the complete writings-3-第25部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


that　was　but　two　hundred　Tunnes；　she　four　or　five　hundred。〃　　Smith's　share　of　this　booty　was　modest。　　When　the　ship　returned　he　was　set　ashore　at　〃the　Road　of　Antibo　in　Piamon；〃　〃with　five　hundred　chiqueenes　＇sequins＇　and　a　little　box　God　sent　him　worth　neere　as　much　more。〃　　He　always　devoutly　acknowledged　his　dependence　upon　divine　Providence；　and　took　willingly　what　God　sent　him。




II

FIGHTING　IN　HUNGARY

Smith　being　thus　〃refurnished；〃　made　the　tour　of　Italy；　satisfied　himself　with　the　rarities　of　Rome；　where　he　saw　Pope　Clement　the　Eighth　and　many　cardinals　creep　up　the　holy　stairs；　and　with　the　fair　city　of　Naples　and　the　kingdom's　nobility；　and　passing　through　the　north　he　came　into　Styria；　to　the　Court　of　Archduke　Ferdinand；　and；　introduced　by　an　Englishman　and　an　Irish　Jesuit　to　the　notice　of　Baron　Kisell；　general　of　artillery；　he　obtained　employment；　and　went　to　Vienna　with　Colonel　Voldo；　Earl　of　Meldritch；　with　whose　regiment　he　was　to　serve。

He　was　now　on　the　threshold　of　his　long…desired　campaign　against　the　Turks。　　The　arrival　on　the　scene　of　this　young　man；　who　was　scarcely　out　of　his　teens；　was　a　shadow　of　disaster　to　the　Turks。　　They　had　been　carrying　all　before　them。　　Rudolph　II。；　Emperor　of　Germany；　was　a　weak　and　irresolute　character；　and　no　match　for　the　enterprising　Sultan；　Mahomet　III。；　who　was　then　conducting　the　invasion　of　Europe。　The　Emperor's　brother；　the　Archduke　Mathias；　who　was　to　succeed　him；　and　Ferdinand；　Duke　of　Styria；　also　to　become　Emperor　of　Germany；　were　much　abler　men；　and　maintained　a　good　front　against　the　Moslems　in　Lower　Hungary；　but　the　Turks　all　the　time　steadily　advanced。　　They　had　long　occupied　Buda　（Pesth）；　and　had　been　in　possession　of　the　stronghold　of　Alba　Regalis　for　some　sixty　years。　　Before　Smith's　advent　they　had　captured　the　important　city　of　Caniza；　and　just　as　he　reached　the　ground　they　had　besieged　the　town　of　Olumpagh；　with　two　thousand　men。　　But　the　addition　to　the　armies　of　Germany；　France；　Styria；　and　Hungary　of　John　Smith；　〃this　English　gentleman；〃　as　he　styles　himself；　put　a　new　face　on　the　war；　and　proved　the　ruin　of　the　Turkish　cause。　　The　Bashaw　of　Buda　was　soon　to　feel　the　effect　of　this　re…enforcement。

Caniza　is　a　town　in　Lower　Hungary；　north　of　the　River　Drave；　and　just　west　of　the　Platen　Sea；　or　Lake　Balatin；　as　it　is　also　called。　　Due　north　of　Caniza　a　few　miles；　on　a　bend　of　the　little　River　Raab　（which　empties　into　the　Danube）；　and　south　of　the　town　of　Kerment；　lay　Smith's　town　of　Olumpagh；　which　we　are　able　to　identify　on　a　map　of　the　period　as　Olimacum　or　Oberlymback。　　In　this　strong　town　the　Turks　had　shut　up　the　garrison　under　command　of　Governor　Ebersbraught　so　closely　that　it　was　without　intelligence　or　hope　of　succor。

In　this　strait；　the　ingenious　John　Smith；　who　was　present　in　the　reconnoitering　army　in　the　regiment　of　the　Earl　of　Meldritch；　came　to　the　aid　of　Baron　Kisell；　the　general　of　artillery；　with　a　plan　of　communication　with　the　besieged　garrison。　　Fortunately　Smith　had　made　the　acquaintance　of　Lord　Ebersbraught　at　Gratza；　in　Styria；　and　had　（he　says）　communicated　to　him　a　system　of　signaling　a　message　by　the　use　of　torches。　　Smith　seems　to　have　elaborated　this　method　of　signals；　and　providentially　explained　it　to　Lord　Ebersbraught；　as　if　he　had　a　presentiment　of　the　latter's　use　of　it。　　He　divided　the　alphabet　into　two　parts；　from　A　to　L　and　from　M　to　Z。　　Letters　were　indicated　and　words　spelled　by　the　means　of　torches：　〃The　first　part；　from　A　to　L；　is　signified　by　showing　and　holding　one　linke　so　oft　as　there　is　letters　from　A　to　that　letter　you　name；　the　other　part；　from　M　to　Z；　is　mentioned　by　two　lights　in　like　manner。　　The　end　of　a　word　is　signifien　by　showing　of　three　lights。〃

General　Kisell；　inflamed　by　this　strange　invention；　which　Smith　made　plain　to　him；　furnished　him　guides；　who　conducted　him　to　a　high　mountain；　seven　miles　distant　from　the　town；　where　he　flashed　his　torches　and　got　a　reply　from　the　governor。　　Smith　signaled　that　they　would　charge　on　the　east　of　the　town　in　the　night；　and　at　the　alarum　Ebersbraught　was　to　sally　forth。　　General　Kisell　doubted　that　he　should　be　able　to　relieve　the　town　by　this　means；　as　he　had　only　ten　thousand　men；　but　Smith；　whose　fertile　brain　was　now　in　full　action；　and　who　seems　to　have　assumed　charge　of　the　campaign；　hit　upon　a　stratagem　for　the　diversion　and　confusion　of　the　Turks。

On　the　side　of　the　town　opposite　the　proposed　point　of　attack　lay　the　plain　of　Hysnaburg　（Eisnaburg　on　Ortelius's　map）。　　Smith　fastened　two　or　three　charred　pieces　of　match　to　divers　small　lines　of　an　hundred　fathoms　in　length；　armed　with　powder。　　Each　line　was　tied　to　a　stake　at　each　end。　　After　dusk　these　lines　were　set　up　on　the　plain；　and　being　fired　at　the　instant　the　alarm　was　given；　they　seemed　to　the　Turks　like　so　many　rows　of　musketeers。　　While　the　Turks　therefore　prepared　to　repel　a　great　army　from　that　side；　Kisell　attacked　with　his　ten　thousand　men；　Ebersbraught　sallied　out　and　fell　upon　the　Turks　in　the　trenches；　all　the　enemy　on　that　side　were　slain　or　drowned；　or　put　to　flight。　　And　while　the　Turks　were　busy　routing　Smith's　sham　musketeers；　the　Christians　threw　a　couple　of　thousand　troops　into　the　town。　　Whereupon　the　Turks　broke　up　the　siege　and　retired　to　Caniza。　　For　this　exploit　General　Kisell　received　great　honor　at　Kerment；　and　Smith　was　rewarded　with　the　rank　of　captain；　and　the　command　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　horsemen。　　From　this　time　our　hero　must　figure　as　Captain　John　Smith。　　The　rank　is　not　high；　but　he　has　made　the　title　great；　just　as　he　has　made　the　name　of　John　Smith　unique。

After　this　there　were　rumors　of　peace　for　these　tormented　countries；　but　the　Turks；　who　did　not　yet　appreciate　the　nature　of　this　force；　called　John　Smith；　that　had　come　into　the　world　against　them；　did　not　intend　peace；　but　went　on　levying　soldiers　and　launching　them　into　Hungary。　　To　oppose　these　fresh　invasions；　Rudolph　II。；　aided　by　the　Christian　princes；　organized　three　armies：　one　led　by　the　Archduke　Mathias　and　his　lieutenant；　Duke　Mercury；　to　defend　Low　Hungary；　the　second　led　by　Ferdinand；　the　Archduke　of　Styria；　and　the　Duke　of　Mantua；　his　lieutenant；　to　regain　Caniza；　the　third　by　Gonzago；　Governor　of　High　Hungary；　to　join　with　Georgio　Busca；　to　make　an　absolute　conquest　of　Transylvania。

In　pursuance　of　this　plan；　Duke　Mercury；　with　an　army　of　thirty　thousand；　whereof　nearly　ten　thousand　were　French；　besieged　Stowell…　Weisenberg；　otherwise　called　Alba　Regalis；　a　place　so　strong　by　art　and　nature　that　it　was　thought　impregnable。

This　stronghold；　situated　on　the　northeast　of　the　Platen　Sea；　was；　like　Caniza　and　Oberlympack；　one　of　the　Turkish　advanced　posts；　by　means　of　which　they　pushed　forward　their　operations　from　Buda　on　the　Danube。

This　noble　friend　of　Smith；　the　Duke　of　Mercury；　whom　Haylyn　styles　Duke　Mercurio；　seems　to　have　puzzled　the　biographers　of　Smith。　　In　fact；　the　name　of　〃Mercury〃　has　given　a　mythological　air　to　Smith's　narration　and　aided　to　transfer　it　to　the　region　of　romance。　　He　was；　however；　as　we　have　seen；　identical　with　a　historical　character　of　some　importance；　for　the　services　he　rendered　to　the　Church　of　Rome；　and　a　commander　of　some　considerable　skill。　　He　is　no　other　than　Philip　de　Lorraine；　Duc　de　Mercceur。'

＇So　far　as　I　know；　Dr。　Edward　Eggleston　was　the　first　to　identify　him。　　There　is　a　sketch　of　him　in　the　〃Biographie　Universelle；〃　and　a　life　with　an　account　of　his　exploits　in　Hungary；　entitled：　Histoire　de　Duc　Mercoeur；　par　Bruseles　de　Montplain　Champs；　Cologne；　1689…97＇

At　the　siege　of　Alba　Regalis；　the　Turks　gained　several　successes　by　night　sallies；　and；　as　usual；　it　was　not　till　Smith　came　to　the　front　with　one　of　his　ingenious　devices　that　the　fortune　of　war　changed。　The　Earl　Meldritch；　in　whose　regiment　Smith　served；　having　heard　from　some　Christians　who　escaped　from　the　town　at　what　place　there　were　the　greatest　assemblies　and　throngs　of　people　in　the　city；　caused　Captain　Smith　to　put　in　practice　his　〃fiery　dragons。〃　　These　instruments　of　destruction　are　carefully　described：　〃Having　prepared　fortie　or　fiftie　round…bellied　earthen　pots；　and　filled　them　with　hand　Gunpowder；　then　covered　them　with　Pitch；　mingled　with　Brimstone　and　Turpentine；　and　quartering　as　many　Musket…bullets；　that　hung　together　but　only　at　the　center　of　the　division；　stucke　them　round　in　the　mixture　about　the　pots；　and　covered　them　againe　with　the　same　mixture；　over　that　a　strong　sear…cloth；　then　over　all　a　goode　thicknesse　of　Towze…match；　well　tempered　with　oyle　of　Linseed；　Campheer；　and　powder　of　Brimstone；　these　he　fitly　placed　in　slings；　graduated　so　neere　as　they　could　to　the　places　of　these　assemblies。〃

These　missiles　of　Smith's　invention　were　flung　at　midnight；　when　the　alarum　was　given；　and　〃it　was　a　perfect　sight　to　see　the　short　flaming　course　of　their　flight　in　the　air；　but　presently　after　their　fall；　the　lamentable　noise　of　the　miserable　slaughtered　Turkes　was　most　wonderful　to　heare。〃

While　Smith　was　amusing　the　Turks　in　this　manner；　the　Earl　Rosworme　planned　an　attack　on　the　opposite　suburb；　which　was　defended　by　a　muddy　lake；　supposed　to　be　impassable。　　Furnishing　his　men　with　bundles　of　sedge；　which　they　threw　before　them　as　they　advanced　in　the　dark　night；　the　lake　was　made　passable；　the　suburb　surprised；　and　the　captured　guns　of　the　Turks　were　turned　upon　them　in　the　city　to　which　they　had　retreated。　　The　army　of　the　Bashaw　was　cut　to　pieces　and　he　himself　captured。

The　Earl　of　Meldritch；　having　occupied　the　town；　repaired　the　walls　and　the　ruins　of　this　famous　city　that　had　been　in　the　possession　of　the　Turks　for　some　threescore　years。

It　is　not　our　purpose　to　attempt　to　trace　the　meteoric　course　of　Captain　Smith　in　all　his　campaigns　against　the　Turks；　only　to　indicate　the　large　part　he　took　in　these　famous　wars　for　the　possession　of　Eastern　Europe。　　The　siege　of　Alba　Regalis　must　have　been　about　the　year　1601Smith　never　troubles　himself　with　any　datesand　while　it　was　undecided；　Mahomet　III。this　was　the　prompt　Sultan　who　made　his　position　secure　by　putting　to　death　nineteen　of　his　brothers　upon　his　accessionraised　sixty　thousand　troops　for　its　relief　or　its　recovery。　　The　Duc　de　Mercoeur　went　out　to　meet　this　army；　and　encounter