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anywhere　simply　for　excitement　or　booty；　and　was　always　as　devout　as　a　modern　Sicilian　or　Greek　robber；　he　had　a　humorous　appreciation　of　the　value　of　the　religions　current　in　his　day。　　He　saw　through　the　hypocrisy　of　the　London　Company；　〃making　religion　their　color；　when　all　their　aim　was　nothing　but　present　profit。〃　　There　was　great　talk　about　Christianizing　the　Indians；　but　the　colonists　in　Virginia　taught　them　chiefly　the　corruptions　of　civilized　life；　and　those　who　were　despatched　to　England　soon　became　debauched　by　London　vices。　　〃Much　they　blamed　us　＇he　writes＇　for　not　converting　the　Salvages；　when　those　they　sent　us　were　little　better；　if　not　worse；　nor　did　they　all　convert　any　of　those　we　sent　them　to　England　for　that　purpose。〃

Captain　John　Smith　died　unmarried；　nor　is　there　any　record　that　he　ever　had　wife　or　children。　　This　disposes　of　the　claim　of　subsequent　John　Smiths　to　be　descended　from　him。　　He　was　the　last　of　that　race；　the　others　are　imitations。　　He　was　wedded　to　glory。　　That　he　was　not　insensible　to　the　charms　of　female　beauty；　and　to　the　heavenly　pity　in　their　hearts；　which　is　their　chief　grace；　his　writings　abundantly　evince；　but　to　taste　the　pleasures　of　dangerous　adventure；　to　learn　war　and　to　pick　up　his　living　with　his　sword；　and　to　fight　wherever　piety　showed　recompense　would　follow；　was　the　passion　of　his　youth；　while　his　manhood　was　given　to　the　arduous　ambition　of　enlarging　the　domains　of　England　and　enrolling　his　name　among　those　heroes　who　make　an　ineffaceable　impression　upon　their　age。　　There　was　no　time　in　his　life　when　he　had　leisure　to　marry；　or　when　it　would　have　been　consistent　with　his　schemes　to　have　tied　himself　to　a　home。

As　a　writer　he　was　wholly　untrained；　but　with　all　his　introversions　and　obscurities　he　is　the　most　readable　chronicler　of　his　time；　the　most　amusing　and　as　untrustworthy　as　any。　　He　is　influenced　by　his　prejudices；　though　not　so　much　by　them　as　by　his　imagination　and　vanity。　　He　had　a　habit　of　accurate　observation；　as　his　maps　show；　and　this　trait　gives　to　his　statements　and　descriptions；　when　his　own　reputation　is　not　concerned；　a　value　beyond　that　of　those　of　most　contemporary　travelers。　　And　there　is　another　thing　to　be　said　about　his　writings。　　They　are　uncommonly　clean　for　his　day。　　Only　here　and　there　is　coarseness　encountered。　　In　an　age　when　nastiness　was　written　as　well　as　spoken；　and　when　most　travelers　felt　called　upon　to　satisfy　a　curiosity　for　prurient　observations；　Smith　preserved　a　tone　quite　remarkable　for　general　purity。

Captain　Smith　is　in　some　respects　a　very　good　type　of　the　restless　adventurers　of　his　age；　but　he　had　a　little　more　pseudo…chivalry　at　one　end　of　his　life；　and　a　little　more　piety　at　the　other；　than　the　rest。　　There　is　a　decidedly　heroic　element　in　his　courage；　hardihood；　and　enthusiasm；　softened　to　the　modern　observer's　comprehension　by　the　humorous　contrast　between　his　achievements　and　his　estimate　of　them。　　Between　his　actual　deeds　as　he　relates　them；　and　his　noble　sentiments；　there　is　also　sometimes　a　contrast　pleasing　to　the　worldly　mind。　　He　is　just　one　of　those　characters　who　would　be　more　agreeable　on　the　stage　than　in　private　life。　　His　extraordinary　conceit　would　be　entertaining　if　one　did　not　see　too　much　of　him。　Although　he　was　such　a　romancer　that　we　can　accept　few　of　his　unsupported　statements　about　himself；　there　was；　nevertheless；　a　certain　verity　in　his　character　which　showed　something　more　than　loyalty　to　his　own　fortune；　he　could　be　faithful　to　an　ambition　for　the　public　good。　　Those　who　knew　him　best　must　have　found　in　him　very　likable　qualities；　and　acknowledged　the　generosities　of　his　nature；　while　they　were　amused　at　his　humorous　spleen　and　his　serious　contemplation　of　his　own　greatness。　　There　is　a　kind　of　simplicity　in　his　self…appreciation　that　wins　one；　and　it　is　impossible　for　the　candid　student　of　his　career　not　to　feel　kindly　towards　the　〃sometime　Governor　of　Virginia　and　Admiral　of　New　England。〃





End　of　Volume　Three　of　The　Writings　of　Charles　Dudley　Warner