im. Both his parents being now dead, he was left with, he
says, competent means; but his guardians regarding his estate more than
himself, gave him full liberty and no money, so that he was forced to
stay at home.

At the age of fifteen he was bound apprentice to Mr. Thomas S. Tendall
of Lynn. The articles, however, did not bind him very fast, for as his
master refused to send him to sea, John took leave of his master and did
not see him again for eight years. These details exhibit in the boy the
headstrong independence of the man.

At length he found means to attach himself to a young son of the great
soldier, Lord Willoughby, who was going into France. The narrative is
not clear, but it appears that upon reaching Orleans, in a month or so
the services of John were found to be of no value, and he was sent back
to his friends, who on his return generously gave him ten shillings (out
of his own estate) to be rid of him. He is next heard of enjoying his
liberty at Paris and making the acquaintance of a Scotchman named
David Hume, who used his purse--ten shillings went a long ways in those
days--and in return gave him letters of commendation to prefer him to
King James. But the boy had a disinclination to go where he was sent.
Reaching Rouen, and being nearly out of money, he dropped down the river
to Havre de Grace, and began to learn to be a soldier.

Smith says not a word of the great war of the Leaguers and Henry IV.,
nor on which side he fought, nor is it probable that he cared. But
he was doubtless on the side of Henry, as Havre was at this time in
possession of that soldier. Our adventurer not only makes no reference
to the great religious war, nor to the League, nor to Henry, but he does
not tell who held Paris when he visited it. Apparently state affairs did
not interest him. His reference to a "peace" helps us to fix the date
of his first adventure in France. Henry published the Edict of Nantes
at Paris, April 13, 1598, and on the 2d of May following, concluded the
treaty of France with Philip II. at Vervins, which closed the Spanish
pretensions in France. The Duc de Mercoeur (of whom we shall hear later
as Smith's "Duke of Mercury" in Hungary), Duke of Lorraine, was allied
with the Guises in the League, and had the design of holding Bretagne
under Spanish protection. However, fortune was against him and he
submitted to Henry in February, 1598, with no good grace. Looking about
for an opportunity to distinguish