Avontuurlijke reys-togten van Johan Smith, in verscheyde gedeelten des werelds, begonnen in het jaar 1593 ...

1593

Becomes acquainted with Hume.

together with a Mr. David Hume, who made some use of my purse, and gave me letters to my friends in Scotland, in order to present myself to King James. Sailing to Rouen for this purpose, I reconsidered my situation original: "so bedagt ik my selve nader";
Sails to Rouen.

and seeing that I was nearly at the end of my money, I decided to go down the river to Le Havre original: "Havre de Grace", where I first began to practice the life of a soldier.

When peace was finally concluded in France, I went with Captain Joseph Duxbury to
Betakes himself to the Netherlands.

the Netherlands, under whose banner I served for 3 or 4 years. I took my way through Scotland to deliver my letters. At Ancusan, I boarded a ship to sail to Leith original: "Lethe";
Shipwreck.

but after I had endured the danger of shipwreck, I fell into a deadly illness, and therefore remained in a small place in Northumberland near Berwick. Being recovered, I went to Scotland to deliver my letters.

After many polite encounters that I had received from these courteous Scots at Ripweth and Broxmoth, but having obtained neither money nor means to make myself pleasing at court and thus become a courtier, I returned
Returns to Willoughby.

to Willoughby in the province of Lincoln, where, having been overloaded in a short time by overly frequent company, in which I had very little pleasure, I separated myself from people and departed into a small wooded
Betakes himself into solitude.

meadow, which was situated very far from the city, surrounded by a multitude of wooded lands. There, by a beautiful stream, I built some field tents of branches and twigs, where I laid myself down in nothing but my clothes. My study was Machiavelli's Art of War, as well as that of Marcus Aurelius, and also to ride a good horse with my lance and ring. One can well imagine,