He was born in Willoughby in Lincoln-shire, and a Scholar in the two Free-Schools of Alford and Louth. His Father antiently 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 was about Thirteen Years of Age, left him a competent Means, which he not being capable to manage, little regarded; his Mind being even then set upon brave Adventures, sold his Satchel, Books, and all he had, intending secretly to get to Sea, but that his Fathers Death stay'd him. But now the Guardians of his Estate more regarding it than him, he had liberty enough, though no Means, to get beyond the Sea. About the Age of Fifteen Years, he was bound an Apprentice to Mr. Thomas Sendalt of Linne, the greatest Merchant of all those Parts; but because he would not presently send him to Sea, he never saw his Master in Eight Years after. At last he found Means to attend Mr. Peregrine Berty into France, second Son to the Right Honourable Peregrine, that generous Lord Willoughby, and famous Soldier; where coming to his Brother Robert, then at Orleans, now Earl of Lindsey, and Lord Great Chamberlain of England; being then but little Youths under Tutorage: His Service being needless, within a Month or six Weeks they sent him back again to his Friends; who when he came from London, they liberally gave him (but out of his own Estate) Ten Shillings to be rid of him; such oft is the share of Fatherless Children: But those two Honourable Brethren gave him sufficient to return for England. But it was the least thought of his Determination, for now being freely at liberty in Paris, growing acquainted with one Mr. David Hume, who making some use of his Purse, gave him Letters to his Friends in Scotland to prefer him to King James. Arriving at Roan, he better bethinks himself, seeing his Money near spent, down the River he went to Haver de grace, where he first began to learn the Life of a Soldier: Peace being concluded in France, he went with Captain Joseph Duxbury into the Low-Countries, under whose Colours, having served three or four Years, he took his Journey for Scotland, to deliver his Letters. At Ancusan he imbark'd himself for Lethe, but as much danger, as Shipwreck and Sickness could endure, he had at the Holy Isle in Northumberland near Berwick, ( being recovered ) into Scotland he went to deliver his Letters. After much kind usage among those honest Scots at Ripweth and Broxmoth, but neither Money nor Means to make him a Courtier, he returned to Willoughby in Lincoln-shire; where within a short time, being glutted with too much Company, wherein he took small delight, he retired himself into a little Woody Pasture, a good way from any Town, invironed with many hundred Acres of other Woods: Here, by a fair Brook he built a Pavillion of Boughs, where only in his Cloths he lay. His Study was Machiavil's Art of War, 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 Country wondering at such an Hermite, his Friends perswaded one Seignior Theodora Polaloga, Rider to Henry Earl of Lincoln, an excellent Horse Man, and a Noble Italian Gentleman, to insinuate into his Woodish Acquaintance, 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 he returned again to the Low Countries.
CHAP. II.
The notable Villany of four French Gallants, and his revenge; Smith
thrown over-board; Captain La Roche of Saint Malo relieves him.
Thus when France and Netherlands had taught him to Ride a Horse, and use his Arms, with such Rudiments of War, as his tender Years in those Martial Schools could attain unto; he was desirous to see more of the World, and try his Fortune against the Turks, both repenting and lamenting to have seen so many Christians slaughter one another. {MN} Opportunity calling him; into the Company of four French Gallants well attended, faining to him the one to be a great Lord, the rest his Gentlemen, and that they were all devoted that way; over-perswaded him to go with them into France, to the Dutchess of Merceur, from whom they should not only have Means, but also Letters of Favour to her Noble Duke, then General for the Emperour Rolduphus in Hungary; which he did, with such ill Weather as Winter affordeth, in the dark Night they arrived in the broad shallow In-let of St. Valleries sur Soame in Picardie; His French Lord knowing he had good Apparel, and better furnished with Money than themselves, so Plotted with the Master of the Ship, to set his and their own Trunks ashore, leaving Smith aboard till the Boat could return, which was the next day after, towards Evening: The reason he alledged, was, the Sea went so high he could come no sooner, and that his Lord was gone to Amiens, where they would stay his coming; which treacherous Villany, when divers other Soldiers, and Passengers understood, they had like to have slain the Master, and had they known how, would have run away with the Ship.
{MN} A notable Villany of four French Gallants.
Coming on shoar, he had but one Cavvalue, {MN-1} was forced to sell his Cloak to pay for his Passage. One of the Soldiers, called Curzianvere, compassionating his Injury, assured him, this great Lord Depreau was only the Son of a Lawyer of Mortaigne in base Britany, and his Attendants Cursell, La Nelie, and Monserrat, three young Citizens, as arrant Cheats as himself; but if he would accompany him, he would bring him to their Friends, but in the interim supplied his wants: Thus Travelling by Deepe, Cadebeck, Humphla, Pount-demer in Normandy, they came to Caen in base Normandy; where both this Noble Curzianvere, and the great Prior of the great Abbey of St. Steven (where is the ruinous Tomb of William the Conqueror) and many other of his Friends kindly welcomed him, and brought him to Montaigne, where he found Depreau and the rest, but to small purpose; for Mr. Curzianvere was a banished Man, and durst not be seen but to his Friends: yet the bruit of their Cozenage occasioned the Lady Collumber, the Baron Larshan, the Lord Shasghe, and divers other honourable Persons, to supply his wants, and with them to recreate him-self so long as he would; But such pleasant pleasures suited little with his poor Estate, and his restless Spirit, that could never find content, to receive such Noble Favours, as he could neither deserve nor requite: But wandering from Port to Port to find some Man of War, spent that he had, and in a Forest, near dead with grief and cold, a rich Farmer found him by a fair Fountain, under a Tree: This kind Peasant relieved him again to his content, to follow his intent. {MN-2} Not long after, as he passed thorow a great Grove of Trees, between Pounterson and Dina in Britany, it was his chance to meet Cursell, more miserable than himself: His piercing Injuries had so small patience, as without any word they both drew, and in a short time Cursell fell to the Ground, where, from an old ruinated Tower, the Inhabitants seeing them, were satisfied, when they heard Cursell confess what had formerly passed; and that how, in the dividing that they had stolen from him, they fell by the Ears amongst themselves, that were Actors in it; but for his part, he excused himself to be innocent as well of the one, as of the other. In regard of his hurt, Smith was glad to be so rid of him, directing his course to an honourable Lord, the Earl of Ployer, {MN-3} who during the War in France, with his two Brethren, Viscount Poomory, and Baron d'Mercy, who had been brought up in England; by him he was better refurnished than ever. When they had shewed him Saint Malo Mount, Saint Michael, Lambal, Simbreack, Lanion, and their own fair Castle of Tuncadeck, Gingan, and divers other places in Britany (and their British Cornwaile) taking his leave, he took his way to Raynes, the Britains chief City, and so to Nants, Poyters, Rochel, and Bourdeaux. The rumour of the strength of Bayon in Biskay, caused him to see it; and from thence took his way from Leskar in Bicarne, and Paw, in the Kingdom of Navarre to Tolouza in Gascoigne, Bezers, and Carcassone, Narbone, Montpelier, Nimes in Languedeck, and thorow the Country of Avignion, by Aries to Marseilles in Provence, there imbarking himself for Italy; the Ship was inforced to Tolonne, and putting again to Sea, ill Weather so grew upon them, that they Anchored close aboard the Shoar, under the little Isle of St. Mary, against Nice in Savoy. Here the inhuman Provincials, with a Rabble of Pilgrims of divers Nations going to Rome, hourly cursing him, not only for a Hugonot but his Nation they swore were all Pirats, and so vilely railed on his dread Soveraign Queen Elizabeth, and that they never should have fair Weather so long as he was aboard them; their Disputations grew to that Passion, that they threw him over board, yet God brought him to that little Isle, where was no Inhabitants, but a few Kine and Goats. The next Morning, he espied two Ships more riding by them, put in by the Storm, that fetched him aboard, well refreshed him, and so kindly used him, that he was well contented to try the rest of his Fortune with them. {MN-5} After he had related unto them his former Discourse, what for pity, and the love of the Honourable Earl of Ployer, this Noble Britain his Neighbour, Captain la Roche of Saint Malo, regarded and entertained him for his well respected Friend. With the next fair Wind, they Sailed along by the Coast of Corsica and Sardinia, and crossing the Gulf of Tunis, passed by Cape Bona to the Isle of Lempadosa, leaving the Coast of Barbary till they came at Cape Rasata, and so along the African Shoar, for Alexandria in Ægypt. There delivering their Fraught, they went to Seandaroone, rather to view what Ships were in the Road, than any thing else: keeping their Course by Cypres, and the Coast of Asia, Sailing by Rhodes, the Archipelagus, Candia, and the Coast of Grecia, and the Isle of Zefalonia. They lay to and again a few days, betwixt the Isle of Corsue, and the Cape of Orranto, in the Kingdom of Naples, in the Entrance of the Adriatick Sea.
{MN-1} A Cavvalue is in value a penny.