this great lottery, which we intend shall be without delay the 26 June next, desiring all such as have undertaken with bookes to solicit their friends, that they will not withhold their monies till the last moneth be expired, lest we be unwillingly forced to proportion a lesse value and number of our blankes and prises, which hereafter followeth : Welcomes. Crownes. To him that first shall be drawne out with a blanke. 100 50 To the third 25 To him that every day during the drawing of this 1 great prize of 6 great prizes, each of 10 prizes, each of 20 prizes, each of Prizes. 10 4,500 100 prizes, each of 100 To him that shall be last drawne out with a blanke To him that putteth in the greatest lot under one name 400 300 200 To him that putteth in the fourth greatest number If divers be of equall number, their rewards are to be divided proportionably. Addition of New Rewards. The blanke that shall be drawne out next before the great prize, The severall blankes next after them shall have The severall blankes next before the six great prizes, each shall have 10 The severall blankes next after them, each shall have The prizes, welcomes, and rewardes, shall be payed in ready money, plate, or other goods reasonably rated; if any dislike of the plate or goods, he shall have money, abating only the tenth part, except in small prizes of ten crownes or under. The money for the adventurers is to be paid to Sir Thomas Smith knight, and treasurer for Virginia, or such officers as he shall appoint in city or country, under the common seale of the Company, for the receit thereof. All prizes, welcomes, and rewardes drawne, where ever they dwell, shall of the treasurer have present pay, and whosoever under one name or poesie payeth three pounde in ready money shall receive six shillings and eight pence, or a silver spoone of that value at his choice.* The following entry occurs in the minutes of 1621; but the books it mentions have long been lost, nor have I been able to discover any book of Captain Smithe that has a printed dedication to the Ironmongers' Company: *The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles, by Captain John Smithe, Lond. 1632, page 117. †The only printed books now remaining of the Company's former library are the following:-A Breeches Bible, in black letter, fol. printed at London by Christopher Barker, 1578, and dedicated to the Queen: the second volume of the Acts and Monuments of Martyrs, by John Fox, fol. London, 1631. Synopsis Papismi, by Dr. Andrew Willet, fol. Lon. 1634. "At a Court of Election July 3rd, Captain John Smithes bookes, dedicated to this Comp', being 4 in No. were dd to the Court, touching his pject of shipping and fishing in New England." CAPTAIN JOHN SMITHE, the author of these books, was born at Willoughby in Lincolnshire, and was descended from the Smithes of Cuerdley, in the county of Lancaster. He is deservedly ranked with the greatest travellers of his age, having visited all the four quarters of the globe, nor was he less conspicuous as a warrior, having greatly distinguished himself in the wars of Hungary, under Sigismond Duke of Transylvania. He is stated to have engaged with three Turks in single combat and to have cut off their heads, for which exploit and other gallant services Sigismond conferred on him the honour of knighthood with a pension of three hundred ducats, gave him his picture set in gold, and allowed him to bear on his shield of arms three Turks' heads proper. A copy of this grant is preserved among the Additional MSS. in the British Museum, No. 6,297, fol. 438; the document is in Latin, dated Decem. 9o, an° dni 1603, and signed Sigismundus Barthori. Captain Smithe afterwards visited America, where he was taken prisoner by the Indians, from whom he narrowly escaped. He was engaged in various naval conflicts with pirates and Spanish ships of war, and had a considerable hand in reducing New England to the government of Great Britain, and in reclaiming the inhabitants from barbarism. He died June 21, 1631. There is a MS. life of him by Henry Wharton in the Lambeth Library. See Biographical Dictionary, by Alexander Chalmers, F.S.A. vol. xxviii. Captain John Smithe was the author of numerous works, some of which were reprinted. The following list is probably imperfect : : "A Description of New England: severally dedicated to the high hopeful Charles Prince of Great Britain; To the Right Honble and worthy Lords, Knights, and Gentlemen of his Majesties Counsell for all Plantations and Discoveries, especially of New England; To the Right worshipfull Adventurers for the country of New England in the cities of London, Bristow, Exceter, Plimouth, Dartmouth, Bastable, Totneys, &c. and in all other cities and ports in the kingdom of England. By Capt" Jn Smithe. small 4to, Lond. 1616." 61 pages. "The Seaman's Grammar and Dictionary, by Capt. John Smithe;" amplified and reprinted in 1691. "New England's Trials, declaring the successe of 26 ships employed thither within these sixe years, with the benefit of that countrey by sea and land, and how to build three-score sayle of good ships to make a little Navie Royall. Dedicated to the Right Worshipful the Maister, the Wardens, and the Companie of Fishmongers, by Cap. Jn° Smithe." Small 4to, Lond. printed by Willm Jones, 1620. "Advertisements for the unexperienced Planters of New England or any where, with the yearly proceedings of the countrey in fishing and planting since the year 1614 to the year 1630, and their present state; by Capt. John Smithe, sometimes Governour of Virginia and Admirall of New England. Dedicated to George Lord Archbishop of Canterbury and Saml. Lord Archbishop of York." Small 4to. Lond. 1630. “The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles, by Capt. John Smithe, sometime Governour of those Countreys and Admirall of New England. Dedicated to the illustrious and most noble Princess the Lady Frances. Dutchess of Richmond and Lenox." Fol. Lond. 1626. Another edition, 1632. "The true Travels, Adventures, and Observations of Capt. John Smithe in Europe, Asia, Africa, and America, from anno domini 1593 to 1629." Fol. Lond. 1630. At the beginning of this work there is a coat of arms, quarterly, 1 and 4, . . . a chevron per pale or and azure between three Turk's heads turbaned and couped at the neck. 2, per pale, three fleursde-lis, no tinctures expressed. 3, On a bend engrailed three garbs. The shield is surmounted with three crests-first, an ostrich holding in his beak a horseshoe; second, a fleur-de-lis; third, out of a mural crown a talbot's head collared. Copies of all these works are in the library of the British Museum. We next meet with an entry of the "tre from the King's Matie to the cittie of London, for the loan of 100,0001," first endorsed thus: Too or trustie and welbeloved Sir Thomas Middleton, knight, Lord Mayor of or cittie of London. Trusty and welbeloved, wee greet you well. Whereas the occasion of or service doe require pnt use of great somes of money, whereof or coffers att this tyme are unfurnished, and the expectation of or relief being disapoynted by the sudden dissolution of the late intended parlym*, not knowing where to finde more speedy supplye than in or chamber of London, we have thought good to address unto you theise or tres, whereby we doe require you upon receipte of them to enter into pinte deliberation wh yor brethren, and with them to whom such resoluĉons doe apptayne, to furnishe us by waye of loane wh the some of one hundred thousand pounds, assuring you that as wee have made you loyall paym1 as well for those somes which at of coming to this crowne wee found the late Queen indebted unto you, as for those somes which wee o'selves have since borrowed, soe for the reimbursement of theis somes wch now wee doe require you shall receve such suffycient securytie as shalbe void of all excepcon. Given att or mannour of East Greenwich, the xxvjth of June, the twelfth yeare of or reigne of Greate Brittain, Fraunce, and Ireland. June 29. The Company being moved by Mr. Alderman Harvie about the grant of 1797. towards a benevolence to the King, and sundry debating thereabout, it was lastly resolved to certify that the Company hath not and as yet cannot agree, but are forced to refer it to the next General Court. "Tuesday, 5° Julii. The matter of the former Court about the King's fre being this day questioned, it was thought meet, and soe orderid, that 150" bee someways taken upp and paid in, and for the remainder, being 291 more, it is to bee intreated that Mr. Alderman Harvey may pay the same, and to this effect the Lord Maior to bee soe certified." The Lord Mayor's precept to the Company respecting the King's letter does not appear to have been entered on their minutes, and it would seem, from their only being called upon to contribute the sum of £179, that the city were unable to raise a loan of £100,000, and presented the King with a benevolence instead thereof.* The difficulty * Vide Minutes of 1620. |