as I would hope no ship should go or come empty from New England. The charge of this is onely salt, nets, hookes, lines, kniues, Irish rugs, course cloth, beades, glasse, and such trash, onely for fishing and trade with the sauages, beside our owne necessary prouisions, whose endeuours wil quickly defray all this charge; and the sauages haue intreated me to inhabite where I will. Now all these ships, till this last yeare, haue bin fished within a square of two or 3 leagues, and not one of them all would aduenture any further, where questionlesse 500 saile may haue their fraught better then in Island, Newfoundland, or elsewhere, and be in their markets before the other can haue their fish in their ships, because New Englands fishing begins with February, the other not till mid May; the progression hereof tends much to the aduancement of Virginia & the Bermudas, whose emptie ships may take in their fraught there, and would be a good friend in time of need to the inhabitants of New found land. The returnes made by the Westerne ships, are commonly deuided into three parts, one for the owner of the ship, another for the Master and his companie, the third for the victuallers: which course being still permitted, wil be no hindrance to the plantation, go there neuer so many, but a meanes of transporting that yearely for little or nothing, which otherwise will cost many a hundred of pounds. If a ship can gaine twentie, thirtie, fiftie in the 100, nay 300 for 100. in 7 moneths, as you see they haue done, spending twise so much time in going & coming as in staying there: were I there planted, seeing the varietie of the fishings in their seasons serueth the most part of the yeare, & with a little labour we might make all the salt we need vse. I can conceiue no reason to distrust, but the doubling and trebling their gaines that are at all the former charge, and can fish but two moneths in a yeare and if those do giue 20. 30. or 40. shillings for an acre of land, or ship carpenters, forgers of iron, &c. that buy all things at a deare rate, grow rich; when they may haue as good of all needful necessaries for taking (in my opinion) should not grow poore; and no commodity in Europe doth more decay then wood. Mr. Dee recordeth in his British Monarchie, that King Edgar had a nauie of 4000 saile, with which he yearely made his progresse about this famous Monarchie of Great Britaine, largely declaring the benefit thereof: whereupon it seemes he proiected to our most memorable Queene Elizabeth, the erecting of a Fleete of 60 saile, he called a little Nauie Royall; imitating the admired Pericles Prince of Athens, that could neuer secure that tormented estate, vntill he was Lord and Captain of the Sea. At this none need wonder; for who knowes not, her Royall Maiestie during her life, by the incredible aduentures of her Royall Nauy, and what valiant souldiers and sea-men, notwithstanding all trecheries at home, the protecting and defending France and Holland, and reconquering Ireland, yet all the world by sea or land both feared, loued, & admired good Queen Elizabeth. Both to maintaine and increase that incomparable honour (God be thanked) to her incomparable Successour, our most Royall Lord and Soueraigne King lames, &c. this great Philosopher hath left this to his Maiestie and his kingdomes consideration: That if the Tenths of the Earth be proper to God, it is also due by Sea: the Kings high wayes are common to passe, but not to dig for Mines or any thing; so Englands coasts are free to passe, but not to fish, but by his Maiesties prerogatiue. His Maiesty of Spaine permits none to passe the Popes order for the East and West Indies, but by his permission on, or at their perils. If all that world be so iustly theirs, it is no iniustice for England to make as much vse of her own shores as strangers do, that pay to their own Lords the tenth, and not to the owner of those liberties any thing to speake of; whose subiects may neither take nor sell any in their territories: which small tribute would maintain this little Nauie Royall, and not cost his Maiestie a penny; and yet maintaine peace with all forreiners, and allow them more courtesie then any nation in the world affoords to England. It were a shame to alledge, that Holland is more worthy to enioy our fishings as Lords thereof, because they haue more skill to handle it then we, as they can our wool and vndressed cloth, notwithstanding all their wars and troublesome disorders. To get mony to build this Nauy, he saith, who would not spare the 100 peny of his Rents, and the 500 peny of his goods; each seruant that taketh 40.s. wages, 4.d; and euery forreiner of 7 yeares of age 4.d. for 7 yeares: not any of these but they will spend 3 times so much in pride, wantonnesse or some superfluitie. And do any men loue the securitie of their estates, that of themselues would not be humble suters to his Maiestie to do this of free will as a voluntary beneuolence, or but the one halfe of this, (or some such other course as I haue propounded to diuers of the Companies) free frō any constraint, taxe, lottery or imposition, so it may be as honestly and truly employed as it is proiected, the poorest mechanick in this kingdom would gaine by it: you might build ships of any proportion and numbers you please, fiue times cheaper then you can do here, and haue good merchandize for their fraught in this vnknowne land, to the aduancement of Gods glorie, his Church and Gospel and the strengthening and reliefe of a great part of Christendome, without hurt to any, to the terror of pyrats, the amazemēt of enemies, the assistance of friends, the securing of Merchants, and so much increase of nauigation to make Englands trade and shipping as much as any nation in the world, besides a hundred other benefits, to the generall good of all good subiects, & would cause thousands yet vnborn blesse the time and all them that first put it in practise. Now lest it should be obscured as it hath bin to priuate ends, or so weekly vndertake by our ouerweening incredulitie, that strangers may possesse it, whilest we contend for New Englads good, but not Englands good; I present this to your Highnes and to all the Lords in England, hoping by your gracious good liking and approbation to moue all the worthy Companies of this noble Citie, and all the Cities and Countries in the whole Land to consider of it, since I can finde them wood and halfe victuall, with the aforesaid aduantages, with what facilitie they may build and maintaine this little Nauie Royall, both with honour, profit and content, & inhabite as good a country as any in the world, within that parallel, which with my life & what I haue I wil endeuour to effect, if God please, and you permit. But no man will go from hence, to haue lesse freedome there then here; nor aduenture all they haue, to prepare the way for them that know it not and it is too well knowne there hath bin so many vndertakers of Patents and such sharing of them, as hath bred no lesse discouragement then wonder, to heare such ships went from great promises and so little performances. In the by Maister John interim, you see the Dutch and French already frequent it and God forbid them in Virginia or any of his Maiesties subiects should not haue as The Hopwell 70. free libertie as they. To conclude, were it not This yeare 3 London, set out Farar and his partners. The Bona noua 200 tunns. The Darling 40. for Mr. Pierce and a few priuate Aduenturers with him, what haue we there for all these inducements? As for them who pride or couetousnes lulleth asleep in a cradle of slothfull carelesnes, would they but consider how all the great Monarchies of the earth haue bin brought to confusion; or but remember the late lamentable experience of Constantinople; and how many Cities, Townes and Prouinces in the faire rich kingdoms of Hungaria, Transiluania, Wallachia and Moldauia; and how many thousands of Princes, Earles, Barons, Knights, Merchants and others, haue in one day lost goods, liues and honors; or sold for slaues like beasts in a mar ket place; their wiues, children & seruants slaine or wandring they knew not whither, dying or liuing in all extremities of extreame miseries and calamities. Surely they would not onely do this, but giue all they haue to enjoy peace and libertie at home; or but aduenture their persons abroad, to preuent the conclusions of a conquering foe, who commonly assaulteth & best preuaileth where he findeth wealth and plentie (most armed) with ignorance and securitie. Though the true condition of war is onely to suppresse the proud, and defend the innocent and humble, as did that most generous Prince Sigismundus Bathor Prince of those countries, against them, whom vnder the colour of iustice and pietie, to maintaine their superfluitie of ambitious pride, thought all the world too little to maintaine their vice, and vndoe them, or keepe them from abilitie to do any thing that would not admire and adore their honors, fortunes, couetousnes, falshood, bribery, crueltie, extortion, and ingratitude, which is worse then cowardize or ignorance, and all maner of vildnesse, cleane contrary to all honour, vertue and noblenesse. Much more could I say, but lest I should be too tedious to your more serious affaires, I humbly craue your honorable and fauourable constructions and pardons if any thing be amisse. If any desire to be further satisfied, they may reade my Description of Virginia and New England, and peruse them with their seuerall Maps: what defect you finde in them, they shall find supplied in me or my authors, that thus freely hath throwne my selfe with my mite into the Treasury of my Countries good, not doubting but God will stir vp some noble spirits to consider and examine if worthy Collumbus could giue the Spaniards any such certainties for his designe, when Queene Isabel of Spaine set him foorth with fifteene saile. And though I can promise no Mines of gold, yet the warlike Hollanders let vs imitate, but not hate, whose wealth and strength are good testimonies of their treasure gotten by fishing. Therefore (honorable and worthy Countrymen) let not the meannesse of the word Fish distaste you, for it will afford as good gold as the mines of Guiana or Tumbatu, with lesse hazard and charge, and more certaintie and facilitie; and so I humbly rest. FINIS. |