holding their lands on those manners as they doe of Churches, Universities, and Hospitals, but all depending upon one principall, and this would avoid all faction among the Superiours, extremities from the comminalty, & none would repine at such payments, when they shall see it justly imployed for their owne defence and security; as for corruption in so small a Government, you may quickly perceive, and punish it accordingly. [p. 36.] Now as his Majesty hath made you custome-free for seven yeares, have a care The condition of that all your Country men shall come to trade with you, be not troubled with trade and freedome. Pilatage, Boyage, Ancorage, Wharfage, Custome, or any such tricks as hath beene lately used in most of new Plantations, where they would be Kings before their folly; to the discouragement of many, and a scorne to them of understanding, for Dutch, French, Biskin, or any will as yet use freely the Coast without controule, and why not English as well as they: Therefore use all commers with that respect, courtesie, and liberty is fitting, which in a short time will much increase your trade and shipping to fetch it from you, for as yet it were not good to adventure any more abroad with factors till you bee better provided; now there is nothing more inricheth a Common-wealth than much trade, nor no meanes better to increase than small custome, as Holland, Genua, Ligorne, and divers other places can well tell you, and doth most beggar those places where they take most custome, as Turkie, the Archipelagan Iles, Cicilia, the Spanish ports, but that their officers will connive to inrich themselves, though undoe the State. In this your infancy, imagine you have many eyes attending your actions, some for one end, and some onely to finde fault; neglect therefore no opportunity, to informe his Majesty truly your orderly proceedings, which if it be to his liking, and contrary to the common rumour here in England, doubtlesse his Majesty will continue you custome free, till you have recovered your selves, and are able to subsist; for till such time, to take any custome from a Plantation, is not the way to make them prosper, nor is it likely those Patentees shall accomplish any thing; that will neither maintaine them nor defend them, but with Countenances, Councells, and advice, which any reasonable man there may better advise himselfe, than one thousand of them here who were never there; nor will any man, that hath any wit, throw himselfe into such a kinde of subjection, especially at his owne cost and charges; but it is too oft seene that sometimes one is enough to deceive one hundred, but two hundred not sufficient to keepe one from being deceived. glory. [p. 37.] I speake not this to discourage any with vaine feares, but could wish every English man to carry alwaies this Motto in his The Spaniards heart; Why should the brave Spanish Souldiers brag, The Sunne never sets in the Spanish dominions, but ever shineth on one part or other we have conquered for our King; who within these few hundred of yeares, was one of the least of most of his neighbours; but to animate us to doe the like for ours, who is no way his inferior; and truly there is no pleasure comparable to a generous spirit; as good imploiment in noble actions, especially amongst Turks, Heathens, and Infidels, to see daily new Countries, people, fashions, governments, stratagems, releeve the oppressed, comfort his friends, passe miseries, subdue enemies, adventure upon any feazable danger for God and his Country: it is true, it is a happy thing to be borne to strength, wealth, and honour, but that which is got by prowesse and magnanimity is the truest lustre; and those can the best distinguish content, that have escaped most honoura ble dangers, as if out of every extremity he found himselfe now borne to a new life to learne how to amend and maintaine his age. Those harsh conclusions have so oft plundered me in those perplexed actions, that if I could Provisoes for ex- not freely expresse my selfe to them doth ercise of armes. second them, I should thinke my selfe guilty of a most damnable crime worse than ingratitude; however some overweining capricious conceits, may attribute it to vaine-glory, ambition, or what other idle Epithète such pleased to bestow on me: But such trash I so much scorne, that I presume further to advise those, lesse advised than my selfe, that as your fish and trade increaseth, so let your forts and exercise of armes, drilling your men at your most convenient times, to ranke, file, march, skirmish, and retire, in file, manaples, battalia, or ambuskados, which service there is most proper; also how to assault and defend your forts, and be not sparing of a little extraordinary shot and powder to make them mark-men, especially your Gentlemen, and those you finde most capable, for shot must be your best weapon, yet all this will not doe unlesse you have at least 100. or as many as you can, of expert, blouded, approved good Souldiers, who dare boldly lead them, not to shoot a ducke, a goose, or a dead marke, but at men, from whom you must expect such as you send. The want of [p. 38.] this, and the presumptuous assurance of literall Captaines, was the losse of the French and Spaniards in Florida, each surprising other, and lately neare the ruine of Mevis and Saint Christophers in the Indies: also the French at Port Riall, and those at Canada, now your next English neighbours: Lastly, Cape Britton not far from you, called New-Scotland. Questionlesse there were some good Souldiers among them, yet somewhat was the cause they were undone by those that watched the advātage of opportunity : for as rich preyes make true men theeves; so you must not expect, if you be once worth taking and unprovided, but by some to bee attempted in the like manner: - to the prevention whereof, I have not beene more willing at the request of my friends to print this discourse, than I am ready to live and dye among you, upon conditions suting my calling and profession to make good, and Virginia and New-England, my heires, executors, administrators and assignes. actions of all our The expeditions Now because I cannot expresse halfe that which is necessary for your full satis- A reference to the faction and instruction belonging to this prime discoverers businesse in this small pamphlet, I referre and planters. you to the generall history of Virginia, the Summer Iles, and New-England; wherein you may plainly see all the discoveries, plantations, accidents, the misprisions and causes of defailments of all those noble and worthy Captaines; Captaine Philip Amadas, and Barlow; that most renowned Knight Sir Richard Greenvile, worthy Sir Ralph Layne, and learned Master Hariot, Captaine Iohn White, Captaine Bartholomew Gosnold, Captaine Martin Pring, and George Waymouth, with mine owne observations by sea, rivers and land, and all the governours that yearely succeeded mee in Virginia. Also those most industrious Captaines, Sir George Summers, and Sir Thomas Gates, with all the governours that succeeded them in the Summer Iles. Likewise the plantation of Sagadahock, by those noble Captaines, George Popham, Rawley Gilbert, Edward Harlow, Robert Davis, Iames Davis, Iohn Davis, and divers others, with the maps of those Countries: with it also you may finde the plantations of Saint Christophers, Mevis, the Berbados, and the great river of the Amazons, whose greatest defects, and the best meanes to amend them are there yearely recorded, to be warnings and examples to them that are not too wise to learne to understand. to be in a Gover tion. [p. 39.] This great worke, though small in conceit, is not a worke for every one to What is requisite mannage such an affaire, as make a disnour of a planta- covery, and plant a Colony, it requires all the best parts of art, judgement, courage, honesty, constancy, diligence, and industry, to doe but neere well; some are more proper for one thing than another, and therein best to be imployed, and nothing breeds more confusion than misplacing and misimploying men in their undertakings. Columbus, Curtes, Pitzara, Zotto, Magellanus, and the rest, served more than an apprentiship to learne how to begin their most memorable attempts in the West Indies, which to the wonder of all ages, successfully they effected, when many hundreds farre above them in the worlds opinion, being instructed but by relation, scorning to follow their blunt examples, but in great state, with new inventions came to shame and confusion in actions of small moment, who doubtlesse in other matters, were both wise, discreet, generous and couragious. I say not this to detract any thing from their noblenesse, state, nor greatnesse, but to answer those questionlesse questions that keepe us from imitating the others brave spirits, that advanced themselves from poore Souldiers to great Captaines, their posterity to great Lords, and their King to be one of the greatest potentates on earth, and the fruits of their labours his greatest glory, power, and renowne. taines. Till his greatnesse and security made his so rich remote and dispersed plantations such of Queene Eliza great booties and honours, to the incombeths Sea-Cap- parable Sir Fr. Drake, the renowned Captain Candish, Sir Richard Luson, Sir Iohn Hawkins, Captaine Carlile, and Sir Martin Furbisher, &c. and the most memorable and right honourable Earles, Cumberland, Essex, Southampton, and Nottingham that good L. Admirall, with many hun |