New　England　about　my　business　but　with　bread　and　water；　and　what　I　could　get　by　my　labor；　but　in　conclusion；　seeing　nothing　would　be　effected　I　was　contented　as　well　with　this　loss　of　time　and　change　as　all　the　rest。〃

In　his　〃Advertisements〃　he　says　that　at　his　own　labor；　cost；　and　loss　he　had　〃divulged　more　than　seven　thousand　books　and　maps；〃　in　order　to　influence　the　companies；　merchants　and　gentlemen　to　make　a　plantation；　but　〃all　availed　no　more　than　to　hew　Rocks　with　Oister…　shels。〃

His　suggestions　about　colonizing　were　always　sensible。　　But　we　can　imagine　the　group　of　merchants　in　Cheapside　gradually　dissolving　as　Smith　hove　in　sight　with　his　maps　and　demonstrations。

In　1618；　Smith　addressed　a　letter　directly　to　Lord　Bacon；　to　which　there　seems　to　have　been　no　answer。　　The　body　of　it　was　a　condensation　of　what　he　had　repeatedly　written　about　New　England；　and　the　advantage　to　England　of　occupying　the　fisheries。　　〃This　nineteen　years；〃　he　writes；　〃I　have　encountered　no　few　dangers　to　learn　what　here　I　write　in　these　few　leaves：。。。　　their　fruits　I　am　certain　may　bring　both　wealth　and　honor　for　a　crown　and　a　kingdom　to　his　majesty's　posterity。〃　　With　5；000；　pounds　he　will　undertake　to　establish　a　colony；　and　he　asks　of　his　Majesty　a　pinnace　to　lodge　his　men　and　defend　the　coast　for　a　few　months；　until　the　colony　gets　settled。　　Notwithstanding　his　disappointments　and　losses；　he　is　still　patriotic；　and　offers　his　experience　to　his　country：　〃Should　I　present　it　to　the　Biskayners；　French　and　Hollanders；　they　have　made　me　large　offers。　　But　nature　doth　bind　me　thus　to　beg　at　home；　whom　strangers　have　pleased　to　create　a　commander　abroad。。。。　　Though　I　can　promise　no　mines　of　gold；　the　Hollanders　are　an　example　of　my　project；　whose　endeavors　by　fishing　cannot　be　suppressed　by　all　the　King　of　Spain's　golden　powers。　　Worth　is　more　than　wealth；　and　industrious　subjects　are　more　to　a　kingdom　than　gold。　　And　this　is　so　certain　a　course　to　get　both　as　I　think　was　never　propounded　to　any　state　for　so　small　a　charge；　seeing　I　can　prove　it；　both　by　example；　reason　and　experience。〃

Smith's　maxims　were　excellent；　his　notions　of　settling　New　England　were　sound　and　sensible；　and　if　writing　could　have　put　him　in　command　of　New　England；　there　would　have　been　no　room　for　the　Puritans。　　He　addressed　letter　after　letter　to　the　companies　of　Virginia　and　Plymouth；　giving　them　distinctly　to　understand　that　they　were　losing　time　by　not　availing　themselves　of　his　services　and　his　project。　After　the　Virginia　massacre；　he　offered　to　undertake　to　drive　the　savages　out　of　their　country　with　a　hundred　soldiers　and　thirty　sailors。　　He　heard　that　most　of　the　company　liked　exceedingly　well　the　notion；　but　no　reply　came　to　his　overture。

He　laments　the　imbecility　in　the　conduct　of　the　new　plantations。　　At　first；　he　says；　it　was　feared　the　Spaniards　would　invade　the　plantations　or　the　English　Papists　dissolve　them：　but　neither　the　councils　of　Spain　nor　the　Papists　could　have　desired　a　better　course　to　ruin　the　plantations　than　have　been　pursued；　〃It　seems　God　is　angry　to　see　Virginia　in　hands　so　strange　where　nothing　but　murder　and　indiscretion　contends　for　the　victory。〃

In　his　letters　to　the　company　and　to　the　King's　commissions　for　the　reformation　of　Virginia；　Smith　invariably　reproduces　his　own　exploits；　until　we　can　imagine　every　person　in　London；　who　could　read；　was　sick　of　the　story。　　He　reminds　them　of　his　unrequited　services：　〃in　neither　of　those　two　countries　have　I　one　foot　of　land；　nor　the　very　house　I　builded；　nor　the　ground　I　digged　with　my　own　hands；　nor　ever　any　content　or　satisfaction　at　all；　and　though　I　see　ordinarily　those　two　countries　shared　before　me　by　them　that　neither　have　them　nor　knows　them；　but　by　my　descriptions。。。。　　For　the　books　and　maps　I　have　made；　I　will　thank　him　that　will　show　me　so　much　for　so　little　recompense；　and　bear　with　their　errors　till　I　have　done　better。　　For　the　materials　in　them　I　cannot　deny；　but　am　ready　to　affirm　them　both　there　and　here；　upon　such　ground　as　I　have　propounded；　which　is　to　have　but　fifteen　hundred　men　to　subdue　again　the　Salvages；　fortify　the　country；　discover　that　yet　unknown；　and　both　defend　and　feed　their　colony。〃

There　is　no　record　that　these　various　petitions　and　letters　of　advice　were　received　by　the　companies；　but　Smith　prints　them　in　his　History；　and　gives　also　seven　questions　propounded　to　him　by　the　commissioners；　with　his　replies；　in　which　he　clearly　states　the　cause　of　the　disasters　in　the　colonies；　and　proposes　wise　and　statesman…　like　remedies。　　He　insists　upon　industry　and　good　conduct：　〃to　rectify　a　commonwealth　with　debauched　people　is　impossible；　and　no　wise　man　would　throw　himself　into　such　society；　that　intends　honestly；　and　knows　what　he　understands；　for　there　is　no　country　to　pillage；　as　the　Romans　found；　all　you　expect　from　thence　must　be　by　labour。〃

Smith　was　no　friend　to　tobacco；　and　although　he　favored　the　production　to　a　certain　limit　as　a　means　of　profit；　it　is　interesting　to　note　his　true　prophecy　that　it　would　ultimately　be　a　demoralizing　product。　　He　often　proposes　the　restriction　of　its　cultivation；　and　speaks　with　contempt　of　〃our　men　rooting　in　the　ground　about　tobacco　like　swine。〃　　The　colony　would　have　been　much　better　off　〃had　they　not　so　much　doated　on　their　tobacco；　on　whose　furnish　foundation　there　is　small　stability。〃

So　long　as　he　lived；　Smith　kept　himself　informed　of　the　progress　of　adventure　and　settlement　in　the　New　World；　reading　all　relations　and　eagerly　questioning　all　voyagers；　and　transferring　their　accounts　to　his　own　History；　which　became　a　confused　patchwork　of　other　men's　exploits　and　his　own　reminiscences　and　reflections。　　He　always　regards　the　new　plantations　as　somehow　his　own；　and　made　in　the　light　of　his　advice；　and　their　mischances　are　usually　due　to　the　neglect　of　his　counsel。　　He　relates　in　this　volume　the　story　of　the　Pilgrims　in　1620　and　the　years　following；　and　of　the　settlement　of　the　Somers　Isles；　making　himself　appear　as　a　kind　of　Providence　over　the　New　World。

Out　of　his　various　and　repetitious　writings　might　be　compiled　quite　a　hand…book　of　maxims　and　wise　saws。　　Yet　all　had　in　steady　view　one　purposeto　excite　interest　in　his　favorite　projects；　to　shame　the　laggards　of　England　out　of　their　idleness；　and　to　give　himself　honorable　employment　and　authority　in　the　building　up　of　a　new　empire。　　〃Who　can　desire；〃　he　exclaims；　〃more　content　that　hath　small　means；　or　but　only　his　merit　to　advance　his　fortunes；　than　to　tread　and　plant　that　ground　he　hath　purchased　by　the　hazard　of　his　life；　if　he　have　but　the　taste　of　virtue　and　magnanimity；　what　to　such　a　mind　can　be　more　pleasant　than　planting　and　building　a　foundation　for　his　posterity；　got　from　the　rude　earth　by　God's　blessing　and　his　own　industry　without　prejudice　to　any；　if　he　have　any　grace　of　faith　or　zeal　in　Religion；　what　can　be　more　healthful　to　any　or　more　agreeable　to　God　than　to　convert　those　poor　salvages　to　know　Christ　and　humanity；　whose　labours　and　discretion　will　triply　requite