rare in any Studious Ientleman of this Kingdom els Yet neither the same nor ten tymes as great sownding lowd about his eares for these many yeres past haue at any tyme or yet doo any one pyns point puf vp his hart vayngloriously but haue and doo make him more Ioyfully thankfull to the kingly and free giuer of such his great Talent So great as Quibus Res notae sunt qui illi benè volunt existimant orationem non esse parem Magnitudini Rerum gestarum As that prudent Atheniensien Gouernor Pericles sayd In oratione Funebri Commending them that manfully had spent their liues in the late warres then Thucidides Lib. 2. Alij ignari iudicant laudes esse immodicas quia inuident excellenti virtuti Laudes enim eò vsque tolerabiles sunt donec ea dicuntur quae Auditores se quoque facere posse arbitrantur Si Maiora dicuntur Inuident non credunt Therfore pardon me I beseech your worship Yf in rehearsing here and there glaunsingly some points of his due Commendation I speak far short of that which farder your worship and other doo or may know and more aptly can expres to Gods glory for his graces on that Ientleman so abundantly bestowed Who I know right well doth make no les account of your Worship then the Iustice of dutifull and perfect Amitie requireth Which is a thing very rare now a dayes any where to be found And for better proof of the Premisses by your leaue and with your patience I will here truly and briefly Note such matter vnto you as neither Withall is impertinent to this Paradoxall Instrument now first published nor mete to be let pas in a manner vnknown and vtterly vnrecorded For whereas about 3. or 4. monthes last past a vertuous M.M. Lok Ientleman and Marchant with zealous Intent for the Auauncement of God his glory and the great Commoditie and honor of this kingdom procured vnto him Worshipfull yea and Honorable Ayde also to set furth Ships for a Northwest Discouery And shortly after there came abrode in Print a little English book containing some probable reasons tending to the perswasion of the same Cours and voyage In the Epistle of which little book no small pece of Credit for the Attempt to be liked of was ascribed to M. â—ee his Iudgement as there is to be sene set down in his Mathematicall Praeface with the English Euclide published So it came to pas that it was his wurshipfull freend M. Edward Dyer his fortune First to Aduertise him as he told me both of the sayd book by the Title therof and of his Name in the foresayd Epistle to good purpose vsed Whereupon he calling to Remembrance his old Atlanticall Discourses to the self same purpose at the sayd M. Dyer his request almost ten yeres sins set down in writyng And perusing throughly all reasons and allegations both Pro and Contra now in the sayd Pamphlet expressed did furthwith by euery Article therof in the Margent Note their value or imperfection And straight way after that made a new Collection for the same voyage very probable And thirdly the same day writ 18. new Considerations of his own very pleasant in probabilitie for an other voyage of Discouery in respect of Safetie Nerenes and Commoditie nothing inferior to that which they * They did sâ—t furth the 12. of Iune last now haue vndertaken God send them good spede And M. d ee being thus furnished aswell to maintein probably his former Iudgement by M. Gascoyn recited in the foresayd Epistle and intending to geue those his 18. new and very straunge Articles of Consideration to him or them whom he should dâ—me apt and desirous to furder the sayd Discouery no les then this was by a discrete carefull diligent and constant Procurer follower and furderer brought to the present execution And also purposing freendly to examin and faithfully to Instruct M. Capitain Frobisher and M. Christopher Hall and other that should haue the chardge about the sayd Northwest Discouery As he was partly by the right worshipfull Sir Leonell Ducket Knight and partly by M. Frobisher him self before that requested to doo made then no delay to repayr to the Moschouy house Where he found him self courteously and very worshipfully enterteined And at that tyme of his abode there and after that at sundry other tymes of his Resort thither and to their Ships he proceded so with them according to his Intent and pleasured them so much according to their desire That he finding them quick of apprehension and likely to remaine * As besides many other thinges this letter may seeme to be a sufficient witnes To the worshipfull and our approoued good freend M. Dee gâ—ue these with speed This 26. of Iune 1576. I ariued in Shotland in the Bay of Saint Tronioâ—s in the Latitude of 59 degrees 46 Minutes I with M. Hall make our dutiâ—â—ll Commendations to you with as many thâ—nkes as we can wish till we be better furnished of farder matters to satisfy our duties for your â—rendly Instructionâ— which when we vse we dâ—o remember you and hold our selues bound to you as your poure disciples not able to be Scholers but in good will â—or want of lerning and that we will furnish with good will and diligence to the vttermost of our powers Tâ—e cause of our stay here was to stop a leake which I had in the Michaâ—ll and withall â—illed certayne fresh water and by Gods â—race this night according to my Commission I wil depart This present â—ight I haue a says winde God be praysed I haue had sharp weather â—nd â—ogâ— But all my company continuâ— with a good courage aâ— they began at the first Newes I haue â—one but my â—arkes sayle very well all â—ut the Gaâ—riâ—ll hath no fellow she spaâ—dâ— halâ—e her Sayles to all men â—â—uâ— I commit you to god In last this present afternoone ready to set â—aile Your louing frend to vse and commaund Martin Frobisher Yours to commaund Christopher Hall. Thankfull for his pithy instructing of them And they finding him aboue their expectation skilfull And more then could be wished for Carefull for their well doing in this their commendable and honorable Attempt both the one and the other became very sorry of their so late acquaintance and conference for these their waighty affaires furdering And greatly misliked their want of tyme The Complement of the perfect Art of Nauigation sufficient for the ComplemeÌ„t and principall pointes of the Perfect Art of Nauigation learning at his hands Such pointes I meane as needed either great knowledge in the Sciences Mathematicall and Arts Mechanicall or expert Skill of many Causes and effects Naturall â— Such points I say to their affaires and the Perfect Art of Nauigation incidentâ— he very aptly could right willingly wold haue dealt with them in Yf that pinch of tyme wold haue so permitted For it is very euident by his description of the
one extraordinary Studious Ientleman of this land within his Clawes that diuers his mere Malitious and wilfull Enemies do verily hope that it is impossible that this Ientleman shall with this English or Brytish State either during his life be counted a good Subiect or a Commendable nay scarse a Tolerable Christian or any his Acts or Trauailes all ready past or other his intended exploits of great Importance shall be in this Land acceptable or of the people of this kingdome receyued as by the fauour light and Ayde of the Blessed Trinitie vndertaken inuented Compassed and atchieued but rather by wicked and vngodly Arte to be framed and by the help of Sathan or Beelzebub to be finished vnleast the wise or the peculiarly chief Authorized will vse due Carefull and Charitable Discretion From henceforth to repres abolish and vtterly extinguish this very Iniurious Report for these xx yeres last past and somwhat longer Spred Credited all this Realm ouer it is to wete That the Forsaid Ientleman is or was Not onely a 1. Coniurer or Caller of Diuels but 2. A Great doer therin Yea The Great Coniurer so as some would say 3. The Arche Coniurer of this whole kingdom Before that the mentioned Diuelish Cosening was vsed this sklanderous vntruthe was recorded publisâ—ed and Credited But by these new deuised Cosening forgeries the same may with some seeme to be vndoutedly confirmed Oh Lord with how tickle and strong Snares and with how wily Laberinthes hath the most enuious Traytor to the honor of our God and Christ bewrapped and Daunted many a thousand of simple honest Mens fantazies inducing them to Credit this Infamous Report To Credit it I say in respect of the honorable Seat wherin it was very vnaduisedly set downe In dede euen he who at the beginning sayd Ascendam in Coelum similis ero Altissimo euen he hath setled this intolerable sklander of the vertuous among the glorious Renown of the Righteous to so great hurt and dammage of the Ientleman who to all other Men is harmles as neuer to him by any one Mortall Man the iust Amends can duly be made I would to God this foresaid sklander and other Disgracing Reports to to rashly and euen then recorded when this Courteous Ientleman was also a prisoner himself bedfellow with one Maister Barthelet Greene had bin in due tyme espyed and vtterly cancelled and razed out of all Records wherin they were vnduly and vnaduisedly first admitted Nerer to pres this Matter in particular it is nedeles But by this and such like foule ouersight of Man Cruell despite of the hellish Enemy it is come to pas among many other great Inconueniences that wheras the said Studious Ientleman hath at God his most mercifull handes receyued a great Talent of knowledge and Sciences after his long painfull and Costly Trauails susteyned for the same and both by God being warned and of his owne disposition desirous not onely to enlarge and multiply the same but also to communicate to other He findeth himself now at length partly forced somwhat to yelde to the wickednes of these tymes being not possible to sayl against the windes eye And partly demeth himself in Gods Iudgement excusable not to bestow any more of his Talent Carefull Trauailes vpon the Ingratefull and Thankles Nay vpon the skorners and Disdainers of such his faythfull enterprises vndertaken chiefly for the Aduancement of the wonderfull Veritie Philosophicall And also for the State Publik of this BRYTISH MONARCHIE to become florishing in HONOR WEALTH and STRENGTH as much as any thing in him mought haue bin therto by any means found seruisable But who would haue thought that they who are in dede of the honester sort and more charitable yea of the wiser and by Office mightier some of them taken for his especial great freends would so many yeres haue bin so Careles or slack to Ayde and procure the Innocent to be deliuered from the greuous and most Iniurious spoyle of his good Name and Fame and all the inconueniences depending theron Or who would haue thought that so great so vncharitable Vntruthes should so vndiscretely haue bin published by those Men especially who otherwise in woord and life were very modest and Circumspect I thought it good Therfore my honest freend and Cuntryman to aduertise thee of some parte of the Cause of the strange maner of this Treatise comming to thy sight or reading As without the Name of any certain Author therof And without the Name of the zealous Artificer who first did sollicite and collect such matter by Dicâ—ata as it were from this Ientleman And Thirdly without my own Name into whose hands the sayd Artificer hath deliuered all the matter that he could get of this Brytish Ientleman to the Title of this booke answerable yea and other rare Instructions also For vndowtedly this BRYTISH PHILOSOPHER is not 1. only discouraged to labor or * pen any more Treatises or bookes him self in ARTIFICIALL METHOD for his vnkinde vnthankful disdainfull and sklanderous Cuntrymen to vse nay abuse but 2. also is loth and hath great reason so to be to haue his Name any more prefixed or subscribed to any Treatises passing from him either by writing or by speech And both these Inconueniences are purposely committed to auoyd or somwhat to preuent hensforward the farther grief and offence that might grow to him and his true freends to perceiue the former sundry sorts of Caterpillers and great hinderers of the prosperous Estate of any Common-Wealth to knaw vpon the leaf or flower of his Commendable Fame who would take very quickly an Occasion by the forefronts of bookes garnished with his BRYTISH NAME to fall to a fresh pang of enuious busiosity impudent arrogancy and dogged malicious speeches vsing and vttring against the Ientleman who vndoutedly wisheth euill to none And perhaps though it were very good matter that should by him be contriued and written and vnder his Name be published yet they would in perusing it either peruert their own Iudgements of it through their vnquieted and mere malicious fantazie wilfully bent against him or rather in dede through their own great Ignorance would verify the Prouerb Scientia non habet Inimicum nisi Ignorantem as they did by his Monas Hieroglyphica dedicated to the late Emperor Maximilian wherein the Queene her most Excellent Maiesty can be a sacred witnes as I haue heard of the Strange and vndue speeches deuised of that Hieroglyphicall writing Or if they liked the matter then they would say that such a Treatise vnder his Name published is not or was not of his owne compiling and ordring as Author therof but that some other Man now liuing or long since dead was the only and first Author of such a good Treatise And that mâ—nâ—r of malicious Iniury hath bin very notably dâ—nâ— vnto him for these many yeres past about his Booke Intituled Propaedâ—umata
the GENERALL COMPLEMENT and almost in particular all that which hitherto was wanting or which mought be most needfull to so excellent an Arte and to this kingdome most beneficiall of all other Mechanicall exercises And such is the foresayd Brytish Complement as I do right well know that the Contents therof are aboue the most part of the best learned mens expectations yea or hope of being brought to pas and all that in rare general and excellent Conclusions of Gubernautik chiefly And so great is the Volume therof that to haue it fairely and distinctly printed with all the Appertenances it would be in bulk greater than the English Bible of the greatest volume And yet the plat of Inuention Disposition and recording therof was finished in les than 4. monthes space it is to wete of September October Nouember and December last Due Laud and Glory be therfore ascribed to the free geuer of all good and perfect Gifts The third Booke I neither will or may as yet say any thing of The Ientleman his desire was that it should be vtterly suppressed or deliuered to Vulcan his Custody But the fourth Volume I may Iudge it to be as an Earthly Paradise A Booke of as great godly pleasure as worldly profit and delight A Booke for the BRYTISH HONOR and WEALTH And that in diuers maner such an one as neuer King Ptolomaeus or Prince Abilfada Ismaël or any Geographicall or Hydographicall Discouerer did write or Collect as I for my simple Capacity do verily Iudge of it The Title wherof is OF FAMOVS and RICH DISCOVERIES The Discourse therof not only conteineth the Generall Suruey Hydrographicall of all the whole world and chiefly the rare Euidences for all the partes therof most Septentrionall but also a particular and ample examination of King Solomon his Ophirian three yeres voyage And also the lawfull and very honorable Entitling of our most gratious and Soueraigne Lady QVEENE ELIZABETH and so this BRYTISH SCEPTRE ROYALL to very large Forrein Dominions such as in and by the same duly recouered and vsed the Course of the Diuine prouidence generall in this present Age will bring to light and life matter of great Importance and Consequency both to the Glory of God and the benefit of all Christendom and Heathenes The greatnes of this Volume is not much les than of the Second And one way it far passeth the Second For in the Secret Center therof is more bestowed and stored vp than I may or in this place will expres The same Volume was chiefly of the Ientleman his own very speedy collecting And by his wil and order hath this Inscription or Dedication TO THE MOST VVORTHY And the same Inscription to be written or printed in letters of Gold. And had not the Incredible and manifold Iniuries and vndue Disturbances bin which haue happened to him by sundry parcels of tyme for the space of three Monthes and more in Totall summe within the tyme of all these Collections most speedily and Carefully heaping vp togither since August last I am right well assured that neuer in so small tyme so much matter of so great Importance with such syncere and dutifull zeale to pleasure his Natiue Cuntry had by any Subiect BRYTISH or ENGLISH bin deliuered from him by Inuention of his own or by Circumspect Collection or discrete Application out of former or present writers and Authors What is than I pray you in all his life tyme to be thought likely or possible and in tymes more commodious to haue bin Inuented Or conuerted to better Method of Knowledge or vse of practise or notably reformed by the said Ientleman Especially for the space of these Thirty yeres last past In which long tyme of his Tyrocinie he hath incessantly to the vttermost of his power and hability followed an extraordinary and most painfull and very costly Course of Philosophicall Enquiries making after the best Verities which may yeld by due Considerations of the Creatures their vertues and properties to their Creator and ours Glory Praise Honor vnspeakable for his Infinit Goodnes Wisdom and Power the euident print Demonstrable proof wherof the same our God hath bestowed most abundantly in his own handy-worke of all his Creatures Creating all the whole and vniuersall world ouer dispersed nay rather Filling the whole Cosmographicall frame and Orbe from the Center therof to the vttermost Circumference of the same being to Mortall mans outward eye vtterly vnsensible It will appeare hereafter in due tyme that greater furder and of longer Continuance hath bin his doings and very well liked of Aduertisements and Instructions in sundry affayres Philosophicall and Cosmopoliticall FOR VERITIE IVSTICE AND PEACE FVRDERING than hath of any Three of his neerest freends and most familiarly acquainted Cuntrymen bin as yet perceiued And this also I may say of the same Ientleman without seeming to flatter him or any whit to abuse thee my honest freend and Cuntryman or he him self with great Modesty and no arrogancy might to God his high Glory say That yf in the foresaid whole cours of his tyme he had found a Constant Assistant CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER BRYTAN should not haue bin now destitute of a CHRISTIAN ARISTOTLE Any farder is nedeles to be disclosed of this Ientleman whose greuous wounds by dedly sklanders vpon diuelish Enuy only and the same priuily slasht and hewed into his Sydes and nere vnto his Hart are not yet in the perfect and charitable Chirurgiens curing The more Lamentable will the case be found and the remedy to late thought vpon I am greatly afraid In the mean space my louing freend and vnpartiall Reader I am to aduertise thee that as concerning the publishing of the other two great Volumes though the Inuentions and Collections be such as I sayd and of great Value both for the HONOR AND WEALTH OF ENGLAND and no little furderance of the GLORY OF GOD yet by Order taken by him who hath the chief Interest therin the same are not to be printed VNTIL THE PROOF BE PAST How this Mechanicien his zealous dutyfull and humble Aduertisement Politicall for the Perpetuall Garde and furder Seruice of a PETY-NAVY-ROYALL to be mainteined without any Cost or Charge to the Queene her most excellent Maiestie or any vnpleasant burden to the Commons and faithfull Subiects of this BRYTISH MONARCHIE shall be liked of and accepted for the zeale and matter I mean rather than for any Rhetoricall polishing bestowed on it Seeing the same conteineth in it such Fragments of Instructions receiued from the foresaid Philosopher being hitherto almost a Freendles freend Why say I freendles Seeing a Ientleman of great Experience in this world sayd vnto him in my hering within these few dayes Tu certè Infoelix at multos inter Amicos Wherby it might seme that he hath many freends But for all that betwene a cold freend and a faint harted Enemy is small diuersity And vndowtedly a fayned
Perfect Art of Nauigation in his foresayd Mathematicall Praeface declared and also common reason and dayly experience will confirme the same that not onely such skill and furniture as both here is rehearsed and in that Praeface is specified But other also is most nedefull for him to be fraught withall that shall be allowed for an exact Hydrographer Pylot-Maior Arche-Pylot or Grand-Pylot-Generall of such an Incomparable Ilandish Monarchy as this BRYTISH IMPIRE hath bene THE BRYTISH MONARCHY Yea as it yet is or rather as it may of right ought to be As I haue bene informed by him who can reasonably declare how WHom also I haue heard often and most hartily Wish A very Commendable Wish of a faythfull Subiect That all manner of persons passing or frequenting any our Seas appropriate and many wayes next enuironing England Ireland and Scotland might be in conuenient honorable sort at all tymes at the Commandement and Order by Beck or Check of A PETY-NAVY-ROYALL A PETY-NAVY-ROYAL of Three score Tall Ships or more but in no case fewer and they to be very well appoynted throughly manned and sufficiently vittailed The Commoditâ—es ensuing of the Continuall Garde and seruice of the PETY-NAVY-ROYALL The Publik Commodities wherof ensuing are or would be so great and many as the whole Commons and all the Subiects of this Noble Kingdome would for euer bles the day and houre wherein such good and politik Order was in so good Time and Opportunitie taken and established And esteme them not onely most worthy and Royall Counsailers but also Heroicall Magistrates who haue had so fatherly Care for the Communaltie and most wisely Generall Brytish Securitie procured so Generall Brytish Securitie ¶ That henceforward neither France Denmark Scotland Spaine nor any other Cuntry can haue such liberty for Inuasion or their mutuall Conspiracies or Ayds any way Transporting to annoy the blessed State of our Tranquillitie as either they haue in tymes past had Or els ☞ may haue whensoeuer they will forget or contemne the Obseruing of their sworn or pretended Amitie ¶ Besides that I report me to all English Marchantâ— Sayd he of how great value to them and Consequently to the Publik-Weale of this Kingdom such a Securitie were Wherby both outward homeward continually their Marchantlike Ships many or few great or small may in our Seas and somewhat farder pas quietly vnpilled vnspoyled and vntaken by Pyrates or other in time of Peace The wisedom and purpose of that most politik Lawmaker King Minos may herein to vs be a sufficient Aduertisement For * Thucidides Lib. primâ— Diodor. Sic. Lib. 6. Cap. 15. Graecorum primus eâ—t mariâ— Imperio potiâ—us Mâ—nos king of Câ—â—te did Raigne about 2860. yeres agoe Minos antiquissimus eorum de quibus audiuimus Classem habuit Et dominatus est in maxima parte eius Maris quod nunc Hellenicum .i. Graecum vocaâ—ur Et Regnauit in Cycladibus primus Conditor multarum vrbium in illis locis suiâ— Cùm inde eiâ—cisset Cares filios suos Gubernatores constituisâ—et Ac Praedandi consuetudinem sicut consentaneum est quantùm potuit è mari susâ—ulit Idque ob eam cansam fecit vt vectigalia Redditus magis ad se peruenirent What Abundance of Mony now lost by Assurance giuen or taken would by this meanes also be greatly out of danger ¶ And Thirdly how many men before time of vrgent nede wold thus be made very skilfull in all the foresayd Seas and Sea Coasts in their Channels knowing in Soundings all ouer in good marks taking for auoyding dangers in good Harboroughs trying out in good Landings assaying In the order of Ebs and Fluds obseruing and all other points aduisedly learning which to the Perfect Art of Nauigation are very necessary Wherby they may be the better hable to be diuided and distributed in a greater Nauy with charge of Maistership or Pylotage in tyme of great nede Gubernauâ—â— For this Art of Nauigation requireth a great skill and industry And Yf 2000 yeres since it was found true among the Graecians that Ars est enim Res Nautica Thucid. Lib. 1. in Oratione Periclâ—â— si quid aliud Nec discitur obiter Sed ita exâ—rcenda est vt in eam solam cura intendatur ne obiter sâ—mul alia agantur How much more now in our dayes may it be truly affirmed When it is ten tymes more in particular skill and ingenious feats augmented then it was in those dayes They of this Nauy should oftentymes espy or meeâ—e the Priuy Sownders and Serchers of our Channells flats banks Pyts c. And so very diligently deciphring our Sea-Coasts Yea and in the Ryuer of Thames also otherwhile vp to the Station of the Grand-Nauy-Royall And likewise very oâ—ten mete with the abhominable Theues that steale our Corne and vittailes from sundry our Coasts to the great hinderance of the Publik plenty of England And these Theues are both Subiects and forreyners and very often and to to euidently sene and generally murmured at but as yet not redressed for all the good wise Order by the most honorable Senat of the Priuy Counsayll taken therein ¶ Fourthly how many Thousands of Soldyers of all Degrees and apt ages of men wold be by this meanes not only hardned well to broke all rage and disturbance of Sea and endure healthfully all hardnes of lodging and dyet there but also wold be well practised and easily trayned vp to great perfection of vnderstanding all maner of fight and Seruice at Sea So that in time of great nede that expert and hardy Crue of some Thousands of Sea-soldiers wold be to this Realme a Treasor incomparable And who knoweth not what daunger it is in time of great nede either to vse all fresh-water-Soldyers Or to be a fortnight in prouiding a little Company of Omnigatharums taken vp on the sudden to serue at Sea For our ordinary Land-musters are generally intended or now may be spared to be employed otherwise if nede be I think I haue so hard out of some book written De Republica ¶ How many Hundreds of lusty and handsome Men wold be this way well occupied and haue needfull maintenance Which now are either Idle or want sustenance or both In to to many places of this renowmed Monarchy ¶ Moreover what a Cumfort and Sauegard will it or may it be to the whole Realme To haue the great Aduantage of so many warlike Ships so well manned and appointed for all assayes at all houres ready to affront straight way set on and ouerthrow any sudden or priuy forreyn Trechery by Sea directly or indirectly attempted agaynst this Impire in any Coast or parte therof For sudden forrein Attempts that is to say vnknowen or vnhard of to vs before their Readynes can not be done with great power For great Nauies most commonly are espyed or hard somwhat of and that very certainly while they are in preparing though