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 Ispent 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 Ipresent 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.