The first Chapter, wherein the Argument of the Booke
is contained.
IT was my fortune (good Reader) not many dayes past,
to meete with a right honest and discreete Gentleman,
who accompanied that valiant and worthy Knight Sir
Humfrey Gilbert, in this last journey for the Westerne
discoveries, and is owner and Captaine of the onely
vessell which is as yet returned from thence.
By him I understand that Sir Humfrey departed the
coast of England
the eleventh of June last past, with five
sayle of Shippes, from Caushen bay neere Plimmouth,
whereof one of the best forsooke his company, the
thirteenth day of the same moneth, and returned into
England
.
The other foure (through the assistance of Almighty
God) did arrive at Saint Johns Haven, in Newfound
land, the 3. of August last. Upon whose arrivall all
the Masters and chiefe Mariners of the English Fleet,
which were in the said Haven before, endevoring to
fraight themselves with fish, repaired unto Sir Humfrey,
whom he made acquainted with the effect of his Commission: which being done, he promised to intreat them
and their goods well and honourably as did become her
Majesties Lieutenant. They did all welcome him in the
best sort that they could, and shewed him and his all
such courtesies as the place could affoord or yeelde.
Then he went to view the Countrey, being well accompanied with most of his Captaines and souldiers. They
found the same very temperate, but somewhat warmer
then England
at that season of the yeere, replenished
with Beasts and great store of Foule of divers kinds:
And Fish of sundry sortes, both in the salt water, and
in the fresh, in so great plentie as might suffice to victuall
an Armie, and they are very easily taken. What sundry
other commodities for this Realme right necessarie, the
same doeth yeelde, you shall understand in this treatise
hereafter, in place more convenient.
On Munday being the fift of August, the Generall
caused his tent to be set upon the side of an hill, in the
viewe of all the Fleete of English men and strangers,
which were in number betweene thirtie and fourtie sayle:
then being accompanied with all his Captaines, Masters,
Gentlemen and other souldiers, he caused all the Masters,
and principall Officers of the ships, aswell Englishmen as
Spanyards, Portugales, and of other nations, to repayre
unto his tent: And then and there, in the presence of
them all, he did cause his Commission under the great
Seale of England to bee openly and solemnely read unto
them, whereby were granted unto him, his heires, and
assignes, by the Queenes most excellent Majestie, many
great and large royalties, liberties, and priviledges. The
effect whereof being signified unto the strangers by an
Interpreter, hee tooke possession of the sayde land in
the right of the Crowne of England by digging of a
Turiffe and receiving the same with an Hasell wand,
delivered unto him, after the maner of the law and
custome of England
.
Then he signified unto the company both strangers
and others, that from thencefoorth, they were to live in
that land, as the Territories appertayning to the Crowne
of England, and to be governed by such Lawes as by
good advise should be set downe, which in all points
(so neere as might be) should be agreeable to the Lawes
of England: And for to put the same in execution,
presently he ordained and established three Lawes.
First, that Religion publiquely exercised, should be
such, and none other, then is used in the Church of
England.
The second, that if any person should bee lawfully
convicted of any practise against her Majestie, her
Crowne and dignitie, to be adjudged as traitors according
to the Lawes of England.
The third, if any should speake dishonourably of her
Majestie, the partie so offending, to loose his eares, his
ship and goods, to be confiscate to the use of the
Generall.
All men did very willingly submit themselves to these
Lawes. Then he caused the Queenes Majesties Armes
to be ingraved, set up, and erected with great solemnitie.
After this, divers Englishmen made sute unto Sir Humfrey to have of him by inheritance, their accustomed
stages, standings & drying places, in sundry places of
that land for their fish, as a thing that they doe make
great accompt of, which he granted unto them in fee
farme. And by this meanes he hath possession maintained for him, in many parts of that Countrey. To be
briefe, he did let, set, give and dispose of many things,
as absolute Governor there, by vertue of her Majesties
letters patents.
And after their ships were repaired, whereof one he
was driven to leave behind, both for want of men sufficient
to furnish her, as also to carrie home such sicke persons
as were not able to proceede any further: He departed
from thence the 200. of August, with the other three,
namely, the Delight, wherein was appointed Captaine
in M. William Winters place, (that thence returned
immediatly for England
) M. Maurice Browne: the Golden
Hinde, in which was Captaine and owner, M. Edward
Hays : and the little Frigat where the Generall himselfe
did goe, seeming to him most fit to discover and approch
the shore.
The 21. day they came to
Cape Race, toward the South
partes whereof, lying a while becalmed, they tooke Cod
in largenes and quantitie, exceeding the other parts of
Newfound land, where any of them had bene. And
from thence, trending the coast West, toward the Bay
of Placentia, the Generall sent certaine men a shore, to
view the Countrey, which to them as they sayled along,
seemed pleasant. Whereof his men at their returne gave
great commendation, liking so well of the place, as they
would willingly have stayed and wintred there. But
having the wind faire and good, they proceeded on their
course towards the firme of America
, which by reason
of continuall fogs, at that time of the yeere especially,
they could never see, till Cox Master of the Golden Hinde
did discerne land, and presently lost sight thereof againe,
at what time they were all upon a breach in a great and
outragious storme, having under 3. fathome water. But
God delivered the Frigat and the Golden Hind, from
this great danger. And the Delight in the presence of
them all was lost, to their unspeakable griefe, with all
their chiefe victuall, munition, and other necessary provisions, and other things of value not fit here to be
named. Whereupon, by reason also that Winter was
come upon them, and foule weather increased with fogs
and mists that so covered the land, as without danger
of perishing they could not approch it: Sir Humfrey
Gilbert and M. Hays were compelled much against their
willes to retyre homewards: And being 300. leagues on
their way, were after by tempestuous weather separated
the one from the other, the ninth of September last,
since which time M. Hays with his Barke is safely
arrived, but of Sir Humfrey as yet they heare no certaine
newes.
Upon this report (together with my former intent, to
write some briefe discourse in the commendation of this
so noble and worthy an enterprise) I did call to my
remembrance, the Historie of Themystocles the Grecian,
who (being a right noble and valiant Captaine) signified
unto his Countreymen the Citizens of Athens, that he
had invented a devise for their common wealth very
profitable: but it was of such importance and secrecie,
that it ought not to be revealed, before private conference
had with some particular prudent person of their choyse.
The Athenians knowing Aristides the Philosopher, to
be a man indued with singular wisedome and vertue,
made choyse of him to have conference with Themystocles,
and thereupon to yeelde his opinion to the Citizens concerning the sayd devise: which was, that they might
set on fire the Navie of their enemies, with great facilitie,
as he had layde the plot: Aristides made relation to
the Citizens, that the stratageme devised by Themystocles
was a profitable practise for the common wealth but it
was dishonest. The Athenians (without further demaund
what the same was) did by common consent reject and
condemne it, preferring honesty and upright dealing
before profite.
By occasion of this Historie, I drewe my selfe into a
more deepe consideration of this late undertaken Voyage,
whether it were as well pleasing to almightie God, as
profitable to men: as lawfull, as it seemed honourable:
as well gratefull to the Savages, as gainefull to the
Christians. And upon mature deliberation I found the
action to be honest and profitable, and therefore allowable
by the opinion of Aristides if he were now alive: which
being by me herein sufficiently prooved, (as by Gods
grace I purpose to doe) I doubt not but that all good
mindes will endevour themselves to be assistants to this
so commendable an enterprise, by the valiant and worthy
Gentlemen our Countrey men already attempted and
undertaken.
Now whereas I doe understand that Sir Humfrey
Gilbert his adherents, associates and friends doe meane
with a convenient supply (with as much speede as may
be) to maintaine, pursue and follow this intended voyage
already in part perfourmed, and (by the assistance of
almightie God) to plant themselves and their people in
the continent of the hither part of America
, betweene
the degrees of 30. and 60. of septentrionall latitude:
Within which degrees by computation Astronomicall and
Cosmographicall are doubtlesse to bee found all things
that be necessarie, profitable, or delectable for mans
life: The clymate milde and temperate, neyther too hote
nor too colde, so that under the cope of heaven there
is not any where to be found a more convenient place
to plant and inhabite in: which many notable Gentlemen,
both of our owne nation and strangers, (who have bene
travailers) can testifie: and that those Countries are at
this day inhabited with Savages (who have no knowledge
of God :) Is it not therefore (I say) to be lamented, that
these poore Pagans, so long living in ignorance and
idolatry, and in sort thirsting after Christianitie, (as may
appeare by the relation of such as have travailed in those
partes) that our hearts are so hardened, that fewe or
none can be found which will put to their helping hands,
and apply themselves to the relieving of the miserable
and wretched estate of these sillie soules?
Whose Countrey doeth (as it were with armes ad
vanced) above the climates both of Spaine and France,
stretch out it selfe towards England
only: In maner
praying our ayde and helpe, as it is not onely set forth
in
Mercators generall Mappe, but it is also found to be
true by the discoverie of our nation, and other strangers,
who have oftentimes travailed upon the same coasts.
Christopher Columbus of famous memorie, the first
instrument to manifest the great glory and mercie of
Almightie God in planting the Christian faith, in those
so long unknowen regions, having in purpose to acquaint
(as he did) that renoumed Prince, the Queenes Majesties
grandfather King Henry the seventh, with his intended
voyage for the Westerne discoveries, was not onely
derided and mocked generally, even here in England
,
but afterward became a laughing stocke to the Spaniards
themselves, who at this day (of all other people) are most
bounden to laude and prayse God, who first stirred up
the man to that enterprise.
And while he was attending there to acquaint the King
of Castile (that then was) with his intended purpose,
by how many wayes and meanes was he derided? Some
scorned the pildnesse of his garments, some tooke occasion to jest at his simple and silly lookes, others asked
if this were he that lowts so lowe, which did take upon
him to bring men into a Countrey that aboundeth with
Golde, Pearle, and Precious stones? If hee were any
such man (sayd they) he would cary another maner of
countenance with him, and looke somewhat loftier. Thus
some judged him by his garments, and others by his
looke and countenance, but none entred into the consideration of the inward man.
In the ende, what successe his Voyage had, who list
to reade the Decades, the Historie of the West Indies,
the conquest of Hernando Cortes about Mexico
, and those
of Francisco Pizarro in Peru
about Casamalcha and
Cusco
, may know more particularly. All which their
discoveries, travailes and conquests are extant to be had
in the English tongue. This devise was then accounted
a fantasticall imagination, and a drowsie dreame.
But the sequele thereof hath since awaked out of
dreames thousands of soules to knowe their Creator,
being thereof before that time altogether ignorant: And
hath since made sufficient proofe, neither to be fantasticke
nor vainely imagined.
Withall, how mightily it hath inlarged the dominions
of the Crowne of Spaine, and greatly inriched the subjects of the same, let all men consider. Besides, it is
well knowen, that sithence the time of Columbus
his
first discoverie, through the planting, possessing, and
inhabiting those partes, there hath bene transported and
brought home into Europe
greater store of Golde, Silver,
Pearle, and Precious stones, then heretofore hath bene
in all ages since the creation of the worlde.
I doe therefore heartily wish, that seeing it hath
pleased almightie God of his infinite mercy, at the length
to awake some of our worthy Countrey men out of that
drowsie dreame, wherein we have so long slumbered:
That wee may now not suffer that to quaile for want
of maintenance, which by these valiant Gentlemen our
Countreymen is so nobly begun & enterprised. For
which purpose, I have taken upon me to write this
simple short Treatise, hoping that it shall be able to
perswade such as have bene, and yet doe continue
detractors and hinderers of this journey, (by reason perhaps that they have not deliberately and advisedly entred
into the judgement of the matter) that yet now upon
better consideration they will become favourable furtherers
of the same. And that such as are already well affected
thereunto, will continue their good disposition: And
withall, I most humbly pray all such as are no nigards
of their purses in buying of costly and rich apparel, and
liberall Contributors in setting forth of games, pastimes,
feastings and banquets, (whereof the charge being past,
there is no hope of publique profite or commoditie) that
henceforth they will bestowe and employ their liberality
(heretofore that way expended) to the furtherance of these
so commendable purposed proceedings.
And to this ende have I taken pen in hand, as in
conscience thereunto mooved, desiring much rather, that
of the great multitude which this Realme doeth nourish,
farre better able to handle this matter then I my selfe
am, it would have pleased some one of them to have
undertaken the same. But seeing they are silent, and
that it falleth to my lotte to put pen to the paper, I will
endevour my selfe, and doe stand in good hope (though
my skill and knowledge bee simple, yet through the
assistance of almightie God) to proove that the Voyage
lately enterprised for trade, traffique, and planting in
America
, is an action tending to the lawfull enlargement
of her Majesties Dominions, commodious to the whole
Realme in generall, profitable to the adventurers in particular, beneficiall to the Savages, and a matter to be
atteined without any great danger or difficultie.
And lastly, (which is most of all) A thing likewise
tending to the honour and glory of Almightie God. And
for that the lawfulnesse to plant in those Countreyes in
some mens judgements seemeth very doubtfull, I will
beginne the proofe of the lawfulnesse of trade, traffique,
and planting.
