Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 53.djvu/76

 was reprinted in Robert Barclay's ‘Inner Life of the Religious Societies of the Commonwealth,’ London (1876, pp. 117 and 118).

 SMITH, JOHN (1563–1616), divine, born at or near Coventry, Warwickshire, in 1563, was educated at the Coventry grammar school recently founded by John Hales, and elected at the age of fourteen to a Coventry scholarship at St. John's College, Oxford. He proceeded M.A. in 1585, and B.D. in 1591. He was made a fellow of his college, and highly valued in the university ‘for his piety and parts.’ He was chosen lecturer at St. Paul's Cathedral, in the place of [q. v.], and became minister of Clavering, Essex, in 1592. He died in November 1616, leaving benefactions to St. John's College, to Clavering parish, and to ten faithful and good ministers who had been deprived on the question of ceremonies. He obtained a license to marry Frances, daughter of William Babbington of Chorley, Cheshire, on 21 Oct. 1594 (, London Marriage Licenses, p. 1244).

He was author of: Palmer married Smith's widow. The seventy-three sermons in this volume include the ‘Explanation of the Articles of our Christian Faith’ mentioned by Wood as a separate book.
 * 1) ‘Ἀπολωγία τῆς Ἄγγλων Ἐκκλσίας … Apologia Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ Græce versa interprete J. S.,’ Oxford, 1614, 12mo; this was a Greek version of Bishop Jewel's ‘Apology,’ and was published again with the Latin in 1639, 8vo (cf., Early Oxford Press, pp. 97, 214).
 * 2) ‘Essex Dove, presenting the world with a few of her olive branches; or, a taste of the works of that Reverend, Faithfull, Judicious, Learned, and holy Minister of the Word, Mr. John Smith … delivered in three severall Treatises, viz. (1) His Grounds of Religion; (2) An Exposition on the Lord's Prayer; (3) A Treatise of Repentance,’ 3 parts, London, 1629, 4to, 2nd edit. enlarged, London, 1633, 8vo, 3rd edit., corrected and amended, London, 1637, 8vo.
 * 3) ‘An Exposition of the Creed, delivered in many afternoone Sermons, and now published by Anthony Palmer,’ London, 1632, fol.

 SMITH, JOHN (1580–1631), soldier and colonist, baptised in the parish church at Willoughby in Lincolnshire, on 6 Jan. 1579–1580, was son of George and Alice Smith of that place. His father was buried on 3 April 1596, shortly after which he went to seek his fortune in the French army. In 1598, however, peace was made between France and Spain, and Smith then offered his services to the insurgents in the Low Countries, with whom he remained for three or four years. About 1600 he returned to England and abode at home in Lincolnshire for a short time, studying the theory of war and practising the exercise of a cavalry soldier. In 1600 Smith again sought foreign service, and went through, according to his own vivid testimony, a number of startling adventures. Mr. Palfrey, in his ‘History of New England’ (vol. i.), showed that Smith's stories of his career in eastern Europe harmonise to some extent with what we know from independent chroniclers; but this is denied by later investigators, and especially by Alexander Brown in his memoir of Smith (Genesis of United States of America). According to Smith's own account, which may be credited with a substratum of fact at any rate, he first voyaged to Italy in company with a number of French pilgrims bound for Rome, and having been thrown overboard as a huguenot, was rescued by a pirate or privateer, with whom he served for some time. Then, travelling through Italy and Dalmatia, he reached Styria, and took service under the Archduke of Austria. He asserts that he did specially good service when the imperial army was endeavouring to raise the siege of ‘Olumpagh’ (Limbach) by introducing a system of signalling between them and the garrison, and afterwards helped by like means to bring about the fall of Stühlweissenburg. After this he killed three Turkish champions in a series of single combats fought in sight of the two armies, and for this he received a coat of arms from Sigismund Bathori, prince of Transylvania, under whom he was then serving. At the battle of Rothenthurm he was taken prisoner, sold for a slave, and sent to 